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Hammer Films’ 1970s death spiral continues with this snoozy adaptation of Bram Stoker’s The Jewel of Seven Stars. Valerie Leon stars as an archaeologist’s daughter who becomes increasingly possessed by the spirit of a long-deceased Egyptian princess (also played by Leon). Once the film’s dainty bad guy (James Villiers) collects three artifacts from the princess’s tomb, Leon’s transformation will be complete.
Even though production values seem on the high end for Hammer, Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb is one of the studio’s most dull and lifeless films, lacking any strong performances or memorable action. Director Seth Holt (who died before filming wrapped) relies on bewildering, impressionistic editing during some of the film’s would-be action scenes. An expedition member’s death by an inanimate snake totem and Leon’s boyfriend’s death in a car crash are laughably executed. Leon is certainly pleasing to the eye, but she isn’t quite strong enough to carry the leading role, nor is her part written with enough confliction to make things interesting. The score by Tristram Cary features an eerie, seductive theme, but it’s repeated so many times that it becomes tiresome and ineffective.
And finally, for God’s sake, if you’re going to make a ‘mummy movie’, there’d better damn well be an actual mummy in it. If ‘Mummy’ is in the title, and I don’t see someone wrapped head to toe in bandages, I ain’t ever gonna like it.
With Mark Edwards as Leon’s hunky boyfriend, and Andrew Keir as her father. Keir replaced Peter Cushing after Cushing’s wife passed away just a few days into production.