Amicus like Hammer films produced some exceptionally entertaining horror movies back in the day. The Skull (1965) for instance starred none other than horror legends Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Surely then it’s another horror classic? Let’s find out, so without further ado here’s The Skull blu-ray review.
- The Skull (1965)
- Genre: Horror
- Directed by Freddie Francis
- UK Rating 12
- Discs: 2 (Blu-ray & DVD)
- Released By Eureka Entertainment
- Blu-ray Released: 26 October 2015
Plot
A collector becomes fascinated by a strange skull. In fact it’s as if the skull has some kind of hold over those that come into contact with it. Is there really an evil presence?
Style / Direction
The film was directed by Freddie Francis who also regularly worked for Hammer. Meanwhile the cinematography is handled by John Wilcox. Francis should be given credit for producing a film that just about manages to get away with a short and thin plot.
Music / Audio Effects
The music score comes from Elisabeth Lutyens and really does help to keep you interested in a rather thin plot.
Acting / Characters
Let’s face it even if the film is poor you can pretty much guarantee both Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee will still deliver. Fortunately the film’s pretty good and so are they.
Cast
- Peter Cushing as Dr. Christopher Maitland
- Patrick Wymark as Anthony Marco
- Christopher Lee as Sir Matthew Phillips
- Jill Bennett as Jane Maitland
- Nigel Green as Inspector Wilson
- Patrick Magee as Police Surgeon
- Peter Woodthorpe as Bert Travers
- Michael Gough as Auctioneer
- George Coulouris as Dr. Londe
- April Olrich as French Girl
- Maurice Good as Pierre
Conclusion: The Skull (1965) Film Review
The Skull is a rather odd film. The main reason I say that is despite enjoying it not too much actually happens. There a lot of nothing but the film somehow manages to get away with this due to excellent acting with Peter Cushing along with a superb score and sound effects.
If you enjoyed my The Skull blu-ray review so far you may want to check out the following films:
Conclusion: The Skull Blu-ray Review
Unfortunately this is yet another Eureka Entertainment Blu-ray release that has had no restoration work carried out. That results in plenty of white speckles throughout the film. The general image quality isn’t terrible but it’s yet another overall poor release from Eureka.
On the plus side the extras are very good. Both Jonathan Rigby and Kim Newman are very knowledgeable on British horror films from the likes of Amicus and Hammer. I recommend watching both.
Extras
- Jonathan Rigby Interview (24 mins)
- Kim Newman Interview (27 mins)
Popcorn Cinema Rating: The Skull (1965)
MOVIE RATING: VERY GOOD
BLU-RAY RATING: POOR
EXTRAS: EXCELLENT
Amazon UK Links
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The Skull (1965) Film Trailer
For those of you yet to see the film I’ll leave you with a little taster…
Clip may not representative of the blu-ray version
That concludes my The Skull blu-ray review; I’m aiming to review at least one horror film a week in the run up to Halloween. What’s next? Check back soon…
Summary: The Skull (1965) Blu-ray Review
Movie title: The Skull (1965)
Duration: 83 mins
Director(s): Freddie Francis
Actor(s): Peter Cushing, Patrick Wymark, Christopher Lee, Jill Bennett, Nigel Green
Genre: Horror
- Movie Rating
- Blu-ray Picture Rating
- Extras
Summary
Top acting from Peter Cushing and a fabulous film score make The Skull well worth a look.
Pros
- Peter Cushing
- Great Music Score
Cons
- Thin Plot
- Poor Picture Quality
