Hammer Horror delivered one of its finest 1970s films with Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb, despite a notoriously cursed production. This 1971 British release is the studio’s fourth and final Mummy film, loosely adapted by Christopher Wicking from Bram Stoker’s 1903 novel The Jewel of Seven Stars. Crucially, it remains the only entry in the franchise where a physical mummy never actually appears.

The trouble began early when a gap in the studio schedule forced the film into premature production. Wicking wanted to keep Stoker's original book title, but James Carreras refused, leading to a brainstorming session that birthed Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb – a title Wicking never expected them to use. Wicking also clashed with producer Howard Brandy and was barred from the set, forcing him to work with director Seth Holt secretly in the evenings. Brandy later claimed the script was unshootable and heavily rewritten by Holt. Brandy also wanted to cast Amy Grant, but Sir James Carreras insisted on Valerie Leon.

Tragedy struck five weeks into the six-week shoot when Seth Holt suffered a fatal heart attack on set, collapsing into the arms of actor Aubrey Morris. Michael Carreras tried to recruit Don Sharp to finish the film, but Sharp was committed to a project in Israel. Michael Carreras ultimately directed the final week himself, later noting that Holt’s footage did not cut together well, forcing them to salvage what they could.

Valerie Leon shines in the dual roles of Margaret Fuchs and Queen Tera. Beyond her famous Hai Karate aftershave adverts and seven Carry On appearances – including Carry On Christmas: Carry On Stuffing – Leon delivered a critically praised performance but clashed with the studio. She was deeply upset when producers denied her time off to attend Holt’s funeral, and her refusal to perform a nude scene required a body double. Hammer never hired her again. Her career later included roles alongside two different James Bonds, Roger Moore and Sean Connery.

The supporting cast features incredible British character talent. James Villiers plays Corbeck, George Coulouris plays Berigan, and Aubrey Morris features as Doctor Putnum. Morris was described by Jeremy Brett to Noël Coward as the finest small-part player in London, boasting roles in The Wicker Man, A Clockwork Orange, and as the bubble-bathing B-Ark captain in The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Rosalie Crutchley plays Helen Dickerson. James Cossins brings his trademark blustering authority to the role of an abusive psychiatric nurse, and a young Anthony Head makes an uncredited appearance.

Andrew Keir plays Julian Fuchs, stepping in after Peter Cushing completed just one day of filming before leaving due to his wife’s emphysema diagnosis. Keir's presence links back to our Quatermass and the Pit reviews, Daleks’ Invasion Earth 2150 A.D., and Cleopatra alongside Richard Burton. The film is elevated by a brilliant electronic score by Tristram Ogilvie Cary, the pioneer who founded EMS, created the VCS 3 synthesiser, and composed the music for the first Doctor Who Dalek serial.

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In this special live episode, we dive deep into the world of Folk Horror, discussing the legendary Big Christopher Lee, the ghost stories of M.R. James, and the groundbreaking television work of Nigel Kneale.

Recorded live at the King’s Arms Hotel in Dorchester, this event was hosted in partnership with our local independent bookshop, Teasel & Skylark, to celebrate the launch of our new zine. We explore the roots of British weird fiction, the enduring legacy of classic horror cinema, and the stories that keep us up at night.

This episode features the main discussion from the evening. If you would like to hear the five live readings from the zine, you can grab a physical copy from our website or sign up as a supporter to get access to additional exclusive content.

• Get the Zine: www.generalwitchfinders.com
• Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/generalwitchfinders

A massive thank you to Teasel & Skylark and everyone who came out to support our first live event!

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In this episode, we investigate the 1978 supernatural horror thriller The Medusa Touch. Directed by Jack Gold and adapted from the Peter Van Greenaway novel, The Medusa Touch is a quintessential piece of seventies British cinema that sits at the dark intersection of the disaster movie and the occult thriller. The film follows the investigation into the apparent murder of John Morlar, played with volcanic intensity by Richard Burton.

Richard Burton is the undeniable gravitational centre of The Medusa Touch. Despite Richard Burton only filming for three weeks and demanding a massive upfront fee, his presence as the telekinetic John Morlar defines the movie’s grim atmosphere. We discuss how Richard Burton portrayed a man who believed his thoughts could cause jumbo jets to crash and cathedrals to crumble. Interestingly, because of Richard Burton’s high cost, his character is often seen heavily bandaged in a hospital bed, allowing a stand-in to do the heavy lifting while Richard Burton provided the piercing close-ups and that legendary voice.

Fans of 90s rock will know that a specific line from Richard Burton in The Medusa Touch – ‘I will bring the whole edifice down on their unworthy heads’ – was famously sampled by the Manic Street Preachers. This misanthropic energy is what makes John Morlar such a compelling antagonist. Throughout our review of The Medusa Touch, we explore how Richard Burton channeled his own real-life disillusionment into the role of John Morlar, creating a performance that feels both radioactive and world-weary.

The supporting cast of The Medusa Touch is equally impressive. We look at Lino Ventura as Detective-Inspector Brunel, the man tasked with solving the mystery of John Morlar. Since The Medusa Touch was a co-production between the UK and France, Ventura provides a gritty, European perspective to this very British tale of destruction. Lee Remick, known for her work in The Omen, appears here as Dr Zonfeld, the psychiatrist who holds the keys to understanding the psychic pressure building inside John Morlar.

We also dive into the rich layer of British character actors that populates The Medusa Touch. From Jeremy Brett, the future Sherlock Holmes, playing the man who steals John Morlar’s wife, to the ubiquitous Harry Andrews and Gordon Jackson, The Medusa Touch serves as a ‘who’s who’ of the era’s talent. We even touch upon the vocal work of David de Keyser, whose rich tones dubbed Ventura and appeared in everything from Superman to Doctor Who.

Whether you are a fan of seventies horror, telekinesis films, or the legendary career of Richard Burton, this deep dive into The Medusa Touch has something for you. We examine the film's legacy, its sociopolitical commentary, and the sheer technical spectacle of the climactic cathedral collapse.

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