It's been many years since I read Bram Stoker's 1903 novel "The Jewel of Seven Stars," but what I mainly recollect is a feeling of great disappointment; the book is all buildup, with very little in the way of payoff. The 1971 Hammer filmization, renamed "Blood From the Mummy's Tomb," can be accused of the same unfortunate misdemeanor, but still has much to offer. It tells the tale of Tera, an ancient Egyptian sorceress who had been executed back when, had her hand dismembered and her body encased in a tomb. Centuries later, that tomb is discovered by a researcher named Fuchs, whose daughter is the very image of the priestess. It would seem that Tera is about to be finally reincarnated.... Taking place in an indeterminate year (the clothing and furnishings are modern, yet the automobiles are vintage), "Blood From" boasts some mild gross-out FX (that severed hand, and Tera's many throat rippings), an interesting enough story, adequate sets and--typical for a Hammer film--fine acting from its second-tier cast. In her dual role as the "slumbering" Tera and Fuchs' possessed daughter, Margaret, actress Valerie Leon literally stands out in this cast. A stunning-looking woman even today, her, um, mUmmarian protuberances are amply brought to the fore here in any number of negligees and low-cut gowns. As Tera, she is found completely unswathed; I suppose even the ancient Egyptian priests felt that her body was too impressive to be kept under wraps! In any event, Valerie's presence is reason enough to give this film a recommendation. The film's story line presents some unanswered questions (Just how does the Corbeck character plan to control Tera once she "awakens," for instance? And that ambiguous ending is anybody's guess!), but I must say that I enjoyed this film more on a repeat viewing, with lowered expectations. It's a fun latter-day Hammer flick, shown to good advantage on this great-looking Anchor Bay DVD.
77 Reviews
Disturbing version of Stoker's very disturbing "mummy" novel.
tonyglad24 March 1999
This is by a long way the best of the three adaptations so far of Bram Stoker's complex and disturbing novel of an Egyptologist's obsessive desire to revive an evil ancient Egyptian queen. (The novel was so worrying in 1903 that the ending was changed for the second edition: this movie keeps mainly to the original ending.) The cast ranges from competent to quite good, with the Queen/daughter suitably seductive but unreadable. The appearance is handsomely and oppressively Edwardian - the ancient Egyptian is rather silly - and the direction firm. Try this as a better taste of Stoker's obsessive psychological horror than any of the versions of "Dracula" except the long British TV adaptation.
Blood from the Mummy's Tomb: An odd finale
Platypuschow19 May 2018
Blood from the Mummy's Tomb is the 4th and final movie from Hammer Horrors "The Mummy" franchise and stands out from the rest due to the distinct lack of erm....a mummy!
The plot is a bit of a mess but the creators do a competent enough job of making the best of it and to their credit it comes off passable.
Starring the alarmingly beautiful Valerie Leon it barely feels like a mummy movie at all.
With the questionable storyline, the baffling ending and some seriously hokey performances it's sad to see a franchise end on such a note.
It however is not bad, it's just unusual, unexpected and an odd choice.
Passable Hammer Horror effort, but more of a standalone film than the rest of The Mummy franchise.
The Good:
Valerie Leon
The Bad:
Muddled story
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
I get the impression Valerie Leon would be a big big star right now if she were this age
The plot is a bit of a mess but the creators do a competent enough job of making the best of it and to their credit it comes off passable.
Starring the alarmingly beautiful Valerie Leon it barely feels like a mummy movie at all.
With the questionable storyline, the baffling ending and some seriously hokey performances it's sad to see a franchise end on such a note.
It however is not bad, it's just unusual, unexpected and an odd choice.
Passable Hammer Horror effort, but more of a standalone film than the rest of The Mummy franchise.
The Good:
Valerie Leon
The Bad:
Muddled story
Things I Learnt From This Movie:
I get the impression Valerie Leon would be a big big star right now if she were this age
Intellectual retelling of the mummy story
jangu24 August 2001
As almost always was the case with Hammer, this is a rather studiobound, but still lavish-looking movie (shot by the always reliable Arthur Grant who had almost a midas-touch when it came to cinematography), despite it's low budget. You also get a long list of old pros like Andrew Keir and Rosalie Crutchley in important parts plus the sultry charms of Valerie Leon, former model and star of british sex-comedys. She is not the greatest actress in the world but does a very competent job with her part, managing the sudden moodswings convincingly. The story is based on a lesser-known Bram 'Dracula' Stoker novel, filmed two more times ('The Awakening' is big-budget but does nothing with all those bucks, just manages to be mostly boring even in the murder-scenes). It does not feature the usual, gauze-wrapped, mummy but it is instead a tale of possession. It is maybe a bit talky in places, but the atmosphere is always right and menacing. Main director Seth Holt died during the last days of shooting so producer Michael Carreras had to do the scenes in the asylum and they are among the most impressive. Horrormovie-fans today will probably find this movie incredibly old-fashioned, but if you are tired of the hundreth film about Jason, Freddy or your average neighborhood slasher, give this a second glance.
A Lush & Lavish Well Acted & Directed Classic Horror Flick.
P3n-E-W1s34 August 2017
The first thing I noticed when watching this movie is the gaping distance between this and the horror movies of today. There are two glaringly obvious differences.
Firstly: Scope. This film takes you to Egypt and the tombs of the Pharaohs where we see the Queen being interred in her tomb and the rights the priest's carry out, along with the beginnings of her curse. We then move to England where the action continues between three different locations. In modern horror films, the story usually takes place in one location in one time period.
Secondly: Story. There's more going off in this film than most of today's horror. I know this is based on an actual novel where most of the modern films are based on the director's ideas. The end product can also suffer from budgetary issues which may restrict them to one location and hence hinder the story.
The other differences are acting talent and direction. I have to admit that Hammer used to get some pretty top notch actors in their films. Even the bit-parts are covered by a better-than-average cast and this is the case in this film. Due to that fact, this is a highly enjoyable and believable story that I found myself fully immersed in. It also didn't hurt that Valerie Leon is one of the most beautiful actresses on the planet and does a great job in the lead role as Margaret Fuchs and the Egyptian Queen Tera. Along with Andre Keir, who people from Dr Who: Dalek's Invasion Earth 2150AD and Quatermass and the Pit, and James Villiers this is a strong cast.
As for the directing, it was an absolute blessing not to see shaky cam. I do wish that more directors would invest in fixed and smooth-moving camera mounts. I remember there being some negative input for the Evil- Deads shaky cam through the woods - now that is some of the smoothest camera work when compared to today's efforts. Also, all the scenes are watchable in daylight. Dark scenes are lit and visible, with the director using lighting to build mood and atmosphere; the viewer doesn't have to turn off any lighting even ambient just to make out what's happening - just because a scene is shot in total darkness doesn't make it scary. There's also no grey filters, which are so overused today, everything is shot in glorious colour. This actually helps the film as it doesn't make the audience depressed and sad.
Though the special effects are outdated by today's standards they are few, as the director uses the story and the atmosphere to build up the tension, suspense, and horror. Though the effects that are used are passable. I did love the severed hand - you can't beat a good severed hand - and the constantly bleeding stub its decapitation left behind.
This is one truly lush and lavish, well shot and acted horror film which still has strength in today's horror market. I would recommend everybody to watch this film as it's one of the best Hammer released. I would even watch this one again... and probably sooner rather than later.
