Customer Reviews

The Mummy [VHS]

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

After Hammer Studio had such success with their versions of Dracula and Frankenstein, it was inevitable they would tackle another one of the classic monsters of Universal's horror pantheon. By granting Universal the American distribution rights, Hammer was allowed to create their own screen versions of the Mummy movies from the 1930s and '40s (never mind Universal ripped off an Arthur Conan Doyle short story "The ring of Thoth" in the first place). Hammer's 1959 (yes, that's the CORRECT date) film "The Mummy," directed by Terence Fisher, actually ends up being one of the studio's best horror films. Set in 1895, English archaeologists uncover the tomb of the Egyptian princess Ananka (Yvonne Furneaux). When Stephen Banning (Felix Aylmer) enters the tomb, ignoring the warnings of the Egyptian Mehemet (George Pastell), he is driven mad. Of course, he has encounter Kharis (Christopher Lee), the living mummy. Three years later, Stephen warns his son John (Peter Cushing) that the mummy is after them, but the warning is ignored. Mehemet arrives near the asylum and sends the mummy to slay the half-mad Stephen in his padded cell. Following his father's murder, John learns the legend of Kharis and Ananka, the high priest who loved the princess so much he tried to bring him back from death with the Scroll of Life and was entombed as a living mummy for his sacrilege. When Kharis strikes again, John learns the legends are true. But then Mehemet orders the mummy to kill John's wife Isobel, who is the living image of Kharis' beloved Ananka (because she is also played by Furneaux. At this point, the Mummy refuses to obey and we are well on our way to the requisite tragic ending.

"The Mummy" is one of the better looking Hammer films, thanks to Bernard Robinson's production designs and Jack Asher's cinematography, the high point of which is the lengthy Egyptian flashback sequence. Peter Cushing plays John Banning the hero with a sense of melancholy attributable to not only his crippled leg but sadness over the tragic consequences of their treasure expedition. George Pastell's Mehemet is one of the most thoughtful and pious villains you will ever find in a horror film. As Kharis, Christopher Lee has another silent role that forces him to communication his longing for Ananka through his eyes and gestures. Lee's mummy is much more muscular and athletic than Karloff's original. No slow shuffling monster here, the scene where Kharis smashes through the sanitarium window to attack Stephen Banning is one of the best action sequences in Hammer's history. It is not surprising Lee suffering physically because of this film. "The Mummy" stands out from other Hammer films not only because the monster is different this time around, but more because it does present the black and white division between Good and Evil we come to expect in Fisher's films. After all, Kharis has suffered for ages in unspeakable torment and kills only to protect Isobel thinking she is Ananka, so there is a degree of pity involved, while we have some feelings of disgust towards the archeologists who are so dismissive of native beliefs. Clearly there is more depth here to the characters than we find in the contemporary block busters where the appeal is pure special effects.

Okay... bullets don't stop him, bogs don't drown him, and running a spear through him simply causes a handful of desiccated kidney dust to pour out of the exit site and, if those blazing brown eyes are any indication, get madder than he was to begin with. How do you stop Kharis (Christopher Lee), the Mummy, who has traveled from Egypt to the peaceful countryside of England to wreak havoc (aka, kill) the three English archeologists who desecrated the tomb of his beloved, Princess Ananka. Traveling with is his keeper, Mehemet Bey (George Pastell), who conveniently carries along with him, in a mini-mummy casket, a scroll of life which, when read, brings them back from the dead.

Man, what a thankless role Lee was stuck with in this one. His mummy makeup is as stiff as a plaster cast, he doesn't even get to growl, and the only emotion he's allowed to express in this one - save for an extended flashback scene where's he's the high priest preparing the Princess for burial - is through the eyes. Of course, Kharis had a forbidden, meddlesome love for the Princess, which helped accelerate his outraged congregation turning him into Dust-for-Guts, so I guess he had it coming to him. That forbidden love was a good thing for archeologist John Banning (Peter Cushing) though, who had the great good sense to marry Princess Ananka look-alike Isobel (Yvonne Furneaux.) If guns, bogs, and spears won't stop the Mummy (why didn't anyone think about a bucket of creosote and a lit match!? Sigh.) a squealed "Stop!" from Isobel/Ananka seems fairly effective.

THE MUMMY is one of those fun Hammer House films I haven't watched for a generation or so and delight in rediscovering. Cushing it at the top of his form, and Lee makes the most of his limited opportunities to generate sympathy for the monster. The Mummy is one of the hardest of the classic monsters to warm up to. Dracula is heartless but has a cold charm and more than enough style to hold our attention. Frankenstein's Monster is a pathetic creature in battle with his creator. The Wolfman's got that wolfbane curse that was a result of an accident totally beyond his control. The Mummy defies his gods by attempting to resurrect the Princess, and spends most movies trying to reunite with her. To their credit, Hammer's Mummy also has Mehemet Bey, who preys upon the residual guilt of the English for robbing Egypt of her sacred treasures. So this Mummy has a two-track, lost love/revenge theme going. Good fun, THE MUMMY is about as family-safe film as you'll find. There's no nudity, extremely minimal gore, and there's more talk than scare. Interesting talk, too, especially the third act guilt-trip Mehemet Bey tries to lay on Banning. Solid recommendation.

