New Zealand Journalist Not Overly Pleased With Underbelly II

As you well know, I wasn’t overly impressed with Underbelly II: A Tribute To Matthew Newton’s Bare Arse. Of course, at the very moment I was declaring to all and sundry “This is it? Really? This is it?“, every television reviewer in the country seemed to be lining up for their chance to metaphorically fellate the program, so what do I know? Seemingly nothing.

I am glad to note that I am not alone in my Underbelly II disappointment though. A New Zealand journalist named Pat Booth who actually uncovered the drug syndicate Underbelly II purports to be telling the story of wrote a piece a few days ago about his displeasure over the program, and I think it’s definitely worth reading.

I don’t want to be a witness when tragedies are trivialised for money- making entertainment. So, no, I’m not watching the Mr Asia TV series.

The TV3 full-page ad – “The true story about a small-time New Zealand crim who went on to become the biggest crime lord in Australia. How’s that for Kiwi ingenuity” – just sickened me. Ingenious? Homicidal, sadistic, totally without conscience, a vicious criminal who murdered or had killed at least six associates – one survivor estimates 12 dead.

So someone’s saying we shouldn’t be glorifying the antics of a pack of cashed up bogan drug dealing thugs with guns?

In 1980, I wrote The Mr Asia File, the first definitive book while Clark was awaiting trial. He pointedly carried a copy into court at his trial in England for the murder of the real Mr Asia, Martin Johnstone.

The TV series, riddled with fiction and omissions, drew millions of viewers in Australia. No doubt it will here too, and advertisers will peddle their wares in its ad breaks. But my memories of the syndicate and its victims are too raw.

…

My criticisms have support from an unlikely source, described as “the highest-ranking Mr Asia syndicate member still alive”. Seeing the series in Australia, he damned it as “bullshit”.

The Dominion Post quotes him on a sequence in the series showing Clark being beaten by rivals: “If that had happened to Terry or me back in those days, we would have killed them. We’d have gone around and shot them.” You don’t have to convince me. He says Clark – the man writers have described as “suave, charismatic and personable” – developed a taste for murder and “lost it” after taking too many drugs. “I can put him down to about a dozen [murders].”

About the script: “The only thing they got right are the names.” Not even that.

Let’s get this straight. Terry Clark – alias Alexander Sinclair – was not Mr Asia. I know, because our disgruntled Star team dreamed up that label for Johnstone when the company barrister ruled against us naming him – despite our evidence.

Johnstone – Marty to his mates – described himself as Martin C Johnstone Esq on the business card I’ve still got. “Esquire” was his syndicate codename. He was based in Singapore. So, to us and our readers, he became “Mr Asia”. The name lived on – he didn’t.

Terry Clark isn’t even the real Mr Asia? You mean we saw all that bare Matthew Newton bot-bot for nothing?

Do go and read Pat Booth’s opinion piece, it’s rather interesting.

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