Movies with Christopher Lee |

This is one that’s really slipped through the cracks over the years and there isn’t much of an excuse for it, because it’s in the public domain and readily available for free on the internet or on a variety of cheap, public domain collections that you can find in any number of Wal-Mart bargain bins. However, it’s also for that reason that it’s a real diamond in the rough.

Christopher Lee plays Archaeologist, Professor Alexander Saxton, who discovered a prehistoric ape-man , which may be the famous missing link, frozen in ice. Proud of his discovery, Saxton puts his precious cargo onto a train and plans are made for the exhibition of the groundbreaking discovery. Aboard the train, Saxton meets his professional rival, Doctor Wells, played by the great, Peter Cushing. The frozen creature soon revives and begins killing people aboard the train. When the monster is shot dead, everyone believes the nightmare to be over. However, the victims of the creature soon display eerie blood red eyes and turn homicidal. Saxton and Wells must combine forces in order to get to the root of the creature’s origins and stop the killings.

The film is a take on the the classic Agatha Christie novel, Murder on the Orient Express and replaces the traditional killer with a creature of possible demonic origins. The always wonderful Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee star in this underrated monster movie and give the already spooky offerings a sense of class. The creature’s origins are really interesting and surprisingly seem to draw from John W Campbell’ story, Who Goes there?, which was also the basis for the 1951 science fiction classic, the Thing from another world and its John Carpenter remake from 1982.

The real horror comes from the fact that the characters are isolated on a train, while the creature could really be anyone onboard. The creepy, whistling musical score by John Cacavas is very chilling and you will probably find yourself whistling it after watching the film. Though it’s a Spanish production, it feels like it belongs right alongside one of the British Hammer or Amicus classics that were being produced at around the same time. I really whole heartedy recommend it and since it’s so readily available, what do you have to lose?

-Lawrence S. Talbot

The gist:

Some zealous archaeologists are hacking into Egyptian ruins looking for the 4,000-year-old tomb of remarkably caucasian looking princess Ananka. Angry Mehemet Bay with his intimidating fez hat warns the explorers that all they will find is death by desecrating sacred graves.

The revenge:

Stephen Banning, who’s dream has always been to locate the tomb of Ananka, finds the priestess sepulcher. The tomb looks like a stereotypical Egyptian Hollywood set. It’s remarkably well preserved probably because it was just built with plywood and paint.

Stephen enterers the tomb and screams, he falls on Ananka’s coffin. His friend Mr. Whemple and son John (Peter Cushing) find the poor bastard in a sad state of lunacy. A condition he stays in for the next three years.

Mehemet is pissed. Being the self appointed ‘humble’ servant of Ananka’s god he curses the three explorers who found and moved Ananka’s coffin and body to the British Museum.

Here we get a back story. The High Priest Kharis (Christopher Lee) is performing prodigious burial rites. The back story of ancient Egypt is returned to several times as the mystery is exposed.

Mehemet calls for the ancient guardian (who is a mummy) to kill the trespassers of Ananka’s sepulcher. Who is this Mummy? As the mystery unfolds we will find out. The Mummy journeys to England via Fed Ex. He gets to work quickly killing Stephen Banning and his fellow explorer friend Joesph Whemple. John Banning begins to investigate. He finds Mehemet in England. He uncovers a forbidden concupiscence between the long dead High priest Kharis and princess priestess Ananka. Will John Banning die at the hands of the Mummy? Who controls the mummy? How the hell can the Mummy be stopped?

You will have to watch the movie.

On the good side I enjoyed the sets in England. I enjoyed how powerful the Mummy was. He violently bashed through iron grates and large locked doors. (Interestingly the doors to the mansion were supposed to be made to break away when the Mummy crashes through them. The doors were not, they are regular doors. Christopher Lee to his credit bashes through the doors and breaks his shoulder, he never breaks character despite his injury. Lee is a tough and devoted actor!) The Mummy could be shot many times, be stabbed with a large spear, and never loose his volition of vengeance. Christopher Lee is always the superlative actor and the camera loves him. I watched this film mainly because Christopher Lee was in it.

On the negative side the sets in Egypt were a sad sight. They should have looked far more dilapidated by thousands of years of decay. It was enough to be distracting. The movie, much like the classic wolfman couldn’t escape its 1950s dated feel. Not so much with the lead actors, but all the supporting cast looked straight out of the 50s including Anank’s doppelgänger Isobel (Yvonne Furneaux). She especially looked dated. I only found this negative because it takes away from the timelessness that the film could and should have aspired to.

Gore:

Gunshots, stabs, chokings, an off screen tongue removal, mass murder, all PG, 1950s violence.

Sex:

A quick peek of Ananka’s naked side during her embalming. Just a cruel tease.

Directing:

Terence Fisher is a prodigious director. He is especially noted for his work on Hammer horror films. He didn’t seem to have much of a style other than he favors large encompassing shots. This allows you to watch wherever you want whether you are looking at a large room in a mansion or a crowded pub.

I loved the scenes with the murky pond. A fog rolled over the opaque bog. The Mummy slowly creeps out of it. His wrappings caked in filth. It looked fantastic.

The Wrap:

The Mummy is iconic classic horror. It is something all horror fans should see. It’s a trip down heritage lane. Is it worth running out to see it? No, I don’t think so. It’s a movie I’d recommend when you are in the right frame of mind for a classic film. There is something therapeutic about watching classic horror. One can unwind and soak in the nostalgia. If you are not in the right frame of mind, or you force yourself to watch it. I’m sure this exercise will backfire and you will get bored watching an old film that seems slow paced, dated, and tedious.
I would certainly recommend this so anyone obsessed with Christopher Lee. Though his role here is very character driven, he doesn’t have the ability to take many artistic liberties as high priest Kharis. not like when he plays a warlock, a wizard, a sith lord, a vampire, etc.