History Film / TheScreamingSkull

* GetOnWithItAlready: At least a third of the film is Jenni listening to someone knocking at the door without opening it.

* [[HeyItsThatGuy Hey It's That Gal]]: Peggy Webber, who played the nervous, panicky Jenni, played a nervous, panicky mother in ''Film/TheSpaceChildren''.
** Peggy Webber was also one of Jack Webb's group of favored actors on ''Franchise/{{Dragnet}}''. The only woman who appeared more on that show was Virginia Gregg.

-->-- the film's OpeningNarration, more or less

* JumpCut: An unintentional example: Most prints, including the ''MST3K'' version, contain a really bad splice from the scene where Jenni approaches the banging window to running toward Eric's arms. In between all that was when she locked the window and became frightened by a scary-looking portrait of a woman

** The music in the earlier parts of the film isn't so bad, but the music at the supposedly shocking climax, maybe just due to technical ineptitude, ends up sounding like the music to some slapstick cartoon. It doesn't help that it accompanies scenes like Eric falling down goofily and skulls bouncing around after him. The MST3K treatment even lampshades this.

* {{Fanservice}}: Gratuitous shots of Jenni stripping down to her undergarments. Unfortunately...
** Your mileage may vary. Peggy Webber has a ''phenomenal'' body. The degree of her hotness has been a subject of contentious debate in MST3K fandom.

** Creator/StanleyKubrick thought it was. The score is Ernest Gold's adaptation of "Dies Irae" (Day of Wrath) theme from the fifth movement (Dream of a Witches' Sabbath) of Music/HectorBerlioz's ''Symphonie Fantastique'', which was [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mzNO6MzFEg the opening theme]] to ''Film/TheShining''. For bonus points, Gold won the AcademyAward for ''Exodus'' two years later.

This 1958 American horror film was directed by Alex Nicol and originally released by Creator/AmericanInternationalPictures in a double-feature package with ''Film/TerrorFromTheYear5000''. A cross between Creator/AlfredHitchcock's ''Literature/{{Rebecca}}'' and George Cukor's ''Film/{{Gaslight}}'', it would be a mere footnote were it not for its appearance (along with the {{Gumby}} short ''RobotRumpus'') in [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S09E12TheScreamingSkull episode #912]] of ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000''.

This 1958 American horror film directed by Alex Nicol, a cross between Creator/AlfredHitchcock's ''Literature/{{Rebecca}}'' and George Cukor's ''Film/{{Gaslight}}'', would be a mere footnote were it not for its appearance (along with the {{Gumby}} short ''RobotRumpus'') in [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S09E12TheScreamingSkull episode #912]] of ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000''.

* LeftHanging: The cast never learns whether Marian died in an accident or Eric killed her, though for the audience, the fact that her ghost returned to take vengeance on Eric certainly points toward the latter.

* RealAfterAll: Choke on that, Eric!

** Then again the ghost seems to menace Jenni as well, and since she had nothing to do with Marian's death...
*** Considering that the only definitely real appearance of the ghost is in the climax, during which it could just as easily be running down to the house of its own accord as chasing Jenny there, and that it goes straight for Eric when it gets there, it's possible that the intended read is that every instance of it tormenting Jenny was Eric's gaslighting, and Marian only ever had anything against him. Not that the film is clear on that point.

->'''[[MST3K Mike Nelson]]:''' But we cut that.

->'''[[MST3K Tom Servo]]:''' If you watch it in front of a moving bus.

* LeftHanging: The cast never learns whether Marian died in an accident or Eric killed her, though for the audience, the fact that her ghost returned to take vengeance on Eric certainly points the latter.

** StanleyKubrick thought it was. The score is Ernest Gold's adaptation of "Dies Irae" (Day of Wrath) theme from the fifth movement (Dream of a Witches' Sabbath) of HectorBerlioz's ''Symphonie Fantastique'', which was [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mzNO6MzFEg the opening theme]] to ''Film/TheShining''. For bonus points, Gold won the AcademyAward for ''Exodus'' two years later.

--->'''Mike:''' It's "BugsBunny sneaking up" music.

** Peggy Webber was also one of Jack Webb's group of favored actors on the '60s version of {{Dragnet}}. The only woman who appeared more on that show was Virginia Gregg.

** Peggy Webber also has the second most number of guest shots on Dragnet, second only to Virginia Gregg.

->'''Mike:''' But we cut that.

->'''Tom Servo:''' If you watch it in front of a moving bus.

