Customer Reviews

The Mummy (Widescreen) (1959)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Well, I compared the 2001 Warner DVD to the 1991 Warner Laserdisc. First the good news, the picture has been remastered and especially in dark shots, as in entering Princess Anankas tomb, contrasts are better and details come through with color and are not lost to darkness. Very nicely done. Now the bad news. This was not a widescreen production to begin with. The original aspect ratio was somewhere between 1:37:1 and 1:66:1, probably closer to the Academy standard. All we are getting with the "Matted" presentation here is the full picture with the top and bottom masked off to give the impression of a presentation somewhere between 1:78:1 and 1:85:1. It is very obvious because the actors hats, etc are constantly cut off. Comparing to the fullscreen also shows that nothing is being added to the sides and quite a bit of picture is lost in this presentation. The movie gets an A but this DVD gets B- for Video, B for Audio, C for extras, overall B-, could have been better. Frankly, I don't understand why Warner didn't just issue the fullscreen on the second layer or give us a single layered dual-sided disc, they cost about the same, with the standard presentation on one side and this "matted" presentation on the other, they have done this for many other releases. Thanks for reading, CAL

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!

As I said it before, I do love a good scare from a horror film; or just watch retro horror films. And also I do have a flare for the Ancient Egyptians; and one thing: I never knew that Christopher Lee was a horror film actor back then.

The film is about a man name Stephen Banning, who with his father and uncle, were on archaeological expedition, and had excavated the lost tomb of the long-dead,Egyptian princess Anaka. But once the princess is in the museum, a killer mummy is out to kill the Banning men - including Stephen!

I found Mr. Lee's Mummy is so very sympathetic, especially during the flashback when you see him alive. The way he says those lines, with such deep feeling in them, and the pain in his eyes every time he looks at the dead princess are truly moving...Well GAH! he had a crush on the princess. And, of course, when he sees Isabel Banning (who looks like the Princess Anaka - DUH! same actress. Well anyway, his eyes immediately soften to Isabel and he gets that longing look back in them. He's brilliant, absolutely brilliant; as is this film, a true gem of horror movies.

I do love this movie, with one notable exception: the misuse of the name 'Karnak'. Karnak is a location in Egypt, the modern name of the ancient Nesut-Towi, or variably, Ipet-Iset. It is one of the most impressive temple complexes in Egypt. Karnak is not, and never has been, the name of a god of Egypt. There are plenty of Egyptian gods to choose from; why not actually pick one of them instead of incorrectly using the name of a place? And what was the animal use for the god satute? a rat or a badger? or something? So overall, this mummy movie is very good, and has remained extremely watch-able and entertaining, even now.

In the world of horror, the mummy sits right next to vampires and werewolves -- creepy supernatural things that can rip you to bits.

And they are rarely scarier than they are in "The Mummy," a classic horror movie with no blood, no gore, not even any curses. Yet this is creepier -- and more frightening -- than any dozen fright flicks from Hollywood now. Of course, having Christopher Lee lurching through locked doors helps.

A pair of archaeologists uncover the tomb of Egyptian Princess Ananka, but once inside, Stephen Banning (Felix Aylmer) collapses into gibbering madness. Three years later, a mysterious box arrives in England, at the same time that Banning tells his son John (Peter Cushing) that something is coming to kill him. He's found strangled in a padded cell.

It turns out that Stephen was murdered by a "living mummy," a disgraced priest who was buried alive in Ananka's tomb to protect his beloved. Now a zealot has brought the mummy to England, and is using it to kill off anyone who dared go into the tomb. Now John must stop them both, using his wife's resemble to Ananka...

"The Mummy" got a big-budget, low-talent remake in the late 90s, which shares a few things with this movie, but the Hammer Horror version is probably the most memorable and well-made. Partly that is due to the hulking, silent, menacing mummy, and partly due to solid scripting and some very good acting.

Okay, the Egyptian sets are hokey, and the Hammer people had little knowledge of ancient Egypt ("Karnak" is a place, not a god). But the film blossoms as it gets back to England, full of misty bogs and dark country mansions. It's an unlikely spot for a 4000-year-old Egyptian to wreak havoc, but it works surprisingly well.

The script injects a poignancy to the mummy's story, since he suffered a fate worse than death for love, and even now gets all mushy over a woman who looks like Ananka. At the same time, he's also a ruthless killer who strangles his victims without batting an eye.

Cushing plays the role, again, of a man who battles the forces of evil, no matter how bizarre or out-there they may be. And he does a solid job. Lee is outstanding, especially considering that his head is covered in papier-mache. The change of expression whenever he sees Isobel, a dead ringer for Ananka, is magnificently poignant.

