In the wake of the Brisbane International Film Festival I was also fortunate enough to review the latest Marvel blockbuster over at Indooroopilly cinemas on Monday the 1st of November, 2021.
Eternals became a little infamous for its muted critical reaction in comparison to other film from the franchise. I found it a film not without some merits but ultimately I too shared a frustration at what may have been and was not. You can read my review here https://scenestr.com.au/movies-and-tv/eternals-film-review-20211103
Of note to Beetley Pete maybe that the cast includes the talented actress Salma Hayek.
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Karen and I. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Another lanyard of power. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
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Two Marvel releases in a row. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
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Indooroopily Cinemas. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Having started in 1993 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.
I was back on assignment for Scenestr for the second and final weekend of the Brisbane International Film Festival 2021.
On Friday night the 29th of October I went to New Farm Cinemas to see the latest film from 75 year old Paul Schrader – The Card Counter.
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Schrader has been on a revival run of late and this feature is part of that while continuing his “Man in a Room” stories. American Gigolo may remain his masterpiece, but I enjoyed partly how this film seemed a counterpoint to that. I also enjoyed the performances from the cast that includes some of the great actors that have come to stardom in the past year including Oscar Isaac, Tiffancy Haddish and Tye Sheridan.
The next night I was back at New Farm Cinemas late at night in one of their cinemas at the back to watch Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn from Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude. Karen and I both had dinner at Ombra before I went to see the movie.
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Karen at Ombra. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
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Back at Ombra. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
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Me at BIFF 2021. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
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There was not a massive crowd in the cinema but there were some young people who occasionally cackled at what was unfolding on the screen. That felt right. Young people at a film festival watching something foreign and wild that provides a way of looking at things.
That was it for another year at BIFF, I am very glad to have been on assignment to watch and review six films at BIFF. I am very glad that the Brisbane International Film Festival continued in the wake of COVID and remain a staple of my hometown showing 81 features and 22 short films during its eleven day run.
Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Having started in 1993 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.
I returned to the Brisbane International Film Festival October 23, 2021 as a freelance writer for Scenestr. Having a long association with the festival going back to the days when I used to be a Volunteer at it, it was a particular joy to get to review so many films at the Festival for Scenestr. As it always with such a wonderful program there were plenty of films I would have liked to have seen but did not get the chance one of them being You Can Drive My Car which went on to win an Oscar for Best International Feature Film. Others were The Worst Person in the World and Zola. I do have to say I feel like those films found audiences in any event and the films I got to see and maybe champion are still to be discovered.
BIFF was under new management having switched from the Gallery of Modern Art to be run for the next three years by Film Fantastic Limited who have been responsible for several years for the running of the Gold Coast Film Festival.
Following the film there was a Question and Answer session with the two “stars” of the documentary Phil Robinson and Tim Boyle, editor Navas Illava and writer/director Neil McGregor led by film academic Ruari Elkington. One of the pleasures of such film festival screenings and particularly special when it is something home grown.
Arriving at Newmarket Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Next up I went to New Farm Cinemas that afternoon and discovered a new Italian place outside the cinema named Ombra. It is just a fairly small place, beautifully decorated and with friendly staff who served delicious meals at reasonable prices. I fell in love with it immediately and have gone back from time to time with Karen who was sadly not joining me for these BIFF screenings.
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Inside OMBRA before the dinner crowds. Copyright Lloyd Marken
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Oh my God this was so delicious. Copyright Lloyd Marken
Preview of things to come. Copyright Lloyd Marken
Painting of new releases outside New Farm Cinemas. Copyright Lloyd Marken
A rainbow. Copyright Lloyd Marken
I was in attendance at New Farm to watch eight locally produced shorts, I found something to commend about all eight of them but a personal favourite was James Latter’s Home. I also found Stephen Lance’s Torch Song riveting and was touched by Loani Arman’s Our Greatest Escape.
There were quite a few people packing into the New Farm lobby waiting for this one.
It was such a joy to be back at the Brisbane International Film Festival and to be reviewing so many movies and Undine was easily one of best films of the year.
Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Having started in 1993 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.
The second show I saw at the Brisbane Festival 2021 was ‘What’s Going’ on assignment for Scenestr magazine. Tyrone Noonan and his band Palimpsest performed in concert Marvin Gaye’s 1971 album What’s Going On. It was a real pleasure to see this show in person, the album itself is so beloved that to see these songs performed in person by such musicians who are fans themselves was very special. It was an interesting to attend such a performance where Boomers jumped up and boogied together en masse while COVID was gripping New South Wales and Victoria.
I also enjoyed that one of my images made the grade for being included in the review as it is not exactly my strong suit.