Firstly: Scope. This film takes you to Egypt and the tombs of the Pharaohs where we see the Queen being interred in her tomb and the rights the priest's carry out, along with the beginnings of her curse. We then move to England where the action continues between three different locations. In modern horror films, the story usually takes place in one location in one time period.
Secondly: Story. There's more going off in this film than most of today's horror. I know this is based on an actual novel where most of the modern films are based on the director's ideas. The end product can also suffer from budgetary issues which may restrict them to one location and hence hinder the story.
The other differences are acting talent and direction. I have to admit that Hammer used to get some pretty top notch actors in their films. Even the bit-parts are covered by a better-than-average cast and this is the case in this film. Due to that fact, this is a highly enjoyable and believable story that I found myself fully immersed in. It also didn't hurt that Valerie Leon is one of the most beautiful actresses on the planet and does a great job in the lead role as Margaret Fuchs and the Egyptian Queen Tera. Along with Andre Keir, who people from Dr Who: Dalek's Invasion Earth 2150AD and Quatermass and the Pit, and James Villiers this is a strong cast.
As for the directing, it was an absolute blessing not to see shaky cam. I do wish that more directors would invest in fixed and smooth-moving camera mounts. I remember there being some negative input for the Evil- Deads shaky cam through the woods - now that is some of the smoothest camera work when compared to today's efforts. Also, all the scenes are watchable in daylight. Dark scenes are lit and visible, with the director using lighting to build mood and atmosphere; the viewer doesn't have to turn off any lighting even ambient just to make out what's happening - just because a scene is shot in total darkness doesn't make it scary. There's also no grey filters, which are so overused today, everything is shot in glorious colour. This actually helps the film as it doesn't make the audience depressed and sad.
Though the special effects are outdated by today's standards they are few, as the director uses the story and the atmosphere to build up the tension, suspense, and horror. Though the effects that are used are passable. I did love the severed hand - you can't beat a good severed hand - and the constantly bleeding stub its decapitation left behind.
This is one truly lush and lavish, well shot and acted horror film which still has strength in today's horror market. I would recommend everybody to watch this film as it's one of the best Hammer released. I would even watch this one again... and probably sooner rather than later.
I'm a sucker for Egyptian mumbo-jumbo.
bensonmum222 September 2017
At the exact moment that Egyptologist Professor Fuchs (Andrew Keir) and party are opening the tomb of the Egyptian Queen of the Darkness, Tara, Fuchs' daughter is born dead in a London hospital. The two events are connected as Tara's spirit enters young Margaret Fuchs (Valerie Leon) and bring her back to life. Unaware of their connection, Margaret grows up to be the spitting image of Tara. Nearing her 21st (?) birthday, Margaret begins having unsettling dreams of Tara. Thus begins Tara's resurrection. To complete the transformation, Margaret/Tara must collect the artifacts from her tomb that are now in the possession of Professor Fuchs' colleagues who assisted in the original expedition. Collecting the objects will lead to a trail of bloody bodies, each with its throat ripped out.
Writing that poorly worded plot synopsis was much more difficult that it should have been. The problem is that the plot in Blood from the Mummy's Tomb is a mess of ideas going in several different directions. It's entertaining, but it is admittedly a mess. I quite enjoy the story, but as I've written before, I'm a sucker for Egyptian mumbo- jumbo. Throw in some hokum about an evil queen, possessed artifacts, stars aligning in just the right way, and a traveling, disembodied hand and I'll eat it up. So, despite the many flaws in the plot, none of it really matters to me as I always have great fun watching Blood from the Mummy's Tomb.
Watching the film last night for the first time in about 10 years, I realized I had forgotten much about the plot and really most everything else. One thing I hadn't forgotten was Valerie Leon. I defy anyone to watch this movie and not remember Ms Leon. I realize she wasn't hired for her acting ability, but she isn't all that bad. She may be a bit wooden in some scenes, but at worst, she's always watchable. I know Hammer used young women like Ms Leon, but at least Hammer provided her and others the opportunity to star in film. Hammer gave actresses like Ms Leon, Yutte Stensgaard, and Jennifer Daniel a chance for a role with some meat to it. None will be remembered as award caliber actresses, but all are memorable to fans in the various Hammer films/roles.
Beyond Ms Leon, the rest of the cast is surprisingly strong. Andrew Keir was a real pro and is quite good as Professor Fuchs. James Villers, as the scheming Corbeck, is a scene-stealer. He's one part smarmy and one part evil. An entertaining combination. The rest of the cast is solid with Aubrey Morris, George Coulouris, and Mark Edwards giving memorable performances.
To summarize, Blood from the Mummy's Tomb features a messy but very fun story, the memorable Valerie Leon, and a solid supporting cast. I'm keeping the 7/10 rating I gave it 10 years ago.
Writing that poorly worded plot synopsis was much more difficult that it should have been. The problem is that the plot in Blood from the Mummy's Tomb is a mess of ideas going in several different directions. It's entertaining, but it is admittedly a mess. I quite enjoy the story, but as I've written before, I'm a sucker for Egyptian mumbo- jumbo. Throw in some hokum about an evil queen, possessed artifacts, stars aligning in just the right way, and a traveling, disembodied hand and I'll eat it up. So, despite the many flaws in the plot, none of it really matters to me as I always have great fun watching Blood from the Mummy's Tomb.
Watching the film last night for the first time in about 10 years, I realized I had forgotten much about the plot and really most everything else. One thing I hadn't forgotten was Valerie Leon. I defy anyone to watch this movie and not remember Ms Leon. I realize she wasn't hired for her acting ability, but she isn't all that bad. She may be a bit wooden in some scenes, but at worst, she's always watchable. I know Hammer used young women like Ms Leon, but at least Hammer provided her and others the opportunity to star in film. Hammer gave actresses like Ms Leon, Yutte Stensgaard, and Jennifer Daniel a chance for a role with some meat to it. None will be remembered as award caliber actresses, but all are memorable to fans in the various Hammer films/roles.
Beyond Ms Leon, the rest of the cast is surprisingly strong. Andrew Keir was a real pro and is quite good as Professor Fuchs. James Villers, as the scheming Corbeck, is a scene-stealer. He's one part smarmy and one part evil. An entertaining combination. The rest of the cast is solid with Aubrey Morris, George Coulouris, and Mark Edwards giving memorable performances.
To summarize, Blood from the Mummy's Tomb features a messy but very fun story, the memorable Valerie Leon, and a solid supporting cast. I'm keeping the 7/10 rating I gave it 10 years ago.
One Yummy Mummy!
Witchfinder-General-66617 August 2009
"Blood From The Mummy's Tomb" is a film that has its qualities - the doubtlessly most convincing one being the incredibly beautiful Valerie Leon in a double role. Yet I have to say that this film ranks among the lesser ones from my beloved Hammer Studios, as it is not very suspenseful and lacks the intense atmosphere that we all love about the films from this brilliant British production company. Based on the almighty Bram Stoker's novel "The Jewel of Seven the Stars", "Blood From the Mummy's Tomb" is one out of three Hammer films directed by Seth Holt, the others being the very good "The Nanny" (1965) and the presumably great "Taste of Fear" (1961) which I haven't yet seen. Sadly, Holt died in while he was working on this film in 1971, at only 48, and the film was completed by Michael Carreras, who must be seen as a pioneer for directing one of the earliest Eurowestern, "Tierra Brutal" in 1961. Being a huge fan of the Hammer Studios I tend to love their later films, such as "Vampire Circus", "The Vampire Lovers" or "Frankenstein and The Monster From Hell", from the early 70s especially, because they usually mix the elegant Hammer-typical Gothic atmosphere with 70s-typical sleaze and gore. This is also the case here - "Blood From The Mummy's Tomb" has some of Hammer's goriest moments - but the suspense was obviously not sufficiently focused on here. It does have some highly atmospheric scenes, but then, there are hardly any outdoor shots and typical Hammer style elements such as foggy grounds etc. appear only a few times in the film.
