The Mummy (1999)

Ostensibly a remake of the low budget 1932 horror movie, writer/director Stephen Sommers' take on The Mummy borrows more heavily from Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981) than German Expressionism. A rollicking, high octane adventure story with scenic vistas, elaborate special effects, and a bombastic score from Jerry Goldsmith, The Mummy received mixed reviews and bountiful box office. While it was pretty shameless about being a disposable throwback to the popcorn entertainments of yore, The Mummy has had sturdier legs than what many had assumed in 1999. In addition to two direct sequels and a mess of spinoffs, The Mummy supercharged the career of leading man Brendan Fraser and has been periodically reappraised as an underrated gem multiple times since it debuted. Ryan is joined by Kat for a discussion of this millennial viewing staple. Topics of conversation include Fraser's recent renaissance as an internet darling and how The Mummy's ridiculously attractive cast proved to be a bisexual awakening for many born in the 1980's. In addition to that, the talk also touches upon the film's themes of colonialism, historical revisionism, and its many callbacks to the history of action cinema. Among other things, Kat mentions that The Mummy plays into the appealing female fantasy of a handsome, masculine dude who readily defers to a lady when a situation is more in line with her personal realm of expertise. Kat is also kind enough to not tease Ryan too badly about his struggles to pronounce "Anck-su-namun".