|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
|
9
|
|
 |
|
5 |
|
10
= Highest Rating |
|
Guest
Review by Troy
Howarth |
A
collector of occult memorabilia (Peter Cushing) falls under
the dangerous spell of the haunted skull of the Marquis de Sade...
Though
better known for their anthology films like The
House That Dripped Blood (1970) and Asylum
(1972), Amicus Films also dabbled in the odd single-story feature.
The Skull is probably their most
successful single-story horror film, and in its own way it remains
one of the most distinctive genre films of the 1960s.
The chief assets Amicus
brought to their pictures is much in evidence throughout The
Skull. The cast is peppered with excellent character
actors. The production values are of a high cinematography,
too, and the approach to the material avoids camp and takes
an admirably serious approach. As the chief competitor to Hammer
Studios, Amicus had their work cut out for them, but they managed
to equal Hammer's output while being far less prolific themselves.
One of the many talented craftsmen they managed to lure away
from Hammer included the Oscar-winning cinematographer turned
director Freddie Francis. Francis never scaled the same heights
as a director as he did as a cinematographer (among his many
distinguished photography credits include working for the likes
of Martin Scorsese on Cape Fear,
1991, and David Lynch on The Elephant
Man, 1980) but his early works as a director are not
without interest. Francis never showed quite the same insight
and sensitivity to his subject matter as Terence Fisher did
at Hammer, but he brought a keen eye and some memorable visual
flourishes to his numerous gun-for-hire horror assignments.
That The Skull emerges as probably
his best film as a director should come as no surprise: Milton
Subotsky's admittedly thin screenplay (adapted from a short
story by Psycho scribe Robert Bloch) leaves the director free
to render much of the film in richly layered imagery. The film
is short on incident and long on mood, and Francis rises to
the challenge with aplomb. Francis' approach occasionally borders
on the outré, but always feels appropriate for the subject
matter —
witness those wild skull POV shots, or the director's fondness
for amber-tinted filters, the latter being a hold over from
his work on Jack Clayton's The Innocents
(1961) and used to more obvious effect in his contribution to
the Hammer Dracula series, Dracula
Has Risen From The Grave (1968). Put simply, the film is
absolutely gorgeous to look at and even if much of the running
time is arguably dominated with filler, it never becomes boring
or redundant.
As mentioned above,
the cast is excellent —
though, in truth, few of the actors are given anything of substance
to do. Peter Cushing dominates the proceedings, and the film
is therefore in very safe hands. An immaculate performer who
took his work in genre films very seriously, Cushing gives the
film dramatic weight and gravitas —
it's an underappreciated performance in his excellent gallery
of characterizations, too, since he is required to carry so
much of the film without saying a single word. Cushing never
misses a beat as his dedicated researcher grows from scoffing
skeptic to terrified nervous wreck. Among the supporting cast,
Christopher Lee has little more than an extended cameo, but
he, too, rises to the occasion with relish. It's rather comforting
to see Lee playing a 'normal' character for a change, and his
scenes all allow him an opportunity to interact with Cushing
—
something the Hammer films rarely provided for. Patrick Wymark
(Where Eagles
Dare) is excellent as Cushing's shady procurer of occult
items, while Nigel Green (Zulu)
and Patrick Magee (A Clockwork Orange)
add substance to their underwritten policemen roles. Michael
Gough (Konga, Trog)
appears briefly as an auctioneer.
In addition to the
excellent cast, direction and cinematography, I would be remiss
not to mention the outstanding music score by Elizabeth Lutyens
and meticulous art direction and set decoration by Bill Constable
and Scott Slimon. The latter pair did a fantastic job of digging
up interesting bric-a-brac to populate Cushing's study, and
it's obvious Francis was much taken with their detailed work
as his camera lovingly records much of the material in close-up.
Lutyens' score is essential to the film's impact; again, this
is not an incident-heavy film, and a good score is very important
in helping to bring the imagery to life. Lutyens' music fulfills
this function admirably, and it's a shame that it has apparently
never been issued on CD.
|
|
|
Paramount's
release of The Skull, as part of
their Legend Films subsidiary, is long overdue. Long available
on via a pan and scan, bargain-priced VHS, it is now possible
to appreciate the film in its widescreen glory. Francis' use of
the anamorphic process is evident throughout, and it's fair to
say that those who have only seen the film cropped have never
really been able to appreciate his many inspired directorial touches.
The 2.35/16x9 transfer looks splendid: print damage is limited
to a few speckles and the infrequent splice mark around reel changes
(never fear, they are very few and far between), and colors are
vividly rendered. Detail is sharp throughout, and there is no
evidence of edge enhancement or other authoring defects. The mono
English soundtrack isn't quite as terrific, though it is about
on a par for what one can reasonably expect of a film of this
vintage. A few patches of dialogue sound a bit muffled, but overall
the track is clean and clear; Lutyens' music is mercifully well
represented.
Extras are limited to a garish theatrical trailer, in somewhat
rough condition and letterboxed at 1.85. While an interview with
Lee would have been appreciated, it's just wonderful to have this
gem available in widescreen at long last. 6/07/08 |
•
Home
| Reviews | Top
•
|
