Aside from some dodgy special effects and sometimes glacial pacing, The Screaming Skull tells an effectively creepy story in an occasionally silly manner.
The Screaming Skull starts with a brazen claim. The producers offered free burial services for anyone who died of fright while watching it. They suggest not viewing it alone so someone can identify you if you don’t make it. Not surprisingly, I made it through the movie just fine.
Eric Whitlock (John Hudson) and his new bride, Jenni (Peggy Webber), move into the former home of Eric’s first (and now deceased) wife, Marion. Marion lived there with Eric when she died in an apparent accident. Eric retained possession of the house but only after being remarried does he feel comfortable returning to live there again. The house is large and mostly empty. No one else has lived there save for the groundskeeper, Mickey (Alex Nicol, who also directed.)
Mickey appears to be mentally challenged but has lived on the grounds of the house his entire life. He actually grew up with Marion and was quite close to her. Her death affected him greatly and he’s been dedicated to keeping the house up as a tribute to her. When Jenni shows up, Mickey appears to resent her presence.
When Eric leaves the house to tend to business in town, Jenni is beset by a strange series of events involving a human skull. Eric returns and tries to explain away the unusual activity logically. Jenni, however, fears that her mind is turning on her. Is Mickey preying on Jenni’s fear to get back at her for replacing Marion? Or is something ghostly actually happening?
Clearly a B-movie, The Screaming Skull unfortunately never lives up to its bold opening statement. But there are a few tense moments when Jenni is alone in the house. At first I thought the script tipped its hand prematurely but, when the film ended, I wasn’t so sure. There’s a final twist that makes little sense but provides a cheap thrill or two.
Aside from some dodgy special effects and sometimes glacial pacing, The Screaming Skull tells an effectively creepy story in an occasionally silly manner. I can’t say it’s a classic but it is worth a look for B-movie fans. (And it’s certainly not hard to find due to its public domain status.)
3.0 out of 5.0 stars
