In 1895 a trio of archaeologists find the tomb of Ananka, an ancient Egyptian princess, but one of them sees something which sends him mad with shock. Years later in England, the three are pursued by a mysterious evil force which seems determined to punish them for profaning the sanctity of Ananka's rest ...
This is a great straightforward Mummy movie with a simple but engrossing love story at its heart, plenty of creepy scenes and spooky moments, a good cast and an atmosphere rich in Egyptological lore. It's essentially a remake of an old 1940 Universal picture, The Mummy's Hand (which was inspired by the spurious Howard Carter / Tutankhamun curse legend), and is an enjoyable tale of desecration, resurrection and eternal love. Kharis the Mummy is both a figure of dread - the scene where he smashes into the asylum and kills Aylmer is particularly horrible - but also tragic and sympathetic, a puppet with no will of his own, cursed to live forever. The story is a touch laborious, with a lengthy flashback in the middle which interrupts the action, but it's full of intriguing details and handles the scientist/historian vs acolyte/zealot theme very well; the lengthy dialogue scene near the end where Cushing and Pastell circle around each other politely exchanging beliefs filled with hidden meanings is a highlight. Everybody is good in it, but kudos must go to the inimitable Lee, who is both hypnotic as Kharis the priest and terrifying as the bandage-swathed, mud-drenched, living dead monster. Brilliantly made by the classic Hammer Films writer/director team of Jimmy Sangster and Terence Fisher, and a creepy treat from start to finish. This makes a great Mummy double-bill with Hammer's later but equally enjoyable Blood From The Mummy's Tomb.
This is a great straightforward Mummy movie with a simple but engrossing love story at its heart, plenty of creepy scenes and spooky moments, a good cast and an atmosphere rich in Egyptological lore. It's essentially a remake of an old 1940 Universal picture, The Mummy's Hand (which was inspired by the spurious Howard Carter / Tutankhamun curse legend), and is an enjoyable tale of desecration, resurrection and eternal love. Kharis the Mummy is both a figure of dread - the scene where he smashes into the asylum and kills Aylmer is particularly horrible - but also tragic and sympathetic, a puppet with no will of his own, cursed to live forever. The story is a touch laborious, with a lengthy flashback in the middle which interrupts the action, but it's full of intriguing details and handles the scientist/historian vs acolyte/zealot theme very well; the lengthy dialogue scene near the end where Cushing and Pastell circle around each other politely exchanging beliefs filled with hidden meanings is a highlight. Everybody is good in it, but kudos must go to the inimitable Lee, who is both hypnotic as Kharis the priest and terrifying as the bandage-swathed, mud-drenched, living dead monster. Brilliantly made by the classic Hammer Films writer/director team of Jimmy Sangster and Terence Fisher, and a creepy treat from start to finish. This makes a great Mummy double-bill with Hammer's later but equally enjoyable Blood From The Mummy's Tomb.