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The Mummy
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Rating:  - THE MUMMY AWAKES!
Essentially a remake of their 1931 smash DRACULA, THE MUMMY is in many ways a more somber, dream-like interpretation of the previous film's themes of undeath, seduction of innocence, and a terror from beyond the ages. Boris Karloff--not long after his breakthrough role as the more famous Frankenstein's Monster--steps in for Lugosi and plays the eponymous mummy, a cursed Egyptian high priest whose forbidden love for a vestal virgin 3,700 years ago resulted in him being entombed alive. When a British archaeological team inadverdently revives him, Im-Ho-Tep walks the shifting sands once more. A few years later, the mummy encounters an unsuspencting young woman named Helen Grosvenor (played by the exotically gorgeous Zita Johann) whom he recognizes as his long-lost love from ages past. Determined to reclaim his reincarned lover no matter the cost, the ruthless mummy calls upon the powers of darkness in a battle of wits with Helen's doctor (Edward Van Sloan) and her new lover, Frank (David Manners) for the fate of her very soul.
A waking nightmare, THE MUMMY has a phantasmic quality about it that makes it almost possible to believe that the rolling desert sands are indeed haunted by lost gods and walking dead men and that mortals venture out into their cursed territory at great risk to life and sanity. Karl Freund's direction is tight and sure, and if the story is highly derivative of DRACULA it is in some ways an improvement. To be sure, the Universal DRACULA is in a class by itself, but THE MUMMY is the more serious of the two and never drags the way its predecessor tends to in certain spots. The cast is excellent, with Edward Van Sloan essentially playing Van Helsing to Karloff's version of Dracula all over again. David Manners is, as in DRACULA, the damsel's boyfriend forced to protect her from an undead monster's unwholesome attentions, but while Manners' role was frequently annoying and a bit overdone in DRACULA, it is here more measured and realistic. Johann possesses a dark, enchanting loveliness that fits her role perfectly, and her performance as the benighted victim of Im-Ho-Tep is empathetic and believable. And Karloff himself is a masterful villain, consumed by evil and yet tormented by a passionate love that drives him to greater and greater feats of wickedness. His makeup is minimal but evocative, and his glowing eyes peer from a ghastly visage of pure malevolence.
Fans of the 1999 version of THE MUMMY, an excellent film in its own right, may not find the original to be quite what they're looking for. The action is much more sparse, to say nothing of the special effects, but nonetheless this first of all Mummy films is a true classic of its genre, a bizarre venture into the Unknown that deserves to never be entirely forgotten.
Rating:  - Review of 2-disc Legacy Edition
When Universal released 75th Annivesary editions of Dracula and Frankenstein in 2006, I assumed they would release a similiar set the following year for the Mummy, to mark its anniversary. But 2007 came and went, with no new Mummy DVD. Now, a year later, we finally get this deluxe edition.
Before I get into the specifics of the discs, I want to share a few thoughts about the film itself. I've always felt that The Mummy was treated with a bit less respect than Universal's premiere big-screen sound horror movies, Dracula and Frankenstein. And there's a reason for that: The film offers a more subtle approach to its thrills than those other landmarks of the genre. As the film's title creature's moves and slow and deliberate, so is the pace of the film. You probably already know that the iconic bandage-wrapped mummy is only onscreen for a few seconds. For the bulk of the film, Boris Karloff appears as Ardeth Bey, the 3700 year old (unwrapped) priest who was buried alive for committing blasphemy. While the film in some ways confounds expectations--especially if you've seen a "proper" mummy film, with the living dead skulking around killing folks who've disturbed his/her rest--Karloff's commanding yet understated performance elevates the film to classic status.
Now, if you've bought either of the two previously-released DVD versions of The Mummy, you might wonder whether you should bother with this edition. And I think it comes down to how much you like the film itself, and whether you have a strong desire to learn a little more about its creation. As for the film itself, I've compared it to both the original single-disc release and the 2004 Legacy Collection version. . .and haven't found enough differences in the audio or video quality to recommend an upgrade solely based on expected improvments in the transfer. There's still some graininess to be found in the outdoor scenes, but the overall result probably represents the best the film will ever look. Audio? It's a mono film; it doesn't matter if you have the latest Dolby Pro-Geek 13.1 Surround Sound or whatever, it won't sound any better.
There are several bonus features which were held over from the Legacy Collection. These include audio commentaries, the well-done "Mummy Dearest" documentary (actually produced for the single-disc release), a trailer gallery, and the excellent feature-length documentary covering all the classic Universal monsters.
