"The Screaming Skull" opens with a warning and an offer for free burial services if you should die watching it - Now there's a hook! The story itself has a fairly interesting premise for a horror flick: scheming husband marries a wealthy woman with a history of mental illness, then attempts to convince her that she's going insane with shrill noises, mysterious knocking and skulls that turn up at inopportune times. Add to the formula a sufficiently creepy gardener who still cherishes the memory of the man's first wife who he was devoted to. Maybe it's just that the 1950's didn't have the technology to pull off some of the scare scenes needed to juice up this movie, the techniques used here seem contrived and mundane. But then again, when I first saw "House on Haunted Hill" as a nine year old, it gave me the heebie jeebies in the same way I'm sure this film did for young viewers of the same era.

Don't get me wrong, the film is not terrible, it just seems to get tedious at times. But there's some great atmospheric tension in the generally huge but unfurnished Whitlock home, and the gardens and pool are a nice touch. For me the best played out scene involves Eric Whitlock (John Hudson) going maniacal in the pond attempting to retrieve the hidden skull, he just wades right in clothes and all, in neat contrast to the mentally challenged gardener (director Alex Nicol in a dual role). It makes you wonder who the real dimwit was.

In it's own good way, perhaps the most shocking thing about the film: how about that neat roadster the Whitlock's make their first appearance in - gull wing doors in 1958! That at least made me jump out of my seat!

Yes, the acting in this isn't that great. Yes, the director plays one of the characters, which is pretty much always a bad sign for a horror movie (Glen or Glenda, Eegah, Incredibly Strange Creatures, etc.). Yes, the entire storyline is fantastically predictable and has been done a thousand times. And yeah, the special effects are really, really terrible. And no, it did not scare me enough that I was able to take advantage of their free funeral offer (Does that still hold for DVD's?) But other than that, it really wasn't that bad. So, a rich woman who was formerly in a sanatorium moves into her new husband's old home. His old wife had died there, in a way that the pastor takes every care to explain is suspicious. Then she starts seeing creepy things while her husband is away all the time. I guess there aren't really spoilers here because I'm not TECHNICALLY telling you anything, but anyone who's watched enough of these movies should know the rest by heart. But really, except for a few moments and one really annoying gardener, this manages to keep up a pretty good atmosphere. I thought that it wasn't bad for what it was. Definitely not 2.7

I got hooked on this film before it even properly started! And only because it's starts with a spoken warning that you're about to view the …ultimate in terror! It reminded me a little of the Universal Monster movies from the 30's. You know, those classic titles like Frankenstein and Dracula in which Edward van Sloan comes peeking from behind the curtain to warn us that the following film – and I quote – "may frighten you…it may even shock you". The Screaming Skulls has this too, only much more extravagant. The producers claim to give away free burial services (!) because it's very well possible that you'll DIE of fright! The intro even ends with the image of an open coffin, showing the note "reserved for you". That's priceless! But, say what you want about this film, it does attempt to build up a horrifying atmosphere and it often succeeds in doing so. With ominous sound effects, dark photography and neat set pieces, director Alex Nicol brings a modest tale of terror that is definitely worth checking out. The plot centers on the respectable widower Eric Whitlock who remarries the wealthy Jenny. The live in Eric's old mansion where Jenny is soon after terrorized by eerie noises and she constantly encounters human skulls around the house. Is it the spirit of Eric deceased wife that came back from the dead? Is there someone after her fortune? Or did the mentally unstable gardener Mickey finally went berserk? I won't spoil it for you, because the DVD I own did, and that really spoiled the fun for me. The Screaming Skull is a very cheap production; so don't expect brilliant shock effects or lots of bloody make up. It does, however, have some tension and a decent screenplay. Yes, it's full of flaws but what's the point in naming them all, as I'm sure you won't even consider watching this film in case you don't have a soft spot for cheap 50's ghost stories? Fact is that it's overall better than commonly believed and worth 70 minutes of your time.