Director: Mike Newell
Starring: Charlton Heston, Susannah York, Jill Townsend, Stephanie Zimbalist
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Warner Archive
Running Time: 101 minutes
Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars
When you put Charlton Heston and mummies together, it immediately grabs my interest. The film is based of Bram Stoker’s “Jewel of the Seven Stars”. It is directed by Mike Newell, who went on to direct “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”. The film overall drags a bit but does have a snappy ending, which I really enjoyed.
The film follows Egyptologist (Heston), who becomes obsessed with a sorceress whose return has been prophesied and also whose tomb was opened the exact moment his daughter was born. Will his obsession take him over and what is the fate of his daughter?
If you enjoy classic horror films, this 1980 film, should do the trick. “The Awakening” is presented on DVD in widescreen 16×9 with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1. It both looks and sounds good. There is no special features included, unfortunately. But either way, thanks to Warner Archive for finally releasing this film on DVD.
