Behind the Couch

1970 Dir. Freddie Francis After the discovery of a prehistoric troglodyte in a cave in primmest, properist England, Dr Brockton and her team of anthropologists attempt to communicate with it. The local townsfolk however, are not happy about a potentially dangerous Neanderthal residing so near to their quintessentially quaint English village. A botched plan to get rid of the creature results in it causing all sorts of havoc and mayhem in the local village. Can Dr Brockton put a stop to Trog’s antics before afternoon tea? Can she heck! Trog is significant because it marked Joan Crawford’s last ever big-screen role. Hollywood had (and arguably still does have) a problem casting older women. Ageism and sexism were normalised, meaning Crawford and other actresses over 50 were considered too old for leading roles. In her later career though, Crawford obtained memorable leading roles in a number of horror films (including What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? [1963], Strait-Jacket [196...

1965 Dir. Freddie Francis Amicus Productions was set up in the wake of Hammer Horror's success in the Sixties. Many of its films took the form of creepy, darkly humorous portmanteaux tales of insanity, revenge and grim death. Some of their more well known titles include Torture Garden, Scream And Scream Again, I Monster and The House that Dripped Blood . The Skull is a pretty typical example of their output, an atmospheric, entertaining slice of gothic schlock. The story follows Peter Cushing as Dr Maitland, a collector of odd and bizarre artefacts and transcripts. He gets more than he bargained for when he acquires the skull of the Marquis de Sade... Directed with notable flair by Freddie Francis and based on a short story by Robert Bloch, The Skull unfolds at a languid pace. Untypical attention to characterisation is lavished upon Cushing’s Dr Maitland as he sinks deeper into despair. Cushing is always a credible presence and his performance is a subtle study in menta...