Reviews by doudouce55

This is a long overdue book that is much needed. Donaldson has taken a wonderful lengthy research and made it available to a wide range of readers, in this work.

In Part One, he discusses the origins of the Isis and Osiris story, and continues by describing the evolution of Isis as a goddess, mother and protector. Chapters of this section cover vocation, worship and public penance ; Isiac priests and priestesses ; Isiac feasts and events in the ever-changing calendar ; and Isiac temples.

In Part Two, he goes on with an explanation of each stage in the Isis Cult, and its evolution as Roman emperors succeeded each other is thoroughly analyzed. From the Late Republic to the Antonine Period, this book examines the development of the Isis cult in depth, covering the reigns of Antony, Cleopatra, Caesar, Augustus, Caligula, Domitian and Commodus.

Donaldson has put a lot of effort in finding the bibliographic material and the text shows this research. Although it does not have many photographs (it only has 6), the book will soon become a reference on the subject of Isis.

I encourage everyone to read this wonderful book. This is a definite must for anyone interested in Ancient Egyptian and/or Graeco-Roman religion.

Using archaeological evidence to back up his portrayal of the Ancient Egyptian columns, the author describes the development of columns from the earliest stone columns, through the Middle and New Kingdoms, the Ramesside Period, ending with those from Christian Egypt.
He first provides a general overview of the history of Egypt by including all the main monuments in Egypt -many which are rarely visited- and then continues to present an overview of columns, pylons, halls, and their various styles as seen in a number of Ancient Egyptian temples, houses and palaces.
He clearly explains and defines the terminology, classification and nomenclature to describe the many parts of the column. He gives details about the materials used and the decoration seen on the columns throughout the country, and explains the historical trends in column design.

The book contains over 600 black and white photographs, drawings, sketches and maps. Recommended reading for the interested reader, and a useful reference for amateur and professionals interested in Ancient Egypt.

John Woodson, a history teacher recently laid off, is given the opportunity to travel to Peru, in search of ancient scrolls, with the help of Father Jose. He encounters several persons that help him in his discovery of the prophecy and its insights. The ninth insight predicts a new awakening that takes a glimpse into spiritual culture on Earth.

The script: very very bad, one of the worst ever. Half the time, nothing made sense and nothing was very realistic. The script makes the story not credible and the character development is very poor.

The actors: Not a bad lot, and certainly Thomas Kretschmann is the best. Not bad for an Olympic swimmer turned actor! As for the rest of the cast, unfortunately, even decent actors like Joaquim de Almeida and Hector Elizondo are bad.

The cinematography: often out of focus (was it intentional? Doubtful). The few parts in focus show a good view of Peru, where the film was shot. Horrible special effects make this a definite B-movie.

As for the movie's title, this is an adaptation of James Redfield's 1993 novel bearing the same name.
The viewer will notice many differences with the book. The movie might be BASED ON the book, but I couldn't see how it was adapted, since the prophecy itself is never explained in the movie (but is described in detail in the book).

If you're ready to go into a "suspension of disbelief" (usually required to watch most movies), then go ahead and watch this, you'll need a LOT of it.
If you don't like poorly written scripts and bad acting, avoid at all costs. Don't even rent this movie.

Spain. 1944. Ofelia, a girl fascinated by fairy tales, is sent with her pregnant mother to meet and live with her new stepfather, Capitan Vidal, a particularly sadistic character. One night Ofelia meets a fairy, is told she is a princess and encounters the faun Pan. To prove her royalty, she must execute specific albeit gruesome tasks.

Sergi Lopez as the Capitan is excellent, as are the two leading actresses, Maribel Verdu (playing Vidal's housekeeper, Mercedes) and Ivana Baquero (Ofelia). The faun is magistrally played by Doug Jones.

An intense, brutal, beautiful, magical world is what makes this movie A MUST SEE, for it is quite the masterpiece, visually and artistically. The film definitely deserved its Oscar for best cinematography: Guillermo Navarro used wonderful lighting and techniques.

Brilliantly directed and masterfully written by Guillermo Del Toro, this is a movie FOR ADULTS.

(Warning: English subtitles only so far available on the DVDs.)

Tired of being rejected by colleges and universities he applied to, Bartleby Baines (Justin Long) decides to create a 'fake' university, the South Harmon Institute of Technology (S.H.I.T.). He wants to make his parents proud of who he is, by becoming accepted at that university. With the help of some friends, he will create a too-good-to-be-true place where many students will be accepted.

Is it funny? Yes, most times. Clichéd? Very much so. Predictable? Definitely.

ACCEPTED is still an enjoyable comedy.

The year is 1925. Kitty (Naomi Watts) is a naive woman, whose mother expects her to marry soon. She meets a young dull and shy man, Doctor Walter Fane (Edward Norton), a bacteriologist. They marry, and soon find themselves in China. Walter discovers Kitty's affair with a diplomat, Charles Townsend (Liev Shreiber); Walter then will force Kitty to come with her to a remote village ravaged by cholera.
He is very much in love with her, but it is not reciprocal. After the affair is discovered, their relationship soon becomes cold, and indifferent.

This is a movie about love lost and love earned - the director showed this well, the script was decent enough and believable, still a little too predictable for my taste. (Anyone will see the ending coming miles away!)

The cast is quite excellent, and the characters they play are rather likable and invite the viewer to join them on a fascinating journey in 1920s China.

It is a beautiful, well-adapted, well-directed film to watch.

First, I agree with Prelude76's comment/review totally. The plot was quite confusing, and the past/present/future intrigue was ambiguous. And it is *not* Rachel Weisz’s or Hugh Jackman’s best performance.
That said, the only thing that kept me awake (honestly!) was the beauty of it. Its stunning cinematography and special effects are simply spectacular.
Lastly... what kind of ending is that!?!?!!?!?!!?!?! It left me with even more questions, and certainly didn’t answer anything, not even what the complete story was (if there was ever one).

I had high expectations for this film, considering the great cast. However, I was disappointed in their melodramatic acting and in the trite, dull and clichéd script itself.
If you're writing a script that's a homage to the 1940s, shouldn't the scriptwriter stick to that particular style? The use of F words and nudity (not a needed scene) was not the best idea, and actually called for disappointment already.

What saved the movie was:
- that it was shot in black and white, with no microphones,
- its colorful score,
- and its storyline (albeit weakly developed and confusing at times).
Captain Jake Geismar (George Clooney) is in Berlin to cover the Potsdam Conference in post-World War II Germany, but he is dragged into a murder investigation involving his former mistress Lena (Cate Blanchett) and his driver (Tobey Maguire).

The last scene was a clone of Casablanca's last scene - was it intentional? It is a very *slow* film noir, and political thriller, and certainly not a film that everyone will enjoy.

The fascinating world of Hatshepsut, a woman and a pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, brings the reader to the world of the 18th Dynasty.

In 18 chapters, the author provides interesting details about New Kingdom society and Hatshepsut's reign. The book includes many black and white photographs as well as a short bibliography.

Recommended for all persons interested in Hatshepsut.

Most books on Ancient Egypt deal with general subjects (history, religion, pharaohs, mythology, art history). This book discusses two rarely mentioned activities: sports and games.

The book is organized thematically: games, hunting, acrobatics, sports of the Pharaohs.

The author gives a most thorough description of the athletic and recreational activities. He shows that Ancient Egyptians did practice sports, and that they did enjoy games (including Senet). He gives a comprehensive presentation of sporting activity in the Ancient Egyptian society.

Recommended reading for the interested.