Sphinx

VHS, PG, 117 minutes, WARNER

Who dares unlock the riddle - and live to tell about it? Lesley-Anne Down ("Upstairs Downstairs"), Frank Langella ("Dracula") and John Gielgud ("Arthur") star in this occult-tinged thriller based on the best seller by Robin Cook ("Coma"). Directed by Academy Award winner Franklin J. Schaffner ("Patton"), "Sphinx" bristles with peril and shines with the eye-dazzling landmarks of ancient Egypt - as well as a closeup look at the lavish treasures of Tutankhamen, filmed with special permission. A young anthropologist (Down) has come across a clue leading to a long-forgotten royal tomb. She'll stop at nothing to find it. And pays no mind to the idea that Egypt's last undiscovered treasure may carry a curse. Against this backdrop of prophesied doom, the story unfolds, raising the real-life question: Is there a mummy's curse? Yes, say believers who point to 21 deaths connected with King Tut's tomb. Most striking of all was the death of tomb co-discoverer Lord Carnavon, who joked as he descended into the just-unearthed site. "If he goes down in that spirit, I give him six weeks to live," a nearby Egyptian official said. And six weeks it was!.