Mummies Alive Week: Blood from the Mummy's Tomb

It's like Deja Vu and time travel- all in one!  Today's film is the 1967 adaptation of Bram Stoker's Jewel of the Seven Stars.  I mentioned it earlier- in my review of Bram Stoker's The Mummy- and decided to review it instead of Mummy Maniac.  Why?  Well, this one doesn't have a pun title and doesn't use a pun in its official summary.  I think that I made the right call, don't you?  This film was made by Hammer, so you can expect blood, boobs and death.  This film does not disappoint for the most part.  Since I covered the plot pretty well the last time, I'm just going to highlight this film's key points, differences and the like.  Feel free to wonder why they put quotes around the title...

* This film doesn't skip right to the guy in coma.  Instead, they build up the plot.  Gasp.

* They also build up the Sorceress as being powerful.  Again- gasp.

* Her jewel is now a ring and literally has a view of seven stars in it.  That's a bit literal, but alright.

* At over half an hour in, we have more build-up and see the dig gone wrong in full.  What a concept!

* Gossett Jr's character is still here, although he's played by a white, British guy.  This is Hammer, so that's no surprise.

* Just like in the other film, our heroine is the striking likeness of the Sorceress.  Unlike the other film's heroine, however, this lady has a more...Russ Meyer body.

* The 'Eric Lutes' guy does a little more, but is about as effective as most Hammer boyfriends.  They suck.

* That Sorceress...she's worth the price of admission, as they say.  Meow.  The End.

Stop- Hammer time!  The plot of this movie is mostly the same as Bram Stoker's The Mummy, but that should be a given.  After all, they're both based on the same story/book.  That said, this movie does things a lot better!  The story is actually interesting, the events are shown (not just explained) and the movie has atmosphere.  Rather than padding the film out with fake deaths and Mummies hidden in shadow, the film builds up the Sorceress' power and influence.  The actress playing both the Sorceress and the heroine is also quite hot too, helping the whole thing out.  To be fair, the actual plot is still a bit silly, but you do have to realize that the original story is not exactly modern.  Out of all the films I've covered so far, this one is the best.  That's not as ringing of an endorsement as it would be for most film sites, but it still counts.  I'll leave you with a glimpse of the film's two biggest stars...

Next up, the main event arrives as I cover a Mummy film by the Director of Plankton.  This one is just epically bad...and hilarious.  Stay tuned...