This weekend I was doing a little channel surfing when I came across a rebroadcast of one of my favorite movies, The Mummy (1999), starring Brandon Frasier and Rachel Weisz.   I saw this for the first time years ago, and frankly, it scared me.  But then I saw it again, and since I anticipated the scary parts, I was able to look beyond them and appreciate the witty banter between the actors and the unexpected truths they shared in the improbable situations they faced.  I decided, in honor of the reboot expected next year, (Yes that does seem to be a big trend for Hollywood right now); I would share some of my memories of this classic movie.  So here it is- Everything I Need to Know about Life from Watching The Mummy:

• Don’t take something that doesn’t belong to you. This should be obvious to practically everyone, but apparently treasure hunters don’t realize it should also apply to the internal organs of a “juicy” mummy that may be capable of coming back to life, if the right conditions are met.  The conditions being, one group finds the Book of the Dead, which the other group, which finds the mummy’s coffin, then steals and recites the incantations out loud.  Imhotep, once reanimated, will need those organs back, and he will exact a toll from everyone involved.
• Always be ready to help a stranger; they may just save your life, or at least know the way to a fabulous lost treasure guarded by a malevolent mummy. The secret could have died with Rick, who actually was in the process of being hanged, because we all know Benny was only trying to scam the Americans.  Rick repaid Evie and Jonathan back several times over before they defeated the mummy, and they never would have made it to the tomb in the first place without him.
• Never betray your friends, and always get the merchandise before rendering final payment. Benny was only able to extract half of his fee from the Americans before arriving at the tomb, so he could not abandon them in the desert.  Benny then got his comeuppance, just as Evie predicted, when he was unable to follow the others out of the tomb before it closed.  (Side note: don’t bully the scarab; he may have friends nearby.)
• Don’t judge a person based on your first impression, because you never know where love will find you. The filthy, vulgar former soldier Evie and Jonathan meet in the Egyptian prison proves to be the perfect guide to uncover the secrets of Hamunaptra, the lost city of the Pharaohs. Without Rick’s presence, Evie may have never been kidnapped by Imhotep, but then she also would never have been rescued by the love of her life.
• Be true to yourself, and be proud of your accomplishments. Evie learned that all she needed to join the Pembroke scholars was field experience, which she despaired obtaining in the beginning of the movie.  She found her self-confidence, though in a late-night heart to heart with Rick though when she said “I am proud of what I am…I am a librarian.”  And actually, it was Evie’s skills at reading ancient Egyptian script and research that enabled them to first animate the mummy, and then destroy him.

For those who’ve seen the movie, I’m sure you understood the references I made, and for those who’ve not, do yourself a favor and download it to watch before the remake comes out.  This film has action, romance, suspense, and thrills all in one package, complete with beetle-filled sarcophagi and end-of-the-world drama.

What else could you ask for on a lazy weekend?  As always, thanks for reading.

Amy