One
of the best sequences of THE SKULL (1965) is the extended dream
sequence. Director Freddie Francis handles the transition from reality
to fantasy so skillfully that the audience is not even aware of the fact
that they are watching a dream. Sooner than rely on distortion filters,
a la Roger Corman, Francis lulls the viewer into a state of blissful
ignorance as the protagonist, Professor Christopher Maitland (Peter
Cushing), drifts into unconsciousness and undergoes a strange and
terrifying nightmare.