Good and bad films about Scotland
Bobby Davidson
highly idiosyncratic list of good and bad films about Scotland
in order of goodness or badness.
I exclude some I have only seen limited parts of e.g
Brigadoon, Bonnie Prince Charlie. Note that I do not
particularly care for those in the lower part of the "good" list but
on the whole my assessment was positive.
Good films about Scotland:-
1. The Wicker Man
2. I Know Where I'm Going
3. My Childhood
4. My Ain Folk
5. That Sinking Feeling
6. The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes
7. The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie
8. The Maggie
9. Whisky Galore
10. Ooh What A Whopper!
11. Ring Of Bright Water
Bad films about Scotland:-
1. Braveheart
2. Geordie
3. Local Hero
4. Gregory's Girl
flet...@nynow.com
Ouch - "Trainspotting" and "Small Faces" are missing here... or are films from
the 90's not included?
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Alan Hardie
Bobby Davidson wrote in message <35F968FD...@linkcafe.co.uk>...
>In an attempt to stir it something awful, I will now submit my
>highly idiosyncratic list of good and bad films about Scotland
>in order of goodness or badness.
>I exclude some I have only seen limited parts of e.g
>Brigadoon, Bonnie Prince Charlie. Note that I do not
>particularly care for those in the lower part of the "good" list but
>on the whole my assessment was positive.
>
Trainspotting and Gregory's Girl aren't just two great Scottish films, they
are two of the best films *ever*....how can you like the That Sinking
Feeling and not Gregory's Girl?. The Wicker Man and Whisky Galore are
wonderful too, but how Scottish are they? I've never heard of Ooh What A
Whopper. Ealing stuff is it?
Looking at the list in totality though you have to conclude that it isn't a
great contribution to the world of cinema is it? A small country can't
compete with Hollywood, but it would be interesting to see how we compare
with similar countries, Sweden, Denmark or Ireland for instance, or even
Australia.
---------------------
Alan Hardie
(remove xspam from email address to reply)
EM
it won 5 acadamy awards I believe.
On Fri, 11 Sep 1998 19:16:31 +0100, Bobby Davidson
<cm...@linkcafe.co.uk> wrote:
>In an attempt to stir it something awful, I will now submit my
>highly idiosyncratic list of good and bad films about Scotland
>in order of goodness or badness.
>I exclude some I have only seen limited parts of e.g
>Brigadoon, Bonnie Prince Charlie. Note that I do not
>particularly care for those in the lower part of the "good" list but
>on the whole my assessment was positive.
>
Fog Brat
<cm...@linkcafe.co.uk> wrote:
>In an attempt to stir it something awful, I will now submit my
>highly idiosyncratic list of good and bad films about Scotland
>in order of goodness or badness.
>Good films about Scotland:-
>
>1. The Wicker Man
I just left this in 'cos I thought you should know that this caused me
to have an absolutely irrational desire to see this film
again...tonight. This was a two-hour round-trip drive to the video
shop. I blame you, Mr. Davidson...
<snip>
>Bad films about Scotland:-
>
>1. Braveheart
>2. Geordie
>3. Local Hero
>4. Gregory's Girl
I have to add "The Big Man" (a/k/a "Crossing the Line") to this, which
unaccountably saddens me, because I've actually seen it...twice.
Perhaps it's just that I hate happy endings...either that or the vague
memory of Billy Connolly in his underclothes, but there it is.
NicFogBrat
lieneil
top rank. But The Maggie (or High and Dry as it was renamed across the
Atlantic) takes top billing for me - especially that memorable line in
response to Paul Douglas' questioning the
"wee boy's" throwing gravel from the bow of the puffer into the fog:
"If it splashes, OK. But if it rattles......!"
Bobby Davidson wrote:
>
> In an attempt to stir it something awful, I will now submit my
> highly idiosyncratic list of good and bad films about Scotland
> in order of goodness or badness.
> Brigadoon, Bonnie Prince Charlie. Note that I do not
> particularly care for those in the lower part of the "good" list but
> on the whole my assessment was positive.
>
>
> 1. The Wicker Man
> 3. My Childhood
> 4. My Ain Folk
> 5. That Sinking Feeling
> 6. The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes
> 7. The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie
> 8. The Maggie
> 9. Whisky Galore
> 10. Ooh What A Whopper!
> 11. Ring Of Bright Water
>
Col
>highly idiosyncratic list of good and bad films about Scotland
>in order of goodness or badness.
