I was lucky enough to attend a preview screening of Alita: Battle Angel the other night to review it for Scenestr magazine with a cinema full of people. With the film’s release having been pushed back, middling reviews and a expensive budget has the narrative of being dead on arrival. Yet there is lot to recommend about it even if there are some criticisms I have, I hope it finds an audience. You can read my review here http://scenestr.com.au/movies-and-tv/alita-battle-angel-review-20190212
Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Celebrating 25 years in 2018 of publishing history 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, Queensland and now Victoria! every month too.
Karen took me to a preview screening of On The Basis of Sex and I was lucky to have a review of it published on Weekend Notes. The film starring Felicity Jones covers the period of Ruth Bader Ginsburg that was particularly formative for her later achievements. The film has not received universal strong reviews but Karen and I enjoyed it quite a bit. As formulaic as the structure may have been I found something admirable in the slow burn nature of the performances and the balance between the domestic and the professional. You can read my review here https://www.weekendnotes.com/on-the-basis-of-sex-film-review/167825/
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.
New Year’s Eve I was scrambling to get a submission in for HEAVY Magazine which I have been contributor for since April 2017. I’m not always able to be as prolific as I would like but a chance to contribute as one of their film reviewers to a recap of the year’s films was too good to miss out on. Similar to how I feel honoured to contribute to end of year countdowns for X-Press magazine. I’ll of course be putting together my annual Favourite Films of the Year later on in 2019 but this will give you an idea of who is in the running at the moment for a Top 10 entry. You can find the post here https://heavymag.com.au/a-re-cap-of-the-films-of-2018/
I hope you enjoy and feel free to comment or give any social media love.
Heavy is an independent magazine and website that is all about the music and specifically heavy music and supporting the Australian music scene in general. Fortunately for me they do cover film as well and I have been fortunate to have a few things published there.
It was a thrill to be on assignment for X-Press Magazine attending a preview screening of the film Colette a couple of weeks ago, my second for the magazine following a preview screening of Tully earlier in the year. Sadly while I think Colette is made with the best of intentions and is very relevant to our times, I can’t say I was greatly entertained by the film. You can read my review here http://xpressmag.com.au/colette-gets-6-10-the-hand-that-holds-the-pen/
This wraps up my first year writing for X-Press with 15 posts featured. I look forward to working with them in 2019.
X-Press Magazine was established in 1985 and at one point was Australia’s highest circulating free weekly entertainment publication with over 40,000 copies reaching 1,0000 outlets every week. On the 24th May, 2016 Issue 1527 hit stands. Like many publications of its ilk X-Press Magazine is now foremost an online magazine engaged globally and making the most of the possibilities that new digital technology offers. It’s roots though are tied to its home city, love of local artists and productions and music which it supports wholeheartedly. Perth a capital city most isolated from all the other capitals is continuing to grow and develop culturally and artistically with its own identity and talent. X-Press has always been there to capture this growth and will continue to do so.
I am a big fan of director/writer Adam McKay so I was very happy to get to review his latest Vice for Scenestr magazine. I attended a preview screening with Karen at New Farm cinemas with the customary meal afterwards at the nearby Pig’n’Whistle pub. Such evenings have occurred enough that they’re becoming a habit, a fact I hope continues am very grateful for. I also ran into someone who I knew years ago as a teenager at an after school drama group. He’s since become a reality TV star and is heavily involved in media and attending all kinds of social engagements around town. He’s doing well and it was nice to get to talk to him.
As for the movie, I think this is a less flashy follow-up to The Big Short but cut from the same cloth. You can read more of my thoughts here http://scenestr.com.au/movies-and-tv/vice-review-20181219 I was really keen to see this film and so look forward to hearing your thoughts. The trailer that got me so excited is below.
Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Celebrating 25 years in 2018 of publishing history 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, Queensland and now Victoria! every month too.
It’s almost been a year since I got published with X-Press magazine for the first time contributing to the best of the year lists for 2017. I count myself very lucky to feature on the list for 2018. While it includes my thoughts on Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool which was in the 2018 so far list from earlier in the year but it’s still published post and I’m still counting it towards my tally. My work with X-Press has included screeners and two preview screenings in Brisbane and I look forward to contributing in 2019 with them. This post can also act as an entry point for you to read the words of the other great writers who contribute reviews to X-Press Magazine. You can find it here http://xpressmag.com.au/x-press-top-20-films-of-2018/
This list has got me thinking about how my own Top 10 for 2018 is shaping up. Please note my Top 10 to feature here on this blog next year around Oscar time will go off films released in 2018 in the U.S. This list done by X-Press Magazine was based on films that were released in Australia in 2018 and do include some films from 2017. Heck I reviewed a delightful 2016 film from France for this year.
X-Press Magazine was established in 1985 and at one point was Australia’s highest circulating free weekly entertainment publication with over 40,000 copies reaching 1,0000 outlets every week. On the 24th May, 2016 Issue 1527 hit stands. Like many publications of its ilk X-Press Magazine is now foremost an online magazine engaged globally and making the most of the possibilities that new digital technology offers. It’s roots though are tied to its home city, love of local artists and productions and music which it supports wholeheartedly. Perth a capital city most isolated from all the other capitals is continuing to grow and develop culturally and artistically with its own identity and talent. X-Press has always been there to capture this growth and will continue to do so.
