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Mummy An' the Armadillo

Mummy An' the Armadillo (2004)

January. 29,2004
|
4.5
|
R
| Drama Thriller

Secrets, murders and lies... all in the name of family. In the middle of nowhere sits the Armadillo Café.The once popular, but now desolate, café is run by a strange family led a troubled, booze-addled mother (Betty Buckley) and a disturbed family (Lori Heuring, Brad Renfro, Jonathon Schaech). Their dark secrets are threatened when Sarah (Clare Kramer) arrives, seeking answers to her past.Turmoil reigns and emotions boil over as the horrifying truth unravels and Sarah barely escapes with her life.

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Reviews

VeteranLight
2004/01/29

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

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Neive Bellamy
2004/01/30

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

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Ezmae Chang
2004/01/31

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

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Juana
2004/02/01

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

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Billy_Crash
2004/02/02

I loved the claustrophobic atmosphere and the darkness, and the acting was even solid, but the story was sorely lacking.Converting a stage play to film can be a difficult task, but as long as the actors maintain the drama, then all is well. The troupe did just that, but the story's revelations were hum-drum and very mediocre. Even the "surprises" left me with no emotional response. As far as stories go, the subtleties in the movie didn't have the "big bang" effect they should have. That's because the essence, the mystery of the tale, was nothing new or intriguing. If the narrative was more gripping and unique, then the subtleties (what little there were actually) would have been far more poignant.Some list this as a horror movie, but it isn't at all. As for a drama, definitely - but as far as the suspense or thriller aspect, not by a long shot.

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Michael O'Keefe
2004/02/03

Word of mouth led me astray. I was pretty much let down. There were a few good moments, but not enough for me to really enjoy this dramatic slice of awkward darkness. Sarah(Clare Kramer)pulls off of old Route 66 on a stormy night. There in the middle of nowhere she is able to spot the rundown mainly non-functioning Armadillo Cafe. Behind the counter she meets Billie(Lori Heuring), recognizably the brightest of a dysfunctional family. There is Mother Let(Betty Buckley)and the mentally challenged Wyatte(Brad Renfro); plus the paranoid and bit militant Jesse(Johnathon Schaech). The roadside diner is full of novelties like a sentimental stuffed armadillo and mummified man believed to be a member of this weird family. The storm is heavy and noisy as Sarah seeks out answers to her past as well as an understanding of the secrets and lies that probably cover up murders among the family. The young traveler gets wrapped up in the turmoil and boiling emotions; but actually finds herself back on her way down the highway.Also in the cast are Jodi Lynne O'Keefe, Busy Philipps and Wade Williams. Some of the worst movies turn out actually good; some just stay bad.

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BlackSox1919
2004/02/04

Another case of a stage play taken to the screen with no adaptation. There is a different dynamic for stage dialog versus movies, and it is painfully obvious as the characters deliver lines with no sense of pace. It comes off as a bunch of people just saying lines *at* one another. That's just one of the things that's wrong with this movie. What's worse is the loose, relatively incoherent plot. The simplistic relationship between the characters leads to a letdown when the final "dark secret" is revealed. The film tries for an intense, psychological edge; but the intensity never escalates beyond a bunch of people screaming and waving various weapons at one another, and the psychology never gets much beyond Psych 101.

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umetdan
2004/02/05

Mummy and the Armadillo was a film that took a while to get going. Claire Kramer basically held the first half hour together on her own - a character far from her Bring it on Days and once she had Brad Renfro & Betty Buckley to play against, (they come in about a half hour into it) the film really came to life. They're performances were memorable and worthy of their namesakes. Armadillo is a dark, suspenseful thriller that keeps your attention - I understand that it was based off of a play from years ago and it comes off as such. Again the performances that keep it glued together are the actors mentioned above. The film drives to a finally that has a strong payoff with a great twist. It leaves you thinking - looking back to possible red hearings that may have been there along the way. For a picture shot completely in one place, (sans exterior establishing shots and a quick scene in a car) it holds together well and they certainly got their monies worth. It was an enjoyable film.

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