The film tells a very classic Horror story, of a young beauty who happens to bear a stunning resemblance to a vicious she-demon - in this case a blood-thirsty Egyptian Queen... I love classic Horror material like this, but, sadly, it isn't delivered too well here. The film isn't too suspenseful, as one simply doesn't care about the characters. Valerie Leon ("Never Say Never Again") is stunningly beautiful (and shows some flesh) in her double leading role as the Egyptian Queen Tera and the archaeologist's's daughter Margaret Fuchs. Miss Leon is truly ravishing and her presence alone easily is reason enough to watch the film. The great Andrew Keir ("Quatermass and the Pit", "Dracula, Prince of Darkness") plays her father Prof. Fuchs. Funnily, Margaret's boyfriend's name is 'Tod Browning' - a tribute to the genius director of such gems as "Dracula" (1931), "Freaks" (1932) or "The Devi-Doll" (1936), the immortal Tod Browning. "Blood From The Mummy's Tomb" has its moments - as said, Valerie Leon is by far the most convincing reason to watch it, and the film has some stylish moments as well as some very well done gory ones. However, it does get boring in-between, and that is something extremely rare with a Hammer film.
Overall it must be said that, while Egyptian Mummies are generally fascinating creatures, their representations in cinema are often quite weak. The only true Mummy-Masterpiece I've seen is Karl Freund's brilliant "The Mummy" of 1932 with the immortal Boris Karloff in the lead. My second-favorite is Hammer's 1959 remake "The Mummy" with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. "Blood From The Mummy's Tomb" is still 100 times better than these crappy new Mummy films which consist of CGI only, but it's definitely one of Hammer's weaker films and mostly interesting for the gorgeous Valerie Leon.
The film tells a very classic Horror story, of a young beauty who happens to bear a stunning resemblance to a vicious she-demon - in this case a blood-thirsty Egyptian Queen... I love classic Horror material like this, but, sadly, it isn't delivered too well here. The film isn't too suspenseful, as one simply doesn't care about the characters. Valerie Leon ("Never Say Never Again") is stunningly beautiful (and shows some flesh) in her double leading role as the Egyptian Queen Tera and the archaeologist's's daughter Margaret Fuchs. Miss Leon is truly ravishing and her presence alone easily is reason enough to watch the film. The great Andrew Keir ("Quatermass and the Pit", "Dracula, Prince of Darkness") plays her father Prof. Fuchs. Funnily, Margaret's boyfriend's name is 'Tod Browning' - a tribute to the genius director of such gems as "Dracula" (1931), "Freaks" (1932) or "The Devi-Doll" (1936), the immortal Tod Browning. "Blood From The Mummy's Tomb" has its moments - as said, Valerie Leon is by far the most convincing reason to watch it, and the film has some stylish moments as well as some very well done gory ones. However, it does get boring in-between, and that is something extremely rare with a Hammer film.
Overall it must be said that, while Egyptian Mummies are generally fascinating creatures, their representations in cinema are often quite weak. The only true Mummy-Masterpiece I've seen is Karl Freund's brilliant "The Mummy" of 1932 with the immortal Boris Karloff in the lead. My second-favorite is Hammer's 1959 remake "The Mummy" with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. "Blood From The Mummy's Tomb" is still 100 times better than these crappy new Mummy films which consist of CGI only, but it's definitely one of Hammer's weaker films and mostly interesting for the gorgeous Valerie Leon.
Valerie Leon's bazonga's, and then some...
punishmentpark4 June 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Wonderful (kitschy) atmosphere in yet another Hammer production. In the story and dialogues there's quite a few interesting ideas, more and more focusing on Margaret Fuchs and her sort of coming of age, and struggle with good and evil accordingly.
The last half hour doesn't really deliver though; some running up and down a forest and dialogues that stand in the way of horror and suspense. The very end, where Margaret is in a modern way embalmed and doomed to silence, is more funny (but not really, if you know what I mean) than anything else. Not what that fine first hour deserved.
The scene with the snake in the institution would have scared my socks off had I been younger, now it was just pretty good and atmospheric. There's also lots of gore, but especially the part with the bleeding arm was not very impressive.
All in all still a positive rating - really too bad about that final half hour.
The last half hour doesn't really deliver though; some running up and down a forest and dialogues that stand in the way of horror and suspense. The very end, where Margaret is in a modern way embalmed and doomed to silence, is more funny (but not really, if you know what I mean) than anything else. Not what that fine first hour deserved.
The scene with the snake in the institution would have scared my socks off had I been younger, now it was just pretty good and atmospheric. There's also lots of gore, but especially the part with the bleeding arm was not very impressive.
All in all still a positive rating - really too bad about that final half hour.
Lesser Hammer but not bad Hammer
TheLittleSongbird12 June 2015
While Blood from the Mummy's Tomb is far from terrible and has a number of good things, it really is not Hammer at its best. If anything it's lesser Hammer, with enough to make it watchable but very much an uneven film and one where the troubled production shows.
Blood from the Mummy's Tomb, as ever with Hammer, is a good-looking film. Not their best-looking, mind you, sometimes like with some overly-bright lighting and tacky sets towards the end the low-budget does show but the photography is superbly eerie and rich in colour, the editing is tight and the sets and relics generally are suitably exotic and macabre. The music score is creepy and stirring, complementing the film very well. Blood from the Mummy's Tomb also starts off well, with an eerie opening and some parts do have a menacing atmosphere and a deliciously ironic touch, you do wish that that was sustained throughout the entire film but while it is frustrating that it does peter out Blood from the Mummy's Tomb thankfully is not completely inept and has its atmospheric moments.
Performances vary, with only three being good. Those three are James Villiers, Andrew Keir and Rosalie Crutchley. Of those three, if I were to choose who gave the best performance, my answer would be Villiers, who is terrifyingly unscrupulous and is clearly enjoying himself while still being careful not to dominate the film too much and being out of kilter. Keir is memorably astute and sympathetic and Crutchley gives charming, seasoned support.
Valerie Leon, in terms of her overall performance, is serviceable but not great; she is rather wooden and expressionless as Margaret but as Terra she does make quite possibly the sultriest Mummy ever on film with her exquisitely exotic looks and killer cleavage. A lot of her dubbed line delivery however comes over as detached and without much feeling which takes away from the performance. The rest of the cast are only so-so at best, and a stronger script and better written characters would have helped matters. The script has moments but most of the time sounds very awkward and underdeveloped, also not developing the characters well at all. The characters are very stock in fact and the way they believe comes over as confused and all over the place, the worst case being with Leon's dual role where a lot of her motivations don't make sense and the way she behaves almost erratic.
Despite starting off well, Blood from the Mummy's Tomb peters out. The story was initially intriguing with some menacing and ironic atmosphere, but for most of the time it dragged badly with a lot of filler talk and nowhere near enough suspense or sense of dread, so everything just became dull, dry and a mess of static interaction and all-over-the-place character motivations which made the film hard to follow at times. The direction is on one half technically accomplished and allows the atmosphere to speak, and on the other half it's only competent at best and often hackneyed and pedestrian, the film had two directors and it feels it.
