Blood from the Mummy's Tomb Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Blood from the Mummy's Tomb Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Stephen Larson April 26, 2021

It’s hard to imagine a more troubled production than what Hammer Films had to go through before the release of Blood from the Mummy's Tomb. Peter Cushing was ready to star as Professor Julian Fuchs and even filmed a day and half opposite his co-star Valerie Leon, who plays daughter Margaret. Then Peter’s wife, Helen, became terribly ill with emphysema, forcing the actor to extricate himself from his contract and the film. According to Kevin Lyons, whose interviewed in a recycled featurette on this disc, a member of the art department died in a motorcycle accident. During filming, director Seth Holt had a bad case of the hiccups and coughing fits. Members of the cast and crew would laugh and brush it off. However, one day while on set, Holt collapsed and died of cardiac arrest. Holt had shot 80 or 90 percent of Christopher Wicking’s script. Hammer chief Michael Carreras replaced Holt and directed about a week’s worth of shooting. Though Blood from the Mummy's Tomb is noticeably disjointed in places, it still fills a complete narrative and is attractively photographed, especially the scenes of the entombed evil Egyptian sorceress, Tera, who’s also portrayed by Valerie Leon.

Blood from the Mummy's Tomb opens in ancient Egypt where a group of priests are visiting the tomb of Queen Tera. The priests are aware of Tera's malevolence and to literally cut off any power she has if reawakened, they sever the hand containing her large ruby red ring, which they feed to the dogs outside the cave. But the severed hand comes alive and almost invisibly attacks the necks of the priests. Margaret (Valerie Leon; voice re-dubbed by Olive Gregg) has this nightmare as well as a later dream while she sleeps with her boyfriend (Mark Edwards), who's named after Dracula director Tod Browning. In Margaret's second dream, her father, Professor Julian Fuchs (played by Cushing’s replacement, Andrew Keir), is accompanied by four other Egyptologists to the same Egyptian cave: Corbeck (James Villiers), Dandridge (Hugh Burden), Berigan (George Coulouris), and Helen Dickerson (Rosalie Crutchley). The professor and the archaeologists who survive the expedition manage to transport Tera and her sarcophagus back to Fuchs's London home. They bring Tera to the professor's cellar where he decorates the walls with the same hieroglyphics that adorned the cave. Across the street, Corbeck is spying on the Fuchs's residence. He wants to excavate Tera's tomb and bring her back to life. Julian has given his daughter Tera's ring which could potentially grant her mystical and supernatural powers.

Inspecting the tomb.

Blood from the Mummy's Tomb, which was adapted by Wicking from Bram Stoker's 1903 novel The Jewel of Seven Stars, was made as a star vehicle for Valerie Leon, who's appeared in a couple of James Bond films. The filmmakers put Leon's lush body on exhibit by showing maximum cleavage. But since Leon had a clause of no-nudity in her contract, shots of Margaret's behind were shown of Leon's body double/stand-in, Sarah Mathieson, instead. The movie still earned a PG rating when it played in the US where it enjoyed perhaps the most distribution than any Hammer film released during the '70s.

If the producers had a bigger budget than they were granted, the film may have worked better if it were shot in the wide open desert than at Elstree Studios. The movie feels too confined in the cramped interiors of the London neighborhood that it primarily takes place. James Villiers makes a creepy villain as the brooding Corbeck but the kills are pretty much all the same. Still, it's a miracle that Michael Carreras and his editor Peter Weatherley stitched all the footage together to put Blood from the Mummy's Tomb in a releasable form for the public.

Blood from the Mummy's Tomb Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Blood from the Mummy's Tomb arrives on North American Blu-ray courtesy of Scream Factory on this MPEG-4 AVC-encoded BD-50. Viewers have the choice to watch it in two aspect ratios: 1.85:1 (average video bitrate: 31986 kbps) and 1.66:1, the likely UK ratio which is available on the "Bonus" sub-menu. The image looks very clean while retaining a layer of grain. There's only minor speckles on this print. Colors pop out the most on Tera's headdress and the walls in the cave. Blacks are inky and deep (see Screenshot #s 11 and 14). The transfer also accents the shadows well. Blood from the Mummy's Tomb frequently has a "foggy" appearance (see capture 17). There seems to have been a gauze filter placed on the camera's aperture. The film often has a softer look in such shots.

Screenshots 1-10 = 1.85:1 Version
Screenshots 11-20 = 1.66:1 Version

Scream has provided a dozen scene selections for the 94-minute feature.

Blood from the Mummy's Tomb Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Scream supplies a DTS-HD Master Audio Dual Mono (1597 kbps, 24-bit). The mono track is free of any aural defects. Dialogue is sometimes soft-spoken but audible enough to the ears. Composer Tristram Cary wrote an Egyptian-sounding score that's very pleasing to listen to. He tends to repeat the themes he penned for Tera and Margaret at various points in the film. Their reintroduction is most welcome. Cary also composed some tension-filled music that plays up the suspense better than the staged scenes do.

