Want to feel humbled by our insignificance? Here is an entertaining little video which explains that while our galaxy, our universe, may be teeming with intelligent life, but why we’re unlikely to encounter it. This idea was first put forth around 1950 by physicists Enrico Fermi and Michael H. Hart, and is referred to as “Fermi’s Paradox” or “The Fermi Paradox”.
Hey, it’s the day after Mother’s day, why not celebrate Mummies? Maybe the strangest of Universal Studio’s Monster Pantheon? The Mummy featuring Boris Karloff, made in 1932, was the first Mummy film (IMDb’s one sentence summary: A living mummy stalks the beautiful woman he believes is the reincarnation of his lover). The film remains a classic despite it’s low budget and wooden acting (except for Boris Karloff, of course). The scene where the Mummy first comes to life and very quietly surprises the young man reading the Scroll of Thoth is effective: shock, a sudden scream and then hysterical laughter as the Mummy casually grabs the scroll and shuffles off only to turn up later in the film as a “different” character named Ardath Bey, who is both creepy and mesmerizing. Karloff only made one Mummy film. Later incarnations featured Lon Chaney Jr. as the undead one, and in these versions he was not required to speak. He mainly shambled around dragging one leg, an outstretched arm ready to clutch a victim’s throat. Unless, of course, the designated victim would simply get out of the way, by side stepping or walking the other direction, running, whatever, but no, they would JUST STAND THERE HELPLESSLY while the Mummy inexorably approached at the speed of a turtle. Drove me crazy as a kid.