Tale of the Mummy (1998)

Director:

Russell Mulcahy

Writers (WGA):

Keith Williams (story) &
Russell Mulcahy (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

13 February 1999 (Japan)

Genre:

Adventure | Fantasy | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

The curse is legend. The terror is real.

Plot:

Centuries ago, under the sands of ancient Egypt, a prince was buried and his tomb eternally curses so...

Plot Keywords:

Egypt | Dog | Impalement | Split Head | Supernatural

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Jason Scott Lee	...	Riley
Louise Lombard	...	Samantha Turkel
Sean Pertwee	...	Bradley Cortese
Lysette Anthony	...	Dr. Claire Mulrooney
Michael Lerner	...	Professor Marcus
Jack Davenport	...	Detective Bartone
Honor Blackman	...	Captain Shea
Christopher Lee	...	Sir Richard Turkel
Shelley Duvall	...	Edith Butros
Gerard Butler	...	Burke
Jon Polito	...	Parsons
Ronan Vibert	...	Young
Bill Treacher	...	Stuart
Elizabeth Power	...	Mary
Roger W. Morrissey	...	The Mummy (as Roger Morrissey)
Cyril Nri	...	Forensics
Edward Tudor-Pole	...	Blind Man (as Edward Tudor Pole)
Craig Stoutt	...	Nabil
Anthony Beselle	...	Museum Guard #1
Jamie Treacher	...	Museum Guard #2
Ann Overstall Comfort	...	Olga
Enzo	...	Prince Talos
Waris	...	Princess Nefrianna
Alex Torino	...	Nirwar
David Sterne	...	Morris
David Henry	...	Coroner
Leslie Woodhall	...	Paperman (as Les Woodhall)
Tim Hope Frost	...	Bus Driver (as Tim Hope-Frost)
Mike West	...	Police Guard
Nicholas Hum	...	Nirwar's Friend (as Nicholas Hume)
Alison Bullivent	...	Maid
Ciaran Mulhern	...	Nervous Student (credit only) (as Cairan Mulhern)
Luke de Lacey	...	Wise-cracking Student (credit only) (as Luke De Lacey)
Valérie Schiel	...	Stand-in
Enzo Junior	...	Prince Talos
Julian Nest	...	Lab Technician (as Julian Vincent)
Hervé Sogne	...	Stand-in

Directed by
Russell Mulcahy

Writing credits (WGA)
Keith Williams		(story) &
Russell Mulcahy		(story)
John Esposito		(screenplay) &
Russell Mulcahy		(screenplay)

Produced by
Stirling Belafonte	....	associate producer
Phil Botana	....	co-executive producer
Silvio Muraglia	....	producer
Tom Reeve	....	producer: Lux
Romain Schroeder	....	executive producer
Daniel Sladek	....	producer
Scott Vandiver	....	co-executive producer
Jeffrey White	....	line producer

Original Music by
Stefano Mainetti

Cinematography by
Gabriel Beristain

Film Editing by
Armen Minasian

Production Design by
Bryce Walmsley

Art Direction by
Simon Bowles
Peter Powis

Costume Design by
Cynthia Dumont

Makeup Department
Cathy Folmer	....	additional makeup artist
David Myers	....	hair styles supervisor
David Myers	....	makeup artist
Vivian Nowak	....	hair stylist
Ghislaine Soisson	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Stirling Belafonte	....	post-production supervisor
Meinir Stoutt	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Daniels	....	first assistant director
Ralph Eisenmann	....	third assistant director
Iseult Frere	....	second assistant director
Veronique Souques	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Stefan Adams	....	assistant to production designer
Mustafa Avdic	....	carpenter
Raoul Biagioni	....	art department runner
Paul Biwer	....	construction coordinator
Alain Boncour	....	painter
Claude de Bourcy	....	art department runner
Hughes de Maere	....	carpenter
Nicolas de Maere	....	carpenter
Manuel Demoulling	....	set dresser
Don Demuth	....	assistant head painter
Gaelle Dimmer	....	art department assistant
Claude Faber	....	painter
William Gillbourne	....	painter
Lucilio Goncalves	....	swing gang
Thierry Gratien	....	carpenter
Frédérik Hardy	....	swing gang
Guillaume Konsbruck	....	carpenter
Clement Minighetti	....	carpenter
Fiona Nottingham	....	property buyer
Edouard Pallardy	....	head painter
Paddy Patterson	....	construction manager
Manuel Pinto de Jesus	....	carpenter
Olivier Printz	....	assistant stand-by props
Katja Risto	....	painter
Jill Robertson	....	construction buyer
Tiffany Rodenfels	....	swing gang
Frederic Roeser	....	property assistant
Frederic Roeser	....	swing gang
Eric Tillard	....	carpenter
Amanda Tschumi	....	painter
Thomas Whyte	....	carpenter
Bruno Zenatello	....	construction foreman