Overall, watchable but very much a lesser Hammer effort. 5/10 Bethany Cox
Blood from the Mummy's Tomb, as ever with Hammer, is a good-looking film. Not their best-looking, mind you, sometimes like with some overly-bright lighting and tacky sets towards the end the low-budget does show but the photography is superbly eerie and rich in colour, the editing is tight and the sets and relics generally are suitably exotic and macabre. The music score is creepy and stirring, complementing the film very well. Blood from the Mummy's Tomb also starts off well, with an eerie opening and some parts do have a menacing atmosphere and a deliciously ironic touch, you do wish that that was sustained throughout the entire film but while it is frustrating that it does peter out Blood from the Mummy's Tomb thankfully is not completely inept and has its atmospheric moments.
Performances vary, with only three being good. Those three are James Villiers, Andrew Keir and Rosalie Crutchley. Of those three, if I were to choose who gave the best performance, my answer would be Villiers, who is terrifyingly unscrupulous and is clearly enjoying himself while still being careful not to dominate the film too much and being out of kilter. Keir is memorably astute and sympathetic and Crutchley gives charming, seasoned support.
Valerie Leon, in terms of her overall performance, is serviceable but not great; she is rather wooden and expressionless as Margaret but as Terra she does make quite possibly the sultriest Mummy ever on film with her exquisitely exotic looks and killer cleavage. A lot of her dubbed line delivery however comes over as detached and without much feeling which takes away from the performance. The rest of the cast are only so-so at best, and a stronger script and better written characters would have helped matters. The script has moments but most of the time sounds very awkward and underdeveloped, also not developing the characters well at all. The characters are very stock in fact and the way they believe comes over as confused and all over the place, the worst case being with Leon's dual role where a lot of her motivations don't make sense and the way she behaves almost erratic.
Despite starting off well, Blood from the Mummy's Tomb peters out. The story was initially intriguing with some menacing and ironic atmosphere, but for most of the time it dragged badly with a lot of filler talk and nowhere near enough suspense or sense of dread, so everything just became dull, dry and a mess of static interaction and all-over-the-place character motivations which made the film hard to follow at times. The direction is on one half technically accomplished and allows the atmosphere to speak, and on the other half it's only competent at best and often hackneyed and pedestrian, the film had two directors and it feels it.
Overall, watchable but very much a lesser Hammer effort. 5/10 Bethany Cox
Neglected Hammer Egyptian horror; beset by production problems, but still worth a look
Leofwine_draca8 November 2015
Hammer's fourth and final outing into Egyptian territory is a hit-and miss-affair which is still worthwhile for the wonderful atmosphere it casts in places. The reason for the film's disjointed feel is that the production was beset by tragedy - almost as if a real life curse was at work. First off, star Peter Cushing's wife died and the actor had to be replaced by Andrew Keir. Secondly, the director of the film, Seth Holt, who had made the wonderful TASTE OF FEAR some ten years before this, suffered a heart attack, leaving Hammer regular Michael Carreras to take over the directorial duties. Thus the film seems to jump from scene to scene sometimes without any warning and there are definite issues with the pacing and general cohesion despite what should be a relatively simple plot. On the plus side, it's a lot different to the typical mummy film which involves a bandage-wrapped corpse seeking revenge, and it deserves kudos for trying something different. The film is based on Bram Stoker's novel THE JEWEL OF THE SEVEN STARS, as was 1980s horror 'epic' THE AWAKENING and the low budget '90s feature BRAM STOKER'S LEGEND OF THE MUMMY.
The actors certainly aren't at fault. Andrew Keir makes the most of his bed-ridden role although he doesn't have a great deal to work with here, while James Villiers is a memorable villain. Valerie Leon, a stunning actress familiar from her roles in numerous CARRY ON films is easy on the eye and equips herself well with the dual personae. Really, I think she's one of the most beautiful of all British actresses alongside Hazel Court and the film is almost a love letter to her sheer physical perfection. It helps that she's often dressed in little more than jewels or a negligee (depending on whether she's playing the mummy or her reincarnate victim) that ably show off her quite stunning figure.
The special effects budget is obviously low, with set-bound locales, but the gore is quite plentiful with lots of torn throats dripping blood. The budget, or lack thereof, is a sore remainder of the constrained budgets that Hammer faced at this time. There is a memorable scene involving a patient in an asylum who is attacked by mysterious forces (the best scene of the film actually) but the film suffers from an abrupt downbeat ending; it feels like this could have been expanded upon while some of the early scenes could have been excised. BLOOD FROM THE MUMMY'S TOMB isn't one of Hammer's best, but if you are looking for an Egyptian curse story that's a little different then I would recommend it as it's quite unusual compared to the rest of the company's work.
The actors certainly aren't at fault. Andrew Keir makes the most of his bed-ridden role although he doesn't have a great deal to work with here, while James Villiers is a memorable villain. Valerie Leon, a stunning actress familiar from her roles in numerous CARRY ON films is easy on the eye and equips herself well with the dual personae. Really, I think she's one of the most beautiful of all British actresses alongside Hazel Court and the film is almost a love letter to her sheer physical perfection. It helps that she's often dressed in little more than jewels or a negligee (depending on whether she's playing the mummy or her reincarnate victim) that ably show off her quite stunning figure.
The special effects budget is obviously low, with set-bound locales, but the gore is quite plentiful with lots of torn throats dripping blood. The budget, or lack thereof, is a sore remainder of the constrained budgets that Hammer faced at this time. There is a memorable scene involving a patient in an asylum who is attacked by mysterious forces (the best scene of the film actually) but the film suffers from an abrupt downbeat ending; it feels like this could have been expanded upon while some of the early scenes could have been excised. BLOOD FROM THE MUMMY'S TOMB isn't one of Hammer's best, but if you are looking for an Egyptian curse story that's a little different then I would recommend it as it's quite unusual compared to the rest of the company's work.
"Sometimes I think there are only two things you want me for."
utgard1413 November 2014
Let's get it out of the way: there are no mummies in this movie. The story, based off of Bram Stoker's "Jewel of the Seven Stars," is about the spirit of an ancient Egyptian princess possessing the body of an archaeologist's daughter (Valerie Leon). And what a body it is! The highlights of the movie belong to Valerie Leon. Her bountiful bosom is a sight to behold and the rest of her is nothing to sneeze at, either. Anyway the possessed woman goes around killing the people who opened the tomb of the princess. So no mummy but basically the same motivation that previous mummies had.
Andrew Keir plays the archaeologist. He replaced Peter Cushing shortly after filming began when Cushing left to care for his dying wife. As if that wasn't enough, director Seth Holt died before filming ended and Michael Carreras had to finish the movie. The atmospheric opening gives you the impression that this is going to be a spooky chiller, despite the lack of mummies. Unfortunately the rest of the movie doesn't quite live up to the strong start. The movie drags and needs a shot of adrenaline. The beauty of Ms. Leon could only do so much with this dry script and mostly lifeless direction. Another version of this story was made almost a decade later as The Awakening with Charlton Heston and Stephanie Zimbalist, who was a lovely woman but did not compare to Valerie Leon. That movie, like this one, is kind of dull. This is the last mummy movie Hammer made. Although they still had a few good movies to come, Hammer in 1971 was already on its way out. See this if you're a Hammer completist or if you just like beautiful Valerie Leon. Oh and tell me if you don't think that big ring that causes so much trouble resembles a Ring Pop.
