Balanced movie night
Posted on
November 02, 2013 by
Chris Cairns
The world's most-read Scottish politics website
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A tall tale
Wee Books
Video
Probably a robbery
Transphobia
Now that one made me chortle
BBC balance.
Nice one, Chris; and not so far from the truth.
‘There now follows a party election broadcast by the;
Scottish National Party
Scottish Socialist Party
Scottish Greens
to be followed by a comment by Blair MacDougall.
Braveheart followed by Blairfart.
Govan NO more?
link to bbc.co.uk
For the sake of balance Blair McDougall should be allowed to comment.
link to youtube.com
Isn’t it wonderful that they pay £140 for such pish?
To Handclapping
I pay hee haw, to her maj for radio and TV content, thanks to Mr Murdoch.
How is your health and how can I send you a photo from The Hill in B & W?
You work it out or be bayoneted, maybe by Ian Davidson.
I’m very proud to say I have never watched Braveheart. Mainly because Gibson is a titchy wee bloke and isn’t quite as tall as Wallace’s sword, but also because of the distortions of history which would have caused me blood pressure problems. However, I now have the BBC for that particular health issue!
Mair po’or tae yer sketchin elbow Chris.
I could have put money on it was going to be ‘Braveheart’.
Blair would obviously have to be given a chance to rebut the Film.
Par for the course then.
Gillie, yes just reading about the Govan shipyard as well. Wonder what else is planned for Scotland over the next few months…
Re Govan
Maybe the White Paper will hold some hope for Scottish shipbuilding?
Patrol vessels, ferries and the like.
Chris, thats brilliant, thanks.
I like Joe’s take on it:
Braveheart followed by Blairfart.
The worst (well almost) movie ever followed by the worst campaign director ever. That is what the BBC schedule is like though.
Is that JoLa on the left?
YES Scotland.
Funny. Good ole bbc balance eh?
Braveheart followed by the Blairfeart Project
Hmm… JoLa on the left? Now there’s a contradiction.
YES Scotland.
Slightly O/T, Sorry Rev.
Yes Pentlands have just completed a very successful street hub in the Longstone/Kingsknowe area. Lots of conversations and declarations signed.
BUT JUST ONE THING??
The public there have an insatiable appetite for Referendum literature……..
Re Govan If the cranes have not been used for five years, and they are talking about putting in mobile cranes, then seems to be they are mudding the waters, by putting in mobile cranes it can and no doubt will be portrayed as an investment in the site,
Nothing will be decided on the shipyards etiher way until after sept 18th next year. they are not that stupid…..
Wonder if the folks in the Govan yards still feel quite so ‘British’ after todays moves.
Must be a quandry for the Unionists how to paint the positive in this. Pointless blaming SNP since this is really a dividend of the Union and the needs of the Royal Navy that will be driving this, or not.
Comfortably numb anyone ?
On the Govan shipyards; wasn’t Labour using possible closure if Scotland became Independent as a reason to vote No?
Whatever the argument, as an article on NNS said, Project Fear is becoming Project Blackmail.
I also have never watched Braveheart. Once of the worst films ever for me.
My friend however swear by it.
“I also have never watched Braveheart. Once of the worst films ever for me.”
Um, how do you know?
@JonD
Was that a BBC camera? Very amusing love the headgear.
Re Braveheart I was sent from Radio Tay (it was the community end part of its remit, not for Ally Bally’s show) to cover it when it came out. Not the most positive of experiences for a fair few reasons. Thankfully things have moved on.
Ha ha ha, good one, Chris! 😀
The BBC Scotland is sooo balanced one side of the scale has hit the ground and the other side is impotently swinging in the air.
Braveheart is a fairly OK adventure film if you ignore the historical inaccuracies. Much in the same vein as Prince of Thieves, starring Kevin Costner as Robin Hood. I cringed towards the end when “Robin Hood” made his big speech for FREEDOM.
Both films are, of course, geared towards the American audience, because the Americans think they’re so free, and fighting for freedom by bombing other countries back to stone age.
The best bit of the Robin Hood film is in the very end. The rightful king comes to Robin’s and Marian’s wedding, and the whisper went around the cinema (in Finland!) “That’s no Richard the Lionheart, that’s Sean Connery!” (Meaning, who gives a fuck about some English king but Sean Connery is something else!) 😀
As much as Braveheart is a fairly decent movie (yes …I know …there are massive historical inaccuracies …you don’t need to tell me), it is really a movie for just switching your brain off too.
