The Swedish film “Shadow Island” is a tantalizing combination of mystery and horror tinged with a Swedish traitor or two. Let the NATO jets roaring overhead in the beginning of the movie and radio stories about Sweden joining NATO whet your whistle on the espionage front. At the film’s conclusion you may conclude it isContinue reading “RKS 2023 Film: “Shadow Island”: A Mixture of Mystery, Horror and Swedish Traitors”
Tag Archives: Robert K. Stephen
RKS 2023 Film: The Inevitability of a Return to Mexico From The United States: A Question of Mañana
The Public Broadcasting System (PBS) of the United States celebrates Latino/x Heritage Month with the documentary “Bulls and Saints” which will be broadcast on September 18th at 10 p.m. ET/9 Central and will be available to stream until December 17, 2023 at pbs.org. and PBS App. Tacho and Cecilia are from a small Mexican villageContinue reading “RKS 2023 Film: The Inevitability of a Return to Mexico From The United States: A Question of Mañana”
RKS 2023 Film: Toronto International Film Festival: “The Tundra Within Me”
Lena (Risten Anine Gaup) in furtherance of her painting moves from Oslo to her Sámpi birthplace with Jonas her young son. She’s painting female reindeer herders in an abstract and political way. Lena is not exactly given a warm welcome returning to her ancestral home. In her own view as a former reindeer herder whoContinue reading “RKS 2023 Film: Toronto International Film Festival: “The Tundra Within Me””
RKS Literature: Dangers Facing the Lonely Intellectual (Balzac)
“His shop is a very good place to go to; you can talk to all great men of the day there. There, my dear fellow, a young man can learn more in an hour than by growing pale over books for 10 years. People discuss articles, and concoct subjects, and get to know famous andContinue reading “RKS Literature: Dangers Facing the Lonely Intellectual (Balzac)”
RKS 2023 Wine: Hot Pinot Noir and a Blank Stare from the Waiter
In Niagara-on-the-Lake this week we had a dinner on the patio of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Course. A bit of a hidden secret. What a view of Lake Ontario and Toronto 135 kilometres in the distance. Yes and even Fort Niagara in Youngstown New York. A very good burger and coconut shrimp but the Reif EstateContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: Hot Pinot Noir and a Blank Stare from the Waiter”
RKS 2023 Wine: 2018 Barrel Aged Chardonnay from Niagara’s Locust Lane: Escaping the Plague of Over Oaked Chards
Locusts and agriculture do not mix. The last thing winemakers in the Niagara region of Ontario want are swarms of locusts devouring their grapes. God may have been angry with Egypt but with Niagara, Ontario? Bad enough they have to deal with swarms of grape loving birds and waterlogged peaches! Is my negative focused mindContinue reading “RKS 2023 Wine: 2018 Barrel Aged Chardonnay from Niagara’s Locust Lane: Escaping the Plague of Over Oaked Chards”
Toronto International Film Festival: “Seagrass”: A Downward Spiral in A Self Development Retreat
Judith and her husband Steve attend a self development camp off the British Columbia mainland at Gabriola Island. They bring their young daughters Stephanie and Emmy with them as other couples also do. Judith (Ally Maki) is a Japanese Canadian. Her mother recently died and she pathetically, like Pig Pen in Snoopy, clings to herContinue reading “Toronto International Film Festival: “Seagrass”: A Downward Spiral in A Self Development Retreat”
RKS 2023 Film: “Bloom”: Toronto International Film Festival
The Canadian short “Bloom” screens as part of the TIFF Short Cuts Programme. It scores big points in 11 minutes and may have you guessing what it is all about. No Greta Thunberg inflicting didactic misery but rather an almost no dialogue short. Here is my take. Poor Laurel walks home to find her partnerContinue reading “RKS 2023 Film: “Bloom”: Toronto International Film Festival”
Dylan the Westie from the Land Beyond: On the Concept of Closure: Dylan Has a Good Chuckle!
Hello. You may remember me. I am a West Highland Terrier who died on July 13 just short of 15 years of age. I spent 40 days on earth before my soul or whatever you want to call it went to The Land Beyond. You humans talk about “closure” after the death of a pet.Continue reading “Dylan the Westie from the Land Beyond: On the Concept of Closure: Dylan Has a Good Chuckle!”
RKS 2023 Film: Toronto International Film Festival: “Summer Qamp”
The Canadian documentary “Summer Qamp” delves into a summer camp for LGBTQ youth. Camp fYrefly in Alberta, Canada. Here is a comforting and safe space for the bullied, insecure, confused and unsure seeking to establish their queer identity in this Alberta camp. This is no “Meatballs” and diametrically opposed to the conversion camp in theContinue reading “RKS 2023 Film: Toronto International Film Festival: “Summer Qamp””
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