>I exclude some I have only seen limited parts of e.g
>Brigadoon, Bonnie Prince Charlie. Note that I do not
>particularly care for those in the lower part of the "good" list but
>on the whole my assessment was positive.
>
>Good films about Scotland:-
>
>1. The Wicker Man
>2. I Know Where I'm Going
>3. My Childhood
>4. My Ain Folk
>5. That Sinking Feeling
>6. The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes
>7. The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie
>8. The Maggie
>9. Whisky Galore
>10. Ooh What A Whopper!
>11. Ring Of Bright Water
>
>Bad films about Scotland:-
>
>1. Braveheart
>2. Geordie
>3. Local Hero
>4. Gregory's Girl
If your talking bad, bad , bad movies about Scotland "Brig O' Doon" has to
be at the top of the list - it was on telly only recently. From a Glasgow
perspective "Small Faces" was a cliché ridden, pretentious load of shite.
Chris Byrne
> Trainspotting and Gregory's Girl aren't just two great Scottish films, they
> are two of the best films *ever*....how can you like the That Sinking
> Feeling and not Gregory's Girl?. The Wicker Man and Whisky Galore are
> wonderful too, but how Scottish are they? I've never heard of Ooh What A
> Whopper. Ealing stuff is it?
>
> Looking at the list in totality though you have to conclude that it isn't a
> great contribution to the world of cinema is it? A small country can't
> compete with Hollywood, but it would be interesting to see how we compare
> with similar countries, Sweden, Denmark or Ireland for instance, or even
> Australia.
How Scottish is "Trainspotting"? Andrew McDonald, the Producer, came
back from London to Edinburgh in 1992, hung around the Edinburgh Film
Festival telling everyone he was Emeric Pressburger's grandson,
eventually teamed up with John Hodge (Scottish) and Danny Boyle
(Mancunian), stayed in Scotland for Shallow Grave, but was firmly based
back in London when Trainspotting was made. So, the original novel is
Scottish, the scriptwriter is Scottish, the Producer is an Anglo-Scot,
most of the actors are Scottish, and Scottish taxpayers fronted the
money necessary to develop the script. Most of the rest, including
technical crew, Director, post-production, and the main financial
backing (and therefore profits) come from London.
Sweden produced Ingmar Bergman, Denmark Lars von Trier. Ireland? Hmmm...
wasn't "Braveheart" shot in Ireland? Isn't director Neil Jordan Irish?
Australia: "Mad Max", "Muriel's Wedding", "Priscilla, Queen of the
Desert", to name but a few.
So Scotland does not compare very well at all, perhaps only to Ireland,
but even then not that well. It is no coincidence that the media
industries are totally dominated culturally and financially by vested
interests in London. What do all these other countries have in common?
Independence...
--
"All that is comes from the mind"
-----------------------------------------
Chris Byrne, Kaleidoscope
http://www.cryptic.demon.co.uk/index.html
Steve Howie
: Gregory's Girl, Local Hero and - add - Comfort and Joy all belong in the
: top rank. But The Maggie (or High and Dry as it was renamed across the
: Atlantic) takes top billing for me - especially that memorable line in
: response to Paul Douglas' questioning the
: "wee boy's" throwing gravel from the bow of the puffer into the fog:
: "If it splashes, OK. But if it rattles......!"
: Bobby Davidson wrote:
:> In an attempt to stir it something awful, I will now submit my
:> highly idiosyncratic list of good and bad films about Scotland
:> in order of goodness or badness.
:> I exclude some I have only seen limited parts of e.g
:> Brigadoon, Bonnie Prince Charlie. Note that I do not
:> particularly care for those in the lower part of the "good" list but
:> on the whole my assessment was positive.
:>
:> Good films about Scotland:-
:>
:> 1. The Wicker Man
Brilliant and very chilling film. But with a sergeant called "Howie" how
could it miss? :)
:> 2. I Know Where I'm Going
:> 3. My Childhood
:> 4. My Ain Folk
:> 5. That Sinking Feeling
:> 6. The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes
:> 7. The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie
:> 8. The Maggie
:> 9. Whisky Galore
Equally brilliant and very very funny!
:> 10. Ooh What A Whopper!
:> 11. Ring Of Bright Water
:>
:> Bad films about Scotland:-
:>
1. Brigadoon.
2. Brigadoon.
3. Brigadoon.
:> 1. Braveheart
:> 2. Geordie
:> 3. Local Hero
You're kidding, right?? This is one of Bill Forsyth's best films ever.
Seen it 15+ times and each time you see something else you missed the
previous time.
