why do traps in ancient tombs never rust?
Aug. 19th, 2008 11:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hawkwing_lbAchievements:
One chapter of the Ehrman book.
Writing: .4K duellist
Walking: about two or three miles.
No, no Greek or Latin today. Every so often a person needs a break. There was, instead, the beginnings of packing for this holiday (which is being paid for with imaginary money) that I set off for on Friday. Back to Crete.
It was arranged months ago, before my disastrous reaction to the heat. So I guess this is my opportunity to see if that was a one-off thing, or if I need to ensure I avoid temperatures over the high twenties on a long-term basis.
So, went to the local cinema this evening. They appear to have had an extension, or perhaps expanded into n-dimensional space: they have certainly never had a Screen Five before. (And I don't see how they've managed to fit one in now: as far as I can tell, it occupies the same space as the bathroom showroom that's ostensibly next door.)
Screens One through Three, yes: Screen Four or Five - what is this, a multiplex now?
Anyway, Screen Five is a delightfully tiny (I'd be surprised if it had a seating capacity of more than sixty or so) little big screen located directly adjacent to what appears to be a maintenance/delivery/emergency exit corridor, and you can see the guy who goes into the projector room to turn it on from the front row, if you look over your shoulder. Apart from me and the parent, there were four other people there.
Tuesday night at 2025, not exactly happening hour at the pictures.
To make a long story somewhat shorter - The Mummy Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is a hilarious film. Seriously. I have not laughed so much in the cinema in an age. It is so completely ridiculous, and so aware of, and enjoying, its own ridiculousness - damn, but it's fun.
Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh, still (and always!) made of utter win. The younger actor who played Yeoh's character's daughter was also made of much win.
I have, however, one question. In all films that involve the raiding of tombs, there are always intricate traps and mechanisms to discourage the unwary tomb-robber. What I want to know, though, is why, after a couple thousand years, those mechanisms are not rusted, or rotted, or collapsed, or otherwise decayed into uselessness.
Why, I ask you? Why?
Because, seriously, I'd like a couple of those magic ancient engineers. They'd really revolutionise the modern construction trade.
One chapter of the Ehrman book.
Writing: .4K duellist
Walking: about two or three miles.
No, no Greek or Latin today. Every so often a person needs a break. There was, instead, the beginnings of packing for this holiday (which is being paid for with imaginary money) that I set off for on Friday. Back to Crete.
It was arranged months ago, before my disastrous reaction to the heat. So I guess this is my opportunity to see if that was a one-off thing, or if I need to ensure I avoid temperatures over the high twenties on a long-term basis.
So, went to the local cinema this evening. They appear to have had an extension, or perhaps expanded into n-dimensional space: they have certainly never had a Screen Five before. (And I don't see how they've managed to fit one in now: as far as I can tell, it occupies the same space as the bathroom showroom that's ostensibly next door.)
Screens One through Three, yes: Screen Four or Five - what is this, a multiplex now?
Anyway, Screen Five is a delightfully tiny (I'd be surprised if it had a seating capacity of more than sixty or so) little big screen located directly adjacent to what appears to be a maintenance/delivery/emergency exit corridor, and you can see the guy who goes into the projector room to turn it on from the front row, if you look over your shoulder. Apart from me and the parent, there were four other people there.
Tuesday night at 2025, not exactly happening hour at the pictures.
To make a long story somewhat shorter - The Mummy Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is a hilarious film. Seriously. I have not laughed so much in the cinema in an age. It is so completely ridiculous, and so aware of, and enjoying, its own ridiculousness - damn, but it's fun.
Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh, still (and always!) made of utter win. The younger actor who played Yeoh's character's daughter was also made of much win.
I have, however, one question. In all films that involve the raiding of tombs, there are always intricate traps and mechanisms to discourage the unwary tomb-robber. What I want to know, though, is why, after a couple thousand years, those mechanisms are not rusted, or rotted, or collapsed, or otherwise decayed into uselessness.
Why, I ask you? Why?
Because, seriously, I'd like a couple of those magic ancient engineers. They'd really revolutionise the modern construction trade.
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no subject
Date: 2008-08-20 03:15 am (UTC)It's a movie Law that ancient mechanisms feel no passage of time -- no rust, no decay, just a light coating of dust (which must be the protective part, eh?) that is sure to get all over our heroes and yet.. they remain oddly clean.
(Yes, we need those ancient engineers. Never mind the Roman engineers with their puny aqueducts and roads that still exist.)
Yes, that movie was Bad, with a capital T for terrible. Could they act any more wooden? And the plot? Where was the plot? Oh, sure, there was this bad guy, and this other bad guy, and a jewel, and an ancient sorceress (and her ancient curse)..but where did the story go?
And wasn't there some mention of dragons? Where did those go?
All in all, Kung-Fu Panda was loads better.
no subject
Date: 2008-08-20 11:53 am (UTC)Your point about the plot, however, is well taken.
Kung-Fu Panda, in its trailers, always struck me as potentially a)taking itself seriously, or b)having a moral. So I haven't seen it. :)
no subject
Date: 2008-08-21 12:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-21 10:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-22 03:00 pm (UTC)Paula Volsky is offhand the only author I can think of who has the fiendish traps rusted to uselessness. Wish she'd written more.