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Rating: 5 out of 5
Halloween is the time of year when you need to get in the spirit of frights and all that other Halloween excitement. Recently, I have been on a major old-school Universal Pictures monster movie grind. I wanted to watch the classics and see why they are renowned for making and establishing the horror movie genre. Universal dropped the ever-popular Frankenstein and Dracula, which are fantastic films. If you haven’t watched them, you need to. Next up was The Mummy.
This is my first time watching the original Mummy starring Boris Karloff. Karloff seemed to be the horror golden boy as he starred as the monster in Frankenstein. I was intrigued to watch this film because I am so used to the 1999 version of The Mummy starring Brendan Fraser. Brendan Fraser’s film is incredible as it is action-packed and more of a sci-fi adventure film than a horror film. I figured it would be the same story, but with more special effects and a more sorcerer-like mummy. Don’t get me started on the 2017 version starring Tom Cruise and the start of the epic failure of the Dark Universe. Some things should never have seen the light of day or have been thought out a little bit more.
This time around, we are talking about the OG 1932 version of the Mummy. The film starts out in 1921, where an archaeological expedition led by Sir Joseph Whemple (Manners) finds a mummy. Whemple’s friend, Dr. Muller, realizes that the mummy is an ancient Egyptian high priest named Imhotep (Karloff). While inspecting the mummy, they learn that Imhotep was a very, very bad boy back in the day. It is discovered that the mummy’s viscera were not removed and that dude was buried alive. Also buried with Imhotep is a casket bearing a curse. What the hell did you do, Imhotep? Who did you piss off? Muller warns Sir Joseph’s assistant, Ralph Norton, not to do anything stupid or open anything. Well, Ralph opens the box and finds the ancient “Scroll of Thoth” that has the power to bring anything back from the dead. Ralph translates and reads the symbols out loud. You know what happens? Imhotep comes back to life and drags his mummy ass out. Norton, horrified at first, loses his shit and can only laugh hysterically.
I was expecting the film to go the route of Imhotep, decked out in the typical mummy outfit with bandages and causing terror throughout Egypt. That didn’t happen, or where the story went. It went straight in the direction of skipping ten years in the future, with Imhotep looking normal, even though he really needed some lotion and being assimilated into the modern world. What the hell happened in those ten years? Dude takes on the identity of an Egyptian historian named Ardath Bey. This mastermind reveals the location of the tomb of Princess Ankh-es-en-Amon to another expedition and has them dig up the princess. Imhotep is still in love with the princess and wants her to be with him in the current world. Imhotep’s plan changes when he meets a woman who looks like old girl and decides she must be a reincarnation and plans to kill her instead and have the soul of his past love inhabit her body.
Rather than the jump at you and frights, these old school films relied on their camera work and mystery to show a great horror film. In this film, the mummy doesn’t walk around with that zombie-like foot slide while choking people. In this film, dude looks through some cauldron-like thing that shows him people he wants to see, and he squeezes the very life out of them. Get in Imhotep’s way and you’d better believe he’s not making it to the end. What I love is how the film shows when dude is pissed. It is an extreme close-up on Imhotep’s face, and he has a blank/stoic look. He has the FAFO (fuck around, find out) look.
The main storyline is Imhotep trying to convince a pretty little thang named Helen that she is the reincarnation of his booth, Princess Ankh-es-en-Amon. Dude has crossed the ages to be with her again. The two men who want to stop him and try to protect her. As the movie progresses, you see Helen have minor visions of her past life and is drawn towards Imhotep. Imoteph almost gets his wish, but Helen, or whatever the princess’s name is, summons the courage to not go through with the ritual, and how the ancient statue moves is thrilling.
The classic films are better because they are less about the CGI and special effects and more about the acting. The acting makes the storytelling so much better because it makes you feel and become invested in the characters. One of the kings of the horror movie game is the legendary Boris Karloff. Karloff played the iconic Frankenstein, and why not have him as the lead character, Imhotep, aka The Mummy, aka Ardath Bey. Karloff embodies what a true movie monster should be. As Imhotep, he had a subtle voice but an intense aura about him. He seemed to never raise his voice and was always in control of what he was trying to achieve. This is why Karloff was Universal’s go-to man.
The 1932 version of The Mummy will forever be a classic film. It might not be one of the strongest movies, but it still holds its own. This film was the start of the Mummy franchise and greatly inspired and influenced the 1999 remake starring Brendan Fraser. Karloff is excellent in the title role and will forever be known for his horror genre work. Always give respect to the classics.
