Well it's been a while folks, but once again the becobwebbed door is creaking open, allowing us entry into the strange and dank realms where gaudily coloured drawings with dubious titles gleefully splash blood an gore across the history of horror! Yes, it's time for another trip to Tomb of the Trumps!
Now first up we have a truly shocking revelation! Stone me, if it isn't actually a card that firstly bears an accurate representation of a famous monster, and what's more, it even has the correct ruddy name! Completely the opposite of what we've come to expect from these vintage Horror Top Trumps decks! But hey, credit where credit's due - for accuracy aside this is a wonderfully atmospheric portrait of eveyone's favourite ancient Egyptian undead - the Mummy!
But before we break out the Tana leaves for a celebratory brew-up, which Mummy actually is this? For there have been countless movies featuring the bandage-swathed walking dead, and contrary to the received wisdom (and luckily for me) they don't all look exactly alike! So whose Mummy is this?
Well, first we can rule out many low budget efforts as this Mummy features some fairly elaborate wrapping. And it's very distinctive too! Secondly, unlike many movie mummies, this one has no visible mouth, and that too really narrows down the field. Sadly the background is too shadowy and composed of generic old skool temple/ruins to be much use. But luckily we do have enough to go on...
...Yes, this card is based on the classic first Hammer Mummy movie made back in 1959. And although you can't tell from the card, it's the late great Sir Christopher Lee under all that the wrapping!
However after that tour de force of art and accuracy, perhaps inevitably the next card would see a drastic reversal of fortunes...
Oh Slime Creature where are you? Yes, this is one of those rare cards that has all aficionados of the Horror Top Trumps completely stumped! Many have tried and failed to identify this somewhat melancholy looking creature, and I must confess it has defeated your faithful scribbler here too! Now most commentators have concluded that the Slime Creature is a rare wholly original escapee from the deranged imagination of the unknown Horror Top Trumps' artist. But judging by the big googly eyes and the large metal girdle the beast is wearing, I'm guessing this was possibly lifted from the pages of some forgotten '50 SF comic...
However I can make a positive id of his/its victim! The fellow on the receiving end of the oddly angled spear has been teleported in from another Hammer movie! This unfortunate chap is Christopher Matthews, playing a rakish young gentlemen called Paul Carlson. Paul has taken shelter in an old castle, he encounters the delectable Tania, played by Anoushka Hempel. And being a red-blooded young fellow, he can't resist seducing Tania, unfortunately (for him) immediately after making love, she gets a bit peckish...
Now if you thinking, getting bit by Anoushka and maybe spending eternity in undeath with her might not be so bad, sadly that's not Paul's fate. For the master of the castle returns - it's Dracula, Prince of Gooseberries! I mean, Prince of Darkness! And the Count is not pleased... But that's another story!
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