Bezenby Are all the plots of Mummy films the same? It seems like that to me. Even those Brendan Fraser ones has the mummy being some evil guy murdered for being a dick then being reanimated only to look for the reincarnation of his lover and enabler. This one, like that one, and Voodoo Black Exorcist, has that plot.Paul Naschy is the jerk Pharoh who thought that murdering loads of women for a laugh was a long-term career move, so when his side-kick murders him and his missus he vows revenge, which he doesn't get as by the time his ancestor gets him resurrected the guy who killed him is long dead. Nevertheless, it's strange that the daughter of the guy who arranged to have him dug up looks a lot like that chick who was involved in all that blood drinking.Yeah, the plot's boring and crappy but the execution of said plot is not, despite Jack Taylor being the bland hero. This is because Naschy knows what horror fans want, so the mummy cuts a swathe through London's cops and anyone else who gets in his way, including some security guard who gets his head crushed for his trouble.It's business as usual to be honest, but if you like Paul Naschy films, you'll like this one. He doesn't put a foot wrong and even has a random bit of gore when the mummy goes around smashing his victim's heads like they are over ripe melons.

MARIO GAUCI Somewhat atypical Mummy movie which, however, does not escape the deadly dullness that characterizes this subgenre – even if the monster himself is able to speak and his attacks are particularly vicious (a man's head is crushed, another's is thrown into a fire, and a succession of women have their faces slashed)! Paul Naschy plays a dual role as a mummified sadistic Pharaoh revived – to exact the usual curse (on just a handful of archeologists, a sure sign of the film's low-budget: another is its borrowing for the underscoring of one scene of the main theme from Mario Bava's THE WHIP AND THE BODY [1963], while the rest emerges as reasonably rousing) – by his present-day (and just as mean-spirited) ancestor. Aiding him is "Euro-Cult" favorite Helga Line' (this is already the third film of hers in my current marathon) – but, apparently, the Mummy has other plans for her, no matter that she is obviously not a virgin! – and, again par for the course, is the fact that a young woman involved with the archeologists is a dead-ringer for the Mummy's long-lost love!! Perhaps the film's most effective moment is the suspense built during a scene in which she is drawn to the Mummy's hiding-place while visiting Naschy's house, with her instinctive passage eventually obstructed in the nick of time by Line''s appearance at the top of the stairs.Jess Franco regular Jack Taylor is the hero (as already mentioned, hilariously, he turns up for a showdown with the villains flanked solely by his female companion, which ultimately sees the two Naschys shrieking in pain after being set on fire!) – his previous collaboration with the nominal star in DR. JEKYLL VS. THE WEREWOLF (1971) was an altogether more satisfying venture. Though this is the Spanish (and, thus, chaste) version of the film, it features the atrocious (and noise-riddled) English-dubbing – which did not help my involvement any!; at least, though, the correct aspect ratio (i.e. widescreen) was maintained.

tropico_sunsplash It became very apparent to me from the beginning that this low budget horror film catered to an audience that liked to watch gorgeous women being cut, tortured, bled to death, and civilians of both sexes getting their skulls crushed. Unlike most films of this nature, there wasn't an abundance of sex, which would have upped the shock to morbid desire rating a notch or two. But nevertheless, the graphic highlight of this film is a painstakingly detailed 3 to 4 minutes of four young damsels in distress having their throats slashed open by Naschy and Helga.The blood flows freely in this scene, after a brief period of hyperventilation by the victims as their heads are being pulled to one side so their jugulars can be slit. Then come the guttural screams as red crimson flows down the front of their chests and expire while they are still chained to the wall. This is more repulsive then horrifying, since their near lifeless bodies don't convulse, and the whole incident is just one big mess.Add to this mixture a lame resurrection scene, a few crushed skulls and the demise of the mummy by fire no less, and what you have is a flick that should have died in flames like the mummy. The shocking attempt at gore in this one can't make up for the weak storyline. Don't watch this one after dinner, especially if it's spaghetti smothered in red sauce.