Optional English SDH are available through either the main menu or remote access.

Blood from the Mummy's Tomb Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• NEW Audio Commentary with Author/Film Historian Steve Haberman - I listened to Haberman's commentary track twice. He imparts valuable nuggets about directors Seth Holt and Michael Carreras, scribe Christopher Wicking, producer Howard Brandy, and Gordon Hessler, who was once considered for director of Blood from the Mummy's Tomb. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Interview with Sound Recordist Tony Dawe (5:34, 1080p) - Dawe touches on these topics: his remembrance of Seth Holt and the shock of losing him; filming the first day with Peter Cushing; re-filming a day-and-a-half's worth of work with Andrew Keir; and experimenting with the film's sound. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Interview with Camera Operator Neil Binney (5:03, 1080p) - Binney addresses the following: Valerie Leone (her appearance in perfume commercials and filming her in the tomb); Seth Holt's distinguished work as an editor before this movie; the coughing fit Holt suffered; Michael Carreras taking over the last couple days of filming; and his working relationship with DP Arthur Grant. In English, not subtitled.

• The Pharaoh's Curse: Inside BLOOD FROM THE MUMMY'S TOMB (18:03, 1080p) - this featurette was initially included in Studio Canal's German box set, Hammer Film Edition, which contains Blood from the Mummy's Tomb and six other titles. SC also brought it over to the UK for its standalone 2017 BD/DVD "Doubleplay" release. Interviewed are Jonathan Rigby (author of English Gothic), Egyptologist John J. Johnston, Alan Barnes (co-author of The Hammer Story), Kevin Lyons (editor of eofftv.com), and star Valerie Leon. The interviewees cover Bram Stoker's life around the time he wrote The Jewel of the Seven Stars, the movie's producers, Leon's onscreen persona, technical & creative decisions, and the movie's supporting players. Leon is a pleasant and welcome sight. The program offers a nice glimpse into several aspects of the film. In English, not subtitled.

• Curse of BLOOD FROM THE MUMMY'S TOMB – Interviews with Star Valerie Leon and screenwriter Christopher Wicking (9:30, upscaled to 1080i) - these video interviews with Leon and Wicking were recorded by Blue Underground for the R1 Anchor Bay DVD, which was released in 2001. Leon talks about the Hai Karate aftershave commercials she did before Blood from the Mummy's Tomb. Leon briefly describes working with Howard Brandy, Mark Edwards, and James Villiers. Wicking discusses the films Seth Holt directed and why he wanted him for this film. Leon and Wicking were interviewed separately. In English, not subtitled.

• U.S. Theatrical Trailer (0:54, upscaled to 1080i) - the American trailer for Blood from the Mummy's Tomb presented in open matte. It's an analog-sourced trailer with faded colors.

• U.K. Theatrical Trailer (2:29, upscaled to 1080i) - the official British trailer displayed in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. While it contains some dirt, it boasts substantially better picture and sound than the US trailer. A caveat is that the trailer does give away a few important point points so steer clear until you've watched the film.

• TV Spot (0:23, upscaled to 1080p) - a spot promoting a double feature from American International Pictures: Blood from the Mummy's Tomb and Night of the Blood Monster (aka The Bloody Judge, 1970). This is culled from an archival film print that displays artifacts and some audible crackles.

• Radio Spots (1:52) - two AIP-produced radio spots advertising the double bill of Blood from the Mummy's Tomb and Night of the Blood Monster. Very good sound.

• Still Gallery (9:21, 1080p) - a slide show of ninety-nine distinct images that dissolve into one another. The first thirty-two comprise black-and-white production stills and publicity shots from EMI and Hammer's ad campaign. Several feature Valerie Leon (in nemes) with a dog and cat on the street. Most valuable are two photographs of Leon with Peter Cushing for a scene filmed! The next thirty-four consist of all-color pictures of Leon and her cast mates on set and during a publicity shoot. The final thirty-three display poster sheets, lobby cards, and advertisements that appeared in newspapers press books. For several of the horizontal color sheets, the marketing department substituted a B&W photo for another while retaining the same conceptual artwork around it. Blood from the Mummy's Tomb also was paired with Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971) and this double feature is included in several of the ads.

Blood from the Mummy's Tomb Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Though Blood from the Mummy's Tomb was marked by a "cursed production," it turned out pretty well considering the losses of Peter Cushing and original director Seth Holt. Valerie Leon is a seductive and ravishing presence on screen. I believe the movie would have been more effective if cast and crew filmed on location since the studio sets only take the production's confined spaces so far. Scream Factory delivers an excellent transfer that carries an intentionally hazy appearance to go with the film's "London Fog." Scream has ported over the extras from the Anchor Bay and Studio Canal discs. The label's new commentary with Steve Haberman is a real treat. A MODERATE RECOMMENDATION for Blood from the Mummy's Tomb.