Here was a horror movie I’d never heard of until this
release on disc. My guess is it never opened wide and had limited airplay,
including cable stations. So when I heard about it, being the horror fan I am,
I thought I’d give it a try. The end result is mixed.
The story involves a Caribbean voodoo priest who died years
ago. At that time he was captured and force to watch the woman he loved
decapitated while he was prepared for mummification. Years later that mummy has
been purchased and is now on board a cruise ship on open water. Of course said
mummy comes to life and must feed off of the living to retain his youthful
appearance rather than the standard wrinkly form he arrived with.
His rampage isn’t spread out to all thought as he focuses on
several passengers who remind him of those who killed his long lost love. And,
as is the case with most horror films, one of the passengers resembles that
long lost love who he then believes to be a reincarnation of her. But when only
one member of a couple thinks that way the odds of a romantic reunion aren’t
likely.
There you have it, the basic plotline for this film. Is it a
good one? On so many levels the answer is no. The make up for the “mummy” looks
as if someone took tissue paper, added some Elmer’s glue to have it adhere to
the actor’s face and then put makeup on it. The beheadings look, as one
reviewer put it, mannequin heads with red paint on the bases and squirt guns
used to project blood. The acting isn’t the worst ever but not for lack of
trying. The story is confusing at times but easy enough to follow. And perhaps
one of the worst things is the poor decision to take white actors and put them
in blackface to portray the ill-fated island couple at the film’s opening.
All of that being said there is still a certain charm to the
film. With a title like this if you expected a mega-budgeted extravaganza that
shows more naiveté on your part than on that of the film makers. This was an
attempt at a horror film whose name was switched up to take advantage of hit
films from the past. It wasn’t the first time that was done nor will it be the
last. I’ve seen worse than this done with higher budgets.
The movie becomes one of those films you put on when friends
gather around and have a few drinks, cracking wise on the actions onscreen
while watching. A person would be hard pressed to take it seriously. But it can
be fun in the right setting.
Many might ask why bother saving a film like this. The
answer is simple. All film no matter what type it is deserves to be preserved.
It becomes a part of our cinematic history, good or bad. Not all movies will be
blockbusters and not all will rival those of Ed Wood. Most fall somewhere in
between. But they are a part of history that someday movie fans will look at to
find out what to do or not to do. They help provide a backdrop for other films
to be measured against. This movie may not be your cup of tea but at least it’s
there to be judged unlike a large number of films that have disappeared. At
least there is that.
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