Mike (Joshua Koopman) owns a struggling small theatre playing it safe presenting “known plays” like “Romeo and Juliet” attracting small audiences but small is better than playing riskier productions that may fail to attract any patrons. Jerry, the landlord of the theatre premises, advises Mike when his lease expires in two months he will haveContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: “EARLYBIRD”: Theatre and Life Lessons”
Category Archives: film
RKS 2024 Film: “All We Carry”: Fairytale, Fantasy and Playing the USA Migrant Game?
There are usually many sides to a story. The documentary “All We Carry” presents one side focusing on the suffering of thousands of migrants streaming towards the United States border somehow believing they are by rights entitled to entry and a life in the United States. Magdiel, Mirna and their child Joshua are self-described EvangelicalContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: “All We Carry”: Fairytale, Fantasy and Playing the USA Migrant Game?”
RKS 2024 Film: “East Bay”: A Parade of the Mostly Lost
“East Bay” opens with 39-year-old Jack Lee (Daniel Yoon) lamenting his lack of life and filmmaking success from his childhood to the present day. As a child he desperately prayed to God to make him successful. We watch God, an elder bearded Caucasian, throughout the film snickering at the misguided humans and at one pointContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: “East Bay”: A Parade of the Mostly Lost”
RKS 2024 Film: “Velma”: An Elusive Attempt to Find that Special Man: “Moon River” Meets Ted Bundy
Shot in a rich 1960’s motive (with a touch of Fellini) including food, dress and music Velma (Scarlet Moreno) searches for that “special man” but Velma is locked into a pattern of feeding then bedding a man regretting her unsuccessful endeavours of willing if not compulsive behavior. It is not regretting or being ashamed ofContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: “Velma”: An Elusive Attempt to Find that Special Man: “Moon River” Meets Ted Bundy”
RKS 2024 Film: “Carol Doda: Topless at the Condor”: Artistic Exploration Sputters to Nostalgia Act
Carol Doda (1937-2015) has been recognized as the first “legal” topless dancer in the United States. Using archival footage including press interviews we trace the history of Carol Doda and perhaps of more interest the evolution of American attitudes towards sexuality and the feminist movement. The film also delves into (although not expressly) the AmericanContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: “Carol Doda: Topless at the Condor”: Artistic Exploration Sputters to Nostalgia Act”
RKS 2024 Film: “The Burning Season”: Raging Hormones, Various Intoxications of the Flesh and Deception from Z to A: The Canadian Film Fest
I have viewed some fine films showing at The Canadian Film Fest. There are so many film festivals in the world it is impossible to keep track of them all and I stumbled into this one by chance. It is certainly not a major festival but based on the festival films I watched great careContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: “The Burning Season”: Raging Hormones, Various Intoxications of the Flesh and Deception from Z to A: The Canadian Film Fest”
RKS 2024 Film: “Daughter of the Sun”: Cruel, Bizarre, Mystical and Biblical
“Daughter of the Sun” combines biblical references, “2001 A Space Odyssey”, “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “Bonny and Clyde” making this one the best Canadian movies in modern times. Ryan Ward as writer, director and actor has quite an accomplishment on the screen. Please don’t hold it against the film that it isContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: “Daughter of the Sun”: Cruel, Bizarre, Mystical and Biblical”
RKS 2024 Film: “Hailey Rose”: A Mess of Quirkiness, Hate, Selfishness, Deception and Forgiveness: Canadian Film Fest
“Hailey Rose”, a Canadian feature film, is an intriguing mess of emotions, bearing in mind “mess” does not always signify negativity. Hailey (Em Haine) and Rose (Caitlynne Medrek) are Nova Scotian sisters. Hailey is queer living in Calgary and in rural Nova Scotia queer is on par with an exotic animal. Rose is quirky. TheirContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: “Hailey Rose”: A Mess of Quirkiness, Hate, Selfishness, Deception and Forgiveness: Canadian Film Fest”
RKS 2024 Film: “Place of Bones”: The Good, Bad, Ugly and a Taste for the Finer Things in Life: Canadian Film Fest
I can’t think of any Canadian westerns I have encountered so I snapped up the opportunity to watch “Place of Bones” set in 1876 Canada. In many respects it is a traditional 1950’s and 1960’s western. Good god-fearing sodbusters Pandora Meadow (Heather Graham) and her daughter Hester (Brielle Robillard) living a marginal existence in aContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: “Place of Bones”: The Good, Bad, Ugly and a Taste for the Finer Things in Life: Canadian Film Fest”
RKS 2024 Film: “Valley of Exile”: Canadian Film Fest
It is 2013 and Syrian sisters Rima (Maria Hassan) and Nour (Hala Hosni) arrive as refugees in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. They find a temporary home in a “camp” with Haifa (Najwa Kandakji) and her niece Shirin. Rima is the older sister conservative in views and dress. Nour could be a teenager in any North AmericanContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: “Valley of Exile”: Canadian Film Fest”
