Customer Reviews

The Mummy's Ghost/The Mummy's Curse

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Ignore the bad reviews, this double feature DVD is the best that these classic "B" movies have ever looked on home video. The moody black and white cinematography yields a gray scale feast if viewed on a correctly calibrated display device. The picture is sharp and the contrast is excellent. GHOST has a few scratches on the print but otherwise looks crisp. CURSE is near flawless. Only a full scale Million dollar restoration like the one given CITIZEN KANE by Warner Home Video could produce a better black and white image. As for the Production Notes, they are written with an obvious love and affection for the genre and have lots of information unavailable anywhere else. If you enjoy these movies, buy them; they've never looked better than they do on this reasonably priced double feature disc.

The Mummys Ghost and the Mummys Curse are both late Universal horror films being made in 1944. Sadly by this time Universal had lost their ability to make classic horror films and were about to enter the Abbott and Costello meet the Wolfman era.

Curse is the better of two films and warrants the 3 stars I have awarded the pair. Indeed this film has one classic scene that must rank as one of the best scenes in any of Universals horror films. Watch when Princess Ananka awakes from the mud. This is really well done and has an almost 3D effect to it. Sadly though the rest of the film is at best average and rather pointlessly for a short 61 minute movie its starts with a song in a bar.

The less said about Ghost the better. Its only redeeming feature was the ending which was very unlike Hollywood. For that it deserves credit.

Overall though these are basically very average films, which certainly do not compare with Universals orginal film starring Boris Karloff. Now that is a film you should be buying!

The mummy's curse is the fourth and final of the "real" mummy movies. It's the one that you have probably seen on late night horror fests growing up. When I watched the Mummy's ghost I realised that I had never seen it, nothing about it rang a bell at all. It's an ok spook fest with a good number of suprises. The treat here is finally getting the Mummy's curse. It looks great, very crisp, great sound (mono), great dvd packaging as well. Somehow this is THE one. I have all 5 MUMMY movies in the original series and this is the famous one. 1-4 seemed to get lost or have just became obscure even though they were famous films. If you're trying to figure out the name of the Mummy movie you remember watching as a kid it's probably this one. The hammer films Mummy series is also pretty darn GODlike. They are all out as well. (The Mummy's shroud is the killer one there). please avoid the 1999 & 2001 remakes, they are painful beyond words!! all hail the one and only true universal MUMMY.

Man, the reviewer a couple below hits the nail on the head when he asks why anyone would be embarrassed for enjoying these classic films.

These and the other Universal Calssic Monsters set the bar for quality in the genre and had a huge impact worldwide.

Consider Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein, directed by the amazing James Whale. Who would argue that these are not just excellent horror films, but simply excellent films. Creature from the Black Lagoon. Again, it may be dated somewhat, but what movies from this era aren't? It still delivers tension and creeps.

The Mummy series of Universal films may be my favorite of the lot. This particular DVD reissue is an essential edition to any horror or classic film afficionado's collection and is a great introduction for the next generation as well.

Having already purchased these releases on VHS plus the Laserdisc box set, I did not rush out pell-mell to get the DVD's. When I did I remebered how much I had enjoyed the films as a kid. I immediately brought extras copies for some contemporary "kids". While lacking any real extras, not even the poster and photo still collection on the Laserdisc release, it still made for a great DVD. There was a little more print damage on "The Mummy's Ghost" than on the Laser release, but the picture quality was stronger overall, due to DVD transfer process. The print quality on "The Mummy's Curse" was about the same and the sound quality on both was excellent. Considering that these films were nearly 60 years old when the DVD was produced Universal has down an admirable job. Contrary to other reviews these movies were in fact not filmed back to back. "The Mummy's Ghost" was actually made in 1943, see opening credits, but was released theatrically in 1944. "The Mummy's Curse" was released over Christmas 1944 on a double bill with "House of Frankenstein", with some of the same actors working in both films, including Lon Chaney, Jr. The scene of Princess Ananka (Virginia Christine) rising from the ground in "The Mummy's Curse" is a classic and is used in many later films. Make some popcorn and share these with the "kids" of all ages. Thanks, CAL

After the initial masterpiece of the original 1932 "A" film, "The Mummy," Universal would make a franchise of the character and it would become a "B" staple during the 1940's for people looking to escape the harsh news of the war and get lost in a fun story on a Saturday afternoon. It was also a chance to put your arm around your girl, as you knew there would be a few thrills that would give you the excuse you needed.

These two later entries from the 1940's are both a lot of fun, and both have Lon Chaney Jr. as the tortured Kharis, forever attempting to reunite with his forbidden love, Ananka. "The Mummy's Ghost" was excellent "B" film entertainment and had John Carradine as Yousef Bay. George Zucco was back as Andoheb, even though he was supposedly killed off in the previous film. Ramsay Ames is the frightened Amina/Ananka in this one and Robert Lowery is her bewildered boyfriend. Chaney elicits sympathy through the bandages somehow as he chases after the screaming Amina, who begins to transform into his love Ananka as the story progresses. The great "B" sets of Universal and the transformation of Ramsay Ames' character Amina into Ananka are highlights of a good entry in the series.

Lon Chaney would portray Kharis in the final film of the series also, and this time the stunning Virginia Christine would be his most sought after prize. "The Mummy's Curse" was set in the swamps as a group of workers developing the area become frightened when they uncover the resting place of Kharis. The foggy swamps provide an appropriately creepy mood for this good "B" entry. Betty Walsh is good as Kay Harding and Peter Coe is Dr. Ilzor Zanard, hiding Kharis in the ruins of a monastery. It is best not to question why or how there is such a place on a hill overlooking the swamps of the bayou or how the coffin of Kharis came to be there. These "B" Universal entries were meant to be fun entertainment and nothing more. This one succeeds in that capacity with the foggy atmosphere of the swamps and the gorgeous Virginia Christine. The scene where she rises from the swamps, awoken by the sunlight and covered in mud, gives this one a big lift.

This is old-fashioned fun in every sense of the word. So grab the popcorn and the kids and let your imagination run wild for an hour or two. It's a lot of fun!

Here we have the final two movies in Universal's Mummy series. You don't really need to describe the plot because I think it is pretty much the same in every one of these Mummy films. Mummy meets girl. Mummy and girl fall in love, violating the laws of Amon-Ra in the process. Mummy and girl are cursed and buried for thousands of years. Mummy is woken up by rude explorers. Mummy kills explorers. Mummy tries to reunite with girl, who is now a pile of moldy rags.

MUMMY'S GHOST takes place in poor, little Mapleton Massachusetts. Kharis has been presumably just wandering around the countryside like a dirty hippie since the end of the last mummy movie. When a professor brew up some nice Tana leave tea Kharis comes running (in a manner of speaking) like a hungry hound at chow time, kills the Prof. and guzzles down the tana tea. At the same time, yet another high priest is skulking about trying to get Kharis and Ananka, who is cooling her moldy heels in the local museum, back to Egypt. But you know how it goes with mummies. One thing leads to another and the high priest realizes that Ananka's soul resides in the body (meeOW) of a local girl, Amina Mansouri. He starts out trying to kill Mansouri in order to free Ananka's soul so it can return to her old mummy body (EWW!) but decides to keep her for himself and nuts to Kharis and the laws of Amon-Ra. Well sir, Kharis doesn't much cotton to this idea and he throws the high priest out a window and over a cliff. He then grabs Mansouri and carries her into one of Massachusetts many, many swamps where he and the rapidly aging Mansouri/Ananka sink into quicksand.

MUMMY'S CURSE finds our happy mummy couple mysteriously unearthed in the bayous of Louisiana. Ananka, in a pretty effective scene, rises from the mud and stumbles to a small town, where she is befriended by the locals. Kharis finally drags himself free of the mud but he's still in moldy Mummy form. When he eventually catches up with Ananka, she realizes that a future with Kharis, sealed in a dusty Egyptian tomb, chasing around his little mummy brats, just isn't for her anymore. There are some problems with another meddling high priest and yadda yadda yadda Kharis ends up bringing down the house...right on his own head.

Lon Chaney does a great job as Kharis. He actually manages to convey some emotion through the make-up, and there are a few times when the mummy is portrayed as a relentless, unstoppable juggernaut of destruction. There is a tiny bit of humor and more suspense than I was expecting . I found the Mummy's Ghost especially interesting in the way the townspeople were so accepting of the fact that a mummy was loose in their town. They gathered together, rather calmly to discuss how they were going to deal with it. I guess it just shows the scrappy attitude of people in that day when they can just comfortably roll up their sleeves and go out on a mummy hunt, as if they were going out to trap gophers . Mapleton is one Bad a$$ town.

There is nothing classic about these movies, they were made quickly and cheaply and it shows. But they give you what all b movies should: an hour or so of decent, escapist entertainment.

The Mummy's Ghost is the 3rd Mummy sequel and the second starring Lon Chaney Jr. as the Mummy. The events in this movie take place just a couple of years or so after the events in the Mummy's Tomb, where we saw Kharis go up in flames at the Steve Banning house.

High Priest Andoheb (george Zucco) is shown STILL alive. Old and frail he sends yet another young priest of Arkan (changed from Karnak for some reason) to America to recover Kharis and the body of Ananka and return them to Egypt. This time the priest Yousef Bey, is played by John Carradine.

Meanwhile, back in Mapleton, MA the Mummy is shown walking again...with NO explanation as to how he escaped the fire or what was done with his body after the fire. Just another one of those fun Universal plot inconsistencies...