THE MUMMY is hands down the greatest film Hammer ever produced, even surpassing HORROR OF DRACULA. The Egyptian sequence with its air of authenticity and dream-like horror, superb acting (especially by Peter Cushing and Lee, who marvelously conveys the stunted feelings of Karis via his eyes), memorable cinematography, intelligent dialogues, (this film has NO CAMP APPEAL! I HATE THE WORD CAMP!) exciting set pieces as the very physical Lee-mummy crashes through doors and strangle his victims, all converge to make a timeless classic. Oh yeah, this is also the best mummy movie ever made. As if there is a real competition. Ha ha.

In 1959 Hammer Studios tackled one more of the Universal classics and this film blends the very best of all the Universal Mummy films and makes this one of the best Mummy films, ever, in my opinion. The talented team of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee once again grace the screen with Hammer's take on this legend and what a film! Moving at a much more accelerated pace than earlier versions of this story, this film barely allows the viewer to catch it's breath before we're whisked away to a new and even more exciting scene. Everthing works in this film, the acting, the directing, the sets and the music all come together to offer the viewer a completely enjoyable film that can be watched over and over, again. No longer a lumbering and slow *creature*, this Mummy is able to move quickly and with deadly accuracy, but the eyes of the Mummy are also able to tell of the pain and loss it has withstood. Christopher Lee gives an outstanding performance as The Mummy/Kharis and the final scene in the swamp is absolutely unforgettable. Peter Cushing is always a pleasure to watch in any film and this is a very good film for his talents. The supporting cast of, Yvonne Furneaux, Eddie Byrne, Felix Aylmer, George Pastell and Hammer stalwart, Michael Ripper make this a film not to be missed by any classic horror fan. If all you've seen are the Universal Mummy films from the *Golden Age* of horror or the new Universal Mummy films, then give this film an opportunity to entertain you, chances are, if you've not seen any Hammer films, you'll be seeking more of their titles out!

great film, big hammer fan, but the viewer from france has hit the nail on the head.

I looked forward to this dvd and sure enough all seemed to be well, reviews praising the quality of the transfer but there was something nagging me... my memory for films is pretty good and there was something wrong, the image was 'odd' felt somehow compressed in some form. also, colours weren't as vibrant as i remembered them. Now on alot of films i can think of i couldn't care less but this is a hammer, the visuals in a good hammer are one of the primary attractions, composition and colours. It worried me all the way through the movie until it got to the scene i remember most vividly, when cushing confronts the controller of the mummy. I remember the depth of these shots from this scene, i remember the amazing tone of the colours, so as soon as it finished i got out my old, cheap vhs copy and sure enough, the differences were not all in my mind.

i don't know the technical terms for this, but seems the guy from france has. great movie, i am a hammer devotee, but i can't help thinking one of the best aspects of their films will not come through if warner brothers continues this method of transfer. Hound of the baskervilles is out soon, a film visually similar to the mummy, i hope they do a better job.

hate having to write reviews like this, but someone noticed the poor quality image of the fall of the house of usher as well and as i keep saying, the colours, the tones, the photography are not getting the treatment they deserve

if you have the anchor bay edition of the abominable snowman check out the peter cushing extras, there are amazing images from the hound of the baskervilles, cinema quality, be interesting to compare to the forthcoming WB release.

Again, sorry if i have put you off this movie, it really is great fun but i can't help feeling a bit disappointed

In this, 1959's third installment from Hammer Studios, Christopher Lee dons the moldy bandages for a vengeful rampage across the Victorian countryside. Lee plays Kharis, an Egyptian priest returned from the afterlife, searching for archaeologist John Banning (Peter Cushing) and his expedition, to exact revenge on Banning and his team, for desecrating his beloved Princess Ananka's tomb. Directed by Terrence Fisher, this film has good lighting and music score, as well as costumes and make-up, which brings that classic element of horror to the screen, that we all know and love. This is a definite keeper for the Hammer fan, (the price is certainly right,) but I think we can all agree, that Karloff will be best known for owning the role of 'The Mummy'.

Some have disparaged this version of THE MUMMY, but in my opinion it ranks with CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN and HORROR OF DRACULA as one of the best of the Hammer Horror Films. Any teaming of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee is well worth the time to watch. The DVD captures the full widescreen image which shows how talented the Hammer crew were at creating a rich atmosphere on unbelievably small budgets. Only the mono sound recording is weak here; the beautiful music score "tops out" at times, but on the whole Warners have done an admirable job of disc transfer. The Technicolor photography is lush, and Lee's eyes (his only means of expression while wrapped in all those muddy bandages ) shine in vivid testament to the creatures tortured soul. Lets hope Warners will follow suit and release the other classic Hammer films in their library with equally fine DVD transfers in the very near future.

