Queen City Rocker

It’s fantasy city, a street-kid fantasy... the essence is the funky, jostling beat, the fat and crunchy sound effects, the glittering burning crashing sparkling image. The essence is conflict. Love it or hate it, it will probably get your adrenalin pumping.

Queen City Rocker, New Zealand, 1987

Mirage Films
Director: Bruce Morrison
Producer: Larry Parr
Executive producer: Henry Fownes
Associate producer: Finola Dwyer
Screenplay: Bob Baer
Director of Photography: Kevin Hayward
Camera: John Mahaffie
Music: Dave McCartney
Sound Recordist: George Lyle
Production Manager: Chloe Smith
Editor: Michael Hacking

With: Matthew Hunter (Ska), Mark Pilisi (Andrew), Ricky Bribiesca (Sniper), Kim Willoughby (Stacy), Rebecca Saunders (Fran), Peter Bland (Ryder), Pevise Vaifale (Flak), George Henare (Buyer), Michael Morrisey (Manager), Rob Jayne (Ryder’s driver), Greer Robson (Ska’s sister)

35mm, 90 minutes, R16-Violence & language may offend

Nineteen year old Ska is the Queen City Rocker. Ska and his friends lead a risky existence caught between the police, rival gangs, and the men who buy the goods they steal. Queen City Rocker is about a turning point in Ska’s life - four days in which he falls in love, sees his best friend die and leaves the streets forever.

“December 1984. A DD Smash concert in Aotea Square blossoms into the Queen Street Riot – a few hundred kids have the time of their lives and a whole heap of New Zealanders get very brassed off indeed. Now that riot, somewhat modified but still clearly identifiable, features as the climactic set-piece of a pacey, violent Kiwi movie. The riot, the crime and the dog-eat-dog violence of the streets is interpreted very much from the angle of the kids involved and many of those New Zealanders are going to have the opportunity to get brassed off all over again. This is Queen City Rocker, brimming over with punchy music, fights, wrecking, theft, the good guys slugging it out with the bad guys over some helpless female in the middle, cars cruising the gleaming night streets of an Auckland that seems to be wall-to-wall bars and clubs. It’s fantasy city, a street-kid fantasy... the essence is the funky, jostling beat, the fat and crunchy sound effects, the glittering burning crashing sparkling image. The essence is conflict. Love it or hate it, it will probably get your adrenalin pumping. That is what Queen City Rocker sets out to do and it succeeds a the one thing better than almost any of its local predecessors. It might also make you angry. There is no dodging the fact that it idealises certain attitudes which, if they ever caught on in a big way, would mean the end of life in New Zealand as we know it. But before we turf this film into the too-commodious kleensack of moral indignation, we should pause to remember that it is only a film. The riot was a real event – this is a work of art. We should at least consider the principle of catharsis, the emotional outlet afforded by drama. The ancient Greek notion that the vicarious experience can satisfy the inner need, rendering the real experience unnecessary. Specifically, in this case it might mean that the potential or actual vandal and streetfighter, seeing himself glorified to the world on the big screen, may not feel quite such an urgent need to go out and make the big statement in the real world. After all, us straights have now seen him up there, larger than life, tough, cool and smart. Anyway, we all like to see our class and our lifestyle shown in a rosy light in the movies – why should disadvantaged Kiwi kids not have the same pleasure? Perhaps I’m just trying to justify the fact that I found Queen City Rocker genuinely exciting. I suggest yo usee for yourself, but don’t rush to judge.” — Chris Hegan, NZ Listener, February 1987

“Queen City Rocker reflects a side of life people read of in the papers but otherwise know little about. It goes against a whole set of national stereotypes, says director Bruce Morrison. Queen City Rocker tells its story through the eyes of a tough Auckland teenager trying to cope with a turning point in his life. Filmed entirely in Auckland – and mostly at night – it is set against a background of the city’s seedier nightlife of clubs, rock concerts, sleazy sauna parlours, street action and gang conflict. Matthew Hunter takes the title role of Ska. Hunter was perhaps the only good thing to come from the highly forgettable Bridge to Nowhere. His performance impressed critics and movie makers alike. As Ska he is a street wise teenager, disillusioned with his lifestyle and desperately trying to find an escape from a seemingly endless cycle of petty crime, confrontations with rival gangs and trouble with the police. Rock singer Kim Willoughby makes her screen debut as Stacy, a girl from a wealthy family who falls in love with Ska. Mark Pilisi, acclaimed for his role in the 1985 feature Other Halves, is Ska’s best friends Andrew and Peter Bland, who received a best actor award for his part in Came a Hot Friday, plays a crime boss. A huge number of extras were recruited from Auckland streets to act in the film. More than 1200 were required for a rock concert riot scene. Director Morrison and producer Larry Parr believe their project is special but also provocative. ‘It struck me,’ says Morrison, ‘that the mere act of putting these people in Queen City Rocker, representing the view of people who think society is not necessarily ticking along smoothly, was a political being violent to each other and property. Larry (Parr) played it to some Americans and they were impressed. But they were shocked about New Zealand. Their image of New Zealand is of a peaceful place with waving palm trees. They’ve possibly heard of the Springbok tour and the nuclear ban but violence in the streets? That’s not known at all. I have a feeling the impact of that will be one of the highest profile things about this film; the fact that Queen City Rocker goes against a whole set of national stereotypes’.” — Waikato Times

Screenings: Queen City Rocker screened on 26 November 2008 as part of a season loosely described as 'troubled teens'!