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6.2/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.2/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. My Mummy's Arms remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, only if you're a die-hard fan of the era's physical comedy or you've developed a weird obsession with Shemp Howard. If you need a movie with a coherent plot or characters that behave like real human beings, you’re going to be frustrated within five minutes. 🙄
It’s loud. It’s frantic. It’s got that specific kind of energy where everyone is trying to be the funniest person in the room at the exact same time.
There’s a moment about halfway through where Shemp just stares at the camera with this look of pure, unadulterated confusion. It lasts way too long. It probably wasn't intended to be a deep character beat, but it’s the only time the movie actually feels human.
Everything else is just aggressive pacing. They move from a misunderstanding to a chase scene to another misunderstanding so fast that you forget why anyone is even mad at each other.
It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in The Rasslin' Match, but with less actual wrestling and more people tripping over their own feet. It doesn't have the same charm as some of the better shorts of the time.
The movie gets noticeably better once it stops trying to explain the "curse" and just lets the cast fall over furniture. The plot is basically just a placeholder for chaos. Don't look for meaning here. There isn't any.
It’s the kind of flick that feels like it was filmed in an afternoon because someone had a prop lying around and needed to fill a slot. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s fine if you’re folding laundry and need some noise in the background. Just don't expect to remember it by tomorrow. 🎞️