Find it amusing that some people question this movie's validity as a "mummy movie," simply because of a lack of bandaging. In fact, this is a fairly faithful rendering of Bram Stoker's novel, "The Jewel of Seven Stars," which is the seminal "mummy" story that launched all that would follow. It's considered second only to "Dracula" when it comes to Stoker's work. But while other vampire stories preceded Stoker's masterpiece, "The Jewel of Seven Stars" created its own genre. The movie itself is exceedingly well done, with the typical lurid Hammer cinematography, and the cast is uniformly excellent. Nor does it lack for some truly creepy moments. "The Jewel of Seven Stars" has been remade several times since, with "The Awakening" probably the most notable. But "Blood from the Mummy's Tomb" is unquestionably the superior film, and one that's well worth watching. Suggestion: while it may give away the story and its conclusion, you would be well advised to read the novel before watching the film; both to help you follow the plot and for the sheer enjoyment of reading Stoker's second-best horror story.
Reviews
15 Reviews
Jaws
(1975)
The Perfect Movie
28 August 2023
Strictly from the standpoint of the filmaker's art, and taking into account all of the elements that make up a movie, "Jaws" is, quite literally, the most perfect movie ever made. That was my initial impression when I first saw it on the big screen in 1975, and it was the consensus view of all my professors when I was a radio/tv/film major at TCU.
You start out with a great story, add in one of the most evocative scores in film history, people it with the most perfectly cast, colorful characters you could ever ask for, and put it all in the hands of a precocious director whose editing and pace keep you on the edge of your seat right up until the moment the ending delivers on everything that came before it. It's possible that someone, someday may make a movie as well as "Jaws" was made, but no one will ever make one better.
You start out with a great story, add in one of the most evocative scores in film history, people it with the most perfectly cast, colorful characters you could ever ask for, and put it all in the hands of a precocious director whose editing and pace keep you on the edge of your seat right up until the moment the ending delivers on everything that came before it. It's possible that someone, someday may make a movie as well as "Jaws" was made, but no one will ever make one better.
Silver Bullet
(1985)
To Kill a Mockingbird -- with fangs!
3 June 2023
For the life of me I have never understood some of the mediocre reviews this movie gets. For my money, it's one of the best adaptations of Stephen King's works and a wonderful movie in its own right. The original novella is quite short, but the movie nonetheless is a relatively faithful adaptation. It's setting, tone and atmospherics as well as the interplay of the characters and its ending have always reminded me of "To Kill a Mockingbird" -- only with fangs.
The cast is uniformly excellent and Gary Busey is terrific as Uncle Red. Other than his Oscar-nominated performance as Buddy Holly (and he should have won by acclimation) this is his best screen role. As good as he was in "Lost Boys," this is also Corey Haim's best performance. He brings a poignancy to the role of the wheelchair-bound Marty without ever once becoming maudlin. The rest of the cast is also uniformly excellent, and it's always a treat to see Lawrence Tierney turn up on screen again. Don't let some of the reviews or the relatively low box office return fool you. As a fervent King fan and someone who's loved werewolf stories and lore since I first saw Lon Chaney roaming the woods, this is one of the best werewolf movies ever made. It's one we always watch again at Halloween, and almost any time it shows up on TV. And I'd be willing to bet that had it been released now rather than then, it would have packed them into theaters as much as "It."
The cast is uniformly excellent and Gary Busey is terrific as Uncle Red. Other than his Oscar-nominated performance as Buddy Holly (and he should have won by acclimation) this is his best screen role. As good as he was in "Lost Boys," this is also Corey Haim's best performance. He brings a poignancy to the role of the wheelchair-bound Marty without ever once becoming maudlin. The rest of the cast is also uniformly excellent, and it's always a treat to see Lawrence Tierney turn up on screen again. Don't let some of the reviews or the relatively low box office return fool you. As a fervent King fan and someone who's loved werewolf stories and lore since I first saw Lon Chaney roaming the woods, this is one of the best werewolf movies ever made. It's one we always watch again at Halloween, and almost any time it shows up on TV. And I'd be willing to bet that had it been released now rather than then, it would have packed them into theaters as much as "It."