I never quite got why Gibson just didn’t follow the actual history of Wallace and Longshanks. The Battle of Stirling Bridge (as it is known, and not the Battle of Stirling) would have been a riveting one to watch on screen anyway.
Basically, the English Army are one side of the river, and the Scots on the other. The English foolishly, cross their army over a narrow bridge. Apparently, Wallace and Murray could not believe their luck. The English army is being handed to them on a plate! They allow the English to pour over half of their army on to the Scottish side. Then the Scots attacked in a fury. Panic ensues in the English army as the first half of it is mown down on the Scottish side/ The other half on the south bank can only watch in horror. In the end, the remnants of the English army retreat back to the border. As said, it would have been riveting to watch one of the greatest blunders ever by an army.
A couple of years ago, I read the book ‘A Great and Terrible King’ by Marc Morris (which is a bloody good book), and it’s the history of Edward I. Just the things he got up to in the trying to conquer Wales, Ireland and Scotland were astounding. You learn how the ‘Prince of Wales’ title comes about …and believe me …Edward didn’t mess! He made it perfectly clear as to who was the ‘Prince of Wales!’ (he killed the last Welsh Prince by hunting him down ruthlessly in the Welsh mountains, and then making an example of him. Then he took the title).
Don’t believe everything that you’ve read. The Scottish campaign was actually Edwards downfall. Edward may have claimed Kingship over Scotland, but the resistance that rose up infuriated him. The Scots knew they could never really beat him after being beaten at the Battle of Falkirk, so they began a guerrilla war against him. What they did, was to lead Edwards army on meaningless campaigns. They would entice him over the border, have him chase phantom armies all the way up to the Grampians, and in his rage, he would take it out on the Scottish people. What a lot of folk don’t know is that, when he did that, the Scots would exact their revenge by creating a small army that hit the north of England in lightning raids and sacking cities there. Edward had to come back instantly as he feared his Barons and Earls would reject him as King if he didn’t protect England.
Everytime Edward did something in Scotland, the Scots retaliated and hit England hard. Edward had a mercenary army. It was not like today’s army. As soon as the coin ran out, his army would fade away, thus it became expensive for Edward to keep trying raise money, which would then raise an army. Each campaign was expensive, and the Scots knew this.
At the end of the book, Wallace is long dead (executed), and Edward is in a blind fury because Bruce has declared himself King of the Scots (instead of it being Edward), and in his old age, he comes back north to deal with Bruce. However, he dies.
Now, here is a fact that is not mentioned. We are all told that Longshanks was the ‘hammer of the Scots’, but the whole cost of the Scottish campaigns was something like a million pounds (I’m sure that was what it said in the book). Now remember, this is the early 1300’s. A million pounds in todays money would be equivalent of what we have spent on Afghanistan. In other words …hundreds of Billions of pounds wasted …and all for nothing. The Scottish wars were an epic and financial disaster for Edward and England. It was no wonder that his son, Edward II had no heart for continuing the wars with Scotland.
But of course …the establishment don’t want you to know that little fact. We are instead, told that Edward crushed us under his heel. Well …that’s not quite true.
As I said …very surprised that Gibson just didn’t go with the historical facts…
Braveheart won Best Picture and Best Director for a reason. It’s a great film. In every other country on the planet it’s seen as a great film.
Here the Scottish cringe won’t allow people to enjoy it combined with the anti-Scottish politics or the hate parties. And in England they hate it because THEY LOST TO SCOTLAND. And that isn’t allowed.
It could have been filmed entirely in Scotland if the better together westminster government had provided the same level of assistance as the TWTPTS Irish did. But it was about a man murdered in westminster, not called Thomas Moore, or Charles 1 so that wasn’t going to happen.
Christopher Hoy was called “Braveheart” by the bbc commentators. The Scotland RFL team is called “The Bravehearts.” Les Wallace won the World Title and became “Brave-Dart.”
But due to the unionist poison any mention of the film must make you a raving anglophobe. Wankers the lot of them.
Just another way that Scotland is not and can never be a normal society under the union.
Personally I quite enjoyed Braveheart. It was just a piece of Hollywood nonsense, and as long as you accepted it as that, it was ok.