:> 4. Gregory's Girl
Steve Howie ro...@127.0.0.1
Netnews and Listserv Admin 519 824-4120 x2556
University of Guelph
"If it's not Scottish it's CRRRRAAAAAAAPPPPPP!"
Fog Brat
(Chris Byrne) wrote:
>Alan Hardie <XSPAMa...@which.net> wrote:
>> Looking at the list in totality though you have to conclude that it isn't a
>> great contribution to the world of cinema is it? A small country can't
>> compete with Hollywood, but it would be interesting to see how we compare
>> with similar countries, Sweden, Denmark or Ireland for instance, or even
>> Australia.
<snip>
>So Scotland does not compare very well at all, perhaps only to Ireland,
>but even then not that well. It is no coincidence that the media
>industries are totally dominated culturally and financially by vested
>interests in London. What do all these other countries have in common?
>Independence...
I thought that the original topic was "films *about* Scotland," not
"Scottish films?" At least that's what the header indicates. I think
that differentiation might change a few things.
NicFogBrat
Alan Hardie
Chris Byrne wrote in message <1df93bm.13i...@cryptic.demon.co.uk>...
>Alan Hardie <XSPAMa...@which.net> wrote:
>
>
>So Scotland does not compare very well at all, perhaps only to Ireland,
>but even then not that well. It is no coincidence that the media
>industries are totally dominated culturally and financially by vested
>interests in London.
Cultural and financial domination by London based vested interests is
obviously profoundly debilitating but I have a recollection when things were
a damn sight worse. Pre-Bill Forsyth and Gregory's Girl and Local Hero in
fact.
>What do all these other countries have in common?
>Independence...
>
...er, or better writers or more talented film makers?
How independent is the state of California?
Linda L. Batzloff
>
> In an attempt to stir it something awful, I will now submit my
> highly idiosyncratic list of good and bad films about Scotland
> in order of goodness or badness.
> I exclude some I have only seen limited parts of e.g
> Brigadoon, Bonnie Prince Charlie. Note that I do not
> particularly care for those in the lower part of the "good" list but
> on the whole my assessment was positive.
>
> Good films about Scotland:-
>
> 1. The Wicker Man
> 3. My Childhood
> 4. My Ain Folk
> 5. That Sinking Feeling
> 6. The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes
> 7. The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie
> 8. The Maggie
> 9. Whisky Galore
> 11. Ring Of Bright Water
>
> Bad films about Scotland:-
>
> 2. Geordie
> 3. Local Hero
One of my all time favorite films - Wee Geordie - that's not the one
above is it? The one I'm refering to starred Bill Travers, I think , came
out in the mid 1950's.
Chris Byrne
> ...er, or better writers or more talented film makers?
> How independent is the state of California?
Much more independent from Washington than Scotland is from Westminster.
jkwill
Alan Hardie wrote in message <6tc6u4$aff$1...@nclient1-gui.server.which.net>...
>Australia.
problem because the language. They tend to band together. There was one
Scandinavian-Scottish venture recently, the bizarre "Breaking the waves",
apparently set in Easter Ross but looking nothing like it (which probably
means it was filmed there...)
Perhaps Scotland could get together with Ireland in the same manner, as both
are very photogenic locations.
As for Trainspotting, watching people swim in manky bogs and injecting
themselves is not classic cinema in IMHO. Although somebody recently did
quite a funny skit which showed the parallels between Whisky Galore and
Trainspotting.
jkwill
EM wrote in message <35f9e3a4.38074570@news>...
>why do you list Braveheart as a bad film about Scotland ?
>it won 5 acadamy awards I believe.
know the plot inside out because of this board. There are long boring
arguments about its historicity (it's Hollywood! Were Ray Harryhausen's
tales anything like Greek or Arab myth?). And people accuse me of having a
Braveheart image- which is odd as I said earlier I haven't seen the whole
film. But I have seen Mel Gibson being executed.
Col
>How Scottish is "Trainspotting"?
What really pissed me off about Trainspotting (aside from the fact that most
of the characters where left underdeveloped to fit a 1 and a half hour
attention span of it's target audience) was that most of it was shot in
Glasgow instead of Edinburgh and Leith. As I know both cities well this
spoilt what realism as I knew where the scenes were supposed to be and where
the film was shot.
As an aside Ewan MacGregor played the poshest Leith druggy ever following in
the tradition of Sean Connery who also plays every character as himself.
jkwill
Leith-Edinburgh-Glasgow, and it's not going to bother the viewers much if yo
and me can spot the subtle differences but they can't. As for EMacG being a
posh druggy, I think that was so non-Scots could understand him supposedly.
