Blood from the Mummy's Tomb [Blu-ray]

Overview

The swan song for director Seth Holt (who died shortly before filming was completed), this stylish Hammer production transcends its low budget thanks to lush photography, a stylish look, and fine performances from the leads. The plot, adapted from Bram Stoker's novel The Jewel of the Seven Stars, involves an expedition led by Professor Fuchs (Andrew Keir) to find the cursed tomb of an evil Egyptian princess. Upon discovery of her sarcophagus, Fuchs finds her perfectly preserved, still-bleeding severed hand -- which also sports a dazzling ruby ring. Several years later, Fuchs gives the pilfered ring to his voluptuous young daughter Margaret (Valerie Leon), whereupon she slowly begins to take on the malevolent traits of its original wearer, seeking revenge for the defilement of her tomb. Though Christopher Wicking's adaptation of Stoker's obscure novel is a bit uneven, it still provides ample suspense and the production has an overall richness that captures the flavor of Hammer's other mummy projects. Remade eight years later (with less effective results) as The Awakening; traces of the same story can also be found in Universal's 1999 mega-budget version The Mummy.

Product Details

Release Date:	09/10/2019
UPC:	0826663202113
Original Release:	1971
Rating:	PG
Source:	Shout Factory
Region Code:	A
Language:	English
Time:	1:34:00
Sales rank:	15,253

Special Features

Presented in two aspect ratios - 1.66:1 and 1.85:1; New Interviews with Sound Recordist Tony Dawe and Camera Operator Neil Binney; New Audio Commentary by Author/Film Historian Steve Haberman; The Pharoah's Curse: Inside Blood From The Mummy's Tomb; Interview with Star Valerie Leon and Writer Christopher Wicking; Theatrical Trailer; TV Spot; Radio Spots; New Interviews with Sound Recordist Tony Dawe and Camera Operator Neil Binney; New Audio Commentary by Author/Film Historian Steve Haberman; The Pharaoh's Curse: Inside Blood From The Mummy's Tomb; Interviews with Star Valerie Leon and Writer Christopher Wicking; Theatrical Trailer; TV Spot; Radio Spots; Still Gallery

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Andrew Keir	Prof. Fuchs
Valerie Leon	Margaret Fuchs/Queen Tera
James Villiers	Corbeck
Mark Edwards	Actor,Tod Browning
Hugh Burden	Dandridge
George Coulouris	Berigan
Rosalie Crutchley	Helen Dickerson
Aubrey Morris	Dr. Putnum
David Markham	Doctor
Joan Young	Mrs. Caporal
James Cossins	Older Male Nurse
David Jackson	Younger Male Nurse
Jonathan Burn	Saturnine Young Man
Graham James	Youth in Museum
Tamara Ustinov	Veronica
Tex Fuller	le patient
Abdul Kader	un prêtre
Ahmed Osman	un prêtre
Tristram Cary	Composer

Technical Credits

Christopher Wicking

Bram Stoker

Vivian Wickliffe

Howard Brandy	Producer
Seth Holt	Director
Michael Carreras	Director
Christopher Wicking	Screenwriter
Bram Stoker	Screenwriter
Tony Dawe	Sound Effects
Roy Hyde	Sound Effects
Mike Collins	Special Effects
Vivian Wickliffe	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

The death of original director Seth Holt forced Michael Carreras to step in partway through the production of this 1971 Hammer horror outing. Nonetheless, Blood From the Mummy's Tomb exhibits a glamorous style and a creepy atmosphere that remain consistent throughout the film's brisk running time. Despite its title, the picture offers little in the way of bandaged, shambling boogeymen. Instead, Holt and Carreras focus in on spooky detail shots of darkened corners, Egyptian artifacts and a particularly memorable severed hand. More of a suspense outing than an all-out horror flick, the film offers neither special-effects thrills nor truly unsettling moments of terror. But its atmosphere of creeping dread and its quaint Swinging London update of Edwardian motifs mark it as a memorable exercise in style. The gorgeous Valerie Leon proves worthy of a rare starring role as the archaeologist's daughter possessed by the spirit of a murdered Egyptian queen. Despite being surrounded by various archetypes of British manhood, the glamorous starlet walks away with the picture.

All Movie Guide - Brian J. Dillard