Tonight on MeTV-we begin 2026 in a situation connected to reincarnation- in which the spirit of a powerful Egyptian queen attempts to transfer her malevolence to a contemporary young woman and return to rule again- in the 1971 Hammer horror “Blood From The Mummy’s Tomb”!

The story, based on “Dracula” author Bram Stoker’s novel “Jewel of Seven Stars”, begins with the lovely Margaret, asleep but fitfully dreaming. We see the body of Queen Tera (who is a perfect double for Margaret) in her tomb- not dead but drugged by the high priests into a state of suspended animation. They perform a ritual in which they cut off her right hand, which they feel is a symbol of her supernatural strength, close her sarcophagus, and seal her tomb with all her relics- but find this hardly brings an end to her treacherous power.

Margaret is awakened and comforted by her father, Professor Julian Fuchs- whose connection to Tera’s history will soon be revealed. He then presents Margaret with an early birthday gift- an ancient ring with a huge red jewel that holds the image of a formation of stars. When she shows it to her boyfriend Tod, he suggests that they bring it to his boss, Professor Dandridge, who may be able to tell them more about it. Unfortunately, it sends Dandridge into a panic- which is only increased when he casts eyes on Margaret (could her resemblance to the ancient queen be the reason?)

The backstory of the Tera connection is then revealed- 20 years ago, an expedition led by Professor Fuchs and including Dandridge, located the unmarked tomb of Tera, an evil Egyptian queen. They find her body remarkably preserved- and are shocked to see that her wrist, where the hand was removed, is still actively bleeding (they also find her severed hand)! When Fuchs translates and reads the queen’s name aloud- at that very moment, Margaret is born. Fuchs takes Tara’s “mummy” and sarcophagus back to England and recreates her tomb in a secret area under his house.

Queen Tera's evil power begins to affect Margaret, whose very appearance strikes fear into each of her father's former colleagues- not just Dandridge, but also Berrigan, who is now in an insane asylum, and Helen Dickerson, now working as a medium. The only remaining member who does not fear her is Corbeck, now her father's rival. Corbeck’s goal is to restore Tera to life, and he wants Margaret to reclaim Tera’s missing relics- each held by one of the expedition members- in order to perform the ritual to revive Tera. The whole plan is dangerous for each of the relic holders- not to mention deadly to even Margaret!

This 1971 film is probably one of the most original Hammer mummy movies, not just for the fascinating story, but the leading role of Valerie Leon as Margaret and Tera (whose brief costume might also be part of the attraction) in her only Hammer film appearance. We’ll talk about her career, the other cast members, and discuss in detail the many problems this production had. We will warn you that there is gore and other aspects of the film that may be upsetting to some viewers, so please be forewarned. We’ll give you another shot at solving a “Too Drawn Out” game, find Gwengoolie seeming to fall under Tera’s spell, present a somewhat soothing commercial, a new song and more.

“Blood From the Mummy’s Tomb” flows onto your TV screen tonight at 8 pm eastern/ pacific, 7 central time. You can join Sven fans in live-Tweeting on Twitter/X and posting comments live during the film on Bluesky- just make sure to add the hashtag #svengoolie to your posts. Our Chicago area viewers will again get to ponder the “Creation of the Humanoids” this morning at 11 am on WCIU the U.

We are starting the year off with an amazing new addition to our Sven merchandise, I'm in 3D! Friend of the show, artist Christopher Jones, designed this art that uses lenticular lenses to create depth, making it look 3D without needing glasses. I was surprised how good it looked in person when I saw the final print.  It looks great on a wall as is, and even better in a frame.  But we wanted to keep the price down, so we aren't selling it framed.  We only have 1,000 of these, so order yours soon if it something you'd like to put on the wall in your dungeon. Visit my store (I have a store?!) at https://metvmall.com/products/svengoolie-lenticular-3d-art-print-by-christopher-jones

Help us kick off the new year with some new fear tonight on MeTV!