Freddie Francis

[2] Peter Cushing stars in this Amicus production about a collector of supernatural antiquities who comes into possession of the Marquis de Sade’s skull. Christopher Lee (in a cameo) warns him that the skull has the power to possess its owners and force them to do evil things. Cushing poo-poos the notion at his peril and ends up fighting the skull’s intentions for him to …

[6] Paranoiac is a mystery thriller from Hammer Films that keeps the plot twists coming. Members of the Ashby estate await their inheritance as a mysterious figure shows up on their doorstep. He claims to be the youngest son, who left a suicide note eight years ago and was presumed dead. Everyone has their suspicions, but the truth isn’t fully revealed until the end of the …

[6] Poor Janet. When she was just a little girl, she watched her mommy stab her daddy to death, and she’s been haunted by nightmares ever since. She’s also terrified of inheriting her mother’s mental disorder. To make matters worse, someone is taking advantage of this fact for their own nefarious purpose. Nightmare is one of a handful of black & white psychological thrillers released …

[5] Burgess Meredith stars as Dr. Diabolo, a sideshow barker who gives daring patrons a glimpse at their untimely demises in this horror anthology flick from Britain’s Amicus Productions (ever the poor man’s Hammer Studios). The four featured tales include a mind-controlling cat, a secret society of androids, a killer piano, and dueling collectors of all things Edgar Allan Poe. I expected more from venerable …