Rating: 
Summary: THE MUMMY REMASTERED
Review: It should be noted that this 2001 reissue of Hammer's
THE MUMMY from Warner Home Video has been
remastered. Both color and sound quality are far superior
to the original release of this tape. There is no indication
of this on the box but the tape speaks for itself. The film
has not looked this good since its original theatrical release
back in 1959.
Rating:
Summary: Christopher Lee is very tall!
Review: It's amazing. Not only is this film a-typical for a mummy film (the plot is actually creative), but it is also incredibly entertaining due partially to the incredibly short man acting as the mummy's keeper who makes christopher lee look even taller than he already does. He's so tall it's exciting!
Rating:
Summary: OK Hammer take on the mummy....
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: You can't keep a good mummy down.
Review: Okay, if anybody is reading my reviews, then you know that I have weird taste in movies. I do own some good ones, too. Really!!With that disclaimer, I like this movie. What can I say? It has everything. Cushing is as intense as ever and Lee seems to enjoy grunting his way through the flick. It's a two-bowler. That's how many bowls of popcorn I will eat watching this flick.
Rating:
Summary: No extras to speak of but fine picture
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the Best Hammer Films!
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: AWESOME MOVIE!
Review: Terence Fisher added such a good sence of excitement to an old fashioned premise, adding cliches of his own along the way. Easiliy, one of the best mummy movies! Right up with the original Universal MUMMY, and it's 1999 counterpart.
Rating:
Summary: Warner Bros. has released a gorgeous DVD
Review: The 16x9 widescreen transfer of this Hammer classic is beautiful. The print is pristine and the colors are often eye-popping. The audio is clear--no hiss or pops. I was very surprised. I would love to have had a Christopher Lee commentary but for the price this is a steal. A big thanks to Warner Bros.--hopefully they'll soon release their other Hammer films.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Teacher Resource
Review: The film possesses an accuarate portrayal of the Egyptian mummification process. An egyptologist was on site to authenticate the filming. Though the plot is somewhat slow, overall, it is a good enhancement activity for those teaching ancient civilizations. Released in 1959, it's not rated, and is appropriate for classroom use.
Rating:
Summary: Third in a trio of Hammer classics
Review: The Mummy is a terrific film from the studios of Hammer. After their success with both Horror of Dracula and Curse of Frankenstein the team of Cushing, Lee, and Fisher reunited for this remarkable outing. If you are a fan of the classic monster films from Universal then these Hammer remakes are definitely worth a look. They do a great job of updating the stories and they will entertain you with their terrific cinematography, acting, and monster makeup. Hopefully this release will pave the way for the other two films mentioned above on a DVD with some special features. For all you fans of Hammer, let Warner Home Video know that you want these films released with commentaries from Lee and other surviving associates of these films. In the meantime, enjoy this DVD release of The Mummy - the transfer is terrific looking.
| 
