This 1973 movie was originally filmed in Spanish, staring Aldo Sambrell, Tanyeka Stadler, Fernado Sancho, Alfredo Mayo, and Eva Leon. Dubbed horribly in English, and with no subtitles at all, it was hard for me to know if the version I was hearing was real or if the dialog was just made up. Also, for a movie called Voodoo Black Exorcist, there was a real lack of anyone not white in the movie.
The movie opens up with Aldo Sambrell's character Gatanebo meeting his lover Kenya (Tanyeka Stadler) in private.. They are caught by her husband and a fight breaks out. No dialog at all, and I was surprised the black make-up they were wearing to mask the fact that it's all white actors didn't wash off in the ocean. Gatanebo kills his lover's husband by mistake (the guy falls on a discarded sword). As punishment, Kenya is beheaded and he is placed in a living coma and buried alive.
Fast forward to "modern" times on a Spanish cruise ship. Dr Kessling (Alfredo Mayo) and his lover/secretary Sylvia (Eva Leon) have gotten their hands on an African sarcophagus, with a real mummy inside. The sarcophagus was buried in a cave; a very wet and dark cave. I would think that after 1,000 years, the mummy wouldn't have fared as well as it did. Egyptian mummies fare well because of the dry heat that bakes them and the process by which they are mummified.
That night, the doctor and Sylvia are joined by the rest of the cast. An "American" couple that consists of a very henpecked husband and an alcoholic, mystic-believing wife, and an African dancer (who looks like a very healthy Amy Winehouse) and her bongo drummer. The dancer puts on an "erotic" show for them, dancing some ancient version of "real" African rituals. I put real in parentathes because I'm not sure if they it is real or just hollywood.
Well, guess what happenes? The mummy comes back to life. No reason for it. His 1,000 year nap is over and he goes out to stretch his legs. He meets the reincarnation of his lover's husband and makes him his slave. Frankly, the guy looks a little like Tony Shaloub, so that's what I'll call him from here on out.
He also meets, conveniently enough, the reincarnation of the man who beheaded his dear Kenya. When he's about to kill him, he sees Sylvia. He recognizes her as Kenya, even though she is played by a different actress and is not covered in black make up. Smitten by her sparkly white beauty, he pauses and misses his first chance to avenge her death. Also, he has red-colored flashbacks to her death and their passionate love-making.
The next night, he kills the man while Tony watches on in a zombie-like state. The cruise ship, after finding the dead man, isn't in much of an uproar. The American wife is positive that she saw this in her cards, the husband doesn't believe her, the captain promises to humor her, and no one is really worried that a killer is on the ship. The doctor and his secretary can't wait to get to port because the doctor is getting a friend of his to look at the mummy.
That night, Gatanebo visits Sylvia while she sleeps and leaves her the head of the man he killed. I think she would have liked flowers instead.
When they get to port, we meet the Inspector. He and Tony really made the movie. A Columbo wanna-be, this is probably going to be his last case. After all, he tells us from this first moment on screen that he's "fat" and "old" and "about to retire" and that he "does things a little differently". He is the one who allows the doctor to leave to pick up his friend.
Tony and Gatanebo (who has his normal, human form when out of the sarcophagus) drive him to the airport. Gatanebo kills the friend and then takes his place. When the doctor first protests, he tells him, "Who better to help you with your research." Yes, who better then the corpse you're studying?
Gatanebo uses his position to get closer to Sylvia, who is fed up with her doctor boyfriend/boss. She doesn't want to be a sometimes lover, all the time assistant. She wants to be one or the other. The charming Gatanebo is just what the doctor ordered.
There is a bit about him loosing the magical snake ring on his finger, but since I never saw where he gets it back, I'm ignoring that part now.
Apparently, while in port, the doctor goes on air to show off the mummy. Before the show, Gatanebo kills the bongo drummer and beats up the dancer. He leaves his blood behind at the crime scene.
Now, in a full "science doesn't work that way", they figure out that the blood is 1,000 years old. This makes the Inspector suspicious and he orders one of his men to secretly watch the sarcophagus. They see the mummy come to life and leave his prison.
Gatanebo, knowing that the police are after him, has Tony kidnap Slyvia after her bath. Yes, folks, you get to see her naked. Tony is followed by the Inspector and the doctor to the same caves that the sarcophagus was buried.
My, my, what luck is that.
This is where the climatic battle begines. The doctor is killed by Tony, Tony is shot to death by the Inspector's men and Sylvia and Gatanebo are burned to death.
The ending scene shows some poem or something on the sarcophagus, but it was in Spanish and I couldn't read it.
All in all, a pretty cracked up movie.
Steffilicious Community Member 
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