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
(1955–1961)
Excellent series with more fact than you might think
28 May 2023
While there's plenty of myth mixed in with the facts, this chronological series actually provides more historical accuracy in many of its episodes than most media treatments of Earp, excepting only the movies "Tombstone" and the 1994 "Wyatt Earp." That is especially true when it comes to specific, historical episodes in the series, such as the shooting of Dora Hand and the gunfight at the OK Corral. Hugh O'Brien is good in the title role, reflecting what many of his contemporaries described as Earp's taciturn nature. John Wayne, who met the real Wyatt while working as a set hand for John Ford, told O'Brien that he "had nailed Earp," based on his own interactions with the real lawman. There are plenty of fanciful things included as well, but given the era this series earns its reputation as one of the better early, adult westerns.
Cinematic Chinese Water Torture
18 March 2023
Gave it two stars only because the acting was good, the special effects were impressive, and it had one or two funny moments. Otherwise, this incoherent, over-the-top, pretentious, and sloppily sentimental abortion would have shared space in my personal Hell with James Cameron's "Titanic," as the worst cinematic experience I have ever endured. If for some reason you feel compelled to waste two hours of your life you will never get back, resist the temptation to watch this thing and hit yourself in the head with a hammer, instead. You'll get the same mind-numbing after-effect while being blissfully unconscious, rather than having to suffer through more than 2-hours of sheer dreck.
UFOs: Investigating the Unknown
(2023– )
Excellent fact-based look
20 February 2023
This is the documentary series I had hoped J. J. Abrams recent series would be, and was not. UFOs: Investigating the Unknown is a serious, fact-based look at the subject led by the journalist who broke the story in the New York Times about the Pentagon's secret UFO programs, including admissions by DOD that videos leaked to the public were in fact real and unexplained. While I've only seen the first two episodes, it does an excellent job of looking at the subject from both an historical viewpoint and the most current events. Interview subjects are pilots, former government officials and actual scientists; not wide-eyed advocates who see a little green man behind every unexplained light in the sky, or professional skeptics who refuse to accept either the professional accounts of senior military pilots or documented, government reports. It asks the kind of questions that every real journalist should be asking in light of the fact that we have unexplained objects entering into sensitive military airspace that our most advanced aircraft are unable to keep up with. Overall, just an excellent primer for viewers and reporters alike.
From Russia with Love
(1963)
Best Bond Movie of All Time
12 February 2023
This is quite simply the best Bond movie of all time (with Sean Connery, the best Bond) and the most faithful of all film versions to Ian Fleming's story and characters. While it does substitute Spectre for the KGB as the chief plotters, it still retains the cold war atmosphere of Fleming's book, and the story itself is more serious and grounded in reality than most Bond films. The casting is perfect throughout, with Pedro Armendariz's role as MI6 Istanbul Station Head Kerim Bey a particular delight. Robert Shaw is a terrific chief villain, and his hand-to-hand battle aboard the train with 007 is one of the greatest fight scenes in cinema history. And of course, you can't overlook Lotte Lenye's indelible turn as the loathsome former KGB officer turned Spectre agent Rosa Klebb. From the shootout at the Gypsy camp to Bond's initial bedroom encounter with the luscious Daniela Bianchi, this one is first rate from start to finish, with everything a Bond movie is supposed to be.
The Contractor
(2022)
Good action drama
23 July 2022
Don't understand the relatively low rating for this movie. It's well acted by the entire cast and Chris Prine is terrific. It's somber in tone but gripping throughout, with a sense of impending doom that keeps you on edge from beginning to end. Also, a very satisfying conclusion. Well worth watching.
Pale Rider
(1985)
Excellent Eastwood western
3 July 2022
Essentially a remake of "Shane," with Eastwood playing the Alan Ladd role, only this time as a mysterious preacher. Many of the scenes are virtually shot=for-shot homages to "Shane," including the shooting down of one of the miners (in "Shane" they were small farmers) by the hired guns brought in by the big monied villain. This movie came out about the same time as "Silverado" and represented something of a renaissance for big budget westerns. Eastwood is perfect in the title role and the rest of the cast is sterling. No surprises here if you've seen "Shane," but an excellent western in its own right.
