Blood from the Mummy's Tomb; Scars of Dracula

Better than average examples of the "Hammer glamour" heyday--that period from 1957 to 1976 in which British-based Hammer Films splattered cinema screens worldwide with copious amounts of Technicolor blood and barely restrained cleavage--this pair of double-disc entries feature rich color saturation on the sparkling transfers, crisp audio soundtracks, and typically ludicrous plots. Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1971), based on Bram Stoker's novel Jewel of the Seven Stars, features the buxom Valerie Leon as Margaret, the nightmare-plagued daughter of a slightly cracked archaeologist who, along with colleagues, embarked on a tomb-raiding mission some decades past, carting off Queen Tera (the most scantily clad "mummy" I've ever seen) and various treasures. As original members of the expedition meet gruesome ends and their stolen goodies mysteriously reappear in Margaret's father's basement alongside the well-preserved Tera, Margaret struggles to uncover the mystery while remaining relatively uncovered herself. Wonderfully campy in spots, this later Hammer entry (inexplicably rated "PG," given the gore and nudity) features interviews with Valerie Leon and writer Christopher Wicking (viewers learn that the production was "cursed" by tragedy, including the death of director Seth Holt during the shoot), and a "bonus" disc with 20 Hammer trailers. On the commentary track of Scars of Dracula (1970), star Christopher Lee admits "I have to say that I can hardly remember any of this film." Given a) that this was Lee's fifth appearance in a dozen-plus as the bloodthirsty Transylvanian Count, and perhaps more importantly, b) that the film itself is relatively unmemorable, Lee's confusion is understandable. Here, the Count and his whacked-out servant Klove (Patrick Troughton) play host to a young man and his voluptuous girlfriend out looking for his Casanova brother who has mysteriously disappeared. Sex and violence ensue, with the most notably gruesome scene involving a priest meeting his maker in church. Also, look for the quick shot of Dracula gliding up the side of the castle wall--a scene reprised to great effect in the public television miniseries Dracula, starring Louis Jordan. In addition to Lee, the commentary track features director Roy Ward Baker, with the pair's reminiscences about the Hammer days equally divided between juicy gossip, inflated nostalgia, and ego-driven backbiting--making it much more entertaining than the actual dialogue. A "bonus" disc includes the 1996 documentary The Many Faces of Christopher Lee (a career retrospective hosted by Lee himself) and two rather weird contemporary music videos. Both Blood from the Mummy's Tomb and Scars of Dracula should be considered strong optional purchases, with the former having the edge in entertainment value. (R. Pitman)