Nick mentions Robin Hood; if you've read any of Bernard Knight's "Crowner John" novels, you will have seen that it was very much "England" then. Welsh people were considered foreign. Much as I love the film Camelot, there's a scene in it in which an old peasant gives Arthur a basket of keys because "England" is now so safe they have no need of them. England didn't exist at the time of Arthur but who, having seen that film, would know that?
Agree with many things Gaabi says on this thread. Including Battlefield Earth - so bad it's watchable.....just!
The comments about Cruise are spot on. It's the reason I post the video and the reason I'm here at Americymru and started my blog Wales in the Movies. Gaabi if you visit the blog and read the frist 2 or 3 archive articles you'll see I write about a lot of the same thing you describe; Wales invisibility to the world at large. When I wrote a university lecture I mentioned Tom Cruise's 'Scotland' comment and my tutor told me to take it out. I said "NO WAY" this perfectly illustrates my point. Cruise has Welsh ancestry, is a well-read guy. Yet cannot recognise maybe the most Welsh film of all time as being Welsh. And I couldn't put it any better than Gaabi "he hears the accent, knows it's not ENglish" but still the blindspot for Wales is there.
I also think Gaynor's comments about Scientology hint at something too - the power and privilege if films to inform and educate. I know NOTHING of scientology - all I know I know from Hollywood connections and that film Battlefield Earth. I was lead to believe that the story does have "Scientology" at its core, but then Gaabi advises us differently. So, the passive viewer goes away thinking he or she knows something when in fact they don't.
Go back and watch all those Bond movies where the script has him fighting "For England" - he's fighting for the UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN & NORTHERN IRELAND. Go and watch all those Robin Hood movies in which Wales is never mentioned. Go and watch Braveheart which has brave Scots and funny Irish characters. Our culture is never represented as such.
People mainly think the UK and England mean the same thing - not that they think about it much. When pushed, those people have always heard of Scotland or Ireland. Despite often being confused about their status. People often just haven't heard of Wales.
Gaynor, only after MUCH hard drinking, or perhaps hallucinogens. But I am actually thinking about doing this now, it'd be great if someone like Cruise did acknowledge good things from Wales, wouldn't it?
We should charge the little sod for it though, he's got enough dosh. Thanks for the info about the film, Gaabi. I think I might leave it until I'm absolutely desperate for entertainment!
But, to me, the bottom line on this Cruise quote we're all commenting is the reason that I wanted to start AmeriCymru, which is that here's a guy who's himself of Welsh heritage and he doesn't seem to know diddly about it, it's invisible and he can't recognize it himself, he hears Welsh accents and he knows they're not English but he doesn't know what they are and guesses Scottish. That's so sad to me, that's not his fault, how do we change that? I feel like making and sending him a Welsh heritage care package! What should go in it, guys?
Haha! That's a very, VERY bad movie, "Battlefield Earth," I loved it. It's has nothing to do with Scientology at all, it's a super horrible adaptation of a science fiction novel by L. Ron Hubbard, who was the founder of the Scientology religion but was also a fiction author.
John Travolta and Forrest Whitaker (who I think are always great together) play aliens who invaded earth and I sort of remember that the guy who directed it had only done music videos before that and he did a TERRIBLE job although it's so bad it's good, if you know what I mean. The aliens are all wearing super high platform shoes, the female aliens had really long tongues, Whitaker and Travolta madly hammed it up and they were all just really funny. The book was pulp sci-fi, not that bad but not my thing as I don't like pulp, but the movie is unintentionally hysterical.
Thanks for clearing that up, Gaabi. I admit "based on aliens etc." wasn't a good use of language. I didn't see that film starring J Travolta which I believe had something to do with Scientology and involved Travolta having a rather strange costume and stuff hanging out of his nostrils but perhaps I should have watched it. Maybe you could correct me if I'm wrong about the film (and then I won't need to watch it!). Goodnight and may your god go with you.
Gaynor, I'm a Scientologist and it's not "based on" aliens from another planet. The basic belief of Scientology is that Man is a spiritual being, that Man is basically good, that you are your "soul" inhabiting a physical body and that the study of Man as a spiritual being will lead to greater personal understanding and understanding of others, of the world and of God (although what "god" is is left up to each individual to come to their own understanding).