The entrance to Suncorp Piazza. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Katie Noonan made a special appearance. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
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The crowd on the night. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Tyrone Noonan performing. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Karen and I. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Once the tracks of the album were done, we were treated to renditions of other Marvin Gaye classics including a song that Marvin Gaye covered called Abraham, Martin and John. This is such a beautiful song, in the weeks ahead I would listen to it whenever I was feeling a little melancholic. Thank you Tyrone, and thank you Marvin.
Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Having started in 1993 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.
Karen and I returned to the Brisbane Festival in 2021 as I was lucky enough to review two shows for Scenestr magazine.
The first one was called Love Stories, a series of video interviews with homeless people conceived by journalist Trent Dalton. The interviews played on a large screen were accompanied by musicians performing.
Journalist Trent Dalton introduces the show. Copyright Lloyd Marken
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It took place at the Suncorp Piazza at Southbank parklands on the edge the Brisbane River and CBD. I worked for many years across the river at the Queensland University of Technology and studied at QUT before that. I have roamed South Bank quite a bit over the years.
A couple of weeks earlier Karen and I had celebrated our ten-year wedding anniversary at South Bank and roamed around after dinner. Again, on this night South Bank was lit up with all kinds of activities and displays for the Brisbane Festival and we found ourselves wandering through quite moved to be back there. It wasn’t the first time since the pandemic had begun but they just seemed to be something to savour more these days.
Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Having started in 1993 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.
I am sorry for my absence these past two years. My plan is to get back into the swing of things but we will see as life continues to pull in a lot of different directions as it does us all.
For now and probably going forward, I have gotten rid of the COVID-19 Diary. I enjoyed doing it but at some point it slowed down my productivity referencing all the news articles and while I would like to say I will return and finish it off the past two years suggests otherwise.
Instead I will be returning to writing about films and shows I see and have a few ideas in the pipeline I hope to bring to fruition.
Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Having started in 1993 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.
I really enjoyed going to the Anywhere Festival in 2021 and seeing a terrific show.
It had been a while since we had gone to see a show in the Valley. I once again realised how lucky i was to live in Australia while developments happened elsewhere.
Weekend Notes are a growing online magazine with a wealth of contributors based out of several cities across the United Kingdom, Australia and New York. Articles are leisure related and can include a wide variety of subjects from rainforest hikes to cultural festivals, from what hot new play is on at your underground theatre to a ultra trendy eatery. Writers are paid for their work based partly on how many views their articles get so please feel free to stop by and show some love.
-Lloyd Marken
Leaving Element Collective after the show. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
I found myself returning to the Brisbane Powerhouse for the first time since March 13, 2020 when I had attended the Brisbane Comedy Festival as the first COVID restrictions were announced in Australia. No more than 500 people at a venue starting Monday the 16th of February.
Now here I was back on the 25th of March, 2021 at the Brisbane Powerhouse.
I was fortunate enough to be on assignment with Scenestr once again on the Thursday the 11th of March.
Since the pandemic hit Brisbane I had been to three films and one stand-up show.
Now I was going to the theatre again to see Triple X, which had its season cut short a year ago due to COVID.
It was a privilege to be there to see the show’s return that had been promised by Queensland Theatre and delivered against some unprecedented odds.
At the end of the show the lead performer and writer Glace Chase appeared to be becoming emotional.
The show itself was wonderful, detailing a love story rife with laughs and pain and yearning.
What was interesting for me having not been to the theatre in a while was the measures.
We had to sign in on a Qld Government App at the venue. The menu was slightly altered to mostly packed foods and drinks.
And yet…
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The fantastic threatre and set design.Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Karen and I at ‘Triple X’. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
After the show and making plans to head off. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
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Opening night for ‘Triple X’ in 2021. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
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Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Looking out over the lobby before going into the show there was a sizeable crowd and nobody was wearing a mask because the current health advice was not to.
Then when we went into the venue it was a packed house with everybody seated together with no spare seats in between.
Again completely in keeping with the health advice but being aware of what was being experienced elsewhere in this world made our current circumstances seem a little surreal.
Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Having started in 1993 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.
We awoke Monday morning, checked out of our hotel, drove out of the basement and made our way to Newcastle.
Long term readers will recall, Karen and I stayed near RAAF Williamtown three years ago on a trip to Newcastle but did not go to Fighter World which was literally down the road. I was hoping to make amends for that on this trip. Driving out of Sydney on a monday morning was interesting. It seemed like we were perpetually in a school zone of 40kms per hour for the whole city.
Eventually we got out on the open road and made it to our destination.
We fuelled up at the same servo we had years earlier near the airport.
Many years ago a friend of mine from high school served at RAAF Williamtown. He told me there was a great cafe at Fighter World and so that is where we were lucky enough to have breakfast and he was right – it was excellent! As we ate jets flew past low level outside.
About to start the long drive home. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
The Cafe at Fighter World. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Upon arriving at Fighter World we had noted huge crowds.
I wondered if it had something to do with the RAAF’s Centenary this year.
