The Legend is True- There IS a "Curse of the Mummy's Tomb"- Tonight!

Though the current  weather don’t exactly lend itself to being wrapped up- other than in a beach towel- tonight on MeTV ,we’ve got a chilling tale wrapped up in the legends of ancient Egypt ! It’s another horror epic from the Hammer Studios- in which a greedy showman’s disregard for the traditional warnings attached to the sacred interment of Egyptian nobility inflicts  London  with the “Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb”!

In the year 1900, Professor Dubois brings a team of Egyptologists into the desert to help evaluate  a mummy and its artifacts recently uncovered. John Bray, Sir Giles Dalrymple, and Dubois’ lovely daughter  ( and fiancée of Bray) Annette are bossed around by the overbearing showman who has backed the expedition, the boisterous Alexander King- whose plans for the find are contrary to the wishes of his party and the Egyptian government. Some  Egyptians have already taken action against the professor, feeling he has desecrated something holy. King plans to put the artifacts and mummy on display in a big travelling show, rather than giving them a dignified exhibition in the homeland museum. King feels all the talk of a curse upon anyone who tampers with the treasures or dares to open the mummy’s sarcophagus is just nonsense- even after deaths occur before they board the ship bound for England.

On the overseas journey, they meet a wealthy patron of the arts, Adam Beauchamp, who has some fair knowledge of ancient Egypt. While on board, Sir Giles, whose failure to keep the treasures out of King’s hands, and is thus bound to be banned from any further expeditions in Egypt, drowns his sorrows in alcohol- even as thieves try to disrupt the journey!

Finally, back in London, King is setting up his exhibition with dollar signs dancing in his eyes. John and Annette accept the hospitality of Adam and stay in his mansion while preparations are made for the public unveiling of the mummy. Still ignoring the idea that anyone who witnesses the opening of the mummy’s sarcophagus will die, King does a rehearsal where he pries open the lid, revealing the wrapped remains of Ra-Antef, son of Rameses. Along the way, Adam regales and enchants Annette with the story of how Ra was forced into exile by his jealous brother-  of a medallion he possessed that supposedly has the power to return the dead to life- and how the evil brother sent assassins to kill his sibling! It soon seems that Annette is falling under the spell of the charming Adam- of which John is certainly taking notice. Adam also takes notice of a medallion that Annette’s father had given her. It is decided that Giles and John should work on deciphering the ancient script on the medallion to determine its purpose.

Some mysterious attacks precede the big opening night of King’s exhibition- where his dramatic build up to the opening of the mummy’s casket is ruined when- the mummy is gone! This is only the beginning of his bad luck- as the curse is soon being gradually fulfilled by- the mummy!

This 1964 full color Hammer  film is unusual in that their two most famous horror players- Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing- are not among the cast- and this mummy is not Im Ho Tep or Kharis, searching for his lost love. This film has no connection to any of the other Hammer mummy films. No tanna leaves are involved either! Regardless, it is a beautiful production in the Hammer tradition and- warning- also contains a few grisly moments.  It takes a while for the Mummy to become active, but when he does, it’s well worth it! We’ll talk about the cast, introduce you to a new weight-loss method, ply you with some Egyptian-based jokes, and, of course, serenade you with  a new song- and , no, it isn’t a “rap”- or a “wrap” –tune! Plus- quite coincidentally- an interview with the wonderful artist who drew the Svengoolie satire in the periodical whose days seem numbered- Mad magazine!

“Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb” will be revealed to you on  MeTV tonight at 8 pm eastern/pacific, 7 central. If you need to find the information of time and channel in your area, please check local listings or  at  www.metv.com   Once again,you can join thousands of Sven fans who live-Tweet during the Saturday night show on Twitter, using the hashtag  #svengoolie ! Viewers in the Chicago broadcast area can again face the shock of “Mr. Sardonicus”   at 11 am on WCIU, the U.

Thanks to everyone who ordered the special  40^th anniversary version of the “It Came from Berwyn” t-shirt, selling it out in just over a week. There will be three more anniversary- themed shirts being released, one each month for the next three months- and there will be more anniversary goodies coming up!  Check in here at the blog and under our store tab soon for the next special item!

Join us tonight for horror unleashed from an ancient Egyptian tomb – and we warn you- do NOT ignore the curse!