There have been quite a lot of mummy stories over the years, but this one manages to hold its own even when compared to the recent revival of the genre. There is hardly a part of this movie which has not been copied by others or done before. The tongue-cutting, the resemblance between a modern woman and an ancient Egyptian princess, the reading of the book of the dead are just a view examples, but still this movie stands out. This is for a large part due to the outstanding performance of Christopher Lee as the mummy. Despite being wrapped up in bandages Lee manages to give the cursed Egyptian priest a character of his own, that calls for pity even though his muderous habits are chilling. An excellent horror movie.

Hammer Studios reached a new high with this excellent production of "The Mummy" which I feel is one of the best Mummy films made. Hammer had a way of adapting old horror stories and making them their own and that is certainly the case with this production.

Reuniting the famed team of actors Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee and director Terence Fisher who worked so well together in "Horror of Dracula" was a masterstroke and there were enough updates on the old Mummy saga to make for a most interesting and thrilling film here. The look of this production is top notch and has that typical beautiful look that Hammer always managed to bring to its films. The rich Hammer colour really adds exciting elements to the story and the Victorian flavour really gives the viewer a sense of where and when the story is taking place.

I agree totally with past reviewers about the different approach that is taken with the character of the Mummy in this film. Being used to the famous Boris Karloff and Lon Chaney Jnr versions this film comes as quite a shock in that Lee's interpretation reveals a far more active and aggressive mummy than has been seen previously. Indeed it is a far more scary character this time around with a total absense of the slow shuffling walk of the earlier mummies. This Mummy is taller and strides along at a fast pace. The scenes whereby the mummy breaks into the sanitorium and then later the Banning house to kill those that violated the tomb of the high Priestess Anaka are the most startling in the film and really add to the terror of the piece.

Full marks must of course got to the terrific Christopher Lee who handles here another quite difficult role where there is an absense of dialogue and where he must convey most of his emotions in body movements and feeling from his eyes. Lee makes for a scary and sinister mummy with just that hint of tragedy about him that makes us as the audience feel for him despite the fact of him being a killer. His dark , slimy appearance is also a major element in his overall impression of menace and is a dramatic contrast to the usual bandaged and dusty mummies of old. His scene where he rises from the eerie swamp after his arrival in England is one of the most memorable sequences in Hammer's horror history and is one of the most constantly revived photos in the horror genre. Peter Cushing, always such a total pleasure to watch, brings his usual excellence to the role of John Banning whos family is cursed by the Egyptian High Priest Mehemet Bey (George Pastell is a superb performance) for opening the tomb of Ananka. Yvonne Furneaux, an actress I know little about, is also excellent in the role of Isobel Banning, John's wife who happens to resemble the Princess Anaka. She is an incredibly beautiful woman and she brings just the right element of feminity and strength to her role. It's always a pleasure to also see Hammer regular Michael Ripper in a small role as a poacher who comes across the Mummy in the woods and is nearly scared to death. Ripper was an excellent character actor and lent his considerable talents to many of the Cushing /Lee collaborations.

As a previous reviewer did mention the studio look of the scenes at the excavation site and in the flash back sequences are disappointing however once the action moves back to Victorian England with a lot of location photography used the film is excellent and has everything going for it. The scenes in the foggy swamp areas have a real sinister and eerie feel to them and really add to the sense of drama apparent in the story. The flash back scenes to ancient Egyptian times are nevertheless very well researched and the scenes of the preparations for the burial and Lee's punishment for disturbing the tomb by having his tongue cut out are well handled and not for the squeamish.

Hammer's "The Mummy" starring those two talented men Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee is not to be missed and should be in the collection of every horror fan. Not only is it rich in telling a good horror story, it also displays very fine acting, a genuine care for the material at hand, and a precise attention to detail which was one of the hallmarks of Hammer films at their peek. Enjoy the thrills and horror of "The Mummy", you wont be disappointed!

The Mummy has always been the Rodney Dangerfield of classic monsters: it doesn't matter the year or the studio, he just doesn't get any respect. But Hammer's 1959 version, starring the incomparable team of Peter Cushing (as the hero) and Christopher Lee (as the monster), might be the best treatment of the ancient Egyptian living dead on film, as well as Hammer's best film. At any rate, the best looking (and sounding) to come from the tiny English studio. Jimmy Sangster's script scrambles up themes (and even character names) from several Universal Mummy films of the 1930s and 40s, but in the process he comes up with the most literate and historically accurate treatment of theme on record. Particularly clever is the decision to make the hero, Cushing, an agile adversary with a bum leg, turning upside-down the convention from the old Universal Kharis films which presented a lame, shuffling mummy who still managed to catch up with his furiously running victims (though for the record, some have claimed that Cushing was really injured at the time of filming, and his limp merely incorporated into the story). The direction of Terence Fisher is atmospherically assured as usual without being obtrusive, but Jack Asher's photography is really something to behold: in particular, the scenes of ancient Egypt are stunningly beautiful. The supporting cast is one of Hammer's best, with Sir Felix Aylmer and Raymond Huntley joining such studio regulars as the great Michael Ripper and George Pastell, but the acting honors go without question to Christopher Lee, who excells in a role that has defeated lesser actors -- the silent, bandaged mummy -- and makes it not only frightening, but heart-wrenchingly tragic, simply through body language and his expressive eyes. If you're into mummy films, this one is a must.