Robert K Stephen (CSW)

RKS 2024 Film: “All You Need is Blood”: A Bloody Interesting Targeted Audience Comedy

I returned two days ago from 10 days at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival where I watched and reviewed 20 movies. Three were Greek films about making a movie about a movie. They weren’t comedies as “All You Need is Blood” which is a movie about making a movie about making a movie. Bucky (LoganContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: “All You Need is Blood”: A Bloody Interesting Targeted Audience Comedy”

RKS Travel: Thessaloniki’s Segundo Molo Suites

Thessaloniki is in Northern Greece and is its second largest city. Thessaloniki’s Segundo Molo Suites is not a traditional hotel so do not expect a lobby, front desk staff or most hotel amenities. You are largely on your own here. You may be daunted by its entrance or rather lack of entrance. Once you arriveContinue reading “RKS Travel: Thessaloniki’s Segundo Molo Suites”

RKS Travel: The Snotty Nosed and Wheezing Passengers and Mega Selfishness

On my second flight to Toronto from Thessaloniki on KLM to JFK Airport in New York I had to listen to that gurgling cough, pulling up snots in the nose and sneezing from two nearby passengers the whole flight. The selfish prigs (a polite term) were not wearing a mask and they hacked, gurgled andContinue reading “RKS Travel: The Snotty Nosed and Wheezing Passengers and Mega Selfishness”

RKS 2024 Film: Nasty Bad Ass Danes Terrorize Poor Swedes in “Stockholm Bloodbath”

Rest assured “Stockholm Bloodbath” offers the viewer exactly what the title suggests. Hangings, beheadings, burning at the stake, deadly cannonballs, torn limbs and arrows wreaking havoc on the human body and all manner of ghastly terminations of lives. In 1532 Danish King Kristian II (Claes Bang) launches yet another campaign against the head of stateContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: Nasty Bad Ass Danes Terrorize Poor Swedes in “Stockholm Bloodbath””

RKS Travel: Greek, Dutch and United States Air Travel Disaster

Ten days in Thessaloniki, Greece attending the 65th Annual Thessaloniki Film Festival had me beat watching and reviewing two movies daily. Attending opening ceremonies and press conferences and yes experiencing an earthquake tremor and even cooking up almost all my meals with the most basic ingredients. What was my masterpiece? Norwegian salmon filets gently poachedContinue reading “RKS Travel: Greek, Dutch and United States Air Travel Disaster”

RKS 2024 Wine: Stratus Alto: An Assemblage and a Winner!

I suppose an “assemblage” would be considered as a blend but it sounds a bit more “exotic” than a blend, right? Or why not another French sounding name like a “Meritage” as you might like the possibility it has merit to it. Names, names, names but what is the quality in the bottle? Strange thatContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Stratus Alto: An Assemblage and a Winner!”

RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Fauna”: Corruption Lost in Itself

In a 2024 Greek film director Stratoula Theodoratou delves into moral and political corruption in Greek society. Corruption respects no boundaries, and it may be those attempting to expose corruption are equally corrupt as those they strive to expose. Anna, an Athenian photojournalist, when escaping from a violent demonstration, encounters severely demented Lambros eating aContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Fauna”: Corruption Lost in Itself”

RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Natatorium”: Supressed Evil Takes a Lunge

Eighteen-year-old Lilja visits grandmother Áóra and grandfather Grimur to be proximate to an audition for an international performance group unable to contact her father Magnus about her stay. How sweet, a stay with granny and grandpa! Kalli, the son of Granny and Grandpa, is bedridden in their home seriously ill. Their daughter Val owner ofContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Natatorium”: Supressed Evil Takes a Lunge”

RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “The Best of All Worlds”: Portuguese Disaster Movie

In 1775 one of the strongest earthquakes in recorded history measuring 8.5-9 on the Richter scale devastated Lisbon. Its centre was in the ocean some 325 kilometres off the coast of the island of Madeira. A tsunami followed. Seismologists predict another similar powerful earthquake in Portugal and the sole question is when. Consider its powerContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “The Best of All Worlds”: Portuguese Disaster Movie”

RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Giannis in the Cities”: Chilling and Legitimate Child Brutality

“Giannis in the Cities” is a wounding and penetrating journey into “Childcare Cities” established during the Greek Civil War as told through a “survivor” author Yannis Atzakas. There are haunting similarities to the establishment of “residential schools” in Canada amounting to little more than kidnapping of Aboriginal children for purposes of assimilation into colonial correctnessContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “Giannis in the Cities”: Chilling and Legitimate Child Brutality”