Andrew Keir plays the archaeologist. He replaced Peter Cushing shortly after filming began when Cushing left to care for his dying wife. As if that wasn't enough, director Seth Holt died before filming ended and Michael Carreras had to finish the movie. The atmospheric opening gives you the impression that this is going to be a spooky chiller, despite the lack of mummies. Unfortunately the rest of the movie doesn't quite live up to the strong start. The movie drags and needs a shot of adrenaline. The beauty of Ms. Leon could only do so much with this dry script and mostly lifeless direction. Another version of this story was made almost a decade later as The Awakening with Charlton Heston and Stephanie Zimbalist, who was a lovely woman but did not compare to Valerie Leon. That movie, like this one, is kind of dull. This is the last mummy movie Hammer made. Although they still had a few good movies to come, Hammer in 1971 was already on its way out. See this if you're a Hammer completist or if you just like beautiful Valerie Leon. Oh and tell me if you don't think that big ring that causes so much trouble resembles a Ring Pop.
An under-rated Hammer film from the latter period.
alexanderdavies-9938213 April 2017
"Blood From The Mummy's Tomb" is one of Hammers greatest films from the latter period. This film has a better than average screenplay and with some outstanding direction from Seth Holt in his final film. Andrew Keir and James Villiers share the acting honours but Valerie Leon does well in her dual characters.
This movie deserved better advertising when it went out on general release. It was released on the lower half of another Hammer horror film.
Given the slightly troubled production, it is a wonder "Blood From The Mummy's Tomb" was made at all.
Peter Cushing leaving the production after only a days filming and Seth Holt suddenly dying about 10 days before the end of shooting,led everyone involved to believe their movie was cursed.
Michael Carraras finished the film himself after assuming directorial duties.
The end result is brilliant - a low key approach with only the necessary cast required, some fine photography and music all contribute to the film's success.
The Mummy films were never Hammers best but this one is able to infuse the familiar Mummy story with something a bit more original.
This movie deserved better advertising when it went out on general release. It was released on the lower half of another Hammer horror film.
Given the slightly troubled production, it is a wonder "Blood From The Mummy's Tomb" was made at all.
Peter Cushing leaving the production after only a days filming and Seth Holt suddenly dying about 10 days before the end of shooting,led everyone involved to believe their movie was cursed.
Michael Carraras finished the film himself after assuming directorial duties.
The end result is brilliant - a low key approach with only the necessary cast required, some fine photography and music all contribute to the film's success.
The Mummy films were never Hammers best but this one is able to infuse the familiar Mummy story with something a bit more original.
"Happy Birthday, darling!"
richardchatten4 January 2024
The grim reaper cast a long shadow over this Hammer production with Peter Cushing withdrawing after just one day's shooting due to the death of his wife (to be replaced by Andrew Keir); while director Seth Holt then came to a premature and ignominious end at the age of just 48 as the result of an attack of hiccups on the set of the last and easily the least of the three films he made for Hammer (the scenes in the asylum were shot after Holt's death by an uncredited Michael Carreras).
Despite the lurid title 'Blood from the Mummy's Tomb' was a good cut above the generally coarser films Hammer were then making, with Tristan Cary's music providing a veneer of quality aided by the photography and production design of Arthur Grant and Scott McGregor (both of whom also soon died) and contains the one leading role played by the magnificent Valerie Leon.
Despite the lurid title 'Blood from the Mummy's Tomb' was a good cut above the generally coarser films Hammer were then making, with Tristan Cary's music providing a veneer of quality aided by the photography and production design of Arthur Grant and Scott McGregor (both of whom also soon died) and contains the one leading role played by the magnificent Valerie Leon.
Lesser Hammer Horror
Rainey-Dawn17 May 2016
This film isn't Hammer's best film but it's an OK film - mediocre to me. The film lacked some personality to me, someone or something more to "spice it up". I was thinking Peter Cushing - then I read on the film and found out that Cushing was filming this when his wife took ill and left to be with her - understandable. Andrew Keir took over Cushing's role as Julian Fuchs. Cushing's presence and charm would have really given this film what it needed.
Also director Seth Holt died of a heart attack about 5 weeks into filming this so Michael Carreras directed the final week's filming. ~ Wikipedia article on the film states. So Carreras directed the final week but it seem to have not helped or hurt the film.
The asylum scenes were pretty good - I really liked the filming down the hallway being warped looking while all the hollering and laughter was being heard - nice touch.
The story is just so-so - not one of the better Mummy stories from Hammer but not a down right bad one either.
5/10
Also director Seth Holt died of a heart attack about 5 weeks into filming this so Michael Carreras directed the final week's filming. ~ Wikipedia article on the film states. So Carreras directed the final week but it seem to have not helped or hurt the film.
The asylum scenes were pretty good - I really liked the filming down the hallway being warped looking while all the hollering and laughter was being heard - nice touch.
The story is just so-so - not one of the better Mummy stories from Hammer but not a down right bad one either.
5/10
Entertaining Egyptian horror yarn featuring the killer cleavage of Valerie Leon!
Infofreak11 May 2003
'Blood From The Mummy's Tomb' isn't one of Hammer's very best, but it's still a ripping yarn about an expedition to Egypt which inadvertently awakens the powers of an evil Egyptian Queen with disastrous results. The movie is based on a Bram Stoker novel I'm not familiar with so I can't vouch for how faithful the adaptation is, but I found it to be extremely entertaining viewing. Andrew Keir, who had previously played Professor Quatermass in Hammer's excellent 'Quatermass And The Pit', is the leader of the expedition, and the stunning Valerie Leon, best known as a regular in the 'Carry On' series, plays the duel role of his daughter and the evil Queen Tera. The movie is full of thrills and chills, a strong supporting cast (including James Villers and the wonderful Aubrey Morris), and good production values, but I must admit I was as much mesmerized by Ms. Leon's killer cleavage as anything else on the screen! Hubba hubba! 'Blood From The Mummy's Tomb' is more remembered for the so-called curse during its production, but it deserves more than that. It's yet another enjoyable movie from the underrated Hammer studios, and is definitely worth a look. And not just to perv on Valerie Leon!
How did this all work out?
bkoganbing29 October 2018
Which is what you'll be wondering as Blood From The Mummy's Tomb concludes
with just about all the cast members meeting a grisly end.
Andrew Keir was the leader of an expedition to Egypt where the tomb of an evil sorceress Queen is uncovered and the body looks like it was fresh from the morgue, no wrappings on it at all. She was one beautiful queen with only a hand cut off and buried separately.
At the same time in the United Kingdom Keir's wife dies in childbirth and it turns out he gives birth to a bouncing baby sorceress though that's not known at the time.
When I say bouncing I mean that literally. Valerie Leon has some really ample bosoms which Hammer Studios took every opportunity to show off during the film. It was one way to keep the audience interested. Leon also does well as the sorceress and the modern role.
James Villiers and George Coulouris have good supporting parts. Villiers is our villain who has some cockeyed notion he can control the sorceress and guide her through the modern world. And Coulouris has a fine mad man act as a scientist locked in an asylum driven mad by what he's seen and unleashed.
It's a good horror flick without use of monsters by Hammer, a rare exception for them.
Andrew Keir was the leader of an expedition to Egypt where the tomb of an evil sorceress Queen is uncovered and the body looks like it was fresh from the morgue, no wrappings on it at all. She was one beautiful queen with only a hand cut off and buried separately.
At the same time in the United Kingdom Keir's wife dies in childbirth and it turns out he gives birth to a bouncing baby sorceress though that's not known at the time.
