The Screaming Skull [PG]

When Eric brings home his new bride Jenni to live in his vast mansion and grounds, it seems the couple are going to be the happiest pair of lovebirds. But shortly after arriving, Jenni is haunted by a ghastly skull that seems to scream in the night. Given her history, she assumes its her all in her mind, but Eric doesn’t rule out the possibility that it might be the dim-witted gardener Mickey, who hasn’t accepted Eric’s former wife’s death, playing tricks to make Jenni leave. 

This movie is so sincere that it begins with a slowly opening coffin and a voice-over informing the audience that the following feature is so terrifying that there’s the possibility that you might die of shock. As the lid of the coffin lifts further we can see a note in the lined casket reading “reserved for you”. Here I am; living, breathing, typing proof that this outcome is not to be expected. Of course, this is not to say that this movie is one of those terrible b-grade cult horrors that takes itself way too seriously. Rather, it’s actually fairly good though I have to admit that the story’s ‘twist’ sort of becomes obvious well before the central scene that tips it off. Maybe this comes from being a modern movie watcher and having witnessed so many misdirected plots and twists. Regardless, The Screaming Skull sits as a generically pleasing little horror flick that’s a bit of a cross between Rebecca and Nightmare Castle. 

When Eric brings home his new bride Jenni to live in his vast mansion and grounds, it seems the couple are going to be the happiest pair of lovebirds. But shortly after arriving, Jenni is haunted by a ghastly skull that seems to scream in the night. Given her history, she assumes its her all in her mind, but Eric doesn’t rule out the possibility that it might be the dim-witted gardener Mickey, who hasn’t accepted Eric’s former wife’s death, playing tricks to make Jenni leave. 

My major beef with this film was that it featured a central character that didn’t really get properly justified. In my opinion, characters like that are just manifestations of poor writing because they are set up to be the central villain or a vital aid to the central villain and then when their innocence (or lack of) is proved, there’s no explanation as to motive, reason, or rhyme. I don’t want to bitch too much because I might accidently give too much away, but seriously it just annoys me when these characters pop up, especially when they have the final line of the film that is meant to keep audiences rapt and nervous, and it’s a random line that’s unsubstantiated. There was one of these characters in House on Haunted Hill and it really brought the brilliance of the movie down. 

Aside from that one issue, everything else about this movie works cohesively to make for a good little horror flick. Whilst there isn’t a lot going on in ways of true terror, the performances are all pretty good, the suspense is balanced and drawn out really well, and there’s just enough mystery and misdirected plot points to keep the audience interested. It follows all the steps of a thriller/horror movie in correct order and the metafictive little forewarning at the beginning really works to pique interest. 

Starring John Hudson, Peggy Webber, Russ Conway, Tony Johnson, and Alex Nicol, The Screaming Skull is a fine little flick filled with suspense, romance, mystery, drama, and horror. It’s by no means a piece of cinematic brilliance, but it’s a film that adheres to the rules of the genre and proves that following them in order works just fine to produce a fair movie.