JLT, exactly. That was my feeling on watching the film. I was deeply disappointed that it wasn’t as good a story as the real thing.
I only saw it once, in a cinema in Leicester Square in London, near the end of its run, having been dragged there by an independence-supporting acquaintance who swore it was the greatest thing ever to hit the silver screen and would deliver independence to boot.
I dare say I’ve had worse nights with the toothache, but I certainly never took the trouble to watch it again.
Braveheart was a good Holywood movie which is why it won so many Oscars. It will never, ever be used to teach history.
Oh and my only other Braveheart tale is that most people I met in various countries of the Middle East immediatley referenced it when I said I came from Scotland.
O/T but heartening.
In Inverness today, I saw two large banners declaring the existence of Newsnet Scotland. Deliciously, as many will know, they have the strapline ‘What the BBC won’t tell you’. One of them was just round the corner from the BBC HQ in Inverness.
What is it with certain Indy. followers and the film Braveheart? What can it possibly be that raises your ire?
It was a film, a rollicking adventure film about a people’s struggle against a resolute enemy and almost insurmountable odds. It was about bravery, determination, treachery and betrayal, and the country it was about was Scotland. It was not a documentary. Neither was the story of Rob Roy MacGregor or any of the recent films about the Picts.
How many of you have watched films about Cowboys in the USA and moaned about historical inaccuracies? Or how about Robin Hood? Maybe you preferred made up stories about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
At least Wallace was an identifiable historical figure.
And as for those who profess to hate the film but have never seen it or the friend who wouldn’t go to see the film because his mother didn’t like “that Mel Gibson” words fail me.
I repeat, IT WAS A FILM! well made and if not particularly historically accurate it followed the story by Blind Harry closely and at least it was about a time in our Nations history.
Now if you don’t want to go and see it fine but do not moan about it. Once more it was A FILM made to make money starring a famous Hollywood actor. So what if he is small, so are many actors but I would wager that fact has never stopped any of you going to watch any movie.
Now please stop whinging on about a film made almost 20 years ago.
‘For a report on the heatwave Scotland is basking in we now go over to Heather Reid with the forecast, followed by comment from Blair McDougall
following the film ‘sunshine on leith’ tonight on BBC1, Blair McDougal will singing in the streets of Edinburgh.
“And as the two teams line up before kick-off here at Hampden, we’ll be hearing the anthems of Scotland and the USA, followed by a short speech from Blair McDougall.”
James Naughtie voice:
-Now it is time for the Thought for The Day, and we go to Blair McDougall at John Smith House.
“Good morning Rev Blair”
And now independence has been achieved, we turn to…,
…oh, where’d he go?
UKube-1, the first satellite to be built in Scotland, will be launched on 10 February 2014. It’s first transmission will be by Blair McDougall.
Mr Panda – “Thought for the day” from Mr McDougall …. are you being ironic?
Clarinda
How are you, long time no connect?
I am copying my post from the current parallel thread of a few minutes ago; the one about sectarianism and Labour,
Are you fey?
@ 4:51 pm
It is early evening or late afternoon on a Saturday.
I am feeling a dash of irony and a soupcon of whimsy.
Need some more alcohol, I think.
Off to the supermarket for the afternoon special then.
Please ignore anything I post after this.
“Ok take a break, Blair”
“And now it’s 6.30 and time for Reporting Scotland”
I’ve complained about this all along, the fixation with Braveheart is not the nationalists but the Better together mob who have corralled our history so we cant have it, to the point where people cant even watch a bloody film without being called rolling eyed nutters, in fact we all know this is not and never has been the raison d’etre for nationalists but just try to take the better together’s “shared history” away from them and they’ll have your hand off, they want to have a bleedin celebration of industrial annihilation of millions of young men for crying out loud, but we’re the ones living in the past?
@Jon D: That was fantastic, I just about wet myself laughing, especially at the chap who did the wee bow.
Albalha – my experiences too. People in the Middle East (well, I can comment on Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan for definite) almost unanimously a) had seen it and b) loved it. People round the world (the parts I’ve been to) love it for its universal message that the rich and powerful will sell anybody out to consolidate or increase their power. I’ve commented on threads here before that I think it’s only in the UK people get so polarised about it. If films like that inspire people to learn more about their own country’s history (especially since it wasn’t really encouraged in our schools), that’s another bonus.
