The Curse Of The Mummy's Tomb

The Curse Of The Mummy's Tomb [DVD] [1964]
Directed by Michael Carreras

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"He's worth ten cents of anybody's money!"3
Despite their success with Dracula and Dr Frankenstein, Hammer never had as much luck with the Mummy despite an enjoyable first outing. The second of their Mummy trilogy, 1964's The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb, is a lot better than 1967's visibly underfunded The Mummy's Shroud, but while enjoyable enough if your expectations are low, it's over-riding atmosphere is of cosiness, akin to a Sunday afternoon Sherlock Holmes adaptation. Scripted by Henry Younger (actually Michael Carreras in a pun on Hammer producer Anthony Hinds' nom de plume John Elder), it includes all the regulars - European archaeologists incurring a curse after opening a tomb, the Words of Life, a reanimated mummy on the rampage, the girl the mummy can't bring itself to kill - and the first two thirds is all exposition, but it throws in a neat spin with Ronald Lewis' motive for bringing the mummy back to life before ending in a memorable London sewer set.

The cast isn't exactly glittering even by Hammer standards: female lead Jeanne Roland is probably best remembered, if at all, as James Bond's Japanese masseuse in You Only Live Twice, former 50s TV Sherlock Holmes Ronald (son of Leslie) Howard is a veritable Mr Excitement as her dutifully dull fiancé, George Pastell the obligatory educated Egyptian voice of doom vainly warning the profaners against taking the treasures out of the country, with only Fred Clark giving it much energy as the Barnumesque showman determined to turn a fast quarter of a million bucks by exhibiting the contents of the tomb with hourly unveilings of the Mummy himself ("He's worth 10 cents of anybody's money!") while the lower orders are represented by nervy cockney workman Harold Goodwin (you know the face, you just don't know the name) and a terrible display of eye-rolling from Hammer regular Michael Ripper as a burping Arab workman called Achmed. Perhaps more for the Hammer completist than anyone else, there's a nice use of Scope to hide the low budget and make the picture look bigger than it is that comes over well on Sony's extras-free 2.35:1 Region 2 DVD.

Show Me The Mummy4
In Egypt, at the beginning of the 20th Century, an archaeological expedition discovers the tomb of a Pharoah called Ra. The expedition's financier, an American called Alexander King, has plans to display the artefacts in a sort of travelling sideshow with the mummy as the star attraction. Unfortunately his plans hit a bit of a setback when the mummy comes back to life and starts killing people associated with the expedition....

This 1964 Hammer horror film seems to have been much-maligned over the years by some fans and critics but I don't know why because it is actually quite a good little film. Okay, so it's not as good as Hammer's 1959 film version of The Mummy and it does not have Peter Cushing or Christopher Lee in it or any other big-name actors but I still think that it is quite enjoyable and stylishly-done.

Fred Clark is great as the Barnum-type promoter, Alexander King. At one point when the police are questioning him about the strange goings on and they ask him if he has any enemies, he replies, "Of course I've got enemies, I'm in show business!" There's also an unusual twist when one of the main characters is not who he initially appears to be.

If you love Hammer films or 1960s British horror movies in general then "The Curse Of The Mummy's Tomb" is certainly worth a look.

HAMMER FILM'S MUMMY5
The Curse Of Frankenstein/Horror Of Dracula /The Mummy [1959]
This movie is actually my pappa's favourite. He had seen it during his school days. So,there was no need to coax him to buy this Hammer Horror DVD. I saw it in dad's home-theatre. I loved it. The Price of Eagypt, Ra having a cursed brother(he would never die unless by the hand of Ra), in modern America, might be a bit, far-fetched. But, come on fellas, we can allow a bit of latitude.The scenes of the 'Mummy', carrying the girl through under-ground sewers,seeking revenge on the desecrators of his tomb, are all extrmely thrilling even to this day.

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Hellraiser - Inferno [DVD]

Hellraiser - Inferno [DVD] [2000]
Directed by Scott Derrickson

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Synopsis
A corrupt Los Angeles detective comes across the notorious puzzle box and finds himself trapped in Hell. The detective must confront the demons, led by Pinhead, in order to get back out again. Fifth entry in the HELLRAISER saga.

