Set during the American civil war, this is simply a short story of a Yankee being hunted for the killing of a southern general. The film opens as the chase is on. As the lone Yankee manages to hide the film goes into backlash of the event shown in slow motion. This section of the film has only a tense music soundtrack as we see the Yankee soldier taking aim and the sound of the gun fire, as the assassin ups and runs the film springs back to real time as the sound of the pursuing confederates footsteps get closer.
As distance is achieved by the assassin, he is knocked down by another of his own who thinks he’s a deserter he asks, asking what the hell is going on, he is told, “let’s get out of here, I’ll tell you later”. As they manage to get ahead, they both hide from their pursuers and as the confederates get closer, two are shot dead and the third knocked unconscious. The two rouge Yankees walk off together as the screen fades out.
Fading back in we see the unconscious Confederate slowly getting himself together as he continues to follow the two soldiers. We find these men at the river’s edge freshening up and resting u the confederate, now out of ammo has to take the two on as best he can. A fight ensues, with one of the Yankees well and truly injured he tries to make a run for it, meanwhile, the pursuer has the other rouge soldiers head in the water and with a heavy stone takes him out with several blows to the head. The Yankee is running toward his enemy’s lines, the confederate, running close behind pulls a a sabre from a dead body, as he catches up, he pins his enemy against a tree by his neck and plunges the sabre through his gut and steps back leaving the weapon in his enemy as he drops slowly to floor. We see the lone confederate walking toward his own lines to re-join his men as the music plays out to titles.
Not a normal film review because this is a film my Brother and I made with some mates many years ago. It all looks very silly now but we had two great days of fun making this. A couple of the uniforms were made by a tailor as my brother was, and still is a huge fanatic of the American civil war, the guns were replicas of the real thing and the muskets were licensed black powder rifles. The blood and guts shown during a very short section near the end, and only on screen for a very short period in the background on the bodies, were cow guts from the butchers, to the restaurant that Brother worked in, we wanted it to be as raw a film we could do. Hardly more than a few sentences are spoken, and that water was freezing cold. When the guy accidentally took a mouthful during the short fight scene, it gave it a little bit more realism, (as well as belly laugh from the cameraman, me).
A subject, I think most will agree, that few, if any, young amateur super 8 film makers would take on. I think I was 19 at the time, 41 years ago, I’d love to do it again. Filmed on location on Dartmoor.
While our few home movies were never technically good, (in fact, often very poor), we only used one Elmo direct sound cine camera and tape recorders to add additional sound and music after, we always had a blast making them. This film is 380ft in length so you can guess how much it cost to make. Plus around 150ft of outtakes.

Tom,

It must have been a blast to make this years back! And the color is still outstanding...great work by you, your brother and your mates.

What a great film to look back on Tom, as you say must have been a laugh doing it , I never made anything like this but the joy and memories my home movies give me is immense, just loading a film and shooting film is something of a marvel especially nowadays, when's the bluray release!!! Ha Ha, Mark

How fun to have this film now many years later! Before I read the text but saw the screenshots I thought: This copy really had great colors (which often suggests a newer release) but I had never heard about it before. Something to bring to the film show at Blackpool? :-)

Eivind,

I also thought it was an actual title from Derann or someone! Even the summary of the story made me think, oh this sounds a good one to get.
Tom, please offer this to Steve Osborne as a possible future film release.

Good idea Eivind,
I did do this to see if it slip by as an actual release. What a nice thought,

Thanks for the kind comments to to all,
Mark, it was a ball of fun making this and a few others, generally, our films were nothing more than the usual records of us all growing up, beeches, the moors etc. Sometimes we went out the back lane when i came home from school and just clowned around, even doing stupid stuff with or to passers by. Mum was not amused!!

Greg, thanks to Kodaks Kodachrome, the colours should last forever and a day. Our very first standard 8 test home movie was me and my two Brothers kicking a football around in the local park. Mum the camera operator and i was 8 years old, the colour on that film,(as well as our other home movies) is as good today as it was then.