All Nite Drive-In

[macwilkin]

Bruce won the war, that's the main thing. I haven't made a close study of the period but at the time of the film it struck me that the Gibbon I mean Gibson was taking a lot of Bruce's traditional achievements and giving them to Wallace- and rightly or wrongly it didn't strike me that Braveheart was very well researched in its revisionist fervour. No matter, both men were heroes.

And no matter what his faults, I don't think Bruce should be judged too harshly for shifting positions and so on- look for instance at what happened to Wallace. Hard to achieve much after you've been disembowled just once.

That's easy to say when you're not a Comyn.

Seriously though, read Alan Young's book. Young really does an excellent job in setting the record straight about how the Comyns were not the blackhearted villians that the Bruce propaganda machine (and he discusses that as well) would have us believe. If anything, the Bruce and John Comyn were very similiar -- both had fought the English and cooperated with them when need be.

For example, few people today are aware of the Comyn's defeat of the English at the Battle of Roslin in 1303:

http://www.laird.org.uk/Scots/The_Battle_of_Roslin.htm

It's a pity they couldn't have worked together. I won't take anything away from Bruce in terms of his military achievements, but I won't necessarily paint him as a Scottish super-patriot either. He knew when to cozy up to the English when it was to his advantage.

Of course, being a Comyn descendant, I am just a wee bit biased.

T.

[Lallans]

That's easy to say when you're not a Comyn.

Seriously though, read Alan Young's book. Young really does an excellent job in setting the record straight about how the Comyns were not the blackhearted villians that the Bruce propaganda machine (and he discusses that as well) would have us believe. If anything, the Bruce and John Comyn were very similiar -- both had fought the English and cooperated with them when need be.

For example, few people today are aware of the Comyn's defeat of the English at the Battle of Roslin in 1303:

http://www.laird.org.uk/Scots/The_Battle_of_Roslin.htm

It's a pity they couldn't have worked together. I won't take anything away from Bruce in terms of his military achievements, but I won't necessarily paint him as a Scottish super-patriot.

Of course, being a Comyn descendant, I am just a wee bit biased.

T.

As Homer once said to his daughter: "But Lisa, everything's bad if you remember it!" Anyway, OK, Bruce was no saint but he had to work in the time and place he found himself in, and he WAS the man who succeeded for Scotland. Gibson had him looking totally black after his movie character emerged from the black-and-white script factory that generated that film.

[macwilkin]

As Homer once said to his daughter: "But Lisa, everything's bad if you remember it!" Anyway, OK, Bruce was no saint but he had to work in the time and place he found himself in, and he WAS the man who succeeded for Scotland. Gibson had him looking totally black after his movie character emerged from the black-and-white script factory that generated that film.

Again, read Young's books -- In the Footsteps of William Wallace is the other title -- you'll find that the portrayal in the movie wasn't that far from the truth. Don't get me wrong, from a military historian's viewpoint, the Bruce was a talented commander who inspired his armies to victory -- but as a Comyn/Cumming, I can see his dark side as well.

The "John Ford School of History" comes into play again. :mrgreen:

T.

[Lallans]

I will certainly keep said book in mind. Currently I have acquired and am planning to read a matched set of Prebbles' two books on Glencoe and Culloden so perhaps those will bring me to it.

[macwilkin]

I will certainly keep said book in mind. Currently I have acquired and am planning to read a matched set of Prebbles' two books on Glencoe and Culloden so perhaps those will bring me to it.

Guid on ya!

Getting back on-topic now... apologies for the brief detour!

So I married an Axe-Murderer
I know where I'm Going
Tunes of Glory

T.

[Ryan Ross]

So I married an Axe-Murderer
I know where I'm Going
Tunes of Glory

T.

Thanks! I was waiting for that one.

As all the movies I'd include have already been mentioned, I'll just go with the other parts of the question.

Guinness. Four cans would be more than enough for two, if the two are part of my general crowd. Not big drinkers.

As for breakfast, I'd opt for the Waffle House, instead. There, I would have the All Star, with hash browns, scrambled eggs, bacon, and rasin toast.

[Colin MacBean]

Whose brave enough to say Braveheart?