Post by petrolino on Aug 18, 2018 23:15:46 GMT
The supernatural horror 'The Skull' is based on the story 'The Skull Of The Marquis De Sade' (1965) by Robert Bloch who co-scripted the film with producer Milton Subotsky. In the 19th century, phrenologist Pierre (Maurice Good) steals the severed head of the late Marquis de Sade who's recently been buried. Pierre strips the flesh to maintain the skull which has the power to possess.
"Happiness is ideal, it is the work of the imagination."
- Marquis De Sade
'Five Bagatelles, Op. 49' - Elisabeth Lutyens
'The Skull' is an intriguing horror directed by talented cinematographer Freddie Francis. It paints the writer Marquis De Sade as a devil-worshipping sorcerer lost to the lunatic asylum. Some dry, verbose text serves as a philosophical introduction to a terror that'll be experienced by anyone who comes into contact with the writer's skull. Esteemed cinematographer John Wilcox works with Francis to transform the last half hour of the film into a prolonged skull seduction, using skull p.o.v. shots to shadow and stalk victims. There's also a beautifully composed trial set-piece that fuses the literary ideas of De Sade, Edgar Allan Poe and Franz Kafka, launching a flying skull as its centrepiece.
"For now I ask what Sir Christopher Lee has against retirement. “It’s not for me. I hate being idle. As dear Boris used to say, when I die I want to die with my boots on. Which he did. As did Vincent. And Peter.” (He is referring to Karloff, Price and Cushing, of course.)
As we talk I notice he cannot bring himself to utter the D-word. Although he was very good as Dracula, it did cast a long shadow over his career. And now, for him, mentioning the count is almost a taboo, as mentioning Macbeth is for other actors. The most he will do is allude to him, when pushed. And he recalls with a shudder that when he was knighted last year the tabloids ran punning headlines such as “Fangs for the honour”.
“Pathetic,” he says with a solemn shake of his head. “Pathetic.” He suits his knighthood because he is a man who carries himself with great dignity. And he not only votes Conservative but believes in the sanctity of marriage. He and his wife Gitte, a one-time Chanel model, married in 1961. They have one daughter. “The secret to a long marriage in the film industry? Marry someone wonderful, as I did. And always have her come along on location.”
His knighthood, also suits him and it is in keeping with the gentility of his upbringing. He attended Wellington College, his father was a colonel in the King’s Royal Rifles, his cousin was Ian Fleming, his mother was a Contessa. When he told her he wanted to be an actor she was mortified. “She did a real Bernhardt, saying: ‘The shame of it! Think of the shame you are bringing to the family!’ Then she said something which to this day I cannot argue with. ‘Think of all the frightful people you will meet!’”
As we talk I notice he cannot bring himself to utter the D-word. Although he was very good as Dracula, it did cast a long shadow over his career. And now, for him, mentioning the count is almost a taboo, as mentioning Macbeth is for other actors. The most he will do is allude to him, when pushed. And he recalls with a shudder that when he was knighted last year the tabloids ran punning headlines such as “Fangs for the honour”.
“Pathetic,” he says with a solemn shake of his head. “Pathetic.” He suits his knighthood because he is a man who carries himself with great dignity. And he not only votes Conservative but believes in the sanctity of marriage. He and his wife Gitte, a one-time Chanel model, married in 1961. They have one daughter. “The secret to a long marriage in the film industry? Marry someone wonderful, as I did. And always have her come along on location.”
His knighthood, also suits him and it is in keeping with the gentility of his upbringing. He attended Wellington College, his father was a colonel in the King’s Royal Rifles, his cousin was Ian Fleming, his mother was a Contessa. When he told her he wanted to be an actor she was mortified. “She did a real Bernhardt, saying: ‘The shame of it! Think of the shame you are bringing to the family!’ Then she said something which to this day I cannot argue with. ‘Think of all the frightful people you will meet!’”
- Nigel Farndale, The Telegraph
"Peter Cushing was one of the handful of actors who defined the horror movie. Whether playing Baron Frankenstein witnessing the awful results of his brilliance or Professor Van Helsing in hot pursuit of Count Dracula, he brought an air of refinement and nobility to the genre. From his first Hammer film in 1956, The Curse of Frankenstein, to his last in 1974 he was an individual and instantly recognisable screen persona. His name on a cast-list was a constant and reassuring guarantee of quality.
Cushing was often pitted against Christopher Lee, in a partnership that was as famous as Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi’s in the Hollywood chillers of the Thirties and Forties, and which helped to make Hammer Films synonymous with the horror picture in Britain, using a distinctive formula of blood-letting and sexual exploitation."
