Movie Monster Week #2: MUMMIES!

CELEBRATING HORROR MONTH:
Week 2, the Mummies of history and fiction
By Alex Ness

HISTORY FACTS
FICTIONAL TALES

The world has a split personality regarding Mummies. They are spooky. They are amazing. The past comes alive in their simple being, if not alive, something remains. In a world consumed by the now, the past seems old and unimportant, but it is exactly the opposite. These formerly living archeological finds, once saw the sky in star configurations that won't be back for thousands of years. They breathed air that was not polluted by man made chemicals, nuclear waste, or more. They saw the dawn of modern humanity, and had been seen as wise, and much accomplished. When building their world the Woolly Mammoths still lived on Wrangel Island in the Arctic Circle.

But in fiction, Mummies are something quite different. They represent danger, a human kept alive by a curse to defend their former world's beloved princess, the sanctity of the sacred chambers of a people, or a being kept alive to bring revenge upon the world to comes' foolish actors. The oddity found with the Mummy as a being, is that both the historical version and fictional version are beings that can inspire horror, awe, and depths of a background story. Many generations of life have passed between the living life, to the life of living the curse, or simply existing beyond the imagined future of a being in ancient times. 

Yes, the truth is, I love the Mummy. Death seems by far more mercy, as in death one isn't cursed to being a servant to others unknown, in an unlife in their unknown future. The ultimate horror of being awakened in the future, with nothing beautiful, nothing hopeful, nothing needing free will. 

THE MOVIES WITH MUMMIES, GOOD BAD AND KINDA SOME KINDA OTHER

The First Universal Mummy and the remaining franchise

The Universal run of movies are at the least fun, and have worth. However, the very first of the series was very dark, deliciously dangerous, and moved slowly, but for a purpose. The villain was more than millennia old, and had used that time to plot, plan and wait for his beloved to return in new form. Upon finding his target, the world sees just how pragmatic and willing to do anything needed to restore the love between them, and restore her body to its form from the past. Every moment has purpose, and every second ticks with the modern viewer saying, hey, this is growing uncomfortable. Later editions of works of the franchise were fun, for me watching Lon Chaney as the mummy is a hoot. He shows emotion, somehow and every moment bears watching.

The Mummy from Hammer, and somewhat the franchise

Hammer, a British film company used the Mummy as well, borrowing from the same source as Universal's mummy. However, it was in color, it was actually scary, and it utilized aspects of story telling that often are mistaken for modern films, when instead, it was to make them unique. The creators of the first Hammer Mummy film have a similar story to Universal's first movie. But, the finder of the (Christopher Lee) mummy, (Peter Cushing as the Expedition lead professor) has a wife who seems to look a great deal like the Mummy's beloved, and more importantly... Whereas the Universal Mummy moves slow and humans can flee if they are careful, this Mummy from Hammer is powerful, he is huge, he is angry, and at last, he is fast. The finder of the mummy broke his leg badly during the dig. So in action, he moves slowly, while the mummy, still alive from thousands of years back, is lightning fast. The remaining Hammer Mummies are fun, but nothing nearly as good as the first.

The Brendan Fraser Mummy Movies

I included these in the good section of Mummy films, and I am being sincere in doing so, but... The films are not watched at all like those presented in from Hammer and Universal. I watched and acknowledged how well they were done, but I am someone who watched all sorts of films from the past and Karloff, Lon Chaney, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing demand one's steady attention. The stories were interesting and the effects were only somewhat important. In the Fraser Mummy movies, he is a popular main man, and the stories are fun. But aside from the power of the effects, and likeability of Fraser, it isn't something that I'd watch before any of the movies on the Universal and Hammer lists. However, I get accused of being too serious more than any other trait being criticized. I realize most people I know greatly enjoyed Brendan Fraser's run, and him. They're good movies, I'm just comparing me and my love of history to movie viewers of the present and their love of screens and loud and active media.

THE MIXED BAG OF MOVIES

I posted these because they are fun, in ways, are crappy in ways, but have something to return to if one watches them again. I am not a big fan of effects, and effects are the main character in these films. The Superman is a great version of animated story telling, but it isn't deep, just good. I have hope for more works from the maker of Lee Cronin's The Mummy, not because this movie was great, but the creative talent is himself talented, and he spoke about his process and his loss of his mother was helped by this. The story is interesting, but deeply violent. It could have worked much better with less of one and more of the other.

THE ANNE RICE and CHRISTOPHER RICE MUMMY SAGA

The work found in the Mummy or Ramses the Damned in all three books, are the books to find and enjoy if you like what lays beneath the horror of Mummies. That is, before Christopher Rice joined the work, Anne Rice took a known concept of the Mummy, and added personality, genius, empathy and romance. It felt much different than a book about horror. It seems far too perfect, how could I admire the villain? How could this villain be so much more elegant, eloquent, generous and bright, and still be the villain? 

The work added to the central theme, with Christopher Rice, makes a perfect story more nuanced. It is beyond intelligent, it is compelling and moves in directions I think no one might have predicted. The phrase but... isn't available here, the work has a tension within, and it has far more. The many stories about Vampires, Frankenstein and even Werewolves, all include basic concepts that their book has to include to be true to the monster considered. This three part Anne and Christopher Rice work was less about the classical unwrapping of the mummy, less fighting it, and more depth of perception as how a being of eternity thinks about existence.