Billy the Kid
(2022– )
Excellent take on the Billy the Kid story
12 June 2022
Having a little trouble understanding some of the negative reviews, because this is by any measure a well-crafted western series with terrific location scenes, authentic costuming and terrific acting from lead Tom Blyth and the entire supporting cast. Much of the first couple of episodes involved Billy's early life, which given the sketchy record remains somewhat speculative, but while the particulars can be questioned the overall circumstances of his upbringing it depicts are pretty close to what we know. This is not a documentary, and it doesn't pretend to be; it's a historical drama. But as a western history buff it seems to me that it's coming closer to the actual historical Billy than most prior films, much as "Tombstone" did with Wyatt Earp, despite some dramatic license. Billy was not the bloodthirsty killer depicted in dime novels. His first two killings are accurately depicted here as self-defense, and the Lincoln Co. War was a bloody mess all around, with the Kid getting the short-end of the stick from the crooked ring politicians running the state the second an armistice was declared. Much of the hyped legend of Billy comes from Pat Garrett's book, which was obviously intended to make Billy look bigger, badder and more vicious than he was in order to inflate Garrett's role in ending his career. Although that hasn't been treated yet by the series, there appear to be intimations of that in the early interactions between Garrett and the Kid in this movie. In any event, if you want pure history, go to a library and do research. But if you're looking for a good western with a gritty reflection of the times, top production values and terrific acting, this is a series you shouldn't miss.
Hangman
(II) (2017)
A solid double
2 October 2021
Don't understand all the negative reviews, nor the truly vitriolic nature of some of them. Is "Hangman" "Silence of the Lambs?" No. But it is a good, solid serial killer thriller with excellent performances from the two leads and a solid supporting cast. It could have moved with a little better pace, but it still held our interest throughout and is well worth the price of admission.
Roswell: The Final Verdict
(2021– )
Lots of wheat among the chaff
19 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Watched all the episodes over a couple of days and found the actual material fascinating. Granted, the commentators are for the most part true believers and much of their gushing, over the top reactions overstate what the AI finds. But at the same time the professional debunkers dismissing it as merely second hand confirmation fail to acknowledge the first hand accounts that were tested, including audio and video from Marcell, the most important witness. As some one who has read a great deal about the Roswell incident over the years I would have been surprised if the AI had not found him truthful. Skeptics also fail to give weight to the consistency and number of the second-hand accounts. Granted, people can only attest truthfully to what they were told, but when they were told that by closely related officials actively involved at the time, and their accounts match in even small detail, it means something. No, the AI itself is not perfect, but nor is it without scientific merit. It's generally accepted that the AI used is 90% accurate, which is why it is utilized in both intelligence and police work. Those who are willing to approach the subject with an open mind, rather than as die-hard skeptics or true believers, will find the show both fascinating, and entertaining. One thing we know for sure. The government lied about Roswell repeatedly over the years and continues to maintain secrecy around it even today. Anything that contributes to the pursuit of truth should be applauded, and followed up.
Firecreek
(1968)
Worth watching
7 October 2006
Must take issue with a previous reviewer who characterized Fonda's performance as all bad, all the time. In fact, while Fonda's men are evil incarnate, Fonda's character is more nuanced and complex, and he is as much a victim of his choices and the men he chooses to "lead" as the townspeople they terrorize. In fact, if the movie has a dominant theme, it would be about how people become trapped by their own fears and doubts, and can only break out of their personal prisons by finding the courage to face their fears and overcome them. The movie is dark, and borrows elements from many earlier westerns; especially High Noon. It is not relentlessly negative however, and ends on a positive and life affirming note. While the pace is slow and the plot is derivative, the performances, particularly Stewart's and Fonda's, are superb and make the movie worth watching. The supporting case is a who's who of wonderful character actors and actresses.
Salem's Lot
(2004)
New 'Salem's Lot a taught, atmospheric, and faithful adoption of King book superior in nearly every way to 1979 miniseries.