Meet a lovely couple of newlyweds, Eric and Jenni. Eric is a widower who inherited his late wife Marian's palatial country home after she died in an unfortunate and mysterious accident. Jenni is a wealthy young nervous wreck fresh out of an asylum. Oh, and there's also [[CrustyCaretaker Mickey the gardener]], he of unkempt hair and [[ManChild a child's mentality]], who claims that Marian "cries in the night" and dislikes Jenni as an unwanted replacement. Now they're all going to spend a few days in a huge, empty mansion echoing with the ghosts of the past, with nothing to hide their emotional baggage. WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong?

*** Considering that the only definitely real appearance of the ghost is in the climax, during which it could just as easily be running down to the house of its own accord as chasing Jenny there, and that it goes straight for Eric when it gets there, it's possible that the intended read is that everything instance of it tormenting Jenny was Eric's gaslighting, and Marian only ever had anything against him. Not that the film is clear on that point.

This 1958 American horror film directed by Alex Nicol, a cross between Creator/AlfredHitchcock's ''{{Rebecca}}'' and George Cukor's ''{{Gaslight}}'', would be a mere footnote were it not for its appearance (along with the {{Gumby}} short ''RobotRumpus'') in [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S09E12TheScreamingSkull episode #912]] of ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000''.

!!Tropes used in ''TheScreamingSkull'':

** StanleyKubrick thought it was. The score is Ernest Gold's adaptation of "Dies Irae" (Day of Wrath) theme from the fifth movement (Dream of a Witches' Sabbath) of HectorBerlioz's ''Symphonie Fantastique'', which was [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mzNO6MzFEg the opening theme]] to ''TheShining''. For bonus points, Gold won the AcademyAward for ''Exodus'' two years later.

Meet a lovely couple of newlyweds, Eric and Jenni. Eric is a widower who inherited his last wife Marian's palatial country home after she died in an unfortunate and mysterious accident. Jenni is a wealthy young nervous wreck fresh out of an asylum. Oh, and there's also [[CrustyCaretaker Mickey the gardener]], he of unkempt hair and [[ManChild a child's mentality]], who claims that Marian "cries in the night" and dislikes Jenni as an unwanted replacement. Now they're all going to spend a few days in a huge, empty mansion echoing with the ghosts of the past, with nothing to hide their emotional baggage. WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong?

Screaming Skulls, that's what. Jenni starts to hear unexplained screeches at night, and stumbles upon skulls that disappear by the time she brings someone else to see them. Is the ghost of Marian hanging around to drive Jenni away? Is this all Mickey's doing, who underneath his mildly retarded exterior hides the shrewd mind of a psychological torturer? Does Jenni need to go back to the asylum? Or hmmm, maybe Eric is once again trying to off his spouse in an effort to get at her fortune?

** StanleyKubrick thought it was. The score is Ernest Gold's adaptation of "Dies Irae" (Day of Wrath) theme from the fifth movement (Dream of a Witches' Sabbath) of Hector Berlioz's ''Symphonie Fantastique'', which was [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mzNO6MzFEg the opening theme]] to ''TheShining''. For bonus points, Gold won the AcademyAward for ''Exodus'' two years later.

Meet a lovely couple of newlyweds, Eric and Jenni. Eric is a widower who inherited his last wife Marian's palatial country home after she died in an unfortunate and mysterious accident. Jenni is a wealthy young nervous wreck fresh out of an asylum. Oh, and there's also [[CrustyCaretaker Mickey the gardener]], he of unkempt hair and [[ManChild a child's mentality]], who claims that Marian "cries in the night" and dislikes Jenni as an unwanted replacement. Now they're all going to spend a few days in a huge, empty mansion echoing with the ghosts of the past, with nothing to hide their emotional baggage. {{What could possibly go wrong}}?

Actually, though it's [[TheUnTwist transparently obvious]] that Eric is the BigBad, he's not the only one playing with skulls. His attempts to [[DrivenToSuicide drive Jenni to suicide]] (or at least create a condition in which her ending up hanging from the ceiling won't be questioned too much) go well until Mickey swipes the skull Eric's been leaving for Jenni to find and exposes him for the murderer that he is. At the film's climax, when Eric goes looking for his missing skull, Marian's ghost really ''does'' show up, and a veritable pack of semi-translucent skulls hound Eric across the estate before one attaches itself to his neck and brings him down in a pond, drowning him.

