“The Skull” (1965) includes Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, but suffers from an abundance of unnecessary scenes. A specialist in the occult (Peter Cushing) acquires the skull belonging to the infamous Marquis de Sade and discovers that a malevolent force is connected to it, which has a detrimental effect on those who possess it. Patrick Wymark portrays his contact for acquiring unusual objects, while Christopher Lee takes on the role of a competing collector. Patrick Magee appears as an inspector. The film might be enjoyable for viewers who appreciate British horror films starring Cushing or Lee, but it ranks among their weaker efforts. The movie feels padded; trimming its length by roughly half would have resulted in a much more engaging short film. As presented, the excessive length makes it difficult to stay interested in what's happening. The central concept is intriguing: Is it possible for objects to harbor evil spirits? In the early Church, items 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). Similarly, Peter’s shadow possessed a healing quality. These objects carried divine power, leading to physical or mental restoration for those exposed to them, as well as the expulsion of demons! A relevant example from the Old Testament can be found in 2 Kings 13, concerning Elisha’s bones. These various items were considered channels of God's power. Could something similar occur with negative forces? Could certain objects become cursed with a demonic influence instead? If objects can transmit divine grace, could some—like idols—potentially carry a demonic curse? The movie has a running time of 1 hour, 23 minutes and was filmed at Shepperton Studios in Shepperton, Surrey, England; as well as Great Cumberland Place, Marylebone, London (Maitland's home). GRADE: C-

Source on TMDB