Oh, and why do I feel I can make such grand statements as ‘people round the world love it’? Because if you’re Scottish people tend to ask you about whisky, skirts, and Braveheart, or at least they did a few years ago.
I’ve just eaten a Tunnock’s teacake, which was followed by an Empire biscuit eaten by Blair McDougall.
Braveheart followed by the Blair snitch project aka bitter together.
And to close today’s viewing we will have a sermon from the Rev Blair McDougal on late call as he likes to get the last word in
A number of years ago, when I still had a TV and Braveheart was shown, I watched the first 15 or 20 minutes before I could stand it no longer. Personally, I dislike blatant historical inaccuracies in a movie that purports to tell a true story, and seeing Wallace (the son of a knight who lived somewhere south of the Clyde) being portrayed a an ordinary village lad in the Highlands was more than I could take. I can enjoy some Hollywood rubbish, but not that example.
I stopped buying Tunnocks when they came out for Bitter Together.
Now in my infrequent visits to the mainland, I go to Aldi’s and get their copy version of the caramel wafers. Not quite as good but I enjoy them more…
I just didn’t much like it. I don’t see why I should pretend I liked it just because it got a bunch of Oscars and BT are a shower of dickheads.
I quite liked Braveheart and watched it originally cos I was a Mel Gibson fan – before he had a meltdown.
I treated it the way you would treat any film, it was only based on the life of William Wallace hollywood style – it wasn’t a documentary.
I also enjoyed Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood – I know I’ll get my coat now.
Edward I of England bankrupted his country. As noted above the hostilities in Scotland were expensive.
Further his massive castle building programme in Wales was also a drain on funds. The last one, Beaumaris Castle in Anglesey was never completed. England was broke!
Ironically the Welsh Dragon flies above all these today.
And to follow that film of the annual bonus season celebrations in the City of London we have a clip of Tommy Sheridan speaking at an Anti Bedroom Tax rally in Kirkcaldy. In your dreams.
@BtP
Thanks to her maj’s daily 4 injections, 8 pills, 3 ointments and a pension, (I believe in something for nothing) my health is greatly improved since last I saw you.
Do not on any account try to send me the photie. I am hoping that the picture MI7 Scotch Splittist Section have of me is purely just a face in the crowd. To be giving GCHQ not only a portrait of yours truly but auto identified as an existential danger due to the association with the master splittist known as the Snotty Urchin would raise my alert status level to Ultra-Violet at least. I know its not at your Gamma Ray level but it would mean having to search under the bed each evening for assassins as well as the pot and I’m getting too old for that. No, let ID bayonet me whilst you young ones escape to fight another day. 😉
handclapping
Tin foil hats and Shiraz work for me.
me, a young’un, thanks, but have you visited your optician this side of the millenium?
ps What sort of chanty do you have?
“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they come to fight you, and then there is a short speech by Blair MacDougall.”
Handclapping says
“No, let ID bayonet me whilst you young ones escape to fight another day. ”
not a chance handclapping we’ll carry you,
your not going to be left behind we take all our soldiers home (including the wounded) 🙂
One of my favorite films is El Cid, do we go bashing the spanish about it NO, the last film in the lord of the Rings, ‘Return of the King’ was brillent with the charge of the Rohan, do we miss call the Hobbits about it because the heffalumps were too big NO.
So leave Braveheart alone it was a great adventure type film, the humour was great and the Irish warrior was funny as hell , it glorified our countrys past so what !! everyone else does.
And if someone calls you a “braveheart” say thanks it means your standing up for yourself and your country.
I cannot understand Scots particularly IndyYes Scots who take pride in saying “I have never seen Braveheart”, as if it is a badge of honour and of some superior cultural claim.
Regardless of Braveheart’s artistic merits, and it is NOT 99% fiction, The film Braveheart depicts all the following acts, all of which are TRUE:-
Tyrant English King invades Scotland and tries to subdue people using fear and terror TRUE.
Local hero Wallace springs up to fight back against invaders TRUE
After many skirmishes Wallace eventually forms an army which severely beats Tyrant King and his invading troops TRUE
Hero is defeated at later battle TRUE
Hero is betrayed by cringers and forelock touchers on his own side and delivered into the tyrant’s hands. TRUE
Hero is dragged all the way from Scotland to London and after much anti-Scottish propaganda is subjected to a mock trial, sentenced to and subjected to a disgusting death by English tyrant King.TRUE
So stop falling into the BnpT’s trap of denigrating this film. Just ask yourself why they do that? If Braveheart were to be shown a few days before the referendum a YES vote would be done and dusted.