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The Asphyx [DVD]

The Asphyx [DVD] [1972]
Directed by Peter Newbrook

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Restored and uncut4
The Asphyx at last beautifully restored and available on two discs in a 2:35:1 ratio as the director had intended it to be seen. Included here is the original shortened UK version and the US longer (12 mins or so) version released in region 2 for the first time, at least that I'm aware of.
It's a tale of one of those well meaning but power-mad meddling with nature Victorian scientists who having discovered via the medium of photography what he initially believes to be the captured images of the souls of the near dead/recently expired soon realises that what he has discovered is the Asphyx, a tormented spirit that possesses the bodies of the soon to be deceased as its escape route from its own suffering. The scientist soon discovers that if he can capture and contain the asphyx before it can possess the body then that person, as long as the asphyx is prevented from entering them, would not die; the secret of immortality no less!
The Asphyx is a really quirky original british horror but it is very dialogue heavy. There is a lot of character building, back story, ethical debating, exposition etc which slow the pace somewhat and is probably best not watched unless you are fully mentally alert enough to appreciate the quite bizarre narrative, questionable behaviour and decisions and occasional illogicality of what it is laying forth.
A tale of perdition, guinea pigs both literal and metaphorical, immortality and obsession The Asphyx is well acted, has an interesting premise and manages to gloss over all the bits that don't really add up.
There are no real special effects to talk of bar the Asphyx itself which is a kind of glowing incandescent mish mash with a face of sorts, though what it lacks in visual effect it makes up for with sound by way of a nice screechy eerie noise.
There are few extras; one interesting extra is a 5 min example of the difference between the newly restored and proper ratio presentation compared to the disgraceful prior release and is more fascinating than it sounds. Other then that there is the usual trailer, photo gallery usual affair.
The Asphyx is not the greatest film but it is a good one for those who don't mind quirkyness, are quite forgiving and like occasional heavy character guided stories. Unfortunately through no fault of the other reviewers some of these reviews have been placed on this page by Amazon and are not related to this new fantastic release by Odeon Entertainment but to the earlier botched version so if you like this film don't be put off and definately buy the 2 disc Odeon entertainment version. The longer version doesn't add that much more but there is a nice additional 5 minute scene in particular with the two protagonists talking in their lab about the Asphyx which adds nicely to the overall confusion!

Classic film, lamentable DVD2
(EDIT: This review refers to the 2004 Anchor Bay DVD release of The Asphyx, NOT the 2010 release from Odeon Entertainment)

I'm in complete agreement with the other reviewer here - this disc is a travesty, and shame on the usually reliable cult-film label Anchor Bay for releasing a classic of British horror in this sort of condition! I'd come to think of Anchor Bay as a genuine film lover's label, but this was a real reputation-destroyer as far as I'm concerned and I'm now as wary of Anchor Bay discs as I am of most other labels.

The main sins here are: "The Asphyx" was shot in 2.35:1 and yet Anchor Bay's disc is presented in 1.78:1 - it's not even "halfway-house" 16x9 widescreen either, in fact they've used a pan & scan full-screen master and then further compounded the insult to both the film-makers and the viewer by cropping the top and bottom of the picture to try and make it look "widescreen". As if that wasn't bad enough to invalidate this disc (and in my opinion that's more than enough!) this version of "The Asphyx" is also the shorter of the two versions out there, running at 83 minutes instead of 99 minutes!

If you want the full-length version of "The Asphyx" in 2.35:1 on DVD then you'll have to seek out the increasingly rare R1 disc from Allday Entertainment, released way back in 1997. The fact that the full version has been released on DVD, and is therefore certainly not "lost", just makes this disc look all the more lamentable.

New Odeon release!5
The reviews here are for some reason for the previously released Anchor Bay DVD - ignore them! This new Odeon Entertainment version has been restored from the original negatives.

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The Card Player [DVD]

The Card Player [DVD] [2004]
Directed by Dario Argento

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Synopsis
The latest film from Italian horror maestro Dario Argento sees the director moving into thriller territory, in perhaps his most accesible film yet. A serial killer is on the loose in Rome, kidnapping women and playing a bizarre game with police on the Internet. If the police win, the woman is set free and if they lose - the woman dies....

Review
One of Argento's most convincing and controlled chillers --DVD Verdict

Striking visual --Variety.com

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Vault Of Horror [DVD]

Vault Of Horror [DVD] [1973]
Directed by Roy Ward Baker

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A disappointing DVD release of an old favourite of mine2
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS REVIEW IS BASED ON THE VIPCO DVD RELEASE OF THIS FILM.

In the 1960s and 1970s Amicus were one of the main rivals of Hammer Studios, specialising in making horror films in the `Dead Of Night' portmanteau format.

One of my favourite Amicus movies has always been this one, mainly because of its superb all-star cast. Like `Tales From The Crypt', made a year earlier, this film takes its inspiration from the old EC comics of the 1950s as well as from other Amicus productions such as `Dr Terrors House Of Horrors' and `The House That Dripped Blood'.

The set up is fairly simple: Five men congregate in an elevator but instead of stopping at each one's desired floor the elevator takes them down to a basement room where each man then tells the others their recurring nightmare...

The first story is called Midnight Mess and stars real-life brother and sister Daniel and Anna Massey. A man called Rogers tracks down his sister to a strange town and tells her that their father has died and that she will inherit everything. Unfortunately he then pulls out a switchblade knife and stabs her several times, thus ensuring that all the money will go to him instead. To celebrate his impending wealth, the evil heir-sole then goes to a local restaurant but it is no ordinary restaurant...

The second story (The Neat Job) stars the late great Terry-Thomas as a man obsessed with neatness and tidiness. When he marries a clumsy and accident-prone lady it is inevitable that it is going to end in tragedy.

The third story (This Trick'll Kill You) stars future Bond villain Curt Jurgens as an unscrupulous magician who will go to any lengths to obtain new illusions for his latest act. Whilst in India he discovers a young lady with a magic rope that can be charmed like a snake and then climbed. When the girl refuses to sell the `trick' to him he kills her but soon regrets doing this.

The fourth tale (Bargain In Death) stars Michael Craig (best known to horror fans as the sadistic prison governor in Turkey Shoot, a.k.a. Blood Camp Thatcher) as a man who plans to fake his own death and then share the insurance payout with his accomplice (Edward Judd). This story features a double double-cross and also involves a couple of over-enthusiastic medical students. The end result is very messy.

The fifth, and best, story (Drawn And Quartered) stars Tom Baker as a struggling artist living in Haiti who invests in the power of voodoo to exact revenge on people in the art world who have conned and deceived him back in England. For me this segment contains one of the most shocking scenes in the whole film when an art dealer has an unfortunate `accident' with an office guillotine. This story also features Denholm Elliott as an art collector who ends up shooting himself in the head!

At the end of the film the fate of the five main protagonists will come as no surprise to anyone who has seen Dr Terrors House Of Horrors or Tales From The Crypt but I still think that this is a satisfying conclusion.

Unfortunately, this DVD version of this entertaining film is terrible. It says `Digitally Remastered' on the DVD cover but the picture and sound quality are just awful and do not do the film any justice at all. Visually the film does not seem to be any improvement over the VHS tape version released by the same company in the early 1990s. The soundtrack is very hissy with lots of pops and glitches in it - a bit like listening to an old and scratched vinyl record. That is why I can only give this item a two star rating. This is such a pity because I really like this film and I am sure somebody somewhere can do a much better job of releasing it on DVD.

Five entertaining tales of horror and black comedy.5

A collection of tales where five men who committed evil during their lifetime spend an eternity re-telling their stories each night. Interesting stories, though two of them feature a little 'black comedy' thrown in for good measure!

Daniel and Anna Massey play side by side as brother and sister (as in real life of course) and they certainly seem to have enjoyed it! This movie has a galaxy of stars, including; Terry Alexander, Tom Baker, Michael Craig, Denholm Elliott, Glynis Johns and Terry-Thomas.

This has not been re-mastered.

A vintage chiller that delivers4
VAULT OF HORROR is the story of five men who are sent via elevator to a basement beneath the Thames in London for no apparent reason. Once there, the men begin to discuss personal nightmares they have each had and this forms the framing for the collection of scary tales that follows. The first two stories which involve a man who arrives in a dark town of vampires and a nagging husband who pays a terrible price are less than satisfactory, and both have an element of daftness to them and are more black comedy than horror. However the three stories that follow are geniuniely unsettling and save the film.In the third a devious magician trys to buy the ultimate magic trick in India , in the fourth an attempt by a would be con artist to bury himself alive backfires horrifyingly and in the final and best an artist uses black magic to gain revenge on the art dealers who have wronged him.The ending is surprising and unexpected and crowns what is a fine effort from Amicus. If you are a fan of the modern American slashers such as Scream , you will most probably give this short shrift , but if you love a good old scary piece of British horror you will not be disappointed. The ensemble cast is equally impressive , with the likes of Tom Baker , Denholm Elliot and the late Terry Thomas giving good performances. The only drawback is that the movie does look terribly dated indeed and will remind you that the seventies really was a black decade for taste. Nonetheless , totally enjoyable.If you like this keep your eyes open for FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE , which is from the same Amicus stable and is very similar in style. It does the rounds on the TCM cable channel and is just as good as this.

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Vault Of Horror [DVD]

Vault Of Horror [DVD] [1973]
Directed by Roy Ward Baker

Price:

£9.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Delivery. Details

Customer Reviews

A disappointing DVD release of an old favourite of mine2
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS REVIEW IS BASED ON THE VIPCO DVD RELEASE OF THIS FILM.

In the 1960s and 1970s Amicus were one of the main rivals of Hammer Studios, specialising in making horror films in the `Dead Of Night' portmanteau format.

One of my favourite Amicus movies has always been this one, mainly because of its superb all-star cast. Like `Tales From The Crypt', made a year earlier, this film takes its inspiration from the old EC comics of the 1950s as well as from other Amicus productions such as `Dr Terrors House Of Horrors' and `The House That Dripped Blood'.

