Night of the Skull (1974)

A Scotland Yard investigator is called to gothic Louisiana when a wealthy land owner is beaten and buried alive outside his mansion in the Jesus Franco horror feature Night of the Skull (1976). The prolific Franco fires on all cylinders with this gem––a throwback to the serials and stylish black-and-white films of the 1940s. When the investigator arrives, he rolls up his sleeves and begins interrogating suspects––a nymphomaniac wife, an abused daughter, a creepy servant––even as the body count continues to grow. In true Franco fashion, Night of the Skull is a potent cocktail of sex and danger, with co-stars Lina Romay and Evelyne Scott providing much of the former. Both women show copious skin as they strut around the castle with little to keep them covered.