When I say bouncing I mean that literally. Valerie Leon has some really ample bosoms which Hammer Studios took every opportunity to show off during the film. It was one way to keep the audience interested. Leon also does well as the sorceress and the modern role.
James Villiers and George Coulouris have good supporting parts. Villiers is our villain who has some cockeyed notion he can control the sorceress and guide her through the modern world. And Coulouris has a fine mad man act as a scientist locked in an asylum driven mad by what he's seen and unleashed.
It's a good horror flick without use of monsters by Hammer, a rare exception for them.
Reasonable Hammer Horror Movie
claudio_carvalho29 January 2006
On the night before her anniversary, Margaret Fuchs (Valerie Leon) receives an ancient Egyptian ring with a red stone as a birthday gift from her father, Prof. Julian Fuchs (Andrew Keir). Margaret has frequent nightmares about an expedition in Egypt with five members, including her father, finding the tomb of Queen Tera, an evil sorcerer with a severed hand. The members collect the sarcophagus with a totally preserved mummy, the severed hand with the ring with a red stone, and three relics. Margaret is possessed by the spirit of Tera and chases the expedition members to retrieve the objects and gives life back to Tera.
"Blood from the Mummy's Tomb" is only a reasonable Hammer horror movie. The locations and the cinematography are beautiful; Valerie Leon is extremely gorgeous, with a sexy body, amazing eyes and a very beautiful face; the story is not bad; but something is missing in the screenplay to make this movie a classic. The ambiguous characters of Margaret and Prof. Julian Fuchs are quite confused, and it is not clear whether the father wants to protect her daughter or help Tera. This movie entertains, but had potential to be better and better. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "Sangue no Sarcófago da Múmia" ("Blood in the Sarcophagus of the Mummy")
Note: On 13 Dec 2019, I saw this film again.
"Blood from the Mummy's Tomb" is only a reasonable Hammer horror movie. The locations and the cinematography are beautiful; Valerie Leon is extremely gorgeous, with a sexy body, amazing eyes and a very beautiful face; the story is not bad; but something is missing in the screenplay to make this movie a classic. The ambiguous characters of Margaret and Prof. Julian Fuchs are quite confused, and it is not clear whether the father wants to protect her daughter or help Tera. This movie entertains, but had potential to be better and better. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "Sangue no Sarcófago da Múmia" ("Blood in the Sarcophagus of the Mummy")
Note: On 13 Dec 2019, I saw this film again.
Dull supernatural horror film from Hammer without a bandage in sight!
poolandrews1 April 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Blood from the Mummy's Tomb opens in Egypt. An evil Egyptian sorceress named Queen Tera (Valerie Leon) is lying in a sarcophagus, some Egyptian priests cut her hand off with an axe. They take the severed limb outside & give it to the dogs to chew on, but the hand is still alive & starts crawling around. The priests finish the ceremony and seal Tera's tomb. Outside they are terrorised by what looks like a sandstorm that rips all their throats out. Cut to Margaret Fuchs (Valerie Leon as well) waking up, it was all a nightmare as her Father Professor Julian Fuchs (Andrew Keir) comforts her. The filmmakers make sure we notice that Margaret has a red scar like mark on her wrist. The next morning Professor Fuchs gives his daughter Margaret a beautiful ring for her upcoming birthday, at the centre of which is a large brilliant red ruby. Margaret plans on spending the day with her (lucky) boyfriend Tod Browning (Mark Edwards) who takes an immediate interest in Margaret's new ring. Tod assumes that it is from Professor Fuchs expedition to Egypt many years ago & decides to take it a friend named Geoffrey Dandridge (Hugh Burden) to try & find out more about it. When Geoffrey sees the ring he becomes very nervous & agitated, when he sees Margaret he nearly has a heart attack. They continue to investigate the ring as strange occurrences begin to happen, it turns out that Professor Fuchs, Dandridge along with Corbeck (James Villiers), Professor Berrigan (George Coulouris) & Helen Dickerson (Rosalie Crutchley) were all members of an expedition to the tomb of Queen Tera in Egypt. There, they found the perfectly preserved body of Tera & her severed hand from which Professor Fuchs removed the ring. At the exact same moment they discovered the body of Queen Tera Margaret was born back in London. Margaret looks exactly like Queen Tera & starts to take on the characteristics of Tera as she becomes possessed by the evil Queen's spirit who uses her body to gather an artifact from each team member she needs to revive herself completely!
Initially to be directed by Seth Holt but was finished by Micheal Carreras when Holt died of heart failure before filming was completed. The script by Christopher Wicking based on the Bram Stoker Novel Jewel of the Seven Stars is far too slow & dull, especially the final half of the film. It also ditches the expected Mummy in bandages for a unexciting, awkward & underdeveloped supernatural angle. I was uninterested in anyone or anything on screen & the story just didn't captivate me. I thought Blood from the Mummy's Tomb was a generally poor film throughout except for a few half decent sequences & the undeniable on screen presence & beauty of leading lady Valerie Leon. None of the familiar Hammer stars are present, the sets look extremely cheap & fake with an awful looking English studio bound Egypt during the opening sequence & several flashbacks. Tera's tomb is also severely lacking as the hieroglyphics on the wall look like they were painted by a primary school art class. I'm not sure what sort of look the director & production designer Scott MacGregor had in mind with the look of Blood from the Mummy's Tomb, it appears set in 70's London with some of it's fashions & locations especially Tod with his clothes & swanky flat. Yet there are scenes where it looks as if Hammer wanted the film to be set in Victorian times, like their Frankenstein's & Dracula's. Some of the medical equipment used, the mental asylum that looks more like a prison with it's cells for patients, some of the interior shots of Fuchs house plus the clothes Professor Fuchs & Dandridge wear also make me feel that the filmmakers were in two minds about the look of Blood from the Mummy's Tomb. Surprisingly there is a fair amount of blood & gore, Tera's severed hand keeps turning up, shots of Tera's stump at the end of her arm pouring with blood & quite a few ripped open throats. One more thing, the film is set in London but Tera was found in Egypt & Professor Fuchs now keeps her in his basement. So how did Fuchs get a sarcophagus with a body that looks like they died yesterday in it & still bleeding through customs? Overall I really didn't think much of Blood from the Mummy's Tomb, maybe I was expecting too much but ultimately I found the film as dull as dishwater & nothing during it's 90 plus minute running time particularly stood out as being enjoyable (maybe expect Valerie Leon's brief nude scene!) or entertaining as far as I'm concerned. Hammer have made much better horror films, see one of those instead.
