This special Halloween edition of Composing Cinema will be introduced by Oscar nominated composer Gary Yershon and showcases the work of the pioneering Elisabeth Lutyens (1906-1983). Lutyens is often cited as the first female British composer to score a feature film. Her uncompromisingly modern style was not popular with conservative concert audiences, but was happily suited to the science-fiction and horror movies for which she frequently wrote.

Peter Cushing stars as Dr. Christopher Maitland, a writer and collector of occult items (with a preference for those with a somewhat macabre history), who is offered the chance to purchase a highly expensive and unusual item: the skull of the Marquis de Sade. Warned against obtaining the item by fellow collector (Christopher Lee in a rare non-villainous role), the skull's influence draws Maitland in, and madness and death soon follow…

Adapted from a short story by Robert Bloch (Psycho) and featuring a score by avant-garde composer Elisabeth Lutyens, The Skull is one of the most expertly crafted British horror films of its era.

Cast:
Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Patrick Wymark, Jill Bennett