PHARAOHS & ATHLETES

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Memphis' Pink Palace Museum is currently offering views of Egypt even people who have been there haven't seen, along with an opportunity to look at sports in a different way.

"Mysteries of Egypt," playing through June 30 at the Union Planters IMAX Theater, was produced by National Geographic and offers aerial shots of the pyramids and intimate views of the pharaohs' possessions. It is the first National Geographic film made in the IMAX format.

Egyptian native Omar Sharif plays the role of a grandfather showing the sites of ancient Egypt to his granddaughter, played by Kate Maberly of "The Secret Garden." Those sites include the 50-story-tall Great Pyramids and the Upper Nile in the highlands of Uganda and Ethiopia, which make the kind of pictures large-format IMAX photography was created for.

The film explores the eerie Valley of the Kings, the tragedy of the British archaeologists who discovered King Tut's tomb, the mummy's curse, and uses 400 extras in scenes illustrating how the pyramids were built. Images of wildlife to illustrate the relationship of the Nile lushness to Egyptian gods.

The film is directed by Bruce Neibaur, who won an Emmy for his TV special on the 200th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution. His feature-length movies also include "The Great American West" and "Hearst Castle -- Building the Dream."

A companion exhibition in the museum's Sharpe Planetarium, "Egypt's Eternal Skies," offers a look at the astronomy and sky lore of the ancient Egyptians.

Dan Hope, director of community and public relations for the museum, says National Geographic gained access to sites another moviemaker would not have. "The flyovers of the pyramids are not done because they're so close to a military base," he said. Zahi Hawass, director general for the Great Pyramids at Giza, was one of the Egyptologists appointed to consult on the film.

Hope said school groups have booked the theater's 240 seats for the morning shows until late May.

"Science of Sports," a hands-on exhibition in the museum's Bodine Hall, explores the chemistry, physics, math, anatomy, psychology and economics of sports. In it you learn why glue is the heaviest component being used in today's tennis rackets.

In the exhibit called "Locker room," visitors can try on football equipment. In the "Dugout," they can armchair referee. The "Arena" offers the chance to experience what a spinning ice skater feels. The "Training Room" tests reaction time and breath control. The "Gymnasium" houses a snap-back NBA basketball rim that gives everyone the experience of making a slam dunk and a floor-mounted balance beam to check gymnastic skills.

"The exhibit shows what you should or shouldn't include in your diet and training and some physics and what muscles are developed," Hope said. "For the younger athlete it's quite enlightening. The older athlete may find out what he should have done."

On special Saturdays the exhibition also provides demonstrations of baseball, tennis judo, wrestling and other sports.

'Mysteries of Egypt'

When: Through June 30

Where: Union Planters Imax Theater, Pink Palace Museum, 3050 Central Ave., Memphis, Tenn.

Hours: Four showings daily and seven on Saturday through May 27; Saturday showings reduced to six from May 28-June 30.

For information: (901) 763-IMAX

'Science of Sports'

When: Through Sept. 4

Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday & Saturday, noon-6 p.m. Sunday

Where: Bodine Exhibit Hall, Pink Palace Museum, 3050 Central Ave., Memphis, Tenn.

For information: (901) 320-6362