The set up is fairly simple: Five men congregate in an elevator but instead of stopping at each one's desired floor the elevator takes them down to a basement room where each man then tells the others their recurring nightmare...

The first story is called Midnight Mess and stars real-life brother and sister Daniel and Anna Massey. A man called Rogers tracks down his sister to a strange town and tells her that their father has died and that she will inherit everything. Unfortunately he then pulls out a switchblade knife and stabs her several times, thus ensuring that all the money will go to him instead. To celebrate his impending wealth, the evil heir-sole then goes to a local restaurant but it is no ordinary restaurant...

The second story (The Neat Job) stars the late great Terry-Thomas as a man obsessed with neatness and tidiness. When he marries a clumsy and accident-prone lady it is inevitable that it is going to end in tragedy.

The third story (This Trick'll Kill You) stars future Bond villain Curt Jurgens as an unscrupulous magician who will go to any lengths to obtain new illusions for his latest act. Whilst in India he discovers a young lady with a magic rope that can be charmed like a snake and then climbed. When the girl refuses to sell the `trick' to him he kills her but soon regrets doing this.

The fourth tale (Bargain In Death) stars Michael Craig (best known to horror fans as the sadistic prison governor in Turkey Shoot, a.k.a. Blood Camp Thatcher) as a man who plans to fake his own death and then share the insurance payout with his accomplice (Edward Judd). This story features a double double-cross and also involves a couple of over-enthusiastic medical students. The end result is very messy.

The fifth, and best, story (Drawn And Quartered) stars Tom Baker as a struggling artist living in Haiti who invests in the power of voodoo to exact revenge on people in the art world who have conned and deceived him back in England. For me this segment contains one of the most shocking scenes in the whole film when an art dealer has an unfortunate `accident' with an office guillotine. This story also features Denholm Elliott as an art collector who ends up shooting himself in the head!

At the end of the film the fate of the five main protagonists will come as no surprise to anyone who has seen Dr Terrors House Of Horrors or Tales From The Crypt but I still think that this is a satisfying conclusion.

Unfortunately, this DVD version of this entertaining film is terrible. It says `Digitally Remastered' on the DVD cover but the picture and sound quality are just awful and do not do the film any justice at all. Visually the film does not seem to be any improvement over the VHS tape version released by the same company in the early 1990s. The soundtrack is very hissy with lots of pops and glitches in it - a bit like listening to an old and scratched vinyl record. That is why I can only give this item a two star rating. This is such a pity because I really like this film and I am sure somebody somewhere can do a much better job of releasing it on DVD.

Five entertaining tales of horror and black comedy.5

A collection of tales where five men who committed evil during their lifetime spend an eternity re-telling their stories each night. Interesting stories, though two of them feature a little 'black comedy' thrown in for good measure!

Daniel and Anna Massey play side by side as brother and sister (as in real life of course) and they certainly seem to have enjoyed it! This movie has a galaxy of stars, including; Terry Alexander, Tom Baker, Michael Craig, Denholm Elliott, Glynis Johns and Terry-Thomas.

This has not been re-mastered.

A vintage chiller that delivers4
VAULT OF HORROR is the story of five men who are sent via elevator to a basement beneath the Thames in London for no apparent reason. Once there, the men begin to discuss personal nightmares they have each had and this forms the framing for the collection of scary tales that follows. The first two stories which involve a man who arrives in a dark town of vampires and a nagging husband who pays a terrible price are less than satisfactory, and both have an element of daftness to them and are more black comedy than horror. However the three stories that follow are geniuniely unsettling and save the film.In the third a devious magician trys to buy the ultimate magic trick in India , in the fourth an attempt by a would be con artist to bury himself alive backfires horrifyingly and in the final and best an artist uses black magic to gain revenge on the art dealers who have wronged him.The ending is surprising and unexpected and crowns what is a fine effort from Amicus. If you are a fan of the modern American slashers such as Scream , you will most probably give this short shrift , but if you love a good old scary piece of British horror you will not be disappointed. The ensemble cast is equally impressive , with the likes of Tom Baker , Denholm Elliot and the late Terry Thomas giving good performances. The only drawback is that the movie does look terribly dated indeed and will remind you that the seventies really was a black decade for taste. Nonetheless , totally enjoyable.If you like this keep your eyes open for FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE , which is from the same Amicus stable and is very similar in style. It does the rounds on the TCM cable channel and is just as good as this.

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Surveillance [DVD]

Surveillance [DVD]

Directed by Jennifer Chambers Lynch

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Synopsis
Jennifer Lynch, director of BOXING HELENA and daughter of David Lynch, helms this psychological thriller. Though the Santa Fe desert appears calm, it's the site of a number of gruesome murders. A trio of local police officers has found several witnesses, but soon the investigation belongs to the FBI. In this film starring Julia Ormond and Bill Pullman, nothing is as simple as it might seem.

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