The Mummy and the Curse of the Jackals

Of course I had never heard about this 1969 horror movie titled "The Mummy and the Curse of the Jackals" prior to stumbling upon it by random chance here in 2025. And with it being a horror movie, of course I had to check it out, given my love of all things horror.

But categorizing this movie as a horror movie might be stretching it a bit. There was nothing scary about the movie, unless you consider a slow paced and pointless narrative as being horror.

Writer William Edwards put together a very boring, bland and monotonous storyline, and it was hard to find anything worthwhile throughout the sluggishly paced narrative.

I was not familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie, aside from actor John Carradine. Despite the fact that the script was rubbish, then the acting performances in the movie were fair.

The effects in the movie are old and haven't aged well. Let's just leave it at that.

Would I recommend you to track down director Oliver Drake's 1969 movie "The Mummy and the Curse of the Jackals" and give it a go? No, not really. Will I ever return to watch it a second time? No.

My rating of "The Mummy and the Curse of the Jackals" lands on a two out of ten stars.

I should know because he was my father. He was his harshest critic & did not enjoy watching this after it resurfaced on VHS. It is also incorrect that this was the only monster movie he ever made, The Mummy's Curse comes to mind. But I completely disagree with comments by Anthony Eisley that my father was senile during the making of this film! Its true that this film was never finished and sat on the shelf for years. My father went on to write two books, both of which were very well received by critics. He attended many Western Film Festivals as the guest of honor and gave very informative and entertaining speeches about the early days of film-making.

It was 1969 and the movie THE MUMMY AND THE CURSE OF THE JACKAL was about to premiere in Los Angeles Ca with a hope and a prayer that they could find completion funds to be able to finish the movie. Using a Super 8 camera, the staff and crew as extras, you name it, they were forced to stop filming. The film has sentimental value to me as my dad was one of the extras. It was a real treat to see the movie, since it was the first time I've seen it after all the stories my dad told me about it! That was 38 years ago, and who even knows if any of these people are still alive? I give the movie 5 stars for trying, and God bless all the people that were involved.

Back in the '80s, Ed Wood's "Plan 9 From Outer Space" was widely considered to be the worst film ever made. Wrong! "The Mummy and the Curse of the Jackals" easily outdistances any Ed Wood or Herschell Gordon Lewis film in the bad movie stakes. The only competition it might have is from some of those wretched Andy Milligan productions. I ran across a copy of "The Mummy..." a few years back and snatched it up eagerly; it starred Anthony Eisley and John Carradine, had a goofy title, and was reputed to be one of the absolute worst movies ever. It had to be fun, right? Not exactly. First of all, the story makes no sense whatsoever, not even by el cheapo monster flick standards. As another reviewer has pointed out, Anthony Eisley commented that the film was unfinished as far as he knew--so it's possible that something more coherent was intended, but never achieved. At any rate, don't get frustrated when you watch it; it's total nonsense. Secondly, Eisley doesn't even look like he's having fun (which is odd for him). He wears a tense, incredulous look throughout the movie, as if he's thinking, "What the hell am I doing here?" Finally, John Carradine's contribution is minimal. I'm guessing that there were supposed to be more scenes with him and the cop...but, again, the film was never finished. There are a few interesting bits: the spooky, enigmatic face of Marliza Pons; the hilarious scenes featuring the Mummy and the "Jackal Man" rampaging through Las Vegas; and, of course, the amazingly catchy theme music. (Was it recorded specifically for the film, or was it just library music? It sounds a bit dated for 1969.) Unfortunately, none of these things makes up for the fact that this is a dull, wearisome film. I pulled "The Mummy and the Curse of the Jackals" out again the other night and actually watched the entire thing, but not without difficulty. It's one of those semi-legendary baddies that you go to a lot of trouble to track down...but when it's over you say, "What a waste!" Too bad. (RIP John Carradine and Anthony Eisley.)

Take a moment to examine the primary cast of this film, and consider the quality of their bodies of work. Now, understand that this film is far worse than everything accredited to all of them, as extreme and unlikely a possibility as that may seem. Next, be aware that the story concerns a were-dog who muscles-up to a moldering, overweight mummy in a rivalry for the affection of a three-thousand year old Egyptian queen, ressurected by Isis to reinstate the worship of the ancient Gods. Imagine, if you will, all this nonsense taking place amidst the bustle and bright lights of Las Vegas, and you'll begin to have an idea of what you're in for with THE MUMMY AND THE CURSE OF THE JACKALS. Finally, be prepared to pee yourself in an unintended fit of laughter when you watch it

***Oh...and be forewarned...this film might prove injurous or fatal to no-nonsense viewers expecting a straightforward horror picture.

Rates both a one and a ten for different reasons.