HorrorThriller

The Skull

- When the Skull strikes you'll scream!

An occult investigator buys the 150-year-old skull of the Marquis de Sade, which turns out to be possessed by evil spirits.

Release Date : 1965-08-25

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Amicus Productions

Production Country : United Kingdom

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Dr. Christopher Maitland

Original Name : Peter Cushing

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sir Matthew Phillips

Original Name : Christopher Lee

Gender : Male

Character Name : Anthony Marco

Original Name : Patrick Wymark

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jane Maitland

Original Name : Jill Bennett

Gender : Female

Character Name : Bert Travers, Marco's Landlord

Original Name : Peter Woodthorpe

Gender : Male

Character Name : Inspector Wilson

Original Name : Nigel Green

Gender : Male

Character Name : French Girl

Original Name : April Olrich

Gender : Female

Character Name : Dr. Londe

Original Name : George Coulouris

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pierre, Phrenologist

Original Name : Maurice Good

Gender : Male

Character Name : Police Surgeon

Original Name : Patrick Magee

Gender : Male

Character Name : Judge

Original Name : Frank Forsyth

Gender : Male

Character Name : Auctioneer

Original Name : Michael Gough

Gender : Male

Character Name : Maid

Original Name : Anna Palk

Gender : Female

Character Name : First Guard

Original Name : Paul Stockman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Second Guard

Original Name : Geoffrey Cheshire

Gender : Male

Character Name : Policeman

Original Name : George Hilsdon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Driver

Original Name : Jack Silk

Gender : Male

Character Name : Auction Attendee (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul Beradi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Auction Attendee (uncredited)

Original Name : Ernest Blyth

Gender : Male

Character Name : Auction Attendee (uncredited)

Original Name : Aileen Lewis

Gender : Female

Character Name : Auction Attendant (uncredited)

Original Name : Eric Kent

Gender : Male

Character Name : Auction Bidder (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Armstrong

Gender : Male

Character Name : Auction Bidder (uncredited)

Original Name : Joe Beckett

Gender : Male

Character Name : Auction Bidder (uncredited)

Original Name : Arthur Goodman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Auction Bidder (uncredited)

Original Name : Harold Sanderson

Gender : Male

Reviews

Wuchak

@Wuchak

2021-06-23

**_Features Peter Cushing & Christopher Lee, but way too much filler_** A researcher of the occult and esoterica (Peter Cushing) apprehends the skull of the nefarious Marquis de Sade and learns that something evil is attached to it, which negatively influences its owners. Patrick Wymark plays his source for artifacts while Christopher Lee plays a rival collector. Patrick Magee is on hand as an inspector. “The Skull” (1965) is worth checking out for fans of British horror featuring Cushing and/or Lee, but it places with the least of their works. There’s just way too much filler. The runtime could’ve been cut in half and it would’ve been a compelling mini-movie. As it is, it’s just too drawn out for the material to maintain interest. However, the theme is interesting: Can articles have evil spirits attached to them? During the days of the early Church, articles that Paul touched, like handkerchiefs and aprons, “were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them” (Acts 19:11-12). It was the same thing with Peter’s shadow. These things had the anointing of God on them and thus physically or mentally ill people exposed to them were healed and demons fled! A good example from the Old Testament would be Elisha’s bones noted in 2 Kings 13. These various items were blessed as conduits of God’s power. Could the inverse also be true? Could certain items be cursed with a demonic non-anointing? If the former is true with the kingdom of light, isn’t it possible that the reverse is also true with the kingdom of darkness in some cases, particular items like idols? The movie runs 1 hour, 23 minutes and was shot at Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England; as well as Great Cumberland Place, Marylebone, London (Maitland's home). GRADE: C-

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2025-01-18

When Christopher Lee tells you to leave well alone, well you should - even if you are Peter Cushing! The latter is "Maitland" who is offered a gruesome artefact by his rather dubious supplier "Marco" (Patrick Wymark) and when he mentions it to his collecting rival "Sir Matthew" (Lee) he is told that this was recently pinched from him and well, he decides to ignore the advice. It doesn't take him very long before he rues that decision. This skull belongs to the Marquis de Sade and his spirit is looking to continue to cause as much mischief as he can! To those ends, it can take over the minds of those close to it and manipulate their behaviour to do his will. Can the sceptical "Maitland" do what generations of his forebears have failed to do and thwart this malevolent force? This is one of my favourite Hammer horrors with plenty of accumulating menace; some clever photography - often from the skull's POV, it's hauntingly scored and the denouement isn't what I ever remember to expect after a fun eighty minutes of pure cinematic evil. It spares us the usual ketchup gimmickry and uses a little more psychology to fo the scaring, and I think it works quite well.