Archives for June 2012

GLOSSARY 

A story set in Scotland would be jiggery pokery without its share of Scottish words and phrases. And crivens, “Brave” has plenty! But it would all be for naught unless accompanied by a proper glossary, so here goes…

AUTOCHTHONOUS- Indigenous, native

v  Taught to filmmakers by Emma Thompson (voice of Queen Elinor), who used it to describe “Brave’s” Castle Dunbroch because it appears to have grown right out of the earth.

BLUE WODE- A blue dye extracted from a cabbage-type plant used by inhabitants of ancient Scotland to paint their bodies

v  Lord MacGuffin and Young MacGuffin paint their bodies in blue wode to proclaim that they are ready for battle at any moment.

 BRAE- Hill

 BUNCH OF GALOOTS- Many fools

• galoot = clumsy, oafish person

 CARNYX- A Celtic trumpet with a bell shaped like a boar’s head. Held vertically so it can be heard in large crowds, a carnyx was used during wartime to send troops into battle.

v  In “Brave,” it signals the start of the Highland Games.

CRIVENS, YOU’RE FIERCE– Wow! You’re cool or ferocious or tough!

• crivens = expression of surprise or shock

DANCING TATTY BOGLE– An expression that describes something outlandish or imaginary

• tatty = shabby, cheap
• bogle, boggle or bogill = ghost or folkloric being

DORIC– A dialect from the Aberdeenshire region in Scotland

v  Elgin native Kevin McKidd (voice of MacGuffin and Young MacGuffin), who learned Doric from his grandfather, proposed to filmmakers for Young MacGuffin to speak the incomprehensible dialect in “Brave.”

DREADFUL COLLYWOBBLES– Unwanted stomachache or a bad case of the nerves

• collywobbles = upset stomach; intestinal disturbances or a feeling of apprehension

FOR NAUGHT– For no reason

FINISH WHAT HE GUDDLED IN THE FIRST PLACE– Fix, clean up or otherwise remedy something that’s been horribly mishandled.

• guddle = make a mess of it

GAMY SPELL– An unfortunate bit of magic

• gamy = bad

GLEN– Small, narrow, secluded valley

GOOGLY OLD HAG– Outlandish, unattractive senior

• googly = strange, odd

GIANT HAVING A JIGGER IN THE BLUEBELLS– Similar to Dancing Tatty Bogle, something that’s absurd or fantastical

HAGGIS– Though some will joke that a haggis is a small animal native to Scotland, it is actually a traditional Scottish pudding made with sheep’s heart, liver and lungs, encased in a sheep’s stomach and cooked for several hours. Often served with “neeps and tatties” (turnips and potatoes).

HIGHLAND GAMES– Festivals that celebrate Scottish and Celtic culture and heritage, especially that of the Scottish Highlands. Includes competitions in piping and drumming, dancing, archery, caber tossing, stone put and other Scottish athletics, plus entertainment and exhibits.

JIGGERY POKERY– Nonsense

JINGS CRIVENS HELP MA BOAB– Oh my!

Exclamation of bewilderment or exasperation

KILT– A pleated and draped tartan fabric garment worn by Scottish men

v  During the production of “Brave” director Mark Andrews and several animators wore kilts to work on Fridays—dubbed Kilt Fridays—to get in the spirit of Scotland and the film’s characters.

LASS– Girl

LAD– Boy

LOCH-Lake

MANKY DOGS– Unsavory person or being

• manky = dirty, worthless or in bad taste

MICHTY ME– Wow! Holy cow!

An exclamation of surprise, shock or being overwhelmed

NUMPTY– Useless individual

NUT ‘EM– Head-butt ‘em

SCAFFY WITCH– A tricky or slick being with magical powers

• scaffy = trickster

SCARED SIMPERIN’ JACKANAPES– Belittling description of a goofy and unworthy opponent

 

• simpering = silly smile
• jackanape =  an insulting reference to a monkey or ape; a braggart; a mischievous child

SCUTTLE THE VIKING LONGSHIPS– Sink Viking ships by making holes in the bottom

STUFF HER GOB– Eat with abandon

• gob = mouth

TARTAN– A specially designed woven fabric that identifies a clan. April 6^th is National Tartan Day in the United States.

TOSSING CABERS– A test of strength and skill seen in Highland Games in which the competitor raises a pole vertically with the small end down, and then throws it

• Caber = a long, tapered section of a tree trunk

TUMSHIE– Turnip… or foolish person. Or both.