When we got to the front of the line we were handed a brochure and told to go in. I asked where we paid and the door greeter informed me that we had arrived on the annual open day. Admission was free.
Many years ago I went to the RAF Museum at Hendon in England which was just a smorgasboard of all kinds of aircraft types. There is nothing in Australia that can compare to Hendon but there is something a little special about taking in history that you feel belongs to you.
Like I said a friend of mine actually served in the RAAF, in my home city the F-111s flew overhead from nearby RAAF Amberley at Riverfire and did their famous Dump and Burn. Afterburners igniting jet fuel dumped to light up the night sky before the fireworks display. There was nothing like it in the world and here was the aircraft that did it – for me to see up close for the first time.
Early jet aircraft like the Meteors, Vampires, Sabres through to Mirage IIIs and then a bomber in the F-111 known affectionately as The Pig for its ability to fly low level.
For a while there we always seemed a little behind the curve, Meteors first flying in the closing days of World War II were sent to Korea by the RAAF and quickly found themselves outmatched by the cutting edge MiG-15 and switched to the ground attack role.
RAAF Sabres missed that war but served in the Malayan Emergency and were sent to Ubon, Thailand to fly air patrols during the Vietnam War at a time when the F-4 Phantom was a generation ahead of that aircraft. We leased some Phantoms in the early 1970s but had procured instead the French made Mirage IIIs which proved versatile if not terribly sophisticated.
Working through the teething problems of acquiring the F-111 in the early 1970s and acquring the F/A-18 Hornet in the late 1980s changed everything.
The Aardvark was a medium range bomber and state of the art – there was nothing like it in the rest of South East Asia.
The Hornet would go on to fly Combat Air Patrols over Diego Garcia during the war in Afghanistan and drop bombs in anger in Iraq.
Though a little outdated during the peak of their service in the RAAF, these early jet aircraft were still game changers and beautiful planes to see up close that served our nation valiantly over the years.
The first aircraft to break the sound barrier in Australia was a Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation built Avon Sabre A94-101 flown into a dive by RAAF test pilot Flight Lieutenant William Scott on the 21st of August, 1953 near Avalon Airfield, Geelong, Victoria.
Karen and I arrived on the look out deck of the museum just in time to see what appeared to be Hawk Jet Trainers fly past us low level. A real treat.
Fighter World was a real delight. We got glider planes for Karen’s nephews to play with and a whole raft of posters too that Karen picked up. On our way out an older couple had their posters fly loose across the driveway leading me and the husband to race off after them. They seemed in pretty good nick.
Not for the first time did I marvel at our RAAF personnel who served our nation. Plenty flew humanitiaran missions as well as in war time. Plenty lost their lives or had their health affected to keep those birds up in the air flying. There is a rich history preserved by the staff and volunteers at Fighter World that I was grateful to get to see.
Weekend Notes are a growing online magazine with a wealth of contributors based out of several cities across the United Kingdom, Australia and New York. Articles are leisure related and can include a wide variety of subjects from rainforest hikes to cultural festivals, from what hot new play is on at your underground theatre to a ultra trendy eatery. Writers are paid for their work based partly on how many views their articles get so please feel free to stop by and show some love.
It was well past midday now so Karen and I started off again for Brisbane and home.
I didn’t want to stop at the same old places so on the way back I took a turn off the highway and ended up at a place called South Valla Beach. We parked and looked out over the ocean. A woman nearby in a car looked at me with distrust and befuddlement.
As if she was thinking, “What the hell are you doing here? Nobody comes around here to our place.”
Next we went to a cafe that was shut and parked around the back where there was a pharmacy.
I asked the pharmacist if we could please use his bathroom and he said yes. After we did they closed the shop.
Must have just got in.
As the drive carried on I got white line fever but Karen got thirsty. Husband and wives may know where this conversation led. There are a few twists and turns in such a conversation but in the end I parked outside a servo far off the highway as the sun was setting.
I did however get to see the beautiful area around the town of Grafton. It would be nice to go there sometime properly.
But the darkness didn’t last as long this time, the road didn’t curve and slant as dramatically as it did outside Sydney.
Familar landmarks that let you know you are close to home do make you rest easy for some reason. That’s how I felt as I crossed the border back into the state of Queensland.
My second holiday in twelve months came to a close with 213,556 kilometres on the odometer.
A new record 902 kilometres driven in one day.
That was a 1,785 kilometre trip all up, a jam packed weekend, a wonderful wedding with friends.
I feel very grateful and fortunate to have attended my friend’s wedding, to have enjoyed a night out in Sydney and a day at Fighter World.
-Lloyd Marken
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Karen’s Grandfather is never far from thoughts when I spot a B-24 Liberator. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
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The look out deck for watching planes go by. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
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Up close with the PC-9. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
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The RAAF paid a price in Korea but they served ACopyright Lloyd Marken.
Dassault Mirage III at Fighter World. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Back to the Drawing Board Productions 