Initially to be directed by Seth Holt but was finished by Micheal Carreras when Holt died of heart failure before filming was completed. The script by Christopher Wicking based on the Bram Stoker Novel Jewel of the Seven Stars is far too slow & dull, especially the final half of the film. It also ditches the expected Mummy in bandages for a unexciting, awkward & underdeveloped supernatural angle. I was uninterested in anyone or anything on screen & the story just didn't captivate me. I thought Blood from the Mummy's Tomb was a generally poor film throughout except for a few half decent sequences & the undeniable on screen presence & beauty of leading lady Valerie Leon. None of the familiar Hammer stars are present, the sets look extremely cheap & fake with an awful looking English studio bound Egypt during the opening sequence & several flashbacks. Tera's tomb is also severely lacking as the hieroglyphics on the wall look like they were painted by a primary school art class. I'm not sure what sort of look the director & production designer Scott MacGregor had in mind with the look of Blood from the Mummy's Tomb, it appears set in 70's London with some of it's fashions & locations especially Tod with his clothes & swanky flat. Yet there are scenes where it looks as if Hammer wanted the film to be set in Victorian times, like their Frankenstein's & Dracula's. Some of the medical equipment used, the mental asylum that looks more like a prison with it's cells for patients, some of the interior shots of Fuchs house plus the clothes Professor Fuchs & Dandridge wear also make me feel that the filmmakers were in two minds about the look of Blood from the Mummy's Tomb. Surprisingly there is a fair amount of blood & gore, Tera's severed hand keeps turning up, shots of Tera's stump at the end of her arm pouring with blood & quite a few ripped open throats. One more thing, the film is set in London but Tera was found in Egypt & Professor Fuchs now keeps her in his basement. So how did Fuchs get a sarcophagus with a body that looks like they died yesterday in it & still bleeding through customs? Overall I really didn't think much of Blood from the Mummy's Tomb, maybe I was expecting too much but ultimately I found the film as dull as dishwater & nothing during it's 90 plus minute running time particularly stood out as being enjoyable (maybe expect Valerie Leon's brief nude scene!) or entertaining as far as I'm concerned. Hammer have made much better horror films, see one of those instead.
No Mummy, not Much Blood, But ...
alleycee18 December 2015
Warning: Spoilers
...This film should be essential viewing, for one reason only. It has the best cinematography I have Ever seen, and I am a big Bladrunner fan. the scene comes half way through the movie, when the Tera-force has killed the guy to reclaim the wolf sculpture, and her fiancé is walking through an alleyway, about to discover the body.
The camera tracks him slowly moving forward, toward a high street with a phone booth, and then tracks back with him to a junk yard where he sees the shadow of a wolf scurry away. 1) everything is in Vivid, Precise focus - the foreground, the subject, the far background - picking out every greasy smear and rough texture in that alley, and 2) its all in Heightened Saturated colour - a Gloomy rainbow of muted blues and invading greens, all created from scratch, in broad daylight in a pokey little British studio - lovingly crafted and set-dressed over what must've taken hours to get that outside look. But consider that the camera is moving a large distance as well - there's none of this shaky steadicam or abrasive cutting that used to plague budget old films like this - the whole scene is smooth, fluid and graceful, like only an Enormous Budget and the Best Crew could produce these days. And finally, and most importantly, 3) throughout the entire shot there is an isolated, hanging Miasma of Mist, slowly morphing and twisting in space, just in front of the Character, almost as if they have caught the apparition of a ghost live on film - it provides a shifting, sinister focus and, even today, I'm not sure most filmmakers would know how to begin creating such an effect, more less actually film a prolonged, kinetic sequence of acting around it. truly remarkable.
Hammer Studio's was always about Control like this - the loving care and attention to the sets and scenery and photography and staging of the scenes to be shot - and this film is the antithesis. Of course, it was also the studio's downfall, because tastes in the 70s then progressed to raw, rough and real-looking filmmaking, as in the Exorcist and Texas Chainsaw ... But for old school Mastery and Expertise, this film showcases some wondrous talent
The camera tracks him slowly moving forward, toward a high street with a phone booth, and then tracks back with him to a junk yard where he sees the shadow of a wolf scurry away. 1) everything is in Vivid, Precise focus - the foreground, the subject, the far background - picking out every greasy smear and rough texture in that alley, and 2) its all in Heightened Saturated colour - a Gloomy rainbow of muted blues and invading greens, all created from scratch, in broad daylight in a pokey little British studio - lovingly crafted and set-dressed over what must've taken hours to get that outside look. But consider that the camera is moving a large distance as well - there's none of this shaky steadicam or abrasive cutting that used to plague budget old films like this - the whole scene is smooth, fluid and graceful, like only an Enormous Budget and the Best Crew could produce these days. And finally, and most importantly, 3) throughout the entire shot there is an isolated, hanging Miasma of Mist, slowly morphing and twisting in space, just in front of the Character, almost as if they have caught the apparition of a ghost live on film - it provides a shifting, sinister focus and, even today, I'm not sure most filmmakers would know how to begin creating such an effect, more less actually film a prolonged, kinetic sequence of acting around it. truly remarkable.
Hammer Studio's was always about Control like this - the loving care and attention to the sets and scenery and photography and staging of the scenes to be shot - and this film is the antithesis. Of course, it was also the studio's downfall, because tastes in the 70s then progressed to raw, rough and real-looking filmmaking, as in the Exorcist and Texas Chainsaw ... But for old school Mastery and Expertise, this film showcases some wondrous talent
Awaken the Egyptian princess.
michaelRokeefe22 November 2003
Based on the works of Bram Stoker this "mummy" movie is probably best avoided. Although there is the buxom Valerie Leon to keep your eyes facing the screen. Leon plays the featured dual roles as an explorer's daughter who becomes possessed by the spirit of an Ancient Egyptian princess. AGAIN? There are severe penalties to pay for desecrating her hallowed tomb. Also in the cast are: James Villiers, Andrew Kier and Mark Edwards. Drab, bland and bad acting is the horror of it all.
Are you there, Tera? It's me, Margaret: A coming of rage story, Hammer/ Bram Stoker style
Death_to_Pan_and_Scan15 July 2006
One of the more obvious draws of this film is the haunting beauty of Valerie Leon (she of the dreamy eyes and very ample heaving bosom) in her dual role. Her presence alone would make this worth watching and even the producer-enforced wig, which she apparently hated, cannot detract from her appeal. I think some of the excessively higher ratings by fans were more for Valerie Leon (who while at times seems to be barely remaining in her top does not appear nude, her bare backside being a body double) than for the film itself. Admittedly her beauty probably influenced my rating of this as well. With Valerie providing the sex appeal, you really don't require the usual grouping of Hammer lovelies to round out the cast.
"Blood from the Mummy's Tomb" is based on Bram Stoker's novel "Jewel of the Seven Stars". Though it has a few nice atmospheric moments, I would have to say it's probably less frightening than the early iconic Universal horror films of previous decades back when Laemmle Jr. & Co. were in their heyday (and the general populace mostly consider those quaint by more modern horror standards). Scare factor aside, the film has some nice production values and the dialogue contains witty rejoinders like "I only want to help you, why should I be afraid?" "Because I want to see you die".
The plot: A group of archaeologists stumbles upon the well-preserved, sans bandages remains of Tera, a beautiful Queen of darkness whom those of her time ceremoniously tried to keep from any possible resurrection via her evil powers. Years later, one of the men from the Egyptian expedition gives his lovely daughter the birthday gift of a rather large jeweled ring he took from the tomb -- just as the pieces are being set in motion for a possible comeback of Tera, her evil hotness, and the potential danger that could bring to the world. Being the materialistic type, Tera wants back some of her old relics and tries to find a way to get them.
Unfortunately, this film preceded the Poltergeist franchise as being considered a 'death curse' film to those involved in its production. Seth Holt did a nice job of directing the film until his untimely death, after which Michael Carreras (director Hammer's "The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb") finished the last week of filming. Luckily, this directorial change isn't as obvious or noticeable to the audience as it could be in other films. Peter Cushing would've played Margaret's archaeologist father, but his wife was dying at the time and he left after one day shooting to be replaced by Andrew Keir (known for his role as Prof. Quatermass). Despite the 'jinx' associated with its production, the finished product became a good film in my opinion, but not one of the greater ones from Hammer.
