One of the more obvious draws of this film is the haunting beauty of Valerie Leon (she of the dreamy eyes and very ample heaving bosom) in her dual role. Her presence alone would make this worth watching and even the producer-enforced wig, which she apparently hated, cannot detract from her appeal. I think some of the excessively higher ratings by fans were more for Valerie Leon (who while at times seems to be barely remaining in her top does not appear nude, her bare backside being a body double) than for the film itself. Admittedly her beauty probably influenced my rating of this as well. With Valerie providing the sex appeal, you really don't require the usual grouping of Hammer lovelies to round out the cast.
"Blood from the Mummy's Tomb" is based on Bram Stoker's novel "Jewel of the Seven Stars". Though it has a few nice atmospheric moments, I would have to say it's probably less frightening than the early iconic Universal horror films of previous decades back when Laemmle Jr. & Co. were in their heyday (and the general populace mostly consider those quaint by more modern horror standards). Scare factor aside, the film has some nice production values and the dialogue contains witty rejoinders like "I only want to help you, why should I be afraid?" "Because I want to see you die".
The plot: A group of archaeologists stumbles upon the well-preserved, sans bandages remains of Tera, a beautiful Queen of darkness whom those of her time ceremoniously tried to keep from any possible resurrection via her evil powers. Years later, one of the men from the Egyptian expedition gives his lovely daughter the birthday gift of a rather large jeweled ring he took from the tomb -- just as the pieces are being set in motion for a possible comeback of Tera, her evil hotness, and the potential danger that could bring to the world. Being the materialistic type, Tera wants back some of her old relics and tries to find a way to get them.
Unfortunately, this film preceded the Poltergeist franchise as being considered a 'death curse' film to those involved in its production. Seth Holt did a nice job of directing the film until his untimely death, after which Michael Carreras (director Hammer's "The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb") finished the last week of filming. Luckily, this directorial change isn't as obvious or noticeable to the audience as it could be in other films. Peter Cushing would've played Margaret's archaeologist father, but his wife was dying at the time and he left after one day shooting to be replaced by Andrew Keir (known for his role as Prof. Quatermass). Despite the 'jinx' associated with its production, the finished product became a good film in my opinion, but not one of the greater ones from Hammer.
"Blood from the Mummy's Tomb" is based on Bram Stoker's novel "Jewel of the Seven Stars". Though it has a few nice atmospheric moments, I would have to say it's probably less frightening than the early iconic Universal horror films of previous decades back when Laemmle Jr. & Co. were in their heyday (and the general populace mostly consider those quaint by more modern horror standards). Scare factor aside, the film has some nice production values and the dialogue contains witty rejoinders like "I only want to help you, why should I be afraid?" "Because I want to see you die".
The plot: A group of archaeologists stumbles upon the well-preserved, sans bandages remains of Tera, a beautiful Queen of darkness whom those of her time ceremoniously tried to keep from any possible resurrection via her evil powers. Years later, one of the men from the Egyptian expedition gives his lovely daughter the birthday gift of a rather large jeweled ring he took from the tomb -- just as the pieces are being set in motion for a possible comeback of Tera, her evil hotness, and the potential danger that could bring to the world. Being the materialistic type, Tera wants back some of her old relics and tries to find a way to get them.
Unfortunately, this film preceded the Poltergeist franchise as being considered a 'death curse' film to those involved in its production. Seth Holt did a nice job of directing the film until his untimely death, after which Michael Carreras (director Hammer's "The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb") finished the last week of filming. Luckily, this directorial change isn't as obvious or noticeable to the audience as it could be in other films. Peter Cushing would've played Margaret's archaeologist father, but his wife was dying at the time and he left after one day shooting to be replaced by Andrew Keir (known for his role as Prof. Quatermass). Despite the 'jinx' associated with its production, the finished product became a good film in my opinion, but not one of the greater ones from Hammer.