Mark Anderson Writes

 I watched three films about the Russian monk Rasputin and I want to rank them from worst to best.               Rasputin and the Empress 1932. Firstly, what did I like about the movie? Even though it was in black and white the visuals and costumes were impressive and no rouble was spared to make the film look authentic. The film tried to depict historical facts so I appreciated that. What didn't I like?  The character of Rasputin was a cardboard villain who had no redeeming qualities. The plot meandered and the film felt like it was 10 hours long. I lost concentration a bit and was bored at times. The dialogue was not very entertaining or funny. I would give it a 5/10. Rasputin the Mad Monk 1965. I really wanted to make this film number 1 but I will put it on number 2. It was very entertaining from the first scene until the last. The plot is well structured and the dialogue is captivating. The Rasputin in the 1965 movie is a lovable vil...

  1964 1979 Zulu and Zulu Dawn were great movies. Compelling, exciting, emotionally thrilling. Zulu was released in 1964. It is about the battle of Rorke's Drift. Zulu Dawn is about the battle of Isandlwana and was released in 1979. They dont make movies like this anymore. But the one thing I never understood are the titles of the movies. Why did they give them those names when the film is about the battle between the English and the Zulu?  Zulu should have been called Rorke's Drift and Zulu Dawn should have been named Isandlwana. Just my two cents. Another great movie about battles between precolonial Africans and Europeans is Shangani Patrol about Alan Wilson's last stand against King Lobengula's Ndebele warriors. It is free on Youtube. If you are interested in war stories also check out The Fighting Men of Rhodesia on Youtube. The moral of the story The first lesson is that never underestimate an enemy. In the film Zulu Dawn the mighty British empire went up ...

 Memes that made me laugh and memes that made me think.

King Mzilikazi was a legend. He was a warrior and nation builder. Books have been written about him. But there has never been a movie or documentary about him. His life story would make an exciting film. And he is not the only one. There should be films about Moshoeshoe, Dingane, Sekhukhune, Hintsa and other great African kings. If I were to create a film about King Mzilikazi I would call it The Great Road. Using the seven part screenplay story structure this is how I would do it. Bear in my this is fiction and not historical facts or a documentary. It is meant to entertain so there is creative licence to bend the truth. The Hook, Set up and Exposition The Great Road starts Nompethu and Mashobane get married. Nompethu is the daughter of Zwide chief of the Ndwandwe clan. Mashobane is chief of the Khumalo clan. That night after the marriage Mashobane and Nompethu make love. Nine months later Mzilikazi is born at sunrise. His grandmother Ntombazi who is Zwide's wife acts a midwife. N...

  A book I have been meaning to read is King Mzilikazi kaMashobane by Nthebe Molope. I had read Path of Blood by Peter Becker before. Path of Blood is a great book and a must read for anyone interested in the life of King Mzilikazi. Path of Blood is well written, it doesnt feel like a text book and is very vivid. However, according to Nthebe Molope it isn't very accurate. Nthebe says Path of Blood depicts King Mzilikazi as a savage primitive. Thus he wrote King Mzilikazi to give an African perspective of the life of the great king. Molope said, 'If you do not write your own history, someone else will write it for you.' And so Nthebe travelled far and wide, researching and conducting interviews as he followed King Mzilikazi's journey. I wish Nthebe had recorded his journeys and made it into a documentary. It would make very interesting viewing. I have watched many of his interviews and I highly recommend them. https://www.youtube.com/live/v33ZgqxfR0s?si=WZWV1GgHzPj0...

  Chief Keef aka Keith Cozart is a pioneer of the Drill music genre. He is as influential as Tupac, Rakim and NWA. He and his Chicago outfit has spawned a hip hop sub genre that is hyper realistic and hyper gangsta. Drill rappers make NWA seem like Catholic priests. Drill is gangbanging on wax. It is the voice of the voiceless. It is street journalism. Drill has now gone global. Some may argue that Drill throws gasoline onto the flames and makes the murder rate sky rocket. But that is a debate for another day. When 50cent came out with Get Rich or Die Tryin' a movie of his life soon followed. Was it a great movie? No. It was okay. Back then 50cent was still green and hadn't honed his craft as a film and TV producer. With that said, Chief Keef also had a well received debut album in Finally Rich . So why didn't movie producers ever make Finally Rich the movie? Chief Keef's life is just as interesting as 50 cent. They both came from the trenches and escaped the violence ...

My least favourite King Solomon's Mines is 1985. It might be entertaining if you are ten years old. If you enjoy explosions and gun fights where the hero has titanium plot armour then it is a movie you will enjoy.  I thought it was cartoonish and silly. And in this version the bad guys are the Germans and the Turks, how cliche. The Africans are the stereotypical primitive cannibals. The only thing I liked about King Solomon's Mines 1985 is Sharon Stone. Number two goes to King Solomon's Mines 1950. It is way more mature than the 1985 version. There are lots of wild animals and African savannah if that tickles your fancy. And of course there are primitive African cannibals. In this version a wife goes in search of a missing husband and not a father. There is the map and the diamonds etc. It is not a bad movie though I did fall asleep somewhere in the middle. The whole scorpion and snake behind the bushes got a bit tiresome. My favourite King Solomon's Mines is the 200...