@BtP
Have you seen the cost of complex lenses lately?
PS Chinoiserie, probably worth a fortune to my heirs!
PPS I use tinfoil behind the radiators. Keeps the heat in and the electric thoughts out.
Handclapping
Keep on keeping on and make sure you don’t crack the Chanty.
“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they come to fight you, and then there is a short speech by Blair MacDougall.”
For as long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be forced to watch another interview with Blair MacDougall.
‘…. aaand tonight on This Is Your Life, Alex Salmond … followed by an interview with Blair McDougall.’
‘next month sees the release of all of Sean Connery’s film catalogue on Blue Ray, featuring a special commentary by Blair McDougall.’
JON D Am ircandesent wi rage at your blaetent attempt to fool the Public with you Staged leaflet distrbution Yer three Stoogies need mair rehersin an a kick up the erse If your gonna go intae film produsing git stoogies wi mair Stamina if their no fit tae day at least 10 passes fek them oot at edit i hope thats contructive critque PMSL
Amazing what our scientists from St Andrews can tell us about the behaviour of bears in woods so now on Reporting Scotland we have a quick commentary by Blair MacDougall before our interview with the Chief Rabbi on Catholicism and the Pope after his astonishing revelation this afternoon
Dcanmore ma lifes a fekin misery the nno watchin beeb repeats Dads Army/ Open All Hours / Are You Being SERVED naw am fekin naw Noo you want me tae watch This Is your Life Ah lived the fekin thing im misery under a Uk gov Its cled a im that ah dont pay the licence fee fur watchin aw they repeats Watchin B Mc D he o the Magic Roonabboot ma telies neer the windy showin that feker again its gittin paped oot
Wha, for Scotland’s King and Law,
Freedom’s sword will strongly draw,
Free-man stand, or Free-man fa’,
Let Blair follow me!
I am now going for a shite and will be swiftly followed by Blair MacDougall, Andrex and a tin of air-freshner.
Honest, he is a bit of an erse wipe.
Ann 3.08
Having travelled all over the World in the last 20 years, I can assure you that very many people identify with Braveheart unlike the Scottish cringers.
OK Hollywood, as usual, took some historical liberties, but the essential story is a true record of what took place during Scotland’s Wars of Independence.
it is a national disgrace that the 1320 Declaration of Independence was airbrushed out of history when i was at school in Scotland.
Bril cartoon Chris
not sure about that being Jola on the left but it sure looks like my belly on the right! 🙂
I’m no film buff so i can’t pass quality assessment on Braveheart, but what I can say is that my workers in the Middle East, from many nationalities, having seen the film thought it marvellous. Over disputes with our client they would ask, Boss,do we fight, pulling out their imaginary dirks?
calum @ 7.18
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they come to fight you, and then there is a short speech by Blair MacDougall.”
Pffft. Tea – keyboard moment. 😀 I’m sending the cleaning bill to you.
I remember seeing the set of Braveheart on location, of the palisaded fort, up in Glen Nevis. It was very impressive in real life. It looks great in the film against the backdrop of the Ben’s humungously steep and gigantic sweeping south face.
I pulled a nice young lady at the pub last night, and got to know her in the biblical sense.
I got up a wee while ago to make her a coffee. Imagine my surprise when Blair popped out of the wardrobe and demanded his turn!
Dirty bastard!
I am not defending Braveheart the movie but I am fed up with people crediting Mel gibson for writing it.
Braveheart was written by Randall Wallace a Hollywood screenwriter who came to Scotland on holiday. While here he saw the two statues at the gate of Edinburgh Castle. On enquiring he was informed that they were Robert the Bruce and William Wallace. He admitted that he had never heard of his namesake before. He returned to Hollywood read Blind Harry’s “Wallace” and wrote the screenplay. He did not read any of the up to date history of Wallace.
Mel Gibson directed and “stared” in Braveheart! He did not Write it. A 15 century minstrel had more to do with writing Braveheart than Gibson.
@Joe Cane
I suggest that you visit Lanark Bowling Club. The location of the real palisade fort! 😉
@Jon D
Excellent video – we just need a 20,000 strong BT rally with Blair McDougall at its head to balance things out.