MOVIES FOR SCOTS (AND THOSE WHO WISH THEY WERE)

The following is an article I have submitted for publication in the next issue of AN CANACH, the quarterly newsletter of Clan Henderson.

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MOVIES FOR SCOTS
(AND THOSE WHO WISH THEY WERE)

By: John Robert Mallernee, Clan Bard

To save money, I've cancelled my cable television and begun watching movies and television shows exclusively on the Internet.

Many web sites offer free viewing of these shows, although commercial advertisements are usually included.

One of the better known of these is the HULU web site.

Their URL is:
http://www.hulu.com/

Other web sites offer commercial free full length movies, but you have to purchase a subscription to their service.

Probably the best known of these movie web sites is NET FLIX, which I subscribe to, and I thoroughly love it!

Their web site URL is:
http://www.netflix.com/

Many of their movies are available only on DVD, which they mail directly to you, along with a return envelope.

However, many other NET FLIX movies can be viewed at their web site.

Thus, you get the best of both worlds, and it's a whole lot cheaper and a whole lot less frustrating than fooling around with cable television!

Unfortunately, nowadays all businesses are forced by our government to be "politically correct", so some movies such as, SONG OF THE SOUTH, will be listed, but not available.

But, SONG OF THE SOUTH, can still be seen, commercial free and at no charge, at a privately owned web site, but the picture quality is poor.

The URL for that web site is:
http://bobbystales.com/

Ironically though, in spite of "political correctness", the NET FLIX web site DOES include the 1915 silent movie, THE BIRTH OF A NATION.

But, this article is being written for Scottish folks about Scottish movies.

So, let's get down to business, shall we?

TO END ALL WARS is one of the best war movies I've ever seen.

It's about a Scottish regiment captured by the Japanese during the Second World War, and forced into slave labor on the Burma railroad.

Does that sound familiar, kind of like THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI?

Well, THIS movie has a special treat for all you loyal Scots.

As they're rolling the credits at the end of the movie, you see the actual Scottish survivors marching on parade!

Nifty, huh?

ALL MINE TO GIVE is a tear jerker Christmas movie about a pioneering Scottish couple who immigrate to America and raise a family on the frontier.

Unfortunately, you can no longer find this movie anywhere.

If you do stumble across it, do whatever you have to to grab it and preserve it for posterity.

THE HASTY HEART, starring Ronald Reagan, is a movie about wounded soldiers in the South Pacific at the end of the Second World War waiting to be returned home.

I ain't going to tell you anything else about it.

TUNES OF GLORY is a genuine Scottish movie about a Scottish military regiment at their home base in Scotland following the Second World War, and it has lots of bagpiping.

Also, for us finicky purists, by closely observing how Scottish military officers don their uniforms, we can learn how we should properly wear our own Highland regalia.

KIDNAPPED, a ficticious novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, is actually based on true historical events.

Yes, although we never hear about it, even for many years after England outlawed the practice, Scottish orphans still were kidnapped off of the streets and sold into slavery on the Carolina plantations, where many slaveowners were Black.

One of these incidents is recorded in my own family's history, THE TRUEBLOOD FAMILY IN AMERICA 1682 - 1963, which unfortunately, is no longer available in print.

BRAVEHEART is a movie I need say nothing about, since it is the undoubtedly the best known of all movies about Scotland.

The only problem with the Hollywood production is, while it's a great show, hardly any of it is true.

I guess the producers, one of whom is a direct descendent of William Wallace, must have thought the truth wouldn't be as interesting as a whole bunch of exaggerations fueled by creative license.

ROB ROY is another contemporary Scottish movie that I probably don't need to comment on, since we've all enjoyed watching it.

The theme song on the movie's soundtrack is sung in Gaelic by Karen Matheson, the lead singer for the Scottish band, Capercaillie.

MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS is a movie I may have seen, but I can't remember.

It debuted in 1971, when I was in Viet Nam, so I just can't remember anything about it, except I think my mother liked it.

MY LIFE SO FAR is a true story of a boy growing up in Scotland prior to the Second World War.

I ain't going to tell you anything about it, except that it is a true biography of a real person, who currently(?) is an executive with the British Broadcasting Corporation.

SEACHD, THE INACCESSIBLE PINNACLE is a (the first?) Gaelic language feature movie about a boy in Scotland seeking to discover his heritage from his grandfather, and to attempt a solo conquest of a very dangerous mountain.

I think this movie, which is not available on DVD, can only be seen at theatres in Scotland.

There, you have a list of Scottish movies that I know about.

Do you know of some other Scottish movies?

I'm sure there must be a bunch of them.

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