Steve Nyland (Squonkamatic) This is another highly recommended entry in the series of Gothic Horror movies from Spain made by their premier star, the traditionally lycanthropic Paul Naschy, who wrote the film under his pen name/alter ego, Jacinto Molina. Director Carlos Aured, who had previously worked with Naschy on his epic Eurohorror outing HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB, returned to direct MUMMY'S REVENGE, along with HORROR RISES' female star, the incredibly sexy Helga Liné, with the great Jack Taylor in the heroic lead and wonderful supporting performances by familiar Spanish/cult horror faces like Eduardo Calvo, Fernando Sanchez Polack, Luis Dávila, and Eurobabes María Silva & Celia Cruz.THE PLOT: An evil, despotic and bloodthirsty Egyptian Pharoh Amen Ho-Tep (Naschy in his usual dual role mode) is disrupted from his orgies of torture & human sacrifice by palace intrigue and winds up encased in a sarcophagus for 800 years, his body immobilized by a poison but his evil brain just itching for a distant ancestor (Naschy again, with help from Ms. Liné) to revive his mummified body so he can seek a generalized revenge against basically everything. His tomb is discovered by Taylor & Ms. Silva, and the fun begins when Naschy & Helga start chaining up the virgins and slitting their throats to create some sort of rejuvenate concoction to get the mummy (Naschy again) up and about to roam the sewers of Victorian era London in search of people who's heads need crushing. Between brutal murders they collect virgins to sacrifice in order to perform a blasphemous rite to resurrect the Pharoh's favorite concubine as well (embodied in the film's present time by an actress named Riva Otolina, for whom this film is her only credited performance).Meanwhile, back at the Egyptian artifacts museum, Jack Taylor gets to look thoughtful with a full beard and eventually deciphers an ancient manuscript outlining Amen Ho-Tep's plans to have himself and his concubine restored to eternal existence and decides to do something about it, all of which culminates in another wonderful on screen death by Naschy that is tinged by tragedy and self sacrifice by his modern day self.If all of this sounds rather familiar to folks who have seen a Naschy or three congratulations -- THE MUMMY'S REVENGE is a classic Jack Molina scripted "Soap Opera Horror" installment with a mummy instead of a werewolf, but story elements common to other popular efforts by Naschy/Molina portraying gruesome ceremonial killings that also require the female victims to be tortured, ancestral vengeance from beyond the grave, a love story of some sort or another figuring into the mix, the death of everyone in the film who has sexual relations on screen other than Naschy, a couple of good "Monster in the House" suspense sequences, and LOTS of atmospheric shots of mouldering catacombs, elegantly designed interior sets with altars, chaining racks, manacles & long ceremonial knives for the bloodletting. There is even a hint of potentially lesbian content between Riva Otolina & Helga that sadly goes underdeveloped, last minute oaths from the condemned that they will rise again to seek vengeance, the deaths of caretakers & transient nondescript types who always seem to end up dying horribly in Naschy's films, and other etcetera's that make up what I like to call The Paul Naschy Effect.As such, for those with a taste for The Naschy Effect, THE MUMMY'S REVENGE is a must-see title. Not only to see him garbed up as the mummy (Naschy has played all of the Universal classic monsters in his films, other than maybe the Creature from the BLACK LAGOON movies) but to see how he re-defined the Mummy Movie conventions to fit his own storytelling agenda. The film was shot in gorgeous color and has that certain special something about Spanish 1970's horror that is so unique & hard to put into words. And even casual viewers who may not be devotees of Spanish horror & Naschy's work will find this an enjoyable viewing experience worthy of 2nd, 3rd & 4th looks. And by then, you're officially hooked.But THE MUMMY'S REVENGE is actually a curious entry in Naschyalia for a couple of reasons. Like DRACULA'S GREAT LOVE he never reprised his mummy character in another film of it's own, but unlike that also wonderful movie THE MUMMY'S REVENGE was apparently shot without the "nude" or uncovered takes he usually had made for export from Spain (which did not permit frontal nudity in 1973) where such content would help to ensure a healthier box office showing. There are two surviving versions of THE MUMMY'S REVENGE, a fullframe English version that runs 91 minutes and a widescreen Spanish version amounting to about 97 minutes of screen time: Six additional minutes, most of it dialog or transitional scenes, plus an extra virgin on the racks at the beginning. But no "nude" or uncovered version has ever been described nor even hinted at via the usual film release/promotional accouterments like lobby cards or publicity stills depicting bared breasts. They may simply have not had the budget to make an export version, and for what it's worth I think this is still a fine movie without boobs, and more accessible for first time viewers than the ultra-heavy HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB, which is not for all tastes in the truest use of that expression.THE MUMMY'S REVENGE is more of just a good old fashioned monster movie, flavored by the Spanish atmosphere & tragedy element, with some nice gory head-smushing scenes that will delight fans of that kind of stuff. I prefer the scenes with Helga Liné's "Zennifer" dolled up in a HIGHLY sexalicious Egyptian harlot costume, reserved only for the sacrificial ceremonies & related footage. With a body like hers they could have trotted her out in a garbage bags with holes poked out for her arms & head and it would still be a riveting sight.