This 1958 American horror film directed by Alex Nicol, a cross between AlfredHitchcock's ''{{Rebecca}}'' and George Cukor's ''{{Gaslight}}'', would be a mere footnote were it not for its appearance (along with the {{Gumby}} short ''RobotRumpus'') in [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S09E12TheScreamingSkull episode #912]] of ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000''.

* LeftHanging: The cast never learns whether Marian died in an accident or Eric killed her, though for the audience, the fact that her ghost returned to take vengeance on Eric certainly points the latter.

->''"Remember folks, if you die of boredom you do ''not'' get a free coffin. Sorry."''
-->-- '''Crow T. Robot''', ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000''

This 1958 American horror film directed by Alex Nicol, a cross between AlfredHitchcock's ''{{Rebecca}}'' and George Cukor's ''{{Gaslight}}'', would be a mere footnote were it not for its appearance (along with the {{Gumby}} short ''RobotRumpus'') in episode #912 of ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000''.

-->'''Mike:''' You know, have people wised up to hiring people like this?
-->'''Crow:''' Oh c'mon Mike, how is he ''any'' different from you?

-->'''Crow:''' Could she ''react'', or ''respond'', or hell, ''infer''...

* {{Narm}}: Giant, transparent skulls flying at the screen just aren't that scary. TheStinger of the ''{{MST3K}}'' episode is the scene where a skeletal Marian confronts Eric, only for the murderer to smoothly scoop up a stool and throw it at her, sending her component bones flying.

-->'''Crow:''' Shouldn't we call the police or something?
-->'''Servo:''' Eh, we didn't last time and things seemed to work out.

!!The ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' presentation has examples of:
* BrainBleach: ''RobotRumpus''
-->'''Servo:''' Oh! Look at that robot! That's disgusting! ''([[NauseaFuel makes gagging noises]])''
* EverythingsBetterWithPenguins: "In the name of all that is good and decent, gentlemen, ''put on your penguin costumes!''"
** It's really a badly-thought-out and lame plan on Pearl's part.
--->"All we had to do was call fifty-three costume shops to find one that had three penguin costumes, reserve them eight months in advance with a huge cash deposit, then pay a balance of eight hundred and ninety-nine dollars per costume to rent them for an hour, then put them on, then wait until you guys woke up and finished breakfast, then call you and make believe that we had set up an appointment for you all to wear penguin costumes, and then... you ''fell'' for it! It was so simple!"
* FakingTheDead: In order to try to scam his way to a free coffin, Servo calls up the film's distributors and claims that [[strike:he]] his friend died while watching it. He panics and tries to back out, but ends up having to pay shipping both ways on his coffin (on Mike's credit card).
* ForcedPerspective: A gratuitous shot of Bobo being held in Brain Guy's fist, as punishment for [[RecursiveCrossdressing dressing up like an ape]].
* FridgeLogic: During the short Gumby drives a huge industrial crane. Mike wonders when Gumby got a Class F driver's license.
* GettingCrapPastTheRadar:
-->'''Jenny''': (referring to the book she's reading) It's called ''Beast in the Jungle''.
-->'''Servo''': It's about what to expect on my honeymoon.
* IncrediblyLamePun
-->'''Crow:''' Wow, did you see that!? He just threw that stool at him. That was a hard stool. He should have at least used some stool softener.
-->'''Mike:''' ''Okay, okay!''
* {{Metamorphosis}}: In the first host segment, Tom Servo has become a beautiful butterfly! By the second segment, he's back to normal.
-->'''Servo:''' I'm still a beautiful butterfly, Mike. I've just had a few unfortunate happenstances, such as my wings being torn off in an industrial accident. Well that depressed me, so I ate a lot of Mallowmars and gained all the weight back, but I was soon feeling better and went back to work. But alas, someone turned on the Extruder while I was cleaning it, and my bottom two pairs of delicate butterfly legs were ripped from me. Again depressed, I hit the Pecan Sandies - ''hard'' - and gained my remaining weight back in my remaining arms. My arms, by now in a metabolic frenzy, started to leech fat from my antennae, which made them so thin as to be invisible. But I am still a beautiful butterfly, Mike, and [[EltonJohn butterflies are free to fly... fly away... high away... bye-bye...]]
** ''Almost'' normal.
--->'''Servo:''' ''(brightly)'' But I still have my proboscis!
* OfferVoidInNebraska: Crow's response to the disclaimer at the film's start. "Offer void in Utah, Florida, and Arizona. Taxes and acquisition fee not included. Must take delivery of dealer's stock."
* ThrowItIn: Another incident with Servo's dome coming off during a host segment.

-->-- the film's OpeningNarration