The Awakening (1980)
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33% of users liked it
(389 ratings)
English archaeologist Matthew Corbeck (played by the emphatically-American Charlton Heston) undertakes an expedition to find the tomb of the Egyptian princess Kara, despite his awareness of a nefarious curse that is said to befall anyone who disturbs the tomb. Eighteen years after Corbeck's… More English archaeologist Matthew Corbeck (played by the emphatically-American Charlton Heston) undertakes an expedition to find the tomb of the Egyptian princess Kara, despite his awareness of a nefarious curse that is said to befall anyone who disturbs the tomb. Eighteen years after Corbeck's discovery of the burial site, his teenage daughter (who was born at the very moment of the tomb's violation) begins to behave strangely. Turns out she's been possessed by Kara's malevolent spirit, carrying out the princess's revenge by causing several deaths and developing a less-than-healthy obsession with Daddy. Based very loosely on Bram Stoker's novel The Jewel of Seven Stars (itself the inspiration for Hammer's superior Blood from the Mummy's Tomb), this is basically Warner Brothers' attempt to jump on the big-budget horror bandwagon in the wake of The Omen's staggering success. The result is a good-looking but artistically hollow film -- with elaborate sets, lush cinematography and a sweeping musical score, but little in the way of logic or suspense. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi
- Directed By
- Mike Newell
- Genres
- Mystery & Suspense, Horror
- In Theaters
- Oct 1, 1980 Wide
- Studio
- WARNER BROTHERS PICTURES
Critic Reviews
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John Beifuss, Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)
Twenty-four years after he freed the Israelites, Charlton Heston returned to Egypt to insult the ancient gods again in 'The Awakening.' Let my people go -- to their Netflix queues, to request the erratic but more enjoyable 'Blood from the Mummy's Tomb.'
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Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Funnier than most comedies
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Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
Dry-as-dust "possession" fare.
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Cast
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Charlton Heston
as Matthew Corbeck
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Susannah York
as Jane Turner
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Jill Townsend
as Anne Corbeck
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Stephanie Zimbalist
as Margaret Corbeck
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Patrick Drury
as Paul Whittier
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Bruce Myers
as Dr. Khalid
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Nadim Sawalha
as Dr. El Sadek
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Ian McDiarmid
as Dr. Richter
- Michael Halphie
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Leonard Maguire
as John
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Miriam Margolyes
as Dr. Kadira
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Michael Mellinger
as Hamid
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Osman Ahmed
as Yusef
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Ishia Bennison
as Nurse
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Madhav Sharma
as Doctor
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Christopher Fairbank
as Porter
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Roger Kemp
as Doctor