Dawn of the Mummy

Dawn of the Mummy
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Frank Agrama
Produced by	Frank Agrama
Written by	Frank Agrama Ronald Dobrin Daria Price
Starring	Brenda King Barry Sattels George Peck John Salvo Ibrahim Khan Joan Levy Ellen Faison Dianne Beatty
Music by	Shuki Levy
Cinematography	Larry Revene Sergio Rubini
Edited by	Jonathon Braun
Distributed by	Harmony Gold USA Goldfrab Distribution
Release date	December 11, 1981
Running time	93 minutes
Country	United States Egypt Italy
Language	English
Budget	$500,000

Dawn of the Mummy is a 1981 horror film directed by Frank Agrama, who also served as writer and producer on the film. While not prosecuted for obscenity, the film was seized and confiscated in the UK under Section 3 of the Obscene Publications Act 1959 during the video nasty panic.

In ancient Egypt during the fourth millennium BC, slave raiders abduct several villagers to be servants for the burial of Pharaoh Sefirama. They were then ordered to stand around the Pharaoh's sarcophagus, killed with poison gas, and the entrance to his tomb was sealed. The high priestess (Laila Nasr) who attended the burial proclaims that "he who enters this tomb, after it is sealed, will die on the dawn of the mummy".

Thousands of years later into the present day, three men, Rick (Barry Sattels), Tariq (Ali Gohar), and Karib (Ibrahim Khan) detonate the tomb and uncover its entrance. Rick warns the other two to wait until the next morning, as the air around the uncovered tomb is poisoned. The high priestess, now an elderly woman, screams and tells them that the tomb is cursed, but is scared off when Rick shoots his pistol at the air. Rick tells them to guard the tomb for the night, and drives away on his Jeep.

Three grave robbers on camels were greeted by the old woman, who tells them to close the tomb to prevent its curse. They ask her and enter the tomb, but get infected by its poisonous gases. One of them dies, while the other two leave.

A photographer and a group of American models travel to Egypt for a fashion shoot. On the way to the tomb, a tire on one of their Jeeps gets punctured, so the group has to stop to replace the tire. One of the models, Lisa (Brenda Siemer Schieder) asks the director, Gary (John Salvo), to look at the other side of a dune. They race to the bottom of the other side, but Lisa falls and gets scared by one of the grave robbers' heads lying on the sand. The rest of their group takes them back to their location.

Rick and his detonate the tomb, and explore its burial chamber, though Rick's henchmen were disappointed that there is no gold. Ahamed Zaiki (Ahmad Labab) arrives to check on his investments in the excavations, and after Rick's assurances, he leaves. On the next morning, Rick attempts to chisel a passage into the chamber, but Tarak and Karib detonate its entrance with more dynamite. Even though they were disappointed again by the chamber's lack of gold, they open Sefirama's sarcophagus to look for more treasures. A mouse jumps unto Karib's back, and frightens him.