Col wrote in message ...
DuchessOK
i am a musical entusiast.. but i was wondering.. i saw a movie about a week
ago, rented, called "Mrs. Brown" . It was about Queen Victoria after Albert
died, and her seclusion and time in Scotland. I really liked the acting and
the actor who played Mr Brown, but i forget his name.
be well all.. and by the way.. would love to rsvp for the traveling show,
sounds like a good time to be had by all.. i love good theatre.. duchess
Colin Rosenthal
jkwill <jkw...@cableinet.co.uk> wrote:
>
>EM wrote in message <35f9e3a4.38074570@news>...
>>why do you list Braveheart as a bad film about Scotland ?
>>it won 5 acadamy awards I believe.
>Please don't start this one. Even though I have not seen all of the film I
>know the plot inside out because of this board. There are long boring
>arguments about its historicity (it's Hollywood! Were Ray Harryhausen's
>tales anything like Greek or Arab myth?).
Surely they can't be as long and boring as the movie itself?
--
Colin Rosenthal
High Altitude Observatory
Boulder, Colorado
rose...@hao.ucar.edu
Fog Brat
>Well.. i loved Brigadoon.. but of course i also very much loved Gene Kelly, and
>i am a musical entusiast.. but i was wondering.. i saw a movie about a week
>ago, rented, called "Mrs. Brown" . It was about Queen Victoria after Albert
>died, and her seclusion and time in Scotland. I really liked the acting and
>the actor who played Mr Brown, but i forget his name.
Billy Connolly. Somewhere upthread is a post I made about the trauma
of seeing same in underclothes in another (less auspicious) film.
Actually, to be honest, I was somewhat pleasantly surprised by "Mrs.
Brown." I did, however, have the unfortunate experience of sitting in
front of two blowsy, middle-aged ladies who provided a most
enlightening, loud, and annoying commentary throughout the first half
of the film, viz:
"Oooooh...he must be a Scotsman!!" (upon first appearance of Connolly
in full Highland dress)
"Queen Victoria...she must have something to do with the Victorian
Era" (I only wish I was making this up)
Around the middle of the film, I finally lost my temper. Standing up,
I turned around and roared in a rather unladylike way (having revived
my deceased accent for the occasion):
"*&*&%*^sake! Shut up or go home and wait till it's on telly!"
This tirade was met with general applause from the theatre audience,
as well as a few shouts of encouragement (although my husband, whose
goal is to pass through life unnoticed, and why he's married to *me* I
don't know, was trying to slide under his seat). My new friends beat a
hasty retreat, leaving us all to see the rest of the film in relative
peace, until my pocket flask ran dry.
NicFogBrat
Bob Scott
>In an attempt to stir it something awful, I will now submit my
>highly idiosyncratic list of good and bad films about Scotland
>in order of goodness or badness.
>
>
>1. The Wicker Man
>2. I Know Where I'm Going
>3. My Childhood
>4. My Ain Folk
>5. That Sinking Feeling
>6. The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes
>7. The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie
>8. The Maggie
>9. Whisky Galore
>10. Ooh What A Whopper!
>11. Ring Of Bright Water
>
>Bad films about Scotland:-
>
>1. Braveheart
>2. Geordie
>3. Local Hero
>4. Gregory's Girl
>
Deathwatch & Restless Natives to the panel for assessment. As it's >10
years since I saw either of them I'm not voting them into either best or
worst.
--
Bob Scott
Bruce Munro
Bobby Davidson <cm...@linkcafe.co.uk> wrote:
>
>Bad films about Scotland:-
>
>1. Braveheart
>2. Geordie
>3. Local Hero
>4. Gregory's Girl
By including Local Hero and Gregory's Girl in this list, you prove yourself
to be someone with no critical faculty whatsoever.
"Did you know.........?"
Chris Byrne
> >How Scottish is "Trainspotting"?
>
>
> What really pissed me off about Trainspotting (aside from the fact that most
> of the characters where left underdeveloped to fit a 1 and a half hour
> attention span of it's target audience) was that most of it was shot in
> Glasgow instead of Edinburgh and Leith. As I know both cities well this
> spoilt what realism as I knew where the scenes were supposed to be and where
> the film was shot.
