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Workout For Daily Life

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Let’s talk about The Mummy (1999)

Someone was talking at me yesterday about this movie and I was getting riled so I decided to go full rant. Specifically in regards to the feminist podcast that slammed it.

I don’t even remember which podcast it was, but I am still rankled and baffled that any “feminism in movies” podcast could jump to anything but “this movie is phenomenal.”

First of all, even just discussing the overall quality: sure, it might not have been groundbreaking with its cgi or plot twists. But back in the 90s, that wasn’t the standard of measure like it is now (and even now is a shitty standard that needs to die). This movie was light and funny and yet hit all the right beats to maintain the dire stakes needed to make it a compelling action flick.

Its characters are fully realized and entirely distinct from each other. Even those treated with a broader brush, such as the Americans, were charismatic enough that we were fully invested in their fate. The entire cast of characters were real people with real impact and real agency.

The script is quotable and fucking hilarious. There are gems from literally every single character. Rick and Evie have actual chemistry, aided by Rachel Weisz’s natural magnetism and Brendan Frasier’s career-long knack for acting utterly charmed with his female costars.

Actually, let’s talk about Rick O'Connell for a second. This is peak 90s Brendan Frasier. He is absolutely GORGEOUS, suave, and cool, rugged and handsome. He is the epitome of the 1920s adventure hero. Dear god I want to kiss those casting directors. But for all his general peak masculinity? He’s feminist as fuck. He is equally dumbstruck by Evie as she is by him, and it’s wholly evident that it’s more than a “oh no she’s hot” thing.

How do we know?

He steals her some tools to dig with. This gift demonstrates that he a) has identified her passion for archaeology, b) has recognized her proficiency in the field, despite it not being explicitly stated on screen, and c) sees a chance to restore her full and active participation in the discovery of Hamunaptra.

There is never a moment where Rick assumes to be the leader of the expedition. He is the weapons expert, the muscle–and he knows it. Better than that, he’s totally okay with it. He follows Evie’s lead in all things.

Another favorite moment of mine is when they’re facing off with the American team on Day 1, and Evie realizes there’s a chamber underneath Anubis they could use to excavate the statue. She puts her hand on Rick’s arm, looks him in the eye, and says very deliberately “there are other places to dig.” And he yields, instantly.

By comparison, see the way the Americans treat their workers and guide.

Does he groan about his work being made exponentially harder as a result? Nope. And that’s a recurring theme in his behavior the entire goddamn movie. The only time he is in charge is when a situation is in his wheelhouse– namely, combat and rescue. And it deserves mentioning that the majority of the time that he’s in charge, Evie is not present.

Meanwhile, Evie– her adventurer’s spirit chafing in an academia that dismisses her for her gender– is an absolute marvel. She is visually coded as being very feminine (she’s in dresses and long hair most of the film), but that fact in no way detracts from her competence and agency.

She is consistently protrayed as a fully capable expert in egyptology and there is never a single moment where she waffles on what to do. Even when she’s the damsel in distress, she actively makes the choice to be so because she weighs the potential outcomes and decides doing so provides their best chance of success.

Evie is never the passive victim. She is constantly brash, constantly scheming, and saves the lives of her would-be rescuers mid-abduction. And when her brother (who is the failure of the family, against type) needs help with translation, she correctly translates for him while being throttled by a mummified priestess.

When I first saw this film, I was too young to realize how novel it was. Back then, all I knew was that it was just a good time. But now as an adult– an adult acutely aware of the treatment female characters have gotten in the twenty years since– I marvel at the respect with which the writers and directors treated Evie.

I marvel at how tender Rick was allowed to be, despite his rugged adventurer archetype.

The Mummy (1999) is peak storytelling. It doesn’t try to outsmart the audience, but rather lays out a consistent, coherent narrative that gives the characters and viewers room to breathe. It invests the audience enough to care whether the characters succeed in their goals.

The Mummy (1999) does it right. It’s the reason that any talk of the Tom Cruise version gets an immediate eyeroll from me, because whatever modern grimdark grit they shove into a story about a mummy cannot compare to the reliable and timeless entertainment of the 1999 adaptation.

All modern media should aspire to be the kind of film that The Mummy (1999) is.

