Fred Olen May: THE TOMB (1986)
The Gateway Drug of Fred Olen Ray
As a director, Fred Olen Ray has a crazy body of work in both variety and quantity. He has been consistently making low to mid-budget movies since the 1980s, and I was shocked to see that beyond the exploitative schlock he's best known for in horror circles, he has become somewhat of a king of the Hallmark-style/made-for-TV movies! As I researched more into the surprising rabbit hole that is Ray's work and life, (he was also a professional wrestler!) I found myself reflecting on the soft spot I hold for 1986’s THE TOMB.
THE TOMB is one of Ray's earlier films, and it is the first of Michelle Bauer's starring roles with him.
The plot is simple: When an ancient Egyptian princess' tomb is looted, she comes back to life to take revenge and retrieve what's hers. For some Fred Olen Ray fans, this film is often criticized for being too vanilla and one of the more blasé of his hundreds of films. Where's the rock n' roll? More gore! More sex! More violence! And you know what? I hear you.
What else would you expect from a guy who gave you a movie titled HOLLYWOOD CHAINSAW HOOKERS. I imagine had the director not met interference with the producers on THE TOMB, it would have been far more graphic. Nonetheless, the charm of this film lies in that it feels like Fred Olen Ray Lite. It has his touches and hints at what he's capable of, but it still feels innocent enough that it won't scare off the traditional viewer.
It is an invitation into the Ray world of sincere camp without having to ask the teenager behind the Family Video counter, “do you have GIRL WITH THE SEX-RAY EYES?” while feeling like a pervert. THE TOMB is a gentle and goofy gateway drug into the absurd world that is Fred Olen Ray.
Adventure horror is one of my favorite genres. Please give me all the movies that feature exotic lands, ancient monsters, and practical effects.
Growing up on Ray Harryhausen films made me a prime candidate for any movie that wanted to throw a mummy or evil princess at me. Add to that a rocking synth soundtrack of intrigue, a soul sucking temptress who dabbles in (insert pearl clutching gasp!) “Lesbian sex,” and John Carradine yelling some really silly lines from behind a desk, and you have a fun trashy afternoon romp.
It's the kind of movie you can accidentally discover at age ten behind your parents back and not have it totally fuck you up (looking at you, JACOB'S LADDER).
THE TOMB is the kind of movie that tells you something about yourself depending on how you react.
Did you roll your eyes often, complain about the acting, and ask where are the big-name celebrities?
Then this style of film is probably not going to be for you.
But, if you were like me—an unknowing fan of films that are slightly trashy, beautifully irreverent, and always self-aware of its absurdity—when you watched THE TOMB, your only question was, “where can I find more?” For me, it was the beginning of the end.
If only back then someone was there to tell my preteen heart that, because I laughed at Fred Olen Ray's THE TOMB, I was going to grow up to be a BRAIN DAMAGE-shirt wearing, JASON X-loving horror fiend. I probably would've found my tribe much earlier in life. So thank you, Mr. Ray, for giving me the taste of what debauchery existed if I were willing to go the extra mile. In honor of Fred Olen May, my best advice to you is, “Mummies, don't let your babies grow up without watching THE TOMB at least once.”