"The Mummy" remains one of Hammer Horror's best films, with its solid acting and taut direction. Still creepy after all these years.

This is probably the best Hammer movie ever made. The original Karloff version was too derivative of Dracula. Starting with the first, and the later versions, the mummy could hardly move. Christopher Lee, a mediocre actor, was truely an athletic one, and it was put to good use in this movie. Jack Asher's color cinematography bordered on the expressionistic. But it wasn't the black and white expressionism of German silent movies, or the classic Universal studios. This was the expressionism of German painters. However, I prefer the ending in the original version, where the heroine had to rescue herself, while the heroes looked on helplessly.

fact number 1:in order to be "enhanced for 16:9" the picture "has" to be 16:9-that works out to 1:78 aspect ratio.

fact number 2:fisher was working with 35mm film stock wich was then matted at 1:66 , the most popular format all over europe.

fact number 3:the north american standard for non-scope films was 1:85 witch is the full 35mm aspect ratio.

fact number 4:warner is not in the habit of taking inferior euro-transfers (4% too fast as a half-assed way of synchronising
celluloid with video)ex:the mummy on pal video is 85 mins insted of 88(correct running time for both celluloid & NTSC).

fact number 5:there is always a little more picture on the film stock then will ever be seen in theaters or video.otherwise the number of goofs reported would astronomical.

so in conclusion don't be alarmed by naysaywers bitching about aspect ratios , 9 times out of 10 they know less than you.

OK color production by Hammer of the mummy motif. Good acting and rather elegant period sets give the film a spooky feel but when Christopher Lee enters as the title creature things really liven up. He's an interesting mummy--jerky and spasmodically stomping around like a wind-up robot gone berserk. Peter Cushing seems right at home in his role. The beautiful Yvonne Furneaux (as Cushing's wife and a dead ringer for the mummy's lost love) comes in near the end of the film to get carried off into the swamp. Why her character has to enter so late is a mystery. She would have at least brought something more into the movie. For discerning adults it's rather juvenile but for kids it's fine. It's a good way to introduce younger audiences to classy horror films.

Really, The Mummy was a bit of a limited character. When Karloff played the role in the 30's under Karl Freud's direction, he spent very little time under wraps. That film, although atmospheric, is as dull as can be. Even as a kid I thought it lacked any sort of spark or excitement. Universal revived The Mummy in the 40's with a sucession of actors "playing" the role. These guys were all wrapped up in themselves. The character was played as a mindless brute and the stories were routine.

Terry Fisher's The Mummy was a marked improvement over the Universal films. First and foremost is the way the action sequences were staged. Fisher and Jack Asher do a great job with these sequences despite budget limitations. Asher's photography is stunning. The DVD remains pretty true to the best presentations I've seen of The Mummy. While there are versions with brighter more vivid color, they also suffer from a lack of detail (particularly the VHS and Laserdisc versions).

This time they actually put an actor under the bandages. Christopher Lee does his best to emote under tons of make up and manages to reach the audience with his eyes. They are expressive and display a wide range of emotions for the character. He's still something of a mindless brute but, well, at least he has some emotions now! Cushing is, as always, great in his role. Cushing brings makes the character energetic and his acting is extra crispy (we all know the extra crispy KFC is better than the original receipe, right?).

The support cast is drawn from a stable of Hammer regulars and all are up to the task. It's not quite as stylish or sophisticated as Horror of Dracula (where Jimmy Sangster essentially just adapted some very basic plot elements from Stoker and embelished them), Curse of Frankenstein (with its marvelous portrayal of Dr. Frankenstein as a sociopath) or Revenge of Frankenstein but it has its moments.

I can't comment on the widescreen presentation as I don't currently have the other versions to compare this to. I do believe (from my memory) that the color and detail is sharper in this DVD. I can't comment on the foreign edition as I don't know if the copy that was used to make the DVD was this one.

Yes, it should have all sorts of extras. There's only the trailer. This film is fairly short so Warner could have included the full screen and wide screen versions as well as some sort of audio commentary. That's Warner for you. I keep hoping that Rhino will take an interest in the Hammer films and reissue them like the Warner/Atlantic music releases.

I saw this movie on TV when I was a child and I loved it! I adored the concept of the Mummy and I still think this is the best version of the movie ever.

Peter Cushing looks great as Professor Banning, he really makes the roll come to life, and as for his beautiful wife Isabell, she couldn't be more beautiful.

I love the scene when they go back in time and show the Princess Ananka being embalmed. It's so cheesy but oh-so-good at the same time.

The end is what really gets you. No matter how many times you see this movie, you will never forget Isabell's red dress and seeing the mummy sink into the swamp...but if it's with Isabell I won't say. :o)

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