Under international law Greece and all other countries having “asylum seekers” land on their shores must offer basic assistance until asylum proceedings have been completed. The cost simply can’t be deported away as deportation is not a legal option. The numbers are so staggering that Italy has outsourced migrant housing and administration to Albania! AreContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Utopolis”: An Extreme Case of Migrant Bashing”
Author Archives: Robert K Stephen (CSW)
RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “The River”: A Sloppy Effort!
“The River” is a co Italian, Greek and Kosovian production showcasing the endless talent of Makis Papadimitriou fittingly playing the character of Makis. Makis is a contractor for a German firm Sky Autobahn building a segment of a showcase highway in Greece. For safety reasons Makis posts bird figures on soundproof panels lining the highway.Continue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “The River”: A Sloppy Effort!”
RKS Travel: Checked Baggage Fees and Passenger Snickers
When the worst of COVID was over I took an Air Canada flight from Toronto’s Pearson Airport to Athens. While waiting at the gate an Air Canada passenger agent made an announcement that due to so much unchecked luggage on this sold out flight please volunteer to have your bags checked in. A roar ofContinue reading “RKS Travel: Checked Baggage Fees and Passenger Snickers”
RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Greice”: A Study of a Pathological Liar?
“Greice” is a joint Portuguese Brazilian production wandering in a disjointed fashion bouncing off the walls as if the film had downed too many strong Brazilian coffees. Factually it is described accurately in the film festival guide. Move beyond the factual description and that is where the trouble brews. If “Greice” was an attempt toContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Greice”: A Study of a Pathological Liar?”
RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Honeymoon”: Staggering Oppressiveness
I will depart from my usual format by fast forwarding saying my reaction to the film was upsetting and caused me to pace back and forth after the film attempting to process it. It was slow moving and quite like watching paint dry but when it dried, I was caught beneath it like a bugContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Honeymoon”: Staggering Oppressiveness”
RKS 2024 Wine: The Black Sheep from Nico Lazaridi and “The Attack of the Giant Moussaka”
The Black Sheep is a blend of non-indigenous grapes to Greece, namely Syrah and Merlot. The grapes are from vineyards grown on the foothills of Mount Pangeon in Kavala. Aroma: Think of black fruit particularly blackberry, black currant, cassis and black cherry enveloped in a gentle smoke. Palate: At room temperature expect a dullard asContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: The Black Sheep from Nico Lazaridi and “The Attack of the Giant Moussaka””
RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Annual Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Swimming Home”
“Swimming Home” is a feature length film being a United Kingdom, Greece, Netherlands and Brazil production. It’s opening music is ominous and haunting particularly reminding one of the swarms of buzzing flies over a severed pig’s head in “Lord of the Flies”. What is rotting in the film are spirits of human beings. It isContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Annual Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Swimming Home””
RKS TRAVEL: The Barbarity of Basic Economy Class Air Travel
Can you remember the days of yore when two simple classes of air travel existed? First class and economy class which have evolved to a confusing array of classes and subclasses and for what reason? Most likely the unrelenting drive for airline company profits masked with some confusing moniker related to customer convenience. You mightContinue reading “RKS TRAVEL: The Barbarity of Basic Economy Class Air Travel”
RKS 2024 Wine: “Gravity” Pinot Noir from Flat Rock Cellars: A Tough Guy from Niagara
Aroma: This nose detects Pinot Noir with certainty! Delicate and finely chiseled Keith Morrison? Tough and certain like Rosemary Barton? What is term here? Rough? Gruff? Muscular? Bold? Rich? Super ripe Niagara raspberry, blackberry, black cherry, kirsch and chocolate pudding. Palate: Full bodied with an accompanying fulsomeness. A burly Pinot Noir I would say. BlusteryContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: “Gravity” Pinot Noir from Flat Rock Cellars: A Tough Guy from Niagara”
RKS 2024 Film: “The Shade”: Mental Illness as the Horror?
“The Shade” has very little traditional horror in it. Yes, there is a terrifying ghoul and some menacing Druid like figures but the focus is on mental illness and post traumatic stress disorder so please don’t expect ghouls jumping out of the bushes. Ryan Beckman as a boy watches his father commit suicide by firearm.Continue reading “RKS 2024 Film: “The Shade”: Mental Illness as the Horror?”
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