THE MAN WHO COULD CHEAT DEATH / THE SKULL Blu-ray Review

Legend Films:

This two-disc collection is filled with suspense and terror as it features classic, bone-chilling tales from two of the biggest horror powerhouse producers: Hammer Studios and Amicus Productions. The Man Who Could Cheat Death features a horror filled tale starring Anton Diffring as Dr. Georges Bonnet, a man with a hideous obsession to live forever all he needs are the glands of some very unwilling donors. Also starring Christopher Lee and the beautiful horror legend Hazel Court, this film is a suspense-filled ride for all who enjoy classic horror cinema. The Skull weaves a chilling tale surrounding the real-life terrors of the Marquis de Sade. Featuring outstanding performances by Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, this tale introduces Dr. Christopher Maitland (Cushing) who purchases the infamous skull of the Marquis de Sade, a decision that he was warned against by his good friend - and previous skull owner - Matthew Phillips (Lee). The question is whether or not Dr. Maitland will live to regret his decision.

After watching the comedy/horror double feature that Legend Films put out with Student Bodies and Jekyll & Hyde Together Again, I was very interested to see what else they had to offer.  This collection is much more successful on the whole, I'm glad to say.  While both features are not of equal quality, I can say that the HD presentation does mark a modest upgrade over its SD counterparts.

Legend Films has the privilege of releasing only the second Hammer Films horror feature on Blu-ray in the US with The Man Who Could Cheat Death.  That's the good news.  The bad news is that it is minor Hammer, and overall it is fairly boring.  The film centers around a man who has found a medical way of extending his life by extracting the glands of often unwilling donors and transplanting them into himself.  At the start of the film, he is nearly at the point at which he'd need to do the procedure, or risk his own long-overdue death.  He attempts to get his longtime partner in crime to help him, but is refused, and is now looking for alternatives, some of which aren't very savory.  The story moves very slowly, and really the major selling point is a relatively young Christopher Lee doing his thing.  I found myself watching the clock for much of the running time, and really it was only the last 15 or 20 minutes that grabbed my attention.  The Man Who Could Cheat Death is a wasted chance with a good premise, admittedly, though, one which has found plenty of worthy films.  If only I could've skipped this one and moved on to...

The Skull!

Legend Films also has the privilege of being the first company to release a film from Hammer competitor, Amicus Productions.  This is by far the more successful of the two films, and far more adventurous.  The Skull in question belongs to the long-deceased Marquis de Sade, and has become a collector's item, which has found its way into the macabre collection of first Christopher Lee's Matthew Phillips, and subsequently Peter Cushing's Dr. Christopher Maitland.  Pain and death follow the skull, and this is all accompanied by very creative lighting and plotting, courtesy of legendary author Robert Bloch (Psycho the book, Terror at 20,000 Feet, etc).  Between the well documented chemistry of Cushing and Lee, the interesting cinematography, and the very fun direction of Freddie Francis, The Skull is a very pleasant and entertaining way to spend 83 minutes.  This film is highly recommended, and well worth the low price of this double feature.

The Disc:

As is Legend Films' modus operandi, the films are presented in bare bones packages, each on their own single layer Blu-ray discs.  The video is modest, there is considerable print damage in each that seems to diminish as the features wear on, however, there doesn't seem to be any digital tampering, and grain looks healthy in both.  The sound is a Dolby Digital stereo track for each that won't blow your socks off, but conveys the dialogue well enough.  There are no extras.

Neither of these films are classics, although The Skull is a very fun little film, due in no small part to its casting.  However, at the asking price, these are well worth the shelf space of any lover of classic horror. 

Legend Films' Blu-ray discs for these films are region free.