Sorry I don't know Tom Cruise and can't call him to bitch-slap him and school his butt! ;D
Nick mentions Robin Hood; if you've read any of Bernard Knight's "Crowner John" novels, you will have seen that it was very much "England" then. Welsh people were considered foreign. Much as I love the film Camelot, there's a scene in it in which an old peasant gives Arthur a basket of keys because "England" is now so safe they have no need of them. England didn't exist at the time of Arthur but who, having seen that film, would know that?
Agree with many things Gaabi says on this thread. Including Battlefield Earth - so bad it's watchable.....just!
The comments about Cruise are spot on. It's the reason I post the video and the reason I'm here at Americymru and started my blog Wales in the Movies. Gaabi if you visit the blog and read the frist 2 or 3 archive articles you'll see I write about a lot of the same thing you describe; Wales invisibility to the world at large. When I wrote a university lecture I mentioned Tom Cruise's 'Scotland' comment and my tutor told me to take it out. I said "NO WAY" this perfectly illustrates my point. Cruise has Welsh ancestry, is a well-read guy. Yet cannot recognise maybe the most Welsh film of all time as being Welsh. And I couldn't put it any better than Gaabi "he hears the accent, knows it's not ENglish" but still the blindspot for Wales is there.
I also think Gaynor's comments about Scientology hint at something too - the power and privilege if films to inform and educate. I know NOTHING of scientology - all I know I know from Hollywood connections and that film Battlefield Earth. I was lead to believe that the story does have "Scientology" at its core, but then Gaabi advises us differently. So, the passive viewer goes away thinking he or she knows something when in fact they don't.
Go back and watch all those Bond movies where the script has him fighting "For England" - he's fighting for the UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN & NORTHERN IRELAND. Go and watch all those Robin Hood movies in which Wales is never mentioned. Go and watch Braveheart which has brave Scots and funny Irish characters. Our culture is never represented as such.
People mainly think the UK and England mean the same thing - not that they think about it much. When pushed, those people have always heard of Scotland or Ireland. Despite often being confused about their status. People often just haven't heard of Wales.
If that should happen as a result of your insightful comment, Swansea, of course you'd get a finder's fee. ;p
Gaynor, only after MUCH hard drinking, or perhaps hallucinogens. But I am actually thinking about doing this now, it'd be great if someone like Cruise did acknowledge good things from Wales, wouldn't it?
We should charge the little sod for it though, he's got enough dosh. Thanks for the info about the film, Gaabi. I think I might leave it until I'm absolutely desperate for entertainment!
Hear hear Gaabi
But, to me, the bottom line on this Cruise quote we're all commenting is the reason that I wanted to start AmeriCymru, which is that here's a guy who's himself of Welsh heritage and he doesn't seem to know diddly about it, it's invisible and he can't recognize it himself, he hears Welsh accents and he knows they're not English but he doesn't know what they are and guesses Scottish. That's so sad to me, that's not his fault, how do we change that? I feel like making and sending him a Welsh heritage care package! What should go in it, guys?
Haha! That's a very, VERY bad movie, "Battlefield Earth," I loved it. It's has nothing to do with Scientology at all, it's a super horrible adaptation of a science fiction novel by L. Ron Hubbard, who was the founder of the Scientology religion but was also a fiction author.
John Travolta and Forrest Whitaker (who I think are always great together) play aliens who invaded earth and I sort of remember that the guy who directed it had only done music videos before that and he did a TERRIBLE job although it's so bad it's good, if you know what I mean. The aliens are all wearing super high platform shoes, the female aliens had really long tongues, Whitaker and Travolta madly hammed it up and they were all just really funny. The book was pulp sci-fi, not that bad but not my thing as I don't like pulp, but the movie is unintentionally hysterical.
Thanks for clearing that up, Gaabi. I admit "based on aliens etc." wasn't a good use of language. I didn't see that film starring J Travolta which I believe had something to do with Scientology and involved Travolta having a rather strange costume and stuff hanging out of his nostrils but perhaps I should have watched it. Maybe you could correct me if I'm wrong about the film (and then I won't need to watch it!). Goodnight and may your god go with you.
Gaynor, I'm a Scientologist and it's not "based on" aliens from another planet. The basic belief of Scientology is that Man is a spiritual being, that Man is basically good, that you are your "soul" inhabiting a physical body and that the study of Man as a spiritual being will lead to greater personal understanding and understanding of others, of the world and of God (although what "god" is is left up to each individual to come to their own understanding).
Sorry I don't know Tom Cruise and can't call him to bitch-slap him and school his butt! ;D