Sound Department
Rickley W. Dumm	....	first assistant sound editor
Marc Engels	....	boom operator
Hugh Murphy	....	assistant sound editor
John Rodda	....	sound recordist
Alan Sallabank	....	adr mixer
Marco Streccioni	....	sound engineer
Drew Webster	....	sound recordist

Special Effects by
Howard Berger	....	creature effects supervisor
Roland Goddijn	....	special effects technician
Michel Jancso	....	special effectsman
Edward Wiessenhaan	....	special effects technician
Harrie Wiessenhaan	....	special effects supervisor (as Harry Wiessenhaan)
Rick Wiessenhaan	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Etienne Andlau	....	matte painter (as Etienne Terblanche)
Jeffrey Arnold	....	compositing artist
Victoria Catlin	....	roto artist
Benjamin Cheung	....	visual effects animator
John Coats	....	visual effects animator (as John Coates)
Kent Demaine	....	additional visual effects (as Windsor Kent Demaine)
Tim Donahue	....	matte painting supervisor
Tim Everitt	....	visual effects animator
Lincoln Kupchak	....	visual effects editor
Dave Lockwood	....	senior compositor
John P. Mesa	....	visual effects co-supervisor
Penny A. Mesa	....	visual effects producer
William Mesa	....	visual effects supervisor
Don Myers	....	visual effects animator
Dan Novy	....	visual effects technical supervisor
Richard Ostiguy	....	additional visual effects
Bruce Pearson	....	visual effects animator
Sean Prusak	....	roto artist
Emile Edwin Smith	....	visual effects animator
Ken Stranahan	....	creature animator

Stunts
Annemiex Boonstra	....	stunts
Ronald Schuurbiers	....	stunts
Diana Wiersma	....	stunts
Rick Wiessenhaan	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Benny Ashoff	....	assistant camera
Alessandro Bolognesi	....	camera operator
Etienne Braun	....	still photographer
Maurizio Cremisini	....	focus puller
Marco Del Zotto	....	grip
Mick Durlacher	....	gaffer
Peter Field	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Peter Field	....	director of photography: second unit
Arnout Glas	....	electrician
Michel Miltgen	....	camera trainee
Tom Oversteijns	....	second grip
José Alberto Pinto de Jesus	....	electrician
Jean-François Roqueplo	....	key grip
Jean-Luc Simon	....	electrician
Marius Speller	....	electrician
Carlo Thiel	....	focus puller
Laurent Wallerang	....	video assist operator
Wolfgang Wesemann	....	clapper loader
Eric Wobma	....	best boy

Animation Department
Donald J. Myers	....	3-D computer animator

Casting Department
Larue Hall	....	casting: Luxembourg
Sue Jones	....	casting: UK
Jeremy Zimmermann	....	casting: UK (as Jeremy Zimmerman)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Suzanne Dunlop	....	costume assistant
Tiny Nicholls	....	wardrobe master

Editorial Department
Andi Armaganian	....	assistant film editor
Rickley W. Dumm	....	first assistant editor
Scott Inbody	....	additional editor

Music Department
Michael K. Bauer	....	music editor: USA
Riccardo Biseo	....	co-orchestrator
Tod Holcomb	....	music editor
Stefano Mainetti	....	co-orchestrator
Stefano Mainetti	....	conductor

Transportation Department
Jamshid Fadakar	....	unit driver
Robert Grond	....	driver: bus
Fahrudin Kurtagic	....	unit driver
Carlo Novak	....	driver: bus
Gary Sharp	....	transportation captain
Gilles Soeder	....	unit driver
Dan Urbin	....	unit driver
Indy Whitting	....	unit driver
Kevan Willis	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Leo Baulesch	....	security officer
Sylvia Blossom	....	caterer
Luca Brenna	....	production assistant trainee
Pascal Charlier	....	location manager
Tessa Crockett	....	location manager: London
Paul de Bourcy	....	studio maintenance
Sam Debree	....	creature effects technician
Jamshid Fadakar	....	production assistant
Poppy Field	....	assistant to producer
Serge Franzen	....	lLocation caterer
Robert Grond	....	production assistant
Maisy Guerin	....	catering supervisor
Graham Johnston	....	trainee floor runner
Peter Kumar	....	location security
Fahrudin Kurtagic	....	production assistant
Tami Lane	....	creature effects technician
Rozenn Le Pape	....	location coordinator
Rozenn Le Pape	....	production coordinator
Raj Malde	....	production accountant
Jake McKinnon	....	creature effects technician
Sheila McNaught	....	script supervisor
Philip James Morgan	....	location assistant
Nathalie Nicol	....	creature effects trainee technician
Carlo Novak	....	production assistant
Laurence Parker	....	assistant accountant
Anahita Sahebdjami	....	script trainee
Valérie Schiel	....	stand-in
Luc Schroeder	....	assistant accountant
Marianne Schwind	....	cleaning lady
Tanja Schwind	....	catering assistant
Samantha Sheridan	....	production coordinator (as Sam Kaley)
Gilles Soeder	....	production assistant
Hervé Sogne	....	stand-in
Sylvie Tagliero	....	caterer
Mark Tavares	....	creature effects technician
Dan Urbin	....	production assistant
Indy Whitting	....	production assistant
David Wogh	....	creature effects technician

