Tag: Ancient Egypt

Even After Halloween, Is Ancient Egypt Obsessed with Life the Ultimate Primer Without a Mummy?

For fans of Egyptology, the Royal BC Museum’s visiting exhibit, Ancient Egypt Obsessed with Life, follows the soul through the underworld. There’s just one problem: Where’s My Mummy?

Ancient Egypt Obsessed with LifeWhen news dropped about The Mummy 4 being titled The Book of the Dead, I knew it was time to check out the Royal BC Museum’s visiting exhibit, Ancient Egypt Obsessed with Life. It’s a nicely varied display of funerary artifacts, with plaques explaining the beliefs surrounding what happens to the soul after death. Nearly everyone knows about the embalming process, but as for the spiritual side, what’s revealed shows what both the living and the deceased experience.

For the latter, a three panel panoramic video imagines what that journey looks like as the spirit travels through the gates of the underworld. After being judged, one is either allowed into the Aaru (Field of Reeds) or consumed by Ammit!

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Rewatching The Queen of the Damned: Where the Hell Did the Egypt Go?

AMC is bringing Akasha back to the screen, so I went back to the 2002 film, The Queen of the Damned, and Anne Rice’s novel to see where things went sideways. I look at the music, the missing Egyptian lore, and what the series needs to nail before the Queen takes over.

The Queen of the Damned Novel CoverAfter hearing back in July that AMC was finally developing The Queen of the Damned, I had to revisit the 2002 movie of the same name to see how badly it botched Anne Rice‘s tale. I also had to read the original book and process how different the two versions are. And yeah, it’s about what I remembered. Except now I’ve got a better idea of why it doesn’t work.

Let’s start with Lestat. Stuart Townsend plays him as a full-blown rock god, and it’s hard not to think of Jim Morrison the second he walks on stage. That comparison sticks mostly because of how well the lead played the role: the look, the swagger, the whole frontman posture. But the soundtrack is doing something else entirely. It’s a mix of nu-metal and goth rock, and once you clock Jonathan Davis of Korn’s involvement, the whole thing starts to feel less like a vampire movie and more like a 2002 mixtape with fangs.

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Stargate’s Next Chapter: Why Skaara’s Afterlife Could Save the Franchise

Amazon passed on Martin Gero’s Stargate pitch, but the franchise’s best next step was never about military ops anyway. Here’s why Skaara’s afterlife is the story worth telling.

Stargate The Skarra ChroniclesMovement on reviving Stargate is on hold following the news that Amazon execs didn’t like the idea showrunner Martin Gero pitched. He worked on SG-1 and Atlantis, and many fans thought whatever he pitched would automatically get green lit. His track record is generally good since he’s even helped bring Quantum Leap back, even though that never saw a finale.

According to Variety, a source with knowledge of the production had to let the cat out of the bag. He did not say what the concerns were, other than that the concept may alienate part of the fandom. The social media post from Joseph Mallozzi didn’t say much either.

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Stephen Sommers’s The Mummy at 25 Years!

If you haven’t gone to the theatrical celebration, that’s okay. We can still have cake to celebrate The Mummy’s Silver Anniversary!

The Mummy PosterToday marks The Mummy’s anniversary! This reboot of the Boris Karloff classic debuted on May 7, 1999, and while I could’ve gone to a theatrical celebration, sadly there wasn’t one screening in my city. The reason this film stands the test of time is that it’s simply fun! It captures the true essence of what pulp fiction should represent and gives us characters I want to root for. It’s not just another Brendan Fraser film. Instead, it’s a career launcher for the other two main leads, namely Rachel Weisz and Arnold Vosloo. The former loves appearing in indie films more than mainstream ones, and the latter continues to pop up in fondly loved projects, ranging from Veritas: The Quest (which I feel deserves a reboot) and even Condor’s Nest to show the type of roles that challenge him as a Hollywood actor.

However, I must note that Kevin J. O’Connor stole the show. As a cowardly and conniving Beni Gabor, without him, I doubt the search for The Mummy’s treasures would’ve been known, and although Evie was the reason for his awakening, both had important roles to play! Continue reading “Stephen Sommers’s The Mummy at 25 Years!”

Digging for the Truth in Panya: The Mummy’s Curse

At long last, we get to know the story of one of the Mignolaverse most enigmatic characters in Panya: The Mummy’s Curse.

Payna: The Mummy's Curse #1 Comic Book CoverDark Horse Comics
Now Available

Panya: The Mummy’s Curse is a wonderful story that brings more of Ancient Egypt to the Mignolaverse. Not even the Heliopic Brotherhood of Ra has formed. This first issue of the four-volume series has a lot of nuances nestled in every page, and for a budding Egyptologist like me, it offers everything I love about this ancient world!

While long time readers of Hellboy know of the mummified version of this character, this story is about her growth from child to sorceress. Here, the title character is thrilled to learn about the old ways, and the true gods. She loves hearing about the eternal war between Ra and Apophis. But when Akhenaten changed the rules in who to worship, anyone who speaks of them better say it in hushed tones, otherwise they’ll be recognised as heretics.

Without spoiling too much, the tale offers everything I’d want to see about this world realised in a fictional form. Between that and showing Tutankhamen got me hooked. Whether this prince has a greater role to play, I’m not sure. I’ll be picking up the next issues rather than waiting months down the road to grab the trade paperback to find out!

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Detailing What’s Missing in Mummies, An Animated Rom-Com

Director Juan Jesús García Galocha could have done more to bring out the romance of what Ancient Egypt represents in Mummies.

Mummies Movie PosterSome Mummies are hard to read, and not all of them experience an easy transition to their afterlife. According to Ancient Egyptian beliefs, their souls first need to get judged and those whose heart is pure get to live on in the Field of Reeds (or the Duat). But for archaeologists looking for evidence of what kind of life they once led, the body they leave behind doesn’t always show if they’re resting in peace.

Here, Thut (Joe Thomas) lost his confidence after a racing mishap and Princess Nefer (Eleanor Tomlinson) isn’t content with her life. She’s almost like Cleopatra (in Space) because she’s fiercely independent and this version didn’t take her life. We meet her as royalty in the undead kingdom, and what’s amusing about how the two are birds of the feather.

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