history – Richard Mann Author

Movie **** Downton Abbey (2019)

rmann September 20, 2019 September 24, 2019Movie and Book Reviews 0

Another successful Julian Fellows take on the long running series. Knowing the characters from the series is a big asset in following the many personalities upstairs and downstairs.

Movie ***** Whale Rider (2002)

rmann September 16, 2019 September 24, 2019Movie and Book Reviews 0

Here is a fine gem of a movie. Kiesha Castle-Hughes’s Oscar-nominated performance is outstanding. All the secondary performances are terrific as well. Will make you cry.

Book – ****+ Mark of the Plague (2017)

rmann September 5, 2019 September 24, 2019Movie and Book Reviews 0

Book 2 of Kevin Sands’ Middle Grade series. The plague is loose in London, but apothecary apprentice, Christophe Rowe, and his buddy, Tom, learn of a hidden treasure.

Book – ****+ The Blackthorn Key (2016)

rmann August 25, 2019 September 3, 2019Movie and Book Reviews 0

Book 1 of Kevin Sands’ Middle Grade series about apothecaries and alchemists in the 1600’s. Well written mystery and adventure without introducing the supernatural. The hunt for the Archangel’s Fire, an explosive recipe, is behind a string of murders.

Stage Show ***** Cambodian Rock Band (Ashland, OR, 2019)

rmann August 24, 2019 September 1, 2019Movie and Book Reviews 0

Fantastic script, music, and acting. The cast of seven felt like twenty as they personalized the horror after the US departure while celebrating the resilient creativity of the Cambodian people.

Book – ****+ D.O.D.O. (2017)

rmann July 24, 2019 September 3, 2019Movie and Book Reviews 0

Fine Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland collaboration. Starts by positing a scientific basis for witchcraft and time travel and goesn on from there.

Book – ****+ The Cobweb (1996)

rmann July 16, 2019 July 18, 2019Movie and Book Reviews 0

Neal Stephenson and J. Frederick George thriller. Very engaging drama of a fanciful Iraqi scheme to build bio-weapons near an Iowa university. Equally interesting is the government compartmentalization that tries to avoid discovering what’s going on.

Book – ***** The Green Mile (1996)

rmann May 29, 2019 June 21, 2019Movie and Book Reviews 0

Stephen King masterpiece centered on all those servicing and sitting in the electric chair with fantasy and supernatural elements sprinkled on top to make the terrifying dish palatable.

Book – ****+ Homo Deus (2017)

rmann March 15, 2019 March 26, 2019Movie and Book Reviews 0

Yuval Harari outlines the trends and pressures that are rapidly replacing human control of evolving society and placing its future in the hands of algorithymic fictions we’ve created to drive toward questionable goals. Without even the emergence of the Singularity, we are relinquishing our choices to computer systems driving us…

Movie ***** Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

rmann March 6, 2019 March 29, 2019Movie and Book Reviews 0

Terrific history of Freddy Mercury and Queen with Oscar-winning performance by Rami Malek. The sound in the film’s songs surpassed Celine Dione’s live performance that I just saw live – hence sound editing and mixing Oscars.

Tag: history

Movie **** Downton Abbey (2019)

Movie ***** Whale Rider (2002)

Book – ****+ Mark of the Plague (2017)

Book – ****+ The Blackthorn Key (2016)

Stage Show ***** Cambodian Rock Band (Ashland, OR, 2019)

Book – ****+ D.O.D.O. (2017)

Book – ****+ The Cobweb (1996)

Book – ***** The Green Mile (1996)

Book – ****+ Homo Deus (2017)

Movie ***** Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

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