Most of it was shot in a studio in a converted warehouse in Glasgow,
plus I remember a scene where a train is heading towards a huge Glasgow
water tower: we do NOT have these in Edinburgh. The reasons they shot in
Glasgow are twofold: cheaper, and subsidy from the Glasgow Film Office.
probably they did a deal whereby Glasgow gave money to them to develop
the script, on condition that they shoot the majority of the film in
Glasgow (economic benefit, crew spending money in Glasgow).
>
> As an aside Ewan MacGregor played the poshest Leith druggy ever following in
> the tradition of Sean Connery who also plays every character as himself.
Yes, he was quite a convincing public schoolboy wasn't he? Not very
convincing as a working class Leither, though...
I was living and working in London when the film came out, and it was
massively popular with trendies down there. I think the soundtrack, the
clothes, everything screamed "Britpop" and therefore "London". In a way
the Producers and Polygram the backers were very shrewd: they knew that
if it was perceived as being *too* distinctively Scottish, English
punters would not buy into it. So, you see a diluted Scottishness
through the lens of a London trendy's glamourised view of what an
Edinburgh heroin lifestyle would be like, with a London/New York
soundtrack. These people would not know or care if it was mostly shot in
Glasgow: the difference to them is irrelevant, because we are talking
purely of a *mythical* contemporary Scottishness.
In many ways, "Trainspotting" is a deeply cynical film, calculated to
appeal to a certain group of young consumers. It carefully edits out a
great deal of what was vital, truthful, and *political* in Irvine
Welsh's novel, anything i fact that is not necessary for the film to be
marketable to a wider audience. The fact that it still manages to be a
reasonably good film on its own terms despite that, is a small glimmer
of hope. Robert Carlyle's "Begbie" was inspirational.
jkwill
Colin Rosenthal wrote in message <6th8i1$sdm$1...@ncar.ucar.edu>...
>On Sun, 13 Sep 1998 00:52:42 +0100,
>jkwill <jkw...@cableinet.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>>EM wrote in message <35f9e3a4.38074570@news>...
>>arguments about its historicity (it's Hollywood! Were Ray Harryhausen's
>>tales anything like Greek or Arab myth?).
>
>Surely they can't be as long and boring as the movie itself?
melodramatic. I wish people wouldn't take films as gospel or attempting to
be so.
DuchessOK
>be so.
You mean Brigadoon is not really real??? Well shoot.. and i was so hoping...
duchess- who is still working on some kind of sense of humor..
Bobby Davidson
1. I only included films I have seen, and the
criterion for inclusion was whether they were
mainly set in Scotland.
2. "Ooh What A Whopper!", probably the least
know film on this list, had a group of Englishmen
including Adam Faith coming north to fake some
sightings of the Loch Ness monster, with Wilfred
Brambell as a lochside postman. It was a fairly
standard British lightweight comedy, but I
enjoyed it, it was tongue in cheek.
3. Yes, "Geordie" was the one with Bill Travers,
it was one of the most condescending treatments
of Scotland I have seen, even leaving aside some
atrocious accents. They must have been more
easily amused in the 1950s.
4. I enjoyed the earlier film Bill Forsyth did with
the Glasgow Youth Theatre "That Sinking Feeling",
it had an off-beat appeal, but I was looking forward
to "Gregory's Girl" and actually found it disappointing
by comparison, it seemed the sort of standard tale
of young love which I have seen done before and
sometimes done better e.g. by Jack Rosentahl.
Col
>Most of it was shot in a studio in a converted warehouse in Glasgow,
>plus I remember a scene where a train is heading towards a huge Glasgow
>water tower: we do NOT have these in Edinburgh. The reasons they shot in
>Glasgow are twofold: cheaper, and subsidy from the Glasgow Film Office.
>probably they did a deal whereby Glasgow gave money to them to develop
>the script, on condition that they shoot the majority of the film in
>Glasgow (economic benefit, crew spending money in Glasgow).
Glasgow City Council works hard to attract and help film makers find
locations. This is one reason why the new Scottish Film Studios will be
built in Glasgow. If you cast your mind back to "Restless Natives", a good
deal of that movie was shot in Glasgow as well.
The council makes it's properties available and actively helps film makers
match their aspirations to the many potential locations which the Council
Officers have Knowledge off. The Spud/Renton interview scene, for example,
was shot in the cool room of the now derelict Whiteinch Baths.
Chris Byrne
This is all no doubt true, but is also a fact that the Council set up a
Glasgow Film Fund, which I'm pretty sure invested in "Trainspotting", as
well as a few other movies since. They would be daft to not try and
extract a few conditions in return for that investment, ie. shooting a
fair bit of the film in Glasgow. Edinburgh provides similar services to
the ones you describe, but the Council does not have money for a film
fund.
