NIGHT OF THE SKULL (1976)
aka La Noche de los asesinos
Directed by Jess Franco
Image Entertainment DVD
THE FILM
Sometimes, all you really need is
a rubber skull mask and a dark,
rainy night.
If you will, imagine Jess Franco
directing a script by Andy
Milligan. There would be period
costumes, whipping, and much familial
malice. People would say things
such as "She beat me with a
strap!" before sobbing through
a wash of well-composed zooms. Aggressive
nudity would relax alongside cheapo
wollops of the old ultra-violence.
With Night Of The Skull,
that's what we get. Except for the
last part.
Wait one second. Who directed this?
Night Of The Skull conclusively
proves that birthday suits and bloodshed
are not a trash film necessity;
they're a nicety. In a shocking
turn of events, the talented Jess
Franco here exchanges habitual kinkiness
for astute atmosphere. Steady, composed,
and only hinting at perversion,
be it sexually or technically --
that's how Night Of The Skull
presents itself. Restraint. No naked
Frankenstein monster whippings or
gutter-poetry camera rants from
The Erotic Rites Of Frankenstein;
no pubic hair forests ala Demoniac.
We're talking business. On this
Skull-Nite, there's half of a boob,
one butt, a bloody nose, constant
thunderstorms, many Colonel Sanders
ties, an obsession with flames,
people named Lord Archibald and
Mr. Pimperton, and yes, a killer
with a neato rubber skull mask.
As easy as it gets.
Maybe too easy. Night Of The
Skull, for all its nifty gloom
'n' doom humidity, still makes drowsiness
irresistible. There's a lot of talk.
A lot. The "dirty family trying
to kill each other at an old house
over the reading of a will"
plotline doesn't do much to clear
the air. The film is visually assertive,
yet the surprising lack of psych-out
camera experiments adds to the drag.
That's just fine. At heart, this
is an ideal film for the late nights
of lazy, rainy days. When you see
that chincy skull mask sparkling
under a very unnatural downpour,
you'll know exactly what I mean.
AUDIO AND VIDEO
So very widescreen. Night Of
The Skull makes an official
North American home video debut
on very good terms. Presented in
its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio,
this anamorphic print is in terrific
shape. Damage is miniscule. Colors
are appropriately subtle. The blacks
aren't very deep and there's a tiny
bit of compression during blank
scenes, but that's no big deal.
The Spanish-spoken mono soundtrack
is not dubbed, so optional English
subtitles are also available.
EXTRAS
Nothing, but here's a hypothetical
question. Who would win in a jogging
race -- The
Embalmer or Mr. Skull Face?
A tough call.
FINAL THOUGHTS
When it rains, it pours...and that's
a good thing. Night Of The Skull
is not a film everyone needs to
see. But for those in the mood for
an old-fashioned-yet-lurid rainy
night thriller, this about-face
from Jess Franco makes for a nice
evening at home. Plus, it's not
Oasis Of The Zombies. I
had a good time.
— Joseph A. Ziemba, 03.29.06 |
Lord Archibald Percival Marion (aka
"The Arch")
Nite lite
Bra burner
My kind of guy
|
