So, I was checking the Legend channel again to see what classic and old school horror they were possibly showing. I noticed another Hammer Horror was on TV, which is what I've been wanting to cover for the site, because I'm interested in the history. I also find the atmosphere of the movies compelling as it draws you into watching them. Anyway, Blood from the Mummy's Tomb is much better than The Curse Of The Crimson Altar, which I’d watched recently. It started with a good opening, setting up the plot for the film. The props looked dated, but they did provide something less superficial to the screen.
The movie opens in Ancient Egypt with a group of priests putting an evil queen into a sarcophagus. There is quite a gruesome scene where her hand is removed and thrown outside for a pack of wolves or hyenas. Considering the time, it was quite an endeavour. I appreciated the practical effects to show the blood dripping from where the hand was. Let us just say the priests and wolves got more than they bargained for. It is a familiar sight on how a crawling hand is depicted. The same technique is still used to this day, obviously the technology is far different. If you have ever seen the Evil Dead movies where Ash's hand moves across the floor, then it’s a little similar.
The film then moves forward to present day, well recent times, which isn't a big time period when you are dealing with history. Anyway, I digress. So, next we see one of the main leads, Valerie Leon who is also the queen we saw at the beginning. Her father and his questionable associates (more on that in a moment) brought back the embalmed queen to Britain. One side of the associates wish to forget their previous misadventures whilst Corbeck (James Villiers) aka Mr Sinister Suitcase Man (it’s actually a briefcase, but I could also imagine him with a suitcase) main objective is to bring about the resurrection of Tera (the evil Egyptian queen). He is a dodgy fellow (I had to say that in a pompous jolly jolly accent), but silliness aside, it actually adds some grounded reality in a certain way. A group of archaeologists and historian types wanting to bury the truth behind their discovery due to the threat it represents to the world.
Returning our attention back to Mr Sinister Suitcase Man (Corbeck), he really is the obvious antagonist and spends the majority of the movie standing in a house across the street from where Valerie Leon lives. He is always peering through the glass window. Imagine a suited up official person with the classic pomp accent and long overcoat, and accompanying briefcase/suitcase. Well, this would be Mr Sinister Suitcase Man who likes to stand in an empty house he has yet to buy. I guess, a nasty version of a nosey neighbour who is all too eager to give you a good lecture on why Queen Tera should be resurrected, because she is beyond our understanding of good and evil. I did enjoy this movie btw, so it is just my eccentric humour coming out as usual. You should see what it’s like when I write about death metal whilst hyper.
The acting was actually pretty decent in my opinion, the lines were delivered clearly and theatrically to convey the gravity of the plot and the danger it represented. Valerie Leon’s boyfriend becomes concerned about her as the movie progresses. He is aware she possesses some kind of powers, which are later revealed to be telekinesis. She is obviously not quite herself and is under the influence of Queen Tera.
Blood from the Mummy's Tomb is fine for the first two acts. I enjoyed it. The practical effects were also good, but the last act of the movie is anti-climactic and predictable.
There was a good use of the camera when Valerie Leon was walking late at night down a corridor whilst under the influence of Queen Tera. The camera was also replicated later in three other notable and memorable scenes. Interesting to see, not sure when the first example of this kind of camera work was first done in film. Probably way back in the days of silent movies when there was even less technology to rely on. I just thought it was cool, a concept I think we take for granted now, but they did well to show the emotions and expressions of the actors.
The second notable scene involves a guy who was one of the colleagues of Valerie Leon’s father (Professor Fuchs) and Corbeck. He has gone insane and is locked up in a mental institution. We see him a few times in the film, but the poor guy's demise is highlighted with a close-up camera shot of him writhing around on his bed in a state of abject terror. It is a good scene and its does portray the moment. I will not give too much away, but the film starts to amp up when Valerie Leon falls under the complete spell of Queen Tera and the manipulations of Corbeck, but sadly it fell flat for me.
To reiterate something I was talking about earlier. The start and middle of the film are fine, but the final act is where it becomes predictable and disappointing. If you haven't seen the film before, I think you may feel the same on the last scene when everything appears to be coming into fruition. After the final scene, we are taken to the real ending of the movie, just before the credits roll on this exact scene. This is where the movie receives 'the mummy' part from the title when Valerie Leon wakes up in a hospital bed wrapped in bandages and looking like a mummy. She lets out a cry of anguish, then the credits roll.
Verdict:
Honestly, I did enjoy Blood from the Mummy's Tomb, I was just disappointed with the third act and the ending. It was a real shame, because I thought the patience with establishing the tone, mood, and the fear held by the actors was well executed. Also, the motivations of Mr Sinister Suitcase Man (Corbeck) was the other highlight to the film, which left you wondering how far was he going to go to achieve his plans. I am trying to catch the vintage, classic, and old school horrors when I can, but there haven't been many on TV in the last couple of weeks. I have a limited budget, so I am unable to go on a huge blitz like order and buy many of them on DVD. Some of the movies, I've seen them on TV, but I do want to share my thoughts about them from a fresh perspective.
At the time of writing this, I think one of the classic Dracula movies with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee is on Legend tonight, so I'll set the DVR and watch it later.
The strongest qualities of Blood from the Mummy's Tomb are the excellent use of practical objects. A point I stressed throughout the write up. It has to be admired and respected, because back then they were not blessed with the technology widely available to us now. There is something to be said about the ability to naturally create a scene rather than the artificial use of digitisation that can often look fake, despite the budget involved.
All in all, it is an entertaining movie, which is a great way to relax one night, but unfortunately the final act and ending bring the film down to a predictable outcome. I'm guessing this wasn't one of the worst Hammer Productions, but it doesn't seem like it one of the best either. Not bad, so probably around an average outing.
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