22 June 2004
As someone who generally enjoyed Tobe Hooper's 1979 mini-series of Salem's Lot, I can say without hesitation that the remake aired on TNT is superior in nearly every way to the David Soul original.
First of all, the new version LOOKS better; the lighting, film quality, locations, and as would be expected, the effects, are all superior to the 1979 version. The TNT remake has the appearance of a feature film, while the '79 Tobe Hooper version has the unmistakable, cheap look of video.
More importantly, the '04 version is a far more faithful adaptation of King's book, and presents in much greater depth and with greater sophistication the moral decay that lies beneath the surface of Salem's Lot.
There are more characters that appeared in the book, and their individual stories provide insights into the town's history and underlying curse that are sorely missing in the '79 version. Consequently, viewers have a much better sense of the town's inescapable doom, and a more chilling, pervasive sense of dread and gloom. The best choice here was the casting of Rutger Hauer as Barlow the vampire. For some reason Tobe Hooper chose to make Barlow a blue-skinned, Nosferatu lookalike incapable of speech, and revealed him only once. For that reason, the entire production had a hollow quality, as if something important was missing, which in fact it was. King's literary Barlow was very much like Count Dracula (the story was actually a homage to the Stoker novel), seductive, articulate, and sinister in a reptilian way. While Barlow is barely seen, his presence, like Brando in the Godfather, hangs over the doomed town like some inescapable, evil presence, a living metaphor to the Marsten mansion overlooking the town. Hauer, who many will remember as the charismatic, artificial human in "Blade Runner," elevates the entire production to another level. Donald Southerland, playing the vampire's human enabler, is also inspired casting, although James Mason was equally good in the '79 original. The rest of the cast is at least equal and in many instances superior to the '79 production. The new version is not without flaws. Rob Lowe's character is given too much narration, and some of it is overwrought. The character of the priest, in what feels like an unnecessary exploitation of the church's recent scandals, is less victim of his own weaknesses as in the book, and more outright villain by story's end. Still, those are minor quibbles. All in all, this a very successful adaptation of one of King's best books, and one which should leave the author and his fans, as well as those who do not read King or normally enjoy horror, well pleased with the result.
First of all, the new version LOOKS better; the lighting, film quality, locations, and as would be expected, the effects, are all superior to the 1979 version. The TNT remake has the appearance of a feature film, while the '79 Tobe Hooper version has the unmistakable, cheap look of video.
More importantly, the '04 version is a far more faithful adaptation of King's book, and presents in much greater depth and with greater sophistication the moral decay that lies beneath the surface of Salem's Lot.
There are more characters that appeared in the book, and their individual stories provide insights into the town's history and underlying curse that are sorely missing in the '79 version. Consequently, viewers have a much better sense of the town's inescapable doom, and a more chilling, pervasive sense of dread and gloom. The best choice here was the casting of Rutger Hauer as Barlow the vampire. For some reason Tobe Hooper chose to make Barlow a blue-skinned, Nosferatu lookalike incapable of speech, and revealed him only once. For that reason, the entire production had a hollow quality, as if something important was missing, which in fact it was. King's literary Barlow was very much like Count Dracula (the story was actually a homage to the Stoker novel), seductive, articulate, and sinister in a reptilian way. While Barlow is barely seen, his presence, like Brando in the Godfather, hangs over the doomed town like some inescapable, evil presence, a living metaphor to the Marsten mansion overlooking the town. Hauer, who many will remember as the charismatic, artificial human in "Blade Runner," elevates the entire production to another level. Donald Southerland, playing the vampire's human enabler, is also inspired casting, although James Mason was equally good in the '79 original. The rest of the cast is at least equal and in many instances superior to the '79 production. The new version is not without flaws. Rob Lowe's character is given too much narration, and some of it is overwrought. The character of the priest, in what feels like an unnecessary exploitation of the church's recent scandals, is less victim of his own weaknesses as in the book, and more outright villain by story's end. Still, those are minor quibbles. All in all, this a very successful adaptation of one of King's best books, and one which should leave the author and his fans, as well as those who do not read King or normally enjoy horror, well pleased with the result.
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