FIVE YEARS WITH SCENESTR – TOP FIVE FILMS

On the 23rd of February, 2022 I marked five years of being a freelance writer with Scenestr magazine.

Five years earlier I had submitted a review for Hidden Figures to their editorial team and they had chosen to publish it. Handy tip to young players, if in doubt call back.

After I was published with Scenestr I sought to challenge myself. I got published with others like Heavy and Buzz magazine. Later this included X-Press, FilmInk and Weekend Notes.

FIve years on and I seem to be continuing with mostly reviews of films and shows for Scenestr and maybe Weekend Notes as I pursue other interests but the point is I gained a lot of confidence getting published with Scenestr and that pushed me to pursue writing as much as possible.

In 2018 I had over fifty pieces published with Scenestr alone. A feat I will probably never match but one that was important for me to achieve at least once.

I am grateful that I continue to enjoy working with Scenestr.

Here are again a few highlights from 141 published pieces.

TOP FIVE MOVIES

1. The Go-Betweens: Right Here (2017) – The world really opened up to me in my first year writing for Scenestr. I learnt about the Metro Arts Theatre, rediscovered the Brisbane Powerhouse and went to its Wonderland Festival and in early 2018 for the first time the Brisbane Comedy Festival.

Another discovery was the Bryon Bay Film Festival where I met and interviewed an interesting young filmmaker and saw a great documentary from director Kriv Stenders. Stenders had made Red Dog, one of the most successful Australian films of recent years but it is his The Go-Betweens: Here and Now that revealed to me the true extent of his talent. A wonderful film about the passage of time and the relationships that matter centred around the tale of a local band.

“The band ended abruptly, and like its trailer the film does too. Life too can end abruptly and it feels that director Kriv Stenders is articulating this on purpose. Life is fleeting, memory does play tricks, some things don’t need to get dug up and some connections can’t be reforged again. Some things endure because they were real and they meant something and in that sense, The Go-Betweens now have a documentary that reflects the appeal of their music very well.”

2. First Man (2018) – I went to First Man about Neil Armstrong’s journey to the moon with some interest and two hours later I walked out thinking I had seen one of the best film of the year. A gem with hidden depths that can’t be revealed in a three minute trailer. I humbly submit it remains one of my best film reviews of one of the best films I ever saw for Scenestr.

“No great thing is done by one great individual alone. ‘First Man’ reveals this by focusing on one individual achieving something great. What drove him and those around him to do the impossible? Up in the heavens, his home planet the size of his thumb and in quiet solitude, the film offers one possible answer with an action taken by Neil Armstrong. Yet the film also reminds that it is the journey not the destination that matters. This is one of the year’s best.”

Karen at Blinded by the Light preview screening. Copyright Lloyd Marken.

Leaving the train station. Copyright Lloyd Marken.

Copyright Lloyd Marken.

3. Blinded By The Light (2019) – This was such an unexpected joy to see at a preview screening, directed by Gurinder Chadha of Bend It Like Beckham fame. Whenever I mention this film everybody thinks about Yesterday directed by Danny Boyle and written by RIchard Curtis with a far bigger budget, stars and a completely different plot. Yesterday with respect to all involved who have made some of my favourite films is a much lesser film with two central characters who are idiots and annoy the shit out of me coasting off our love for the timeless music of The Beatles. Blinded By The Light revels in the themes and voice of the music by the great Bruce Springsteen but is far more than that winning hook. It is a wonderful coming of age story and one about the immigrant experience that is nuanced and affecting. I love this film and once you have seen it you will love it too. The other day I mentioned it at work and a colleague raved about it. Too few have seen it but those who have love it.

4. 1917 (2019) – It is nice to reflect that both First Man and Blinded By The Light topped my end of year lists. I have been very fortunate to see so many great films and review them for Scenestr. 1917 about World War One is another, when we left the cinema you could feel people were abuzz with what they had just seen.

“More than a harrowing and kinetic tale, ‘1917’ repeatedly reminds of both how humanity is lost in war and how it touchingly endures. There was nothing natural, colourful or human in those trenches except the men left breathing. They cracked wise, held each other close and laid down their lives for their fellow man. ‘1917’ remembers this and asks us to never forget.”

5. Undine (2021) – It wasn’t just the movies themselves that made it so much fun to write reviews for Scenestr. I was living out a little bit of a dream, getting to follow in the footsteps of the great Roger Ebert in my own way. Sometimes when you go to these preview screenings it can be a real treat. Sometimes I went to small cinemas with just fellow critics.

I took a friend to the premiere of a James Bond movie, went to some Marvel movies when that was a big deal and when it wasn’t, once Karen and I went to the premiere night of the Italian FIlm Festival in Brisbane and enjoyed so much good food. I never forget Karen grabbing some extra sliders off a waiter when we went to see The Kingsman: The Golden Circle while we had Scotch. Yet rounding out my Top FIve is a humble film from Germany I went and saw at the Brisbane International Film Festival. If you haven’t seen it, it’s a heart-rending tale about love and a fine movie.

Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. They are the largest street press magazine in the country celebrating 30 years going strong in 2023. They’ve excelled at moving into the digital realm but they remain at heart from the streets. They still publish magazines in print for Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland every month.

-Lloyd Marken