It has been a while but I was fortunate enough to be sent a screener of Spitfire to review for X-Press Magazine which amongst other things has been screening at the British Film Festival. Recounting the making of the legendary aircraft and its important role in the Battle of Britain it also tells the story of those few who flew it. You can read more of my thoughts here http://xpressmag.com.au/spitfire-gets-7-10-taking-flight/
X-Press Magazine was established in 1985 and at one point was Australia’s highest circulating free weekly entertainment publication with over 40,000 copies reaching 1,000 outlets every week. On the 24th May, 2016 Issue 1527 (the last one in print) hit stands. Like many publications of its ilk X-Press Magazine is now foremost an online magazine engaged globally and making the most of the possibilities that new digital technology offers. It’s roots though are tied to its home city, love of local artists and productions and music which it supports wholeheartedly. Perth a capital city most isolated from all the other capitals is continuing to grow and develop culturally and artistically with its own identity and talent. X-Press has always been there to capture this growth and will continue to do so.
I am fortunate to have another review published with Weekend Notes this time for the new Michael Caine movie King of Thieves. The British Film Festival run by Palace Cinemas is currently doing the rounds across Australia, Palace Cinemas either in partnership or by themselves are responsible for several similar film festivals throughout the year. As cinema attendance shrinks, attendance at film festivals increases and as a long time film buff I enjoy attending them. Karen got me in to attend two films at this British Film Festival, My Generation (starring Michael Caine and produced by him) and King of Thieves. Of the two I preferred the documentary My Generation which saw Caine interviewing contemporaries and discussing what it was like to be part of Swinging London. King of Thieves is not without good intentions but I would suggest there have been better capers films such as the original The Italian Job. You can read my thoughts on King of Thieves here https://www.weekendnotes.com/king-of-thieves-film-review-british-film-festival/
Caine has long reached an age where we treasure his continued output and marvel at his work ethic. In My Generation he notes youth is not a time in life but a state of mind and it just seems to hint at his continued relevance. In My Generation there are shots where he driving in busy London in an expensive Ashton Martin and the camera includes wide shots to show he is driving and I like to imagine the producer Caine making a point to have these to show he is driving. I highly doubt it but I like to think it because he remains a man so capable so why not capture it. Lacking structure, the more My Generation goes on the less entertaining it becomes but there is some fascinating recaps of the time and the players involved and Caine remains Caine. A cockney boy who became a movie star, a movie star who remains a legend. God bless Mr Mickelwhite.
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.
The Brisbane International Film Festival traditionally opens on a Thursday and runs over two weekends concluding on a Sunday. This invariably creates a hopeful and excited mood going into the first weekend and a reflective and wistful one going into the second. It was no different this year but as opposed to the films seen at BIFF 2017 Karen and I really enjoyed the ones we saw this year and so our moods were further lifted after the first weekend.
On Friday night we went to Event Cinemas at the top of CBD shopping centre the Myer Centre which is always sitting on top of a building shutting down as cinemagoers attend late into the evening. We were there to see the director’s cut of the latest film from Chinese director Jia Zhangke and starring his constant collaborator Zhao Tan – Ash is Purest White. While he is a well known Chinese sixth generation auteur I was unfamiliar with his work and interested to see how I would find the street level modern style he is well known for. I had concerns it would prove as fascinating but also as unstructured as say the Han Jie’s Walking on the Wildside from BIFF 2007. Instead I found a moving movie that reflected the changing economy of a booming nation through the prism of small time criminals and one incredibly strong woman. I was lucky enough to have a review I wrote of the film published at Weekend Notes and you can read it here https://www.weekendnotes.com/ash-is-purest-white-film-review-brisbane-international-film-festival-2018/
The next day Karen and I went to Reading Cinemas in the northern suburb of Newmarket not far from where Karen once lived with her sister for several years when we were dating. Reading only opened there last year and has quickly established itself as a first rate cinema with comfortable seats, great menus and most importantly large screens and hi-tech sound systems. We were there to watch Arctic from Iceland starring Mads Mikkelsen which almost served as a rebuke to the muddled The Mountain Between Us from last year and showed how you make a great survival yarn. Again I’ve been fortunate enough to have my review published with Weekend Notes which you can check out here https://www.weekendnotes.com/arctic-film-review-brisbane-international-film-festival-2018/ In short the Brisbane International Film Festival 2018 got off to a flying start with it’s first weekend.
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.
A new milestone was reached for me the other day in regards to my work for Scenestr magazine. I was lucky enough to cover the opening night of the Brisbane International Film Festival 2018 for Scenestr which I will cherish for a long time to come. This follows on covering opening night in Brisbane for the Cine Latino Film Festival 2017 and the Italian Film Festival 2018 and reviewing Australia Day for Scenestr at BIFF 2017 and two events at the Byron BayFilm Festival 2017. Given my fond memories and deep love for the BIFF though I think long time readers will understand why this was a particular highlight to take in.
Copyright Lloyd Marken
Director of ‘Celeste’ Ben Hackworth discusses his film with BIFF Artistic Director Amanda Slack-Smith.
Rosie and Lloyd at the party. Copyright Lloyd Marken
Rosie and Lloyd about to watch ‘Celeste’. Copyright Lloyd Marken.
Produced by Eyeball Media Enterprises Scenestr is an online national magazine with local offices around Australia. Celebrating 25 years in 2018 of publishing history 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, Queensland and now Victoria! every month too.
Back to the Drawing Board Productions 