Blood From the Mummy's Tomb

Anchor Bay | minutes | | | Standard DVD reviewed by: Fusion3600

A British expedition team is hard at work in the Egyptian heat, looking to uncover some valuable links to a buried past. But while they expect to unearth some kind of relics, none of them ever imagined they'd discover such a massive find. The incredible discovery was the ancient tomb of the evil Queen Tera, still sealed tight. Of course, to gain maximum insight from the coffin, it has to be opened and examined. The coffin is taken back to London for further tests, but what started as a time of celebration turns into a battle against the forces of darkness. At the same time the discovery was made, Professor Julian Fuchs (Andrew Keir) finds himself in the midst of his wife's childbirth, which has a tragic conclusion. Just as Queen Tera is exhumed, Fuchs' wife perishes in labor and leaves behind a newborn daughter. A ring is also stolen from Queen Tera's finger, sparking a chain of events that proves to haunt the team members throughout their lives. After years pass and the truth about the expedition is long buried, Fuchs' daughter has grown into a beautiful woman, one who looks just like Queen Tera. Is she cursed with the spirit of the evil ruler, or is it all just a series of ill timed coincidences?

Another installment in Anchor Bay's Hammer Collection line, this movie might not feature a traditional mummy, but it has a lot of Hammer trademarks. I know some will be let down by the lack of a bandaged creature roaming the screen, but once that passes, Blood From the Mummy's Tomb turns out to be a terrific picture. The movies of Hammer's legacy are often well known and discussed, but this one fails to register in most circles, so even if you're a Hammer fan, this film might have slipped under your radar. If so, you're in for a treat with this release, though the production seemed to be almost doomed at times. After only a single day on the set, Peter Cushing had to bow out due to his wife's death and just one week before principal photography was completed, director Seth Holt passed on. As seen in films like The Crow, real life events can add resonance to a movie's texture and that is the case with Blood From the Mummy's Tomb. The film has a certain atmosphere that's impossible to pinpoint, but its even more eerie than Hammer's usual atmospheric presence. The movie moves at a brisk pace and has more blood & graphic violence than most Hammer productions, but it is still more about atmosphere than gore, to be sure. I recommend this to fans of Hammer's brand of horror, as it is a well crafted and effective picture.

To ask someone to fill the shoes of Peter Cushing, especially in a Hammer produced horror picture, has to be an immense task. But that is what happened in this production, as Cushing had to leave the movie after his wife's death, leaving his role to someone else. That someone turned out to be Andrew Keir, who was no stranger to horror movies, but still had a lot of pressure to deliver a solid performance. His experience, particularly his work for Hammer, served him well and he is able to put aside all doubts about being able to fill in those shoes. His role is quite complex, as he is asked to go through a wide range of emotions, sometimes a few at a time, but Keir remains on target and is quite good here. I do think it would have been interesting to see Cushing's take, but you can't fault Keir's efforts here in the least. Other films with Keir include Cleopatra, Dracula: Prince of Darkness, The Viking Queen, The Night Visitor, and Quatermass and the Pit. The cast also includes Valerie Leon (Zeta One, Can You Keep It Up For a Week?), James Villiers (The Ruling Class, Repulsion), and Hugh Burden (Funeral in Berlin, Ghost Ship).

- Blood From the Mummy's Tomb is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. As usual, Anchor Bay has managed to track down some great source elements, so we have a clean and quite impressive visual effort. The print still has some debris, but the nicks and such are minimal & infrequent, so no need for concern. I do think the image is on the soft side, but detail is still acceptable and as such, I won't complain too much. The colors have faded a tad, but still look good and black levels are in tip top form throughout. Yes, this treatment has some flaws, but I think Anchor Bay has done the best they can and the result is a good, solid presentation.

A simple mono track and it handles the goods, no real complaints. Of course, range and such are limited, but that flaw lies within the mono format and not this audio treatment. The sound effects come through loud and clear, the solid music is up to the task, and dialogue is clean and crisp. This movie might benefit from a new surround sound remix, to enhance atmosphere and such, but this basic mono option seems passable in all respects. Not much else to say here, as this is a stable, yet unremarkable audio presentation.

This disc includes a television spots, some radio promos, a selection of still photos, and interviews with star Valerie Leon and writer Christopher Wicking. An audio commentary track would have been nice, but given the slight stigma around the picture, I suppose its understandable that no one stepped up to record a session. In some editions, you'll also find a second bonus disc, packed with Hammer trailers. I have no idea how limited this version is, but the disc is quite cool and adds some solid value to this release.