The Skull

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. Theres just way too much filler. The runtime couldve been cut in half and it wouldve been a compelling mini-movie. As it is, its just too drawn out for the material to maintain interest...

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 ...