The Skull

Hammer Films kicked off a gothic horror boom in the 1960s in Britain. The 1965 film The Skull, made by Milton Subotsky and Max Rosenberg's Amicus Productions, not only borrows the Hammer style but also actors Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee (Hammer's top two stars) and director Freddie Francis. Cushing plays Dr. Christopher Maitland, a collector of occult objects who is offered the skull of the Marquis de Sade. In fact it was stolen from friend and fellow collector Matthew Phillips (Christopher Lee), who is relieved to be free of it and warns Maitland to steer clear of the accursed object. But it's too late, and Maitland becomes obsessed with the skull and eventually driven to murder. Based on the Robert Bloch short story "The Skull of the Marquis de Sade" (the film shortened the title due to pressure from the descendants of de Sade), it's a simple story built around the power that the titular object holds over all who behold it. Cushing embraces the role, his character a bookish and skeptical man fascinated by the supernatural but not a believer, who begins to lose control and then goes mad under the skull's sway, notably in an impressive nightmare sequence. It's an interesting but minor entry from the lively era of ‘60s Gothic horror, notable for the two iconic stars and the atmosphere of Francis's direction. Extras include audio commentary by film historian Tim Lucas, and interviews with film historians Jonathan Rigby and Kim Newman. A strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)