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Thread: Beauty and the Beast movie

  1. #11
    Senior Member IshbelRobertson's Avatar
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    As opposed to an American accent?!

  2. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by IshbelRobertson View Post
    As opposed to an American accent?!
    Absolutely. Under accepted Hollywood convention, heroes should have American accents while villains may sound British, German or Russian, depending on the category of villain.

  3. #13
    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LDAHL View Post
    Absolutely. Under accepted Hollywood convention, heroes should have American accents while villains may sