**_Yet another version of Bram Stoker’s complex “The Jewel of Seven Stars” (1903)_**
There was an early 1970 television version called “Curse of the Mummy,” which was part of the British horror series Mystery and Imagination. The following year Hammer released “Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb,” noted for statuesque Valerie Leon. Nine years later came a relatively big budget version called “The Awakening” with Charlton Heston, Susannah York and Stephanie Zimbalist.
This 1998 rendition had a $2 million budget and went direct-to-video or was released to TV, depending on the country. So, how does it stack up? They’re all so different because they’re based on Stoker’s dense and somewhat confusing novel, yet each comes down to Egyptian Queen Tera’s desire to be resurrected in the modern day via mystical mumbo jumbo, possibly through a young woman.
Disregarding the obscure Brit TV flick, which I’ve never seen, the other three are all of about the same quality. They’re just so distinct because they hail from different eras and production merits. “Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb” feels like a Hammer flick because that’s what it is; whereas “The Awakening” is a more subtle and psychologically interesting take. This one smacks of a late 90s’ direct-to-video movie, yet it has its appeal and points of interest.
The plot revolves around an aged archeologist (Lloyd Bochner), his daughter (Amy Locane), her beau (Eric Lutes), his pal (Richard Karn), an investigator (Mark Lindsay Chapman) and the archeologist’s colleague (Louis Gossett Jr) all focused on mysterious attacks at the old man’s manor, which is where Queen Tera’s sarcophagus happens to be.
Amy Locane is at least on par in the same role as Valerie Leon, not to mention superior to Stephanie Zimbalist IMHO. Laura Otis is also worth a mention as the adorable maid.
On the masculine side of things Lutes and Karn make for likable protagonists while Lindsay Chapman brings some necessary grit to the table. Louis Gossett Jr tends to ham it up, yet it fits his nigh crazy character and adds pizzazz to the proceedings.
The long version runs 1h 40m and was shot in Apr 1997 in Los Angeles with exterior shots of San Francisco. The short version cuts out 4 minutes of material, including the steamy sex sequence in the last act.
GRADE: B-
