June 25 2010
Mark II and other Choice NZ On Screen Links
posted by Steven Shaw at 2:54 pm
Mark II
Our latest picks from NZ On Screen – New Zealand’s online showcase of TV, film and music video: a loose trilogy of films from the 1980s about Maori and Pacific Island teens and the path to delinquency have been put up in full, including Kingi’s Story, borstal film Kingpin and road movie Mark II. All feature young Mitchell Manuel, who became co-writer in the series with screenwriter-director Mike Walker. Check them out below…
The first film in the trilogy Kingi’s Story (1981) is about young Kingi (Mitchell Manuel), who tries his best but falls into a pattern of petty crime, including school ground fights, stealing milk money and cars, and soon runs out of chances. The back story is told in flashback as Kingi sits in a police cell awaiting his fate. Go here to view this classic 1980s TV drama.
Kingpin is probably the most sombre entry, although it still manages to show an optimistic edge. Mitchell Manuel’s character is called Riki, but the story essentially takes off where Kingi’s Story left off — with Riki arriving at a children’s detention centre (Kohitere Boys Training Centre in Levin). Also starring are Junior Amiga and Nicholas Rogers, who play Kingi’s pals in Mark II. Rogers plays the Kingpin of the title. Go here to view.
Mark II has been compared (and contrasted) to Goodbye Pork Pie and Easy Rider. Three friends head off in a restored Mark II Zephyr to see the country and visit the whanau, encountering jealousy and racism along the way. Mitchell Manuel’s Kingi character is revisited; here he starts out on the run from thugs and wears a poncho and hat in the style of Clint Eastwood’s man with no name or Dennis Hopper’s Billy character. There’s a whole lot of heart here in this optimistic buddy film. Look out for Junior Amiga’s break-dancing scene and some subtle comedy gold from the Mongrel Mob. Go here to view.