A new documentary on makeup artist Jack Pierce is a welcome addition, though at 23 minutes, feels a bit rushed. Less impressive is the even shorter featurette on the evolution of the Mummy character, which jumps from the 1940's sequels to the 1999 remake with Brendan Fraser, ignoring many other good and bad interpretations along the way. The set also includes a free ticket to see the latest modern-day installment, Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. I haven't seen it, but I'm assuming it's just as full of empty-headed thrills as its predecessors. Anybody want a free ticket?
I'd recommend this set to all die-hard Universal Monsters fans. But if you already have the film on DVD, you might want to consider whether the handful of new material is worth your money.
Rating: - Is there any difference between this version and the others on dvd?
This is not a review, but a question- Is there any difference between this version of the mummy or either of the other versions that Universal has released(the original in 2001, and the Legacy released a few years ago).
Does anyone know if there are any additional documentaries or special features not previously included ?
I'm about to buy this and basically want to know if there's any reason to
Rating: - A True and Fun Film Classic
The Mummy is one of the great horror films from the early days of sound pictures. It began with an excellent story by Nina Wilcox Putnam and Richard Schayer. It was a mystery and adventure set in the exotic location of Egypt, a present day romance in a tug of war with a supernatural love story. The results are a screen classic.
The story opens at a dig by the British Museum in 1921 as Sir Joseph Whemple (Arthur Bryon) and his team uncover an ancient sarcophagus. It becomes clear, however, that there is something quite different and disturbing about the mummy inside. His name was Imhotep, a High Priest, and the sacred spells etched into his coffin meant to make his journey to the afterlife smooth have been scratched out. And rather than being embalmed as was the custom in ancient Egypt, he was buried alive!
A small casket is also found with him that warns of death for anyone opening it. It seems it contains the ancient scrolls of the Egyptian god Isis, which hold the key to the afterlife. Try as he may, and in spite of warnings about the curse and its power from Dr. Muller (Edward van Sloan), Sir Joseph's assistant Ralph (Bramwell Fletcher) not only opens the small casket, but whispers the ancient Egyptian words of the scroll inside, bringing Imhotep back to life. Ralph Norton goes insane and Imhotep disappears.
Eleven years later, in 1932, a new field expedition of the British Museum headed by Frank Whemple, Sir Joseph's son, is led by a tall and stiff Egyptian with hypnotic eyes named Ardeth Bay (Boris Karloff) to the tomb of an ancient princess. There are equally dire markers surrounding her resting place, the Seals of Seven Jackels from over 3,700 years prior left as a warning to all who enter.
A battle of wills ensues for the love of big-eyed and beautiful Helen Grosvernor (Zita Johann) between Frank and Ardeth Bay/Imhotep as Imhotep wants to use the scrolls to bring back Princess Anck-Es-En-Amon from the dead and give her Helen's soul. Imhotep's spell is poweful, but perhaps not as strong as Frank and Helen's love for each other. And one must not forget how Isis feels about Imhotep's past and present transgressions against ancient things held sacred.
This is old-fashioned fun in every sense of the word. It does not seem creaky at all but is very entertaining, director Karl Freund keeping this Carl Laemmle Jr. production moving along at a nice pace. Karloff, Manners and Zita Johann are especially good in creating a memorable film that began the legend we all have come to know as, The Mummy. A true classic of the genre.
Rating: - Yet another release of the 1932 classic horror film
If you prefer your horror the old-fashioned way with atmosphere, implication, and imagination versus explicit special effects, this is your kind of movie. Everyone already knows the tale, and everyone has already seen the movie. It is worth ownng though. It was made in the precode era when horror movies could still have a dash of the shocking. Plus movies were still learning to talk, so much experimentation could go on. The director of "The Mummy", Karl Freund, had worked with Fritz Lang and so hints of German expressionism can be seen in this film as well. The year before, "Frankenstein" had made Boris Karloff a star at age 44. It is here Karloff gets to use the power of speech to add to his presence in horror films.
DISC 1:
Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed
Feature Commentary by Film Historian Paul M. Jenson
Feature Commentary by Rick Baker, Scott Essman, Steve Haberman, Bob Burns, and Brent Armstrong**
Posters & Stills**
Trailer Gallery
DISC 2
He Who Made Monsters: Life and Legacy of Jack Pierce**
Unraveling the Legacy of The Mummy**
Universal Horror Documentary**
**New Bonus Features not on previous releases.
Note that "Production Notes" and "Cast and Filmmakers" were bonus Features in the 2007 single disc release. "The Mummy Archives" was in the 2004 release "The Mummy: The Legacy Collection". These may or may not be encompassed in the new release. Thus is the chaos that is the Universal Classic DVD department.
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