At Any rate a Professor Norman recreates the Tana leave experiment sending Kharis on his merry way to commit murder and mayhem. Bey reaches the museum with Kharis but when he goes to take Anankas body she simply disinegrates into a heap of dust and bandages, sending Kharis into a destructive rage, killing a security guard.

Bey guesses that Anankas spirit has been reincarnated into a new body which they soon discover is that of Amini Mansouri played by 40's scream Queen Ramsay Ames. The remainder of the film deals with Bey and Kharis looking to capture Ames and the local sherrif and townsfolk looking to stop the mummy.

Chaney has much more to do in this film than in the previous one. He gets to really go on a rampage a couple of times and show some genuine emotion.

Carradine is fun as Yousef Bey even if he doesn't look remotely Egyptian. Ames is pretty standard as the damsel in distress and basically spends the movie screaming and fainting. Her fiancee Tom, played by Robert lowery, is the usual dim-witted, wooden romantic lead in the great tradition of David Manners.

I liked The Mummy's Ghost. It was more action packed than the two previous entries and Chaney really made the mummy terrifying.

In the Mummy's Curse we are treated to an odd bit of Universal continuity craziness...in previous movie the mummy disappeared under the swampy waters in Mapleton, MA..only to reappear in the swamps of Louisiana!!! Wow! what a trip!

Well we have a new high priest of Arkam who attempts to find the bodies of Kharis and the reincarnated Ananka and return them to Egypt. Peter Coe plays the high priest Zandaab aided by his servant Ragheb.

Oddly enough they find a very gothic looking and abandoned monastery atop a hill in the Bayou!!! They revive Kharis (played again by Chaney Jr.) and send him out to find Ananka.

This movie actually has one of the more chilling scenes in any mUmmy movie since the original, when the reincarnated Ananka digs here way out of the dirt and grime of the swamp. She staggers along covered in muck not unlike a zombie out of Night of the Living Dead. Quite scary given the time period.

She has no desire to go back and constantly runs from Kharis who kills anyone in his way including a female tavern owner.

I think Curse may have been the best of the Chaney Jr. Mummy offerings. Some genuinely scary moments. Only problem was that this was really the weakest supporting cast with no realy big name stars like Zucco or Carradine in supporting roles.

I know, we've all waited a long year for these films to come out and it's the juiciest selection of antique chillers that we've seen on DVD all at one time. But wow, was I ever disappointed at the quantity of fun-stuff on this DVD. Let's face it...Universal spoiled us with last year's releases of the Monster gang. They were full of hours of entertainment, from animated menus with haunting music to shorts and commentaries. Not so with this bunch of releases I guess. Not even an audio track on the menu. In addition, I can't even seem to switch back and forth between movies without turning off the machine and restarting the menu. The disc doesn't seem to allow this extravagant feature. At least you don't have to flip it! (ie. Fox Double Feature DVD's) I know..."we got 2 movies on the disc for the price of one so just be happy," right? I sure hope that the person who's in charge of the person who headed up this project is reading this at Universal. Do better next time! You still have a chance to redeem yourself with The Mole People and the Creature of the Black Lagoon sequels.

When I read some of these reviews where the writer apologizes, as if greatly embarassed, about how much he/she secretly enjoys the mummy or wolf man or Frankenstein movies, I want to scream louder than Evelyn Ankers. Why apologize? Why act embarassed? There's nothing to cringe about when you settle in and watch a movie that brings you great enjoyment. I've watched my collection of Universal shockers--especially"The Mummy's Curse," "The Mummy's Ghost," repeatedly for years and I never tire of them. On DVD, they're even better. "The Mummy's Ghost" haunts many of its first-time viewers with the extraordinary beauty of heroine Ramsey Ames and her horrific ending in the quicksand. Virginia Christine creates one of the most stunning sequences in fantasy films when she emerges from the quicksand as the ancient Princess Ananka--all accompanied by a powerful musical score and expressionistic shots of a racing sun and clouds. All of these beautifully made old black and white chillers from Universals are part of my permanent film library. Think of it like this: Universal fright movies made tons of money for the studios when they were released. Millions of customers lined up at the box offices around the world to thrill to these black and white masterpieces. I've seen old newspaper photographs of armies of fans in New York waiting in line to see "Night Monster," "The Mummy's Ghost," etc. These movies were produced by masters on modest budgets. Just compare the lush black and white photograpy in "Mummy's Ghost" and "Night Monster" with that of "Citizen Kane," "Since You Went Away," etc. Musical scoring for all these Universal movies were fabulous. Snippets from the Charles Previn/Frank Skinner scores from "Son of Frankenstein" and "The Wolf Man" were brilliantly interwoven with the Mummy movies. The Universal Monster collection is justly famed for its expert, smooth,productions and talented casts. So, when you feel the urge to apologize, shrink or confess that you're a fan of these timeless gems, then don't utter your apologies around these parts. Or you'll have Kharis, Larry Talbot and Frankie boy coming after you!