A Boat With No Name FNQ premiere screenings.

Monday June 3 2024

In the later weeks of May a tidal surge of insert flooded into the wet tropics of Far North Queensland, and steaming through the swell was ‘A Boat With No Name’. The little movie that keeps on keeping on. 

It’s premiere FNQ screenings were at the Silkwood Hotel, Silkwood and the Bootleg Cocktail Lounge in Cairns. 

First up was the Silkwood, where I have it on very good authority that the steaks were bloody great, and the grand lady that is the Silkwood Hotel was a thoroughly charming, and story full establishment that was a perfect fit for such a movie of somewhat rouge proportions. Proprietor’s Paul and Cassie have most certainly made an indelible mark on regenerating a true local meeting place. 

Pre-movie we were most splendidly looked after by Kate who has now been crowned one of FNQ’s two most enchantingly gregarious curators of beverages and banter…Potentially in Australia. (We just need to visit all the other bars in Australia before can confirm that accolade).

After cool crisp beverages were consumed and further arsenal was in hand, it was time for the opening introductions. Gove FM’s Rotten Robbie is now acting as our part time FNQ correspondent and was recruited to play the part usually more admirably delivered by the films creator and star Phil O’Brien. On hand helping Rotten try and lift the level of humour and engagement that Phil naturally possesses was another part time film thespian and Gove FMer known as Mikey Mike who just happened to be in the Cairns area on unrelated sex change operation research reasons. 

Once the pre waffle was waffled, the Silkwood attendees were then finally pleased to see the play button hit so the cult celluloid classic could run its spell weaving course. 

By the movies dramatic, and then triumphantly vengeful ending, that very heart warming unsolicited thing happened again as it has at every screening I have been privvy too. It’s a contemplative moment of silence, and then all and sundry clap with enthusiasm and joy. It’s such a unique thing to experience. 

Rotten and Mikey then happily took all the accolades, the professions of love, the hand shakes and all the credit for making the movie, which they didn’t.  Screen Premiere 1 down, time to pack up the Gove FM combi to head North of Silkwood and Cocktail bar bound. 

The Bootleg Cocktail Lounge is one of Cairns newest alternative venues and has seen an old pizzeria given a fabulous makeover of prohibition meets boudoir, who then got it off, and their risqué love child was really bloody into art and creativity! 

Proprietor Leah, a comedian, musician, B&D  mistress (former I believe) and her business partner Damo from Dr Elephant fame have created a really comfortable, safe and welcoming venue for creatives and the lovers of creativity, it’s early days but it looks like a keeper. 

Leah’s team are sensational and it is here where you will find FNQ’s other enchantingly gregarious curators of beverages and banter. 

However once the beverages and banter were delivered it was time again for Rotten and Mikey to do the introductory honours in the place of the introduction genius, Phil O’Brien. Sans Phil introductions concluded, it was time to get crack-a-lacking with the eagerly anticipated A Boat With No Name epic. 

The watchers laughed at all the right places, smiled lots, and raised eyebrows at all the usual spots, it was all going great…Then the movie stopped!

And unfortunately it stayed stopped, an as yet still unidentified techincal issue put a stop to the fun. But a quick call to Phil and we secured a password for all in attendance to use to stream the movie for free at their leisure. 

Mikey and Rotten surprisingly still received an outpouring of platitudes for all that was witnessed up until it stopped. Hopefully our attendees went home and took an immediate option to finish watching the cult cinematic classic, and when they did…I hope they clapped enthusiastically 🙂