Director and writer Steve McQueen has crafted a solid and very long historical documentary based on wife Bianca Stigter’s “Atlas of an Occupied City, Amsterdam 1940-1945”. In the Second World War German forces occupied Amsterdam and slowly but methodically drew the noose around the necks of its Jewish population. Some 60,000-80,000 of Amsterdam’s Jews wereContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: “Occupied City”: Amsterdam Yesterday and Today: A Bloody Chapter in its History”
Author Archives: Robert K Stephen (CSW)
RKS 2024 Wine: A Field Blend from Russian River: Groggy and Sluggish?
My experience with field blend is a Portuguese one. Once upon a time grapes were grapes and wine was wine. Different grapes could be planted willy nilly in the vineyard. Harvest them and you got a bit of this and that grape. Another type of field blend is where two or more different grape varietiesContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: A Field Blend from Russian River: Groggy and Sluggish?”
RKS Literature: The Solution to America’s Drug Problem (William S. Burroughs)
“If you wish to alter or annihilate a pyramid of numbers in a serial relation, you alter or remove the bottom number. If we wish to annihilate the junk problem we start with the bottom of the pyramid: Addict in the Street and stop tilting quixotically for the “higher-ups” so called. All of whom areContinue reading “RKS Literature: The Solution to America’s Drug Problem (William S. Burroughs)”
RKS Literature: A Less Than Efficient Court System (William S. Burroughs)
“The County Clerk has his office in a huge red brick building known as the Old Court House. Civil cases are, in fact tried there, the proceeding inexorably dragging out until the contestants die or abandon litigation. This is due to the vast number of records pertaining to absolutely everything, all filed in the wrongContinue reading “RKS Literature: A Less Than Efficient Court System (William S. Burroughs)”
RKS 2024 Wine: Can Christopher Michael Save Face with Its Chardonnay
The Christopher Michael 2022 Pinot Noir I recently sampled limped in, as vacant faced as it was, with a 73/100. My retail contacts agreed and suggested their Chardonnay and Pinot Gris would fare better. Is that correct? So why not try the Christopher Michael 2021 Chardonnay? Aroma: Apple, pear, cantaloupe with some scant butterscotch andContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Can Christopher Michael Save Face with Its Chardonnay”
RKS 2024 FILM: HOT DOCS 2024:“My Sextortion Diary” (Todo Lo Cubre la Sol): A Currency of Threats and Humiliation
Patricia Franquesa, a Spanish filmmaker, meets her ex-boyfriend at a restaurant in Madrid for lunch. Her laptop is stolen by two men as is visible on security camera footage. She reports the matter to the Madrid police. Two months later a hacker informs her three “compromising pictures” on her laptop will be distributed to allContinue reading “RKS 2024 FILM: HOT DOCS 2024:“My Sextortion Diary” (Todo Lo Cubre la Sol): A Currency of Threats and Humiliation”
RKS 2024 Film: HOT DOCS: “Back to Riaño” (Vuelta a Riaño): Spanish Destruction and Relocation all for Nothing
“Back to Riaño”, a film by Miriam Martin, is one of the four films showing in the Hot Docs Made in Spain Shorts Programme screening on 3May2024. It is a case study in government waste and arrogant stupidity. The locality of Riaño had nine 14th century villages destroyed in order to construct a dam thatContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: HOT DOCS: “Back to Riaño” (Vuelta a Riaño): Spanish Destruction and Relocation all for Nothing”
RKS 2024 Wine: Morgon: Classy Name: Good Beaujolais?
I have always thought Morgon was a classy name. When I was a wee tadpole in Montreal there once was a classy department store called Morgon’s. Morgon’s stores were eventually purchased by the Hudson’s Bay. Enough reminiscing. We try a Domaine Laurent Gauthier Morgon. Aroma: Cheerful and light black cherry. That’s all folks and itContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Morgon: Classy Name: Good Beaujolais?”
RKS 2024 Film: HOT DOCS 2024: “Aqueronte”: A Mystical Voyage of Light, Sound and Images for Your Imagination
“Aqueronte”, a film by Manuel Muñoz Rivas, is one of the four films showing in the Hot Docs Made in Spain Shorts Programme screening on 3May2024. Despite the fact it is not a documentary short it is a short of a mystical voyage of light, sound and images your mind can journey on with. AContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: HOT DOCS 2024: “Aqueronte”: A Mystical Voyage of Light, Sound and Images for Your Imagination”
RKS 2024 Wine: McManis 2022 Petite Sirah: Berlin Wall of Blackberry: Bland? Predictable? Reliable? Uninspiring? Consumer Friendly? Cali Conundrum
It is not common to encounter a Petite Sirah as a single varietal wine. It produces tannic wines with a savoury and almost meaty character and dense blackberry fruit making it a useful blender but if the tannins are carefully managed it can make an age worthy and supple wine on its lonesome. Aroma: WowContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: McManis 2022 Petite Sirah: Berlin Wall of Blackberry: Bland? Predictable? Reliable? Uninspiring? Consumer Friendly? Cali Conundrum”
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