The best thing about this movie is the introduction, where we see a coffin
in a funeral parlor, and the narrator tells us that "The Screaming Skull" is
terrifying, and may have an unforseen effect - it may kill you.  So, the
producers of the film will offer preburial services for anyone who dies of
fright while watching the movie.  Now, that's some classic schlock from the
50s/60s.  After watching the movie, I'm sure not one person could have died
from fright.  From boredom, maybe.  But not fright.

A newly married couple are moving into the husband's house.  Actually, it
was his ex-wife's house, and now she's dead, and he has this big empty
spooky mansion.  And a crippled gardener.  The gardener was a good friend of
the ex-wife, and gives out creepy vibes to the new wife.  The new wife is
startled during the night, and slowly (oh, God how slowly) moves through the
house trying to find the source of a banging noise.  It turns out to be an
open window.  And then a painting scares her.  Oh boy.  We find out that she
was mentally unstable and was in a sanitarium.  Then she's scared by numerous
things - fake skulls, peacock screams, door-knocking.   I guess when you
throw a skull out a window, and it creeps over and knocks on your door,
you'd be scared too.  Well, maybe not.  It gets weirder towards the end with
giant flying skulls and horizontal lightning.  Not scary.

The acting is horrendous - all 5 people in the movie (yes, 5, that's it)
stink.  The skulls are so fake.  The story is not suspenceful, mysterious,
or terrifying, although it desperately tries to be all three.  The pace is
super slow, and the annoying music doesn't help.  Like I said, the best part
of the movie was the schlocky death insurance advertised before the movie.
Watch that and then hit "stop".
 
 
 

Quality: 2.0  Visuals: 1.5  Intensity: 2.5
OVERALL RATING: 2.0