"Blood from the Mummy's Tomb" is based on Bram Stoker's novel "Jewel of the Seven Stars". Though it has a few nice atmospheric moments, I would have to say it's probably less frightening than the early iconic Universal horror films of previous decades back when Laemmle Jr. & Co. were in their heyday (and the general populace mostly consider those quaint by more modern horror standards). Scare factor aside, the film has some nice production values and the dialogue contains witty rejoinders like "I only want to help you, why should I be afraid?" "Because I want to see you die".
The plot: A group of archaeologists stumbles upon the well-preserved, sans bandages remains of Tera, a beautiful Queen of darkness whom those of her time ceremoniously tried to keep from any possible resurrection via her evil powers. Years later, one of the men from the Egyptian expedition gives his lovely daughter the birthday gift of a rather large jeweled ring he took from the tomb -- just as the pieces are being set in motion for a possible comeback of Tera, her evil hotness, and the potential danger that could bring to the world. Being the materialistic type, Tera wants back some of her old relics and tries to find a way to get them.
Unfortunately, this film preceded the Poltergeist franchise as being considered a 'death curse' film to those involved in its production. Seth Holt did a nice job of directing the film until his untimely death, after which Michael Carreras (director Hammer's "The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb") finished the last week of filming. Luckily, this directorial change isn't as obvious or noticeable to the audience as it could be in other films. Peter Cushing would've played Margaret's archaeologist father, but his wife was dying at the time and he left after one day shooting to be replaced by Andrew Keir (known for his role as Prof. Quatermass). Despite the 'jinx' associated with its production, the finished product became a good film in my opinion, but not one of the greater ones from Hammer.
Whew...What's That Stench?
secragt14 September 2003
Warning: Spoilers
Yes, Valerie Leon is buxom and prominently on display, and yes, this is a HAMMER horror production about a monster based on potentially scary Bram Stoker source material. But no, this is not remotely watchable, not even for the limey cheese factor. What's wrong? There's no plot for starters. No characters, either. The sets are drab and the acting is even blander, which is unusual for Hammer, whose productions may have lacked subtlety but rarely lacked honestly come by hamminess and melodrama.
So why is this so weak? The characters not only don't interact in any meaningful way, they actually don't even seem to be in the same movie together. People just show up, Leon is intermittently possessed by the mummy and kills them, then the cycle repeats. One good moment is the end ****SPOILER**** where the shattered mummy is bandaged head to foot in a hospital, just like a...MUMMY. Unfortunately, the payoff is lost because the movie doesn't really spend any time showing her as a mummy earlier. Who's at fault? I blame the director. And the screenwriter. And the actors. And the producers. And craft services. And everyone else involved in this mess. Amazingly awful. 1.5/10
So why is this so weak? The characters not only don't interact in any meaningful way, they actually don't even seem to be in the same movie together. People just show up, Leon is intermittently possessed by the mummy and kills them, then the cycle repeats. One good moment is the end ****SPOILER**** where the shattered mummy is bandaged head to foot in a hospital, just like a...MUMMY. Unfortunately, the payoff is lost because the movie doesn't really spend any time showing her as a mummy earlier. Who's at fault? I blame the director. And the screenwriter. And the actors. And the producers. And craft services. And everyone else involved in this mess. Amazingly awful. 1.5/10
Certainly the most voluptuous mummy ever
bygard11 May 2007
It never crossed my mind that archeology could get so sexy. The findings usually tend to have a much drier and dustier appearance. Valerie Leon has really showed new aspects to Egyptology here. In her double role as remarkably well ministered mummy of Queen Tera and Margharet Fuchs she is widely let use the two most expressive features of her physique and to steal the scenes totally without really doing anything. Her lovely eyes.
After countless variations of Count Dracula it was nice to see Hammer studios make good use of another story from Bram Stoker for a change. Mind you, the original novel 'Jewel of the Seven Stars', which this film is based on, does seem to use many of the same kind of story elements; a living dead with a curse and otherworldly powers, bringing the evil to London to be unleashed, a lunatic asylum patient closely connected to proceedings, a beauty with meaningful nightmares and so on. But it doesn't really matter, nobody here gets bitten too badly, anyway.
The film is occasionally rather slow moving and maybe a little too carelessly scripted, but it looks fantastic with the sets and props of Egyptian theme. And the loose hand of the mummy saying hi here and there brings joy every time. For the general mood the whole film seems to have a certain peculiar halo with heavily bright lighting, specially those scenes taking place towards the end. The shine of the curse coming true perhaps. Or good natured fun of silliness.
After countless variations of Count Dracula it was nice to see Hammer studios make good use of another story from Bram Stoker for a change. Mind you, the original novel 'Jewel of the Seven Stars', which this film is based on, does seem to use many of the same kind of story elements; a living dead with a curse and otherworldly powers, bringing the evil to London to be unleashed, a lunatic asylum patient closely connected to proceedings, a beauty with meaningful nightmares and so on. But it doesn't really matter, nobody here gets bitten too badly, anyway.
The film is occasionally rather slow moving and maybe a little too carelessly scripted, but it looks fantastic with the sets and props of Egyptian theme. And the loose hand of the mummy saying hi here and there brings joy every time. For the general mood the whole film seems to have a certain peculiar halo with heavily bright lighting, specially those scenes taking place towards the end. The shine of the curse coming true perhaps. Or good natured fun of silliness.
Decent Hammer Film About a "Mummy"
gavin694218 October 2012
An archaeological expedition brings back to London the coffin of an Egyptian queen known for her magic powers. Her spirit returns in the form of a young girl and strange things starts to happen.
Unfortunately, Peter Cushing was supposed to appear in this film but had to step down because his wife was sick at the time. Cushing is one of those actors that really made Hammer great, so it is unfortunate that he does not have even a cameo here.
I found using the Big Dipper as a symbol is rather interesting, but also illogical. The Dipper is only a human -- rather than natural -- constellation (or more technically an asterism), and therefore should not have any more galactic importance than any random grouping of stars. And yet, many cultures of the world have recognized it -- it plays a role in Taoist astrology, the Bible at Amos 5:8 and in Homer's writing.
Unfortunately, Peter Cushing was supposed to appear in this film but had to step down because his wife was sick at the time. Cushing is one of those actors that really made Hammer great, so it is unfortunate that he does not have even a cameo here.
I found using the Big Dipper as a symbol is rather interesting, but also illogical. The Dipper is only a human -- rather than natural -- constellation (or more technically an asterism), and therefore should not have any more galactic importance than any random grouping of stars. And yet, many cultures of the world have recognized it -- it plays a role in Taoist astrology, the Bible at Amos 5:8 and in Homer's writing.
this won't take too long!
paulgeaf1 February 2004
I tend to agree with most of the people here in that, Here we have a Bram Stoker story, a HAMMER film Production, the great acting talent of Andrew Keir from Quatermass and the Pit..and of course not forgetting the 'talents' of Valerie whatsername who is adept at showing her cleavage!
Somewhere somehow this has all been 'thrown together' and yet the result is a shabby, uninteresting, certainly not suspenseful embarrassment to the great HAMMER legacy.
I am still keeping this on CD but only because it Is a HAMMER film.
Its really a bit of a drag....you are glad when it is finally all over!
1 out of 10.
GeaF
Somewhere somehow this has all been 'thrown together' and yet the result is a shabby, uninteresting, certainly not suspenseful embarrassment to the great HAMMER legacy.
I am still keeping this on CD but only because it Is a HAMMER film.
Its really a bit of a drag....you are glad when it is finally all over!
1 out of 10.
GeaF
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