Screening Log

This new site feature is a collective effort to summarize our viewing habits. Occasionally, you will find titles here that are coming to a theater near you, in addition to films viewed on television, and even films viewed in piecemeal. The screening log is archived each month; to view past entries select a month in the menu below.


October 2004 activity

Total Log Entries: 21

Total Comments: 14


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The Mummy / USA / 1932

For some reason, I was under the impression that this early horror classic was a corny tale featuring a man wrapped in robes stumbling about trying to kill people. Thankfully, I was able to view the film recently and get my facts straight. Far from being corny, The Mummy is engrossing and terrifying, an intriguing tale of mummies, curses, eternal love, ancient Egypt, and the afterlife. And it crams it all into a relentless seventy-five minute film, each scene building constructively on the last and working toward the inevitable, but still exciting climax.

Of course, what makes the film work, and what gives it its terror, is Boris Karloff. A mere glimpse at his face is enough to give you chills, and the moment he enters a scene, your eyes are riveted on his every move. It is astonishing how much terror and fascination the mere presence of the man commands. It was a refreshing change, in this age of one-dimensional and personality-less antagonists, to watch a true horror villain at work: a character at once abhorrently evil and genuinely pitiable, a monster to be sure, and yet also a man capable of human feelings and failings. All in all it is a tremendous effort by a horror legend, and I’m glad I can finally say I’ve witnessed the magic of The Mummy.

by Thomas Scalzo | Source: Turner Classic Movies broadcast
26 Oct 2004 1:28 AM | Submit Comment


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