Category Archives: film

RKS 2025 Documentary Film: “The Chef and the Daruma”: The Mind of a Great Chef of Original Japanese Cuisine

In this Canadian documentary we follow the life of Vancouver chef Hidekazu Tojo from his humble and poor beginning in Kagoshima, Japan to his rise to prominence as owner chef of one of Vancouver’s premier Japanese restaurants TOJO’s frequented by the monied classes of the world. A celebrity chef followed like a rock star byContinue reading “RKS 2025 Documentary Film: “The Chef and the Daruma”: The Mind of a Great Chef of Original Japanese Cuisine”

RKS 2025 Documentary Film: “Death Without Mercy”: Your Trip to Hell

It was a quiet early 2024 November evening in Thessaloniki, Greece and I was holed up writing reviews for films I had watched at the Thessaloniki International Film Festival. Thessaloniki has survived many aftershocks but in 1978 the city suffered aftershocks from a 6.5 Richter scale earthquake killing an estimated 49 people. Greece is noContinue reading “RKS 2025 Documentary Film: “Death Without Mercy”: Your Trip to Hell”

RKS 2025 Film: “Exhibiting Forgiveness”: Bible Thumpers Curing Horrific Wrongs?

Forgiveness is an essential component of Christian and mindfulness ideology. Forgiving is perceived as liberating and healing. But are there certain dastardly and evil deeds that simply can’t be forgiven such as the endless episodes of genocide plaguing world history? Tarrell (André Holland) is a black artist seemingly living the good life, a real upContinue reading “RKS 2025 Film: “Exhibiting Forgiveness”: Bible Thumpers Curing Horrific Wrongs?”

RKS 2025 Film: “Timestalker”: Disturbing Pyscho Horror Thriller

The film community apparently categorizes “Timestalker” as comedic. If there is humour, I would say it is an attempt at such that transforms itself to generate a powerfully disturbing film documenting a dangerous delusional stalker. Initially one might strain to identify humour but it is weak and it is the splendiferous acting of Alice LoweContinue reading “RKS 2025 Film: “Timestalker”: Disturbing Pyscho Horror Thriller”

RKS 2025 Film: “Paying For It”: Romantic Love vs. Paying For Sex: Friendship Somewhere in the Middle

Chester Brown (Dan Beirne) an introverted cartoonist lives with Max Network VJ Sonny Lee (Emily Lê) and cutie pie canine Moe in a ramshackle house in Toronto’s Kensington Market a former hangout of mine before vintage clothing and budget hipster eateries edged out the produce people and the skinheads with their nasty dog. It isContinue reading “RKS 2025 Film: “Paying For It”: Romantic Love vs. Paying For Sex: Friendship Somewhere in the Middle”

RKS 2025 Film: “Dark Match”: Some Chilling Thrills and Comedy in a Quasi Farce

In “Dark Match” a struggling professional wrestling organization, SAW Wrestling, accepts a lucrative gig out in the isolated countryside. The tantalizing cash is difficult to resist. A small group of wrestlers and the managing promoter Rusty Beans (Jonathan Cherry) pack themselves off and head to the venue .They receive a warm welcome from a ratherContinue reading “RKS 2025 Film: “Dark Match”: Some Chilling Thrills and Comedy in a Quasi Farce”

RKS 2025 Documentary Film: “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat”: International Machinations Lead to National Disaster

“Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat” focuses on the futile attempt to attain veritable independence of the Belgian colony of the Congo led by Patrice Lumumba. The Democratic Republic of Congo with Lumumba as its first prime minister negotiated its independence from Belgium on 30June1960. But was it truly independence? The assassination of Lumumba in earlyContinue reading “RKS 2025 Documentary Film: “Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat”: International Machinations Lead to National Disaster”

RKS 2025 Film: “Loren & Rose”: Jacqueline Bisset on Stage!

“Loren & Rose” showcases the enormous talent of Jacqueline Bisset in her role as Rose Martin an actress rising to great acclaim in “Lisa Overnight” her greatest commercial success and her biggest curse as once you reach the summit it may be more of a slide down as how much room is there left toContinue reading “RKS 2025 Film: “Loren & Rose”: Jacqueline Bisset on Stage!”

RKS 2025 Documentary: “A Conversation with Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion”

“A Conversation with Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion” is what you get in this American documentary; Bob Mackie and many others, predominately entertainers and celebrities, discussing the career of American costume designer Bob Mackie. Mackie, now 85, started sketching as a boy preferring that to athletic pursuits. When asked what he wanted to do “when youContinue reading “RKS 2025 Documentary: “A Conversation with Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion””

RKS 2025 Documentary Film: “Mediha”: ISIL’s Genocidal DNA

ISIL is a genocidal force bent on the annihilation of “non- believers”. There is no middle ground for fanatics. They can’t destroy all non-believers so they pick away here and there whether that be New Orleans, Paris, Moscow and many other urban centres with easy civilian targets. On 3August2014 ISIL commenced its attack on theContinue reading “RKS 2025 Documentary Film: “Mediha”: ISIL’s Genocidal DNA”