WEE– Small

WE’LL BILE YUR HEED WAE DUMPLIN’ BREED; TAE MAKE AN URSINE STEW

• bile yer heed (boil your head) = don’t be ridiculous. Also used as an exclamation if someone is doing something stupid and it’s annoying

v  In “Brave” King Fergus sings what he’ll do to the demon bear Mor’du when he catches him to avenge his lost leg. Not only will he boil his head, but he’ll add dumplings to make a bear stew.

WILL O’ THE WISPS– Ghostly lights or small blue spirits that lead the way to treasure or doom.

v  In “Brave,” the will o’ the wisps lead Merida to change her fate.

ABOUT THE MOVIE:

Set in the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland, Disney•Pixar’s “Brave” follows the heroic journey of Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald), a skilled archer and headstrong daughter of King Fergus (voice of Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson). Determined to change her fate, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the unruly and uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (voice of Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (voice of Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (voice of Robbie Coltrane), unleashing chaos in the kingdom. When she turns to an eccentric Witch (voice of Julie Walters), she is granted an ill-fated wish and the ensuing peril forces Merida to harness all of her resources—including her mischievous triplet brothers—to undo a beastly curse and discover the meaning of true bravery. Directed by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman, and produced by Katherine Sarafian, “Brave” is a grand adventure full of heart, memorable characters and signature Pixar h or. Opens on June 22, 2012, in Disney Digital 3D™ in select theaters.

 

BURBANK, Calif. (June 4, 2012) – Following in the footsteps of the record-breaking Marvel Studios’ release “Marvel’s The Avengers,” production on the highly anticipated film “Iron Man 3,” directed by Shane Black, has commenced production in Wilmington, North Carolina. The production schedule will also include locations in Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina, Miami, Florida and China.

Based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series, first published in 1963, “Iron Man 3” returns Robert Downey Jr. (“Iron Man,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”) as the iconic Super Hero character Tony Stark/Iron Man along with Gwyneth Paltrow (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2,”) as Pepper Potts, Don Cheadle (“Iron Man 2”) as James “Rhodey” Rhodes and Jon Favreau (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2”) as Happy Hogan. Set for release in the U.S. on May 3, 2013, Marvel’s “Iron Man 3” marks the second feature to be fully owned, marketed and distributed by Disney, which acquired Marvel in 2009.

“Iron Man 3” continues the epic, big-screen adventures of the world’s favorite billionaire inventor/Super Hero, Tony Stark aka “Iron Man.”  Marvel Studios’ President Kevin Feige is producing the film.  Executive producers on the project include Jon Favreau, Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Stan Lee, Charles Newirth, Victoria Alonso, Stephen Broussard and Dan Mintz.

The creative production team on the film includes two-time Oscar®-winning director of photography John Toll, ASC (“Braveheart,” “Legends of the Fall”), production designer Bill Brzeski (“The Hangover,” “Due Date”), editors Jeffrey Ford, A.C.E. (“Marvel’s The Avengers,” “Captain America: The First Avenger”) and Peter S. Elliot (“Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer”), and costume designer Louise Frogley (“Quantum of Solace,” “Contagion”).

Marvel Studios most recently produced the critically acclaimed “Marvel’s The Avengers,” which set the all-time, domestic 3-day weekend box office record at $207.4 million. The film, which is currently in release, continues to shatter box office records and is The Walt Disney Studios’ highest-grossing global and domestic release of all time and marks the studios’ fifth film to gross more than $1 billion worldwide.

In the summer of 2011, Marvel successfully launched two new franchises with “Thor,” starring Chris Hemsworth, and “Captain America: The First Avenger,” starring Chris Evans. Both films opened #1 at the box office and have grossed over $800 million worldwide combined. In 2010 “Iron Man 2,” starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson and Mickey Rourke, took the #1 spot in its first weekend with a domestic box office gross of $128.1 million.

In the summer of 2008, Marvel produced the summer blockbuster movies “Iron Man” and “The Incredible Hulk.”  “Iron Man,” in which Robert Downey Jr. originally dons the Super Hero’s powerful armor and stars alongside co-stars Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow, was released May 2, 2008, and was an immediate box office success.  Garnering the number one position for two weeks in a row, the film brought in over $100 million in its opening weekend.  On June 13, 2008, Marvel released “The Incredible Hulk,” marking its second number one opener of that summer.