The Awakening (1980)

Director:

Mike Newell

Writers:

Chris Bryant
Clive Exton
(more)

Release Date:

October 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

They thought they had buried her forever!

Plot:

An archeologist discovers his daughter is possessed by the spirit of an Egyptian queen. To save mankind he must destroy her.

Plot Keywords:

Tomb | Egypt | Curse | Orchestral Music Score | Exorcism

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Charlton Heston	...	Matthew Corbeck
Susannah York	...	Jane Turner
Jill Townsend	...	Anne Corbeck
Stephanie Zimbalist	...	Margaret Corbeck
Patrick Drury	...	Paul Whittier
Bruce Myers	...	Dr. Khalid
Nadim Sawalha	...	Dr. El Sadek
Ian McDiarmid	...	Dr. Richter
Ahmed Osman	...	Yussef
Miriam Margolyes	...	Dr. Kadira
Michael Mellinger	...	Hamid
Leonard Maguire	...	John Matthews
Ishia Bennison	...	Nurse
Madhav Sharma	...	Doctor
Michael Halphie	...	Doctor
Christopher Fairbank	...	Porter
Roger Kemp	...	Doctor
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Albert Moses	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Mike Newell

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Chris Bryant
Clive Exton
Allan Scott
Bram Stoker		novel "The Jewel of Seven Stars"

Produced by
Harry Benn	....	associate producer
Andrew Scheinman	....	co-producer
Martin Shafer	....	co-producer
Robert H. Solo	....	producer

Original Music by
Claude Bolling

Cinematography by
Jack Cardiff

Film Editing by
Terry Rawlings

Production Design by
Michael Stringer

Art Direction by
Lionel Couch
Salah Marei

Costume Design by
Phyllis Dalton

Makeup Department
Jan Andrews	....	hair stylist
Jeanette Freeman	....	hair stylist
George Frost	....	makeup artist
Nick Maley	....	special makeup effects

Production Management
Denis Johnson	....	production manager
Ahmed Sami	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Atef E-Taieb	....	assistant director (as Attef El Taieb)
Peter Kohn	....	second assistant director
Hugh O'Donnell	....	third assistant director
Neil Vine-Miller	....	assistant director

Art Department
Tessa Davies	....	set dresser
David Fyson	....	production buyer
John Roberts	....	set designer
Adrian Start	....	chargehand painter
Terry Wells	....	property master

Sound Department
Rowland Fowles	....	boom operator
Brian Simmons	....	sound recordist
Hugh Strain	....	dubbing mixer

Special Effects by
John Stears	....	special effects

Stunts
Alan Stuart	....	stunt arranger

Camera and Electrical Department
John Cardiff	....	camera operator: second unit
Alec Mills	....	camera operator

Casting Department
David H. Kramer	....	adr voice casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Daryl Bristow	....	wardrobe master
Brenda Dabbs	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Les Healey	....	assistant editor
Shirley Shaw	....	assistant editor
Monte Hellman	....	additional editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Nancy Beach	....	orchestrator
Marcus Dods	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Howard Pugh	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Maurice Binder	....	titles
Hunt Downs	....	unit publicist

Production Companies

• EMI Films
• Orion Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• E.M.I. Films (1980) (UK) (theatrical)
• Orion Pictures Corporation (1980) (USA) (theatrical) (as An Orion Pictures Release through Warner Bros)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1986) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• City Film N.V. (1980) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Filmways Australasian Distributors (Australia) (theatrical)
• Media Target Distribution (2012) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Bros (USA)
• Warner Home Video (2012) (USA) (DVD) (DVD-R)
• Warner Home Video (video)

Other Companies

• B.C.I. Casting  casting: USA

Also Known As:

Runtime:

105 min | Australia:101 min | USA:101 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #25893) | Iceland:16 | Netherlands:12 (orginal rating)

Filming Locations:

Cairo, Egypt

Company:

EMI Films

Trivia:

Debut directorial feature of Mike Newell.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Jane and Matt discover the tomb entrance, Jane reads the hieroglyphic inscription from left to right, but the direction in which the inscription is written is right to left, as shown by the birds in it which face the start of the line by convention.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff (2010)

A real beauty

the story is as old as egyptomania, a dead queen, a curse, apocalyptic threats. so, that's nothing new, the plot is not surprising at all. though there truly are some thrilling moments the final is not spectacular. it doesn't offer a lot for minds papered by action in these days. after "the mummy" (from egyptological and aesthetic point of view a catastrophe) most of the people are to fastidious to recognize the value of this even-tempered and atmospheric composition. but what a beauty it is! photography and music are brilliant and project the fascination for the beauty of Egyptian art and culture, the desert and all its colours. To call the work of the actors a "bad" is downright unreasonable. The fact, that most of the actors are stage-proofed is not just noticeable, but essential for the style and charmism of the movie. it doesn't need shock-effects or blood-fountains. maybe it needn't to be called a horror movie either. it's just a sad but truly beautiful short-story about a man's blind love for a place and an idea.