Comment Pulp and Camp (Score 5) 197
Mr. Katz really embarrases me in this review - he completely gives away his ignorance and isolation in his take on the movie.
The Mummy and The Mummy Returns are movies that celebrate and honour the Camp of serial action movies, and in retrospect the Pulp novels of the 20's -40's that inspired those movies.
The plot was thin and predictable? Yes, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE. Acting/lines hackneyed and sterotypical? Yes, THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE! Has Mr. Katz *ever* read any Pulp? Has he *ever* seen any original flash gordon?
To complain as he does, I would imagine that Mr. Katz would complain that Impressionist paintings are too out of focus to be good, and that the music of Charels Ives and Arnold Schoenberg are horribly unharmonic.
Movies in this genre, such as the Indy Series, Big Trouble in Little China, The Rocketeer, have varying amounts of camp vs. seriousness, homage vs. originality, etc. But to my mind, none has captured the glorious, make-no-excuses pulp action that The Mummy series has shown so far. If you do not like it, it is your taste, not the fault of a truly successful (as far as intent) movie.
Jeez, Mr. Katz, what next? Will you denouce Lichtenstein for just blowing up frames of comic strips? Eschew Monty Python as juvinile because you do not understand satire? The First step of a review (and the duty of a reviewer) is to understand the genre and intent of the artist. To be misinformed or ignorant makes your review and article completely devoid of information and worth.
-=C
The Mummy and The Mummy Returns are movies that celebrate and honour the Camp of serial action movies, and in retrospect the Pulp novels of the 20's -40's that inspired those movies.
The plot was thin and predictable? Yes, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE. Acting/lines hackneyed and sterotypical? Yes, THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE! Has Mr. Katz *ever* read any Pulp? Has he *ever* seen any original flash gordon?
To complain as he does, I would imagine that Mr. Katz would complain that Impressionist paintings are too out of focus to be good, and that the music of Charels Ives and Arnold Schoenberg are horribly unharmonic.
Movies in this genre, such as the Indy Series, Big Trouble in Little China, The Rocketeer, have varying amounts of camp vs. seriousness, homage vs. originality, etc. But to my mind, none has captured the glorious, make-no-excuses pulp action that The Mummy series has shown so far. If you do not like it, it is your taste, not the fault of a truly successful (as far as intent) movie.
Jeez, Mr. Katz, what next? Will you denouce Lichtenstein for just blowing up frames of comic strips? Eschew Monty Python as juvinile because you do not understand satire? The First step of a review (and the duty of a reviewer) is to understand the genre and intent of the artist. To be misinformed or ignorant makes your review and article completely devoid of information and worth.
-=C
