Robert K Stephen (CSW)

RKS Film: “See You Again”: Possibly the Best and Most Honest LGBTQ Ever Made?

I have been reviewing LGBTQ films for a few years now. Lynch me if you wish but my take of this “film genre” is there is a divide between depicting the LGBTQ community as LGBTQ human beings as opposed to LGBTQ human beings being LGBTQ. If we are looking for true diversity and inclusion doContinue reading “RKS Film: “See You Again”: Possibly the Best and Most Honest LGBTQ Ever Made?”

RKS Wine: Cline Viognier North Coast California

My first choice for Viognier would be France but California produces a fair bit of it. Let’s try a Cline 2020 North Coast Viognier. It has a light cold colour. As for aromatics it is not exactly an effusive Viognier. The first take is a wine that has some cinnamon, eucalyptus, butterscotch and pineapple. ThereContinue reading “RKS Wine: Cline Viognier North Coast California”

“Travels to a Different Time” : 20May1975: First Haircut in 3 Years Ends My Gypsy Frightening Potential

Instead of the midnight bus to New York from Montreal it will be the midnight DC-10 from New York to Vienna. To avoid being set up for narcotic smuggling and to prevent gypsies from running away from me in terror I went for my first haircut in 3 years. It was not the traumatic experienceContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” : 20May1975: First Haircut in 3 Years Ends My Gypsy Frightening Potential”

“Travels to a Different Time” : 17/18 May 1975: New York City: Off to Vienna!

Again on the midnight bus from Montreal to New York City. Sitting next to a tubby guy with bad body odour who tried to strike up a conversation to no avail. Through customs was quick and at the Saratoga Springs rest stop I have never seen the restaurant so busy at 3 in the morning.Continue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” : 17/18 May 1975: New York City: Off to Vienna!”

RKS Film: “Holy Boom”: Intergenerational and Ethnic Explosion in Athens!

The Hellenic Film Society USA continues with its Greek Films on Demand programme where for the first ten days of the month two Greek films are available for streaming at a nominal cost. One of the April films “Holy Boom” is a 2018 production that weaves together ethnic and intergenerational conflicts facing Greece. On PalmContinue reading “RKS Film: “Holy Boom”: Intergenerational and Ethnic Explosion in Athens!”

RKS Film: “Tabija” (The White Fortress): Hoodlum Meets Girl from a “Good” Family

Faruk (Pavle Čemerkić) lives with his grandmother in one of those socialist tenements from the old Yugoslavian communist days in the infamous city of Sarajevo. He has a day job collecting scrap metal with his uncle. He also runs girls for the big boss Cedo who amongst his other businesses is a pimp. Faruk hasContinue reading “RKS Film: “Tabija” (The White Fortress): Hoodlum Meets Girl from a “Good” Family”

“Travels To a Different Time”: 19August1974: Frankfurt, New York and Montreal: Wrapping up 1974

Woke up at 6:30 suffering from airport grunge and not feeling that well again. I went to the supermarket at the lower level and bought a roll, orange juice and milk. At 09:30 the line up for the 12:15 flight to New York began. There were 7 non-revenue passengers and only two spots so itContinue reading ““Travels To a Different Time”: 19August1974: Frankfurt, New York and Montreal: Wrapping up 1974″

RKS Wine: An Organic Côtes-du-Rhônes-Villages; Clean, Vibrant and Pure

Perhaps I get thrown by the word “organic” but organic wines seem to have a clean streak running through them. They seem sharper. Am I imagining this? So we try a 2019 Château Maucoil Côtes-du-Rhônes-Villages. The scent of super ripe strawberries is courtesy of the Grenache in the blend. A big blast of blueberries alsoContinue reading “RKS Wine: An Organic Côtes-du-Rhônes-Villages; Clean, Vibrant and Pure”

RKS Film: “Good Life”: One Strange Film

Unfortunately for this film I have been travelling about Greece since the early 1970’s. So when I sat down and watched “Good Life” I was looking forward to a great film as after all what could be wrong about the dear protagonist Olive going to her mother’s ancestral home in Greece after a break upContinue reading “RKS Film: “Good Life”: One Strange Film”

“Travels to a Different Time” : 17August1974: Wuppertal, West Germany: Beer in the Morning?

Up at 08:00 for the usual breakfast of brot, schinken und kaise (bread, ham and cheese). I must have eaten an entire field of wheat on this trip! We took the Schwebebahn and then a bus out to countryside to a big pool. Beer started upon arrival. Little 4-ounce glasses of alt beer sort ofContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” : 17August1974: Wuppertal, West Germany: Beer in the Morning?”