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Day 13

[muted screaming] This is fine

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I don’t think we appreciate how fucking Amazing Tony Stark is at multitasking and how Heightened his sense of awareness/ perception must be though I mean. I mean

Let’s just take a look at everything going on in these Two (2) screencaps alone. How much data do you think he’s processing at any one time whilst in that suit (+ JARVIS AND the rest of the avengers on audio). He reads, evaluates and acts on the info, all in the space of a second before moving on to the next task. JARVIS might give him the information, but it’s tony stark’s brain that processes all that data vomit. On the field, the amount of information he must process in a mere minute must be astounding.

And I mean, not only can tony pilot this shit all on his lonesome, but he can do it with nothing more than a pair of glasses.

Whilst taking a drink:

Whilst Driving a Whole Other Vehicle

Too basic for you? I mean, I guess all he was doing was some basic flight in those, right? Well what about saving thirteen people from a falling airplane and safely guiding them all down to earth again- whilst in a cabin on a boat

Could you imagine trying to do that? I can’t keep a conversation and do 1 task at once. I think we often forget quite how ….brilliant tony’s brain is. Like. The speed at which he would have to process information and act on it is fucking insane. No wonder no one else can effectively create an iron man suit, they just physically couldn’t keep up with it. Tony is one harcore genius motherfucker This Has Been A PSA

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um they would be best friends

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"Lieutenant Moriarty."

"Director Holmes"

Follow my art account on twt: @RamenThiefArt

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Bunny!Moneypenny

Check out my twt account! I'm more active there.

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Dr. Hermann-doubting his life choices whenever Newt does something incredibly ridiculous that he finds endearing-Gottlieb

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Space gays

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The Final problem's solution.

(William James Moriarty & Sherlock Holmes fr Moriarty the Patriot)

The anime's done but the manga is still updating a new arc. Please go and read it~

Follow my art account on twitter: RamenThief

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When writing always remember… a character flaw is only a flaw until becomes useful. 

Is your protagonist manipulative? Well that’s awful… until they manipulate the antagonist into making a decision that saves the lives of their friends. 

Is your protagonist a skeptic? Well that’s not good… until someone tries to lie to them. 

Is your protagonist overprotective? That sucks… until someone they love is in danger. 

Is your protagonist remorseless? Well that makes them pretty unlikeable… until a hard decision has to be made. 

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Local k-scientists demanding more fund for kaiju research.

 ( I miss drawing my K-boys!)

Follow my art account: RamenThief

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can we just talk about the Kambals' masks for a moment?

it was never explained in the series*, but in the komiks, the lore states that the masks are akin to a dog's leash and muzzle-- some asshole famously used them to control two aswang and make them fight for him in some entertainment death ring before the Trese family saved them.

Anton (and Alex's lolo) chose to put the masks on the Kambal as a precaution to keep the Trese family safe while they taught these boys to be part of an actual family. in case the boys decided to turn on them, Anton could control them.

now. in the netflix series, Talabugsao removes the masks to control his sons**. then, after Alex breaks his hold over them, what do the kambal do?

they put the masks back on.

no prompting. no hesitation. they stand up, face their father, and put the masks back on.

because it's no longer a muzzle or a leash to them. it's a sign of loyalty and a sign of family and a rejection of their past as child soldiers and murderers.

they reject their father and go stand behind their ate. it wasn't just Alex claiming them as family in this scene, it was the kambal claiming Alexandra as their family, too.

*they also don't show it in the series (maybe because they lacked time) but there's a flashback scene in the Book of Murders where the kambal and Alexandra go snooping in the family library and are attacked by an unknown entity-- the kambal, even as kids, immediately defend Alex without her prompting, suggesting that, as they grew closer and became family, the kambal grew more protective of Alex. this happened after the masks were put on them and before Alex entered the great balete tree. it's actually a really sweet scene-- the second Alexandra was in danger Basilio screamed "stay away from Alex!" before kicking the halimaw in the face. both boys were in pambahay clothes. cuties.

**in the komiks Talabugsao verbally states his distaste for the masks, saying that he feels like they hinder his sons from reaching their true potential.

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fursona research

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do you ever think about how, by its own definition, star trek: the original series has two male main characters in love? about how in episode 2x02 "Metamorphosis" Kirk, explaining love to an alien entity, asks it, "Is [the love interest] important to you, more important than anything? Is he as though he were a part of you?", and as such he, and by extension the writers, defines loving someone as feeling that the object of your love is more important to you than anything, and is almost a part of you? and that spock has repeatedly risked everything- his life, his career- for kirk? and that kirk has done the same for him? do you ever just sit and think about how much they're in love with each other? isn't it sweet?

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cursed emojis that no one asked for but I don’t care

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