Production Companies

• 7th Voyage
• Cine Grande Corporation
• K.N.B. Effects Group
• Carousel Picture Company, The
• The Pharaohs Company Ltd.

Distributors

• Buena Vista Home Video
• Dimension Films
• Laurenfilm (Spain)
• Buena Vista International (non-USA)
• Echo Bridge Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• Moviemax (2004) (Italy) (all media)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Black Box Digital
• Flash Film Works
• K.N.B. Effects Group
• Voodoo Arts

Other Companies

• Alter Image  negative cutting
• Angels & Bermans  costumes
• Banque Internationale A Luxembourg S.A.  production financing
• Carousel Picture Company, The  studio facility
• Digital Filmworks  digital film services
• ITG  travel coordination
• Imperial Entertainment Group  production financing
• International Film Guarantors  bond
• Lynx Productions  casting: Luxembourg
• Mediterranean Films Ltd.  Lightworks digital editing system and support
• Média Assurances France  insurance
• NDK Sophia Studio  Bulgarian Symphony Orchestra recording studio
• New Act Travel  travel coordination
• Pacific Title/Mirage  titles and opticals
• Signet Soundelux Studios  sound and editorial services
• Soho Images  telecine
• Studio Ripetta, Rome  music mixing studio
• Sud Ovest Records  music production
• Tanaka Film Research  historical research
• The Good Guys  epk camera
• dB Post Production  adr recording

Also Known As:

"Talos the Mummy" - Europe (English title), UK (video title), USA (working title)
"Russell Mulcahy's Tale of the Mummy" - USA (complete title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and gore, and for some language

Runtime:

88 min | Australia:115 min | Spain:122 min | UK:119 min

Country:

USA | Luxembourg | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:MA | Hong Kong:IIB | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:15 | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Luxembourg

Company:

7th Voyage

Trivia:

Louise Lombard was a late casting choice replacing another actress who had to drop out because she had been bitten by a dog with Rabies.

Quotes:

Bradley Cortese:He's waiting in purgatory for the day of his rebirth -- which happens to be this Thursday!

Movie Connections:

References The Mummy (1959)

No wonder it had trouble finding a producer

It has been well publicized in specialty magazines that Russell Mulcahy had trouble finding a producer for this pet project of his, which would finally show on screen a startling effect that the classic Hammer film THE MUMMY (1959), due to technical limitations, could only show on its poster -- a walking mummy with a light beam going through a hole in his chest. Well, no wonder potential backers were not that much interested: no matter how interesting that effect could be, Mulcahy's plot idea is simply the most ridiculous notion ever proposed for a mummy flick. Here the BANDAGES that wrap the mummy are the monster! Those pieces of Egyptian gauze fly, kill people, extract selected organs from their victims (how?) and carry them along (how again?) to some arbitrarily defined spot in order to fulfill your standard prophetic destiny. A good cast is wasted in comic-book roles and situations that make no sense (Why would an American cop take charge of a Scotland Yard investigation? What's in it for the "surprise" villain for his/her commitment?) and the single most laughable closing shot in a genre movie. (Schrader's version of CAT PEOPLE at least justified having its main characters howl and growl, but would a reincarnated mummy behave the same way?) Worse of all is the incoherent script, which caps an elaborate (if unconvincing) buildup of situations, motives and circumstances with an idiotic, cheap-shot "shock" ending that contradicts and denies everything that happened so far.

One usually is compelled to root for maverick filmmakers who are willing not to compromise their vision and push their projects over the stubborn narrow-mindedness of conservative producers. This time, however, the latter were right: TALOS THE MUMMY was a rotten idea and a complete waste of resources.