As to the Scottish Film Studios being built in Glasgow, that is far from
certain. There are many in Scotland, myself included, who do not wish to
see the film and television industries even more centralised in Glasgow
than they are just now. The BBC are supposed to be moving to Pacific
Quay, but this has not yet happened. I suspect that a lot of these
centralising, and unaccountable decisions will be put on hold until the
Parliament convenes in Edinburgh next year. If, as seems likely, the
Parliament starts to negotiate with Westminster to devolve control over
broadcasting, a lot could change, and Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Dundee and
the Isles will all start demanding a slice of the action.
Gordon....@comlab.ox.ac.uk
>Chris Byrne wrote in message <1dfasky.a3...@cryptic.demon.co.uk>...
>
>>Most of it was shot in a studio in a converted warehouse in Glasgow,
>>plus I remember a scene where a train is heading towards a huge Glasgow
>>water tower: we do NOT have these in Edinburgh. The reasons they shot in
>>Glasgow are twofold: cheaper, and subsidy from the Glasgow Film Office.
>>probably they did a deal whereby Glasgow gave money to them to develop
>>the script, on condition that they shoot the majority of the film in
>>Glasgow (economic benefit, crew spending money in Glasgow).
>
>Glasgow City Council works hard to attract and help film makers find
>locations. This is one reason why the new Scottish Film Studios will be
>built in Glasgow. If you cast your mind back to "Restless Natives", a good
>deal of that movie was shot in Glasgow as well.
>The council makes it's properties available and actively helps film makers
>match their aspirations to the many potential locations which the Council
>Officers have Knowledge off. The Spud/Renton interview scene, for example,
>was shot in the cool room of the now derelict Whiteinch Baths.
Shallow Grave was shot mainly in a studio in Glasgow. The only bits that were
recognisably Edinburgh, to me, were the opening shots of the New Town.
Gordon
Michael Wade
<cm...@linkcafe.co.uk> writes
I'm late to this thread, but has anyone mentioned *Breaking the Waves*?
That is a wonderful film, set in, rather than 'about' Scotland.
I saw an extraordinary film on Monday afternoon, when I awoke from a
doze on the sofa. It was called something like *The Wedding Trail*, and
followed the fortunes of a young islander who had to leave home to find
a bride, because his family wouldn't let him marry his first cousin. He
ran around the Highlands innocently seeking a bride, and all manner of
misundertandings and accidents hampered him.
It was quite funny, but funnier still was the appearance of first Terry
Scott as a Highland policeman, and then George Cole as his sergeant.
Still, Gordon Jackson, as always, was there for the home team.
--
Michael Wade
Michael Wade
<ch...@nospam.cryptic.demon.co.uk> writes
>Col <colin...@msn.com> wrote:
>
>> >How Scottish is "Trainspotting"?
>>
>>
>> What really pissed me off about Trainspotting (aside from the fact that most
>> of the characters where left underdeveloped to fit a 1 and a half hour
>> attention span of it's target audience) was that most of it was shot in
>> Glasgow instead of Edinburgh and Leith.
Quite right. The city is one of the book's main characters. One scene
that stuck in my mind is Spud sitting around outside at the old dole
office by the Shore in Leith, which struck me as a very cinematic image
when I read it, but it didn't appear in the film. You would have
thought too that the producers could have made something of the pubs on
Leith Walk and the Royal Mile.
The Central Bar on Leith Walk, however, was the pub which was used in
the bar-room scenes of *Jude*.
>
>> As an aside Ewan MacGregor played the poshest Leith druggy ever following in
>> the tradition of Sean Connery who also plays every character as himself.
>
>Yes, he was quite a convincing public schoolboy wasn't he? Not very
>convincing as a working class Leither, though...
>In many ways, "Trainspotting" is a deeply cynical film, calculated to
>appeal to a certain group of young consumers. It carefully edits out a
>great deal of what was vital, truthful, and *political* in Irvine
>Welsh's novel, anything i fact that is not necessary for the film to be
>marketable to a wider audience. The fact that it still manages to be a
>reasonably good film on its own terms despite that, is a small glimmer
>of hope. Robert Carlyle's "Begbie" was inspirational.
>
In an interview in today's Guardian, Christopher Ecclestone (who co-
incidentally starred in Jude) says he was offered the part of Begbie,
but turned it down, telling Danny Boyle to come back when 'he could
offer me Renton - which he was never going to do'.
Ecclestone's view of the film is almost identical to yours. He says the
only really gripping thing about it was Robert Carlye's performance,
which I more or less agree with, though Ewan Bremner was spot-on as
Spud.
--
Michael Wade
Chris Byrne
> Quite right. The city is one of the book's main characters. One scene
> that stuck in my mind is Spud sitting around outside at the old dole
> office by the Shore in Leith, which struck me as a very cinematic image
> when I read it, but it didn't appear in the film. You would have
> thought too that the producers could have made something of the pubs on
> Leith Walk and the Royal Mile.
Perhaps the fact that none of the production team had ever lived
anywhere near Leith had something to do with that. I'm reminded of a
Cockney arguing with me in a bar in London "Glasgow, Edinburgh, so wot?
Is all bleedin' Scotland, innit?" This seems to me the mentality which
was uppermost in the minds of the producers when choosing locations.
> In an interview in today's Guardian, Christopher Ecclestone (who co-
> incidentally starred in Jude) says he was offered the part of Begbie,
> but turned it down, telling Danny Boyle to come back when 'he could
> offer me Renton - which he was never going to do'.
>
> Ecclestone's view of the film is almost identical to yours. He says the
> only really gripping thing about it was Robert Carlye's performance,
> which I more or less agree with, though Ewan Bremner was spot-on as
> Spud.
You are right there, he was very good in "Conquest of the South Pole"
too.
Richard Kaulfuss
>
> I saw an extraordinary film on Monday afternoon, when I awoke from a
> doze on the sofa. It was called something like *The Wedding Trail*, and
> followed the fortunes of a young islander who had to leave home to find
> a bride, because his family wouldn't let him marry his first cousin. He
> ran around the Highlands innocently seeking a bride, and all manner of
> misundertandings and accidents hampered him.
>
hoping nobody would mention that one.
--
Dick
Michael Wade
<dka...@boehme.demon.co.uk> writes
>>
> "The Bridal Path." (I think there was meant to be a pun in there.) I was
> hoping nobody would mention that one.
>
I presume Gordon Jackson was the only Scottish actor alive at the time,
as he seemed to be the only Scot in the film. In fact he is the only
Scottish actor ever to appear in these Elstree/Pinewood productions.
--
Michael Wade
Richard Kaulfuss
Quite possibly. During the war, he worked alongside my mother in the
Rolls-Royce factory at Hillington. Apparently he was frequently "excused"
to go off to London to make propaganda films, etc.
--
Dick
James C. Woodard
Richard Kaulfuss wrote in message <9809201...@boehme.demon.co.uk>...
her lunch bucket?
Jim(I'd sure like to ha one of those) Woodard
>
Richard Kaulfuss
>
> Yer Mom works for Rolls-Royce? D'ya spose she could smuggle me one out in
> her lunch bucket?
> Jim(I'd sure like to ha one of those) Woodard
> >
yours? :-)
Anyway, she hasn't worked there since 1945.
--
Dick
Cue music:
"I built it one piece at a time
And it didn't cost me a dime..."
ma...@ma.howf
<gwy...@gte.net> wrote:
>
>Richard Kaulfuss wrote in message <9809201...@boehme.demon.co.uk>...
>>Michael Wade (cel...@mwade.demon.co.uk) wrote:
>>> In article <9809182...@boehme.demon.co.uk>, Richard Kaulfuss
>>> <dka...@boehme.demon.co.uk> writes
>>> >>
>>> > "The Bridal Path." (I think there was meant to be a pun in there.) I
>was
>>> > hoping nobody would mention that one.
>>> >
>>> That's the one!
>>>
>>> I presume Gordon Jackson was the only Scottish actor alive at the time,
>>> as he seemed to be the only Scot in the film. In fact he is the only
>>> Scottish actor ever to appear in these Elstree/Pinewood productions.
>>>
>>
There Were a few more Scots in "The Bridal Path"
Namely Roddy MacMillan, Duncan McRae, Molly Weir and Annette Crosbie.
Plus a few more. Check out http://www.imdb.com
A
James C. Woodard
Richard Kaulfuss wrote in message <9809202...@boehme.demon.co.uk>...
>James C. Woodard (gwy...@gte.net) wrote:
>>
>> Yer Mom works for Rolls-Royce? D'ya spose she could smuggle me one out
in
>> her lunch bucket?