Cushing was often pitted against Christopher Lee, in a partnership that was as famous as Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi’s in the Hollywood chillers of the Thirties and Forties, and which helped to make Hammer Films synonymous with the horror picture in Britain, using a distinctive formula of blood-letting and sexual exploitation."
- Anthony Hayward, The Independent
Peter Cushing
It's debatable whether there's enough material here to justify a feature-length production but the cast respects the premise and is eminently watchable. Peter Cushing is excellent as occult writer Doctor Christopher Maitland and so is Patrick Wymark as antiques dealer Anthony Marco. Christopher Lee is a pillar of strength as cheated art collector Sir Matthew Phillips and the impressive cast includes Jill Bennett, Patrick Magee, George Coulouris, Nigel Green, April Olrich and Michael Gough.
"Peter Cushing plays a demonologist who collects any items pertaining to the occult, witchcraft, devil worship, etc... This desire for the bizarre leads to his encounter with the skull of none other than the Marquis de Sade himself. This film produced by Amicus has a lot going for it. It has a good story by Robert Bloch as the basis for the script, some fine acting from Peter Cushing in the lead and Patrick Wymark as a disreputable salesman, good character roles by George Coulouris, Patrick Magee, Nigel Green, Michael Gough, and particularly Christopher Lee, some imaginative direction from Freddie Francis, and some very stylish set pieces and costumes. Francis has limited special effects at his disposal, and this is a minor distraction as in one scene you can clearly see wires carrying the skull and a book in the air. Francis also gives in too long I think to some dream sequences and other "are they real or not real" happenings with his camera predominating over long periods of silence. It works well at first, but it does grow stale with repeated use. The story and acting, however, greatly enhance the film and make me give it an easy recommendation."
- David Ladd, Rotten Tomatoes
"The films of Freddie Francis have always shown the work of a skilled visual craftsman -- one of the very best, in fact -- but also one who performs better when others provide him a creative vision and context from within which he can do his work. I find it rather telling that many of the best films that Francis worked on -- Glory, The Straight Story, The Elephant Man -- were those in which he acted as cinematographer to a visionary director, years after he gave up regularly directing himself. The Skull, made for Amicus in 1965, is a particularly effective case for Francis's talent with a camera and against his knack for creating his own stories. Although the film is hampered by a lackluster script and poor casting choices, its ultimate chance at success rests on Francis's shoulders – for better or for worse."
- Nate Yapp, Classic-Horror.com
Veronica Carlson, Freddie Francis & Christopher Lee
I like 'The Skull' because it's short and sweet. I find it takes a degree of patience to sit through the build-up but rewards viewers with an exciting final third. The music is composed by avant-garde musician Elisabeth Lutyens whose pieces elevated the at-times stuffy British horror stylings of the period. Check it out!
10 Films for De Sade
L'Age D'Or (1930 - Luis Bunuel)
Marquis De Sade : Justine (1969 - Jess Franco)
Eugenie (1970 - Jess Franco)
Justine De Sade (1972 - Claude Pierson)
Salo, Or The 120 Days Of Sodom (1975 - Pier Paolo Pasolini)
Cruel Passion (1977 - Chris Boger)
Night Terrors (1993 - Tobe Hooper)
Marquis De Sade (1996 - Gwyneth Gibby)
Quills (2000 - Philip Kaufman)
The Sentimental Education Of Eugénie (2005 - Aurelio Grimaldi)
These 2 reckless Combat Zone Wrestling legends are considered the toughest dawgs currently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment, the most lucrative wrestling promotion in the world. American wrestler Dean Ambrose (aka. Jon Moxley) of Cincinnati, Ohio is known as the lunatic fringe. Canadian streetfighter Kevin Owens (aka. Kevin Steen) is a hardcore wrestler from Saint-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Quebec. Ambrose was referred to as "the Marquis de Sade of wrestling" back when he was regularly smashing up his body as nutjob Moxley. Now, he's married to Canadian sportscaster Renee Young of Ontario (aka. Renee Paquette).
"Alberto Del Rio has praised Kevin Owens in an interview with Sportskeeda as a strong wrestler. He added that Dean Ambrose is one of his favourite in-ring opponents and Bray Wyatt a good friend."
- Carly Kelmore, Wrestling Centre
"Alberto Del Rio has praised Kevin Owens in an interview with Sportskeeda as a strong wrestler. He added that Dean Ambrose is one of his favourite in-ring opponents and Bray Wyatt a good friend."
- Carly Kelmore, Wrestling Centre
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Summerslam 2018