>> Jim(I'd sure like to ha one of those) Woodard
>> >
> Why? Have you got an engineless Spitfire parked on that airfield of
> yours? :-)
> Anyway, she hasn't worked there since 1945.
auto anyway. Did she work on the Merlins?
jim
James C. Woodard
whoever did write it responds
Jim
ma...@ma.howf wrote in message <36067614...@news.istar.ca>...
Roderick MacDonald
from ma...@ma.howf contains these words:
> >>> I presume Gordon Jackson was the only Scottish actor alive at the time,
> >>> as he seemed to be the only Scot in the film. In fact he is the only
> >>> Scottish actor ever to appear in these Elstree/Pinewood productions.
> There Were a few more Scots in "The Bridal Path"
> Namely Roddy MacMillan, Duncan McRae, Molly Weir and Annette Crosbie.
> Plus a few more. Check out http://www.imdb.com
> A
One of the "few more" was my late grand-uncle, Eric Woodburn, who
played Archie in the film.
Eric had a wide and varied film career, mainly small parts in most of
the "Scottish" films of the 50s and 60s, such as the Bridal Path,
Tunes of Glory, The Maggie, The Brave Don't Cry, The (Little)
Kidnappers, etc.
He was most famous (if that is the right word) as Dr Snoddy in the
original Dr Finlay's casebook and had a wee cameo as a doctor in the
Michael Caine version of "Kidnapped". In London, his stage career
included poetry recitals at the Windmill Theatre (with naked ladies
posing in the background).
Every now and again he crops up on a Saturday matinee - I most
recently spotted him as a German postmaster in "Riddle of the Sands."
He even played Corporal Jones's father in an early episode of Dad's
Army that was shown here a few weeks ago.
For an actor he was quite forgetfulwhen it came to remembering his
lines. On Dr Finlay's Casebook he would rely on notes pinned to his
sleeve or hidden on tables, and, watching some of the re-runs, it is
sometimes noticeable that Dr Snoddy is taking an unnecessary interest
in a fruitbowl or a teapot as he talks.
He died in the mid-80s, and the film world lost the best
Jewish-Highlander in the business.
Has anyone else got an "Uncle Eric" they would like to share with us?
Rod
Steve Howie
: Richard Kaulfuss wrote in message <9809202...@boehme.demon.co.uk>...
:>James C. Woodard (gwy...@gte.net) wrote:
:>>
:>> Yer Mom works for Rolls-Royce? D'ya spose she could smuggle me one out
: in
:>> her lunch bucket?
:>> Jim(I'd sure like to ha one of those) Woodard
:>> >
:> Why? Have you got an engineless Spitfire parked on that airfield of
:> yours? :-)
:> Anyway, she hasn't worked there since 1945.
: If she can lay hands on a real Merlin it's probably worth more than a new
: auto anyway. Did she work on the Merlins?
: jim
No kidding .. !! most of the Merlin engines ended up in open-class
powerboats.
Scotty
--
Steve Howie ro...@127.0.0.1
Netnews and Listserv Admin 519 824-4120 x2556
University of Guelph
"If it's not Scottish it's CRRRRAAAAAAAPPPPPP!"
ma...@ma.howf
<gwy...@gte.net> wrote:
>Malky, I didnn't write any of what you included with your post, I hope
>whoever did write it responds
>Jim
>
>>>>
>>There Were a few more Scots in "The Bridal Path"
>>Namely Roddy MacMillan, Duncan McRae, Molly Weir and Annette Crosbie.
>>Plus a few more. Check out http://www.imdb.com
>>A
>
Sorry about that Jim I must have snipped your part .
I'll try and be more careful in future.
A.
Richard Kaulfuss
>
> > Anyway, she hasn't worked there since 1945.
> If she can lay hands on a real Merlin it's probably worth more than a new
> auto anyway. Did she work on the Merlins?
Dunno. I think the final assembly was done somewhere else. Derby, maybe.
I can recall her talking about making sand moulds for castings, but she
spent most of the war in the personnel dept. I'll ask, if I remember.
One of her favourite stories concerns the time she was sent to the stores
with a message for the storeman. He was nowhere to be seen, but she did
notice a wooden box with "Files, Coarse Bastard" chalked on the side, so
she did what any lady would do, and rendered the affront illegible. On
her return half an hour later there was still no sign of the storeman,
but she noticed that the offending words had been reinstated, so she
repeated the exercise. Half an hour later, as she was erasing the words
for a third time, the storeman finally appeared and delivered a lecture
on the naming of hand tools.
--
Dick
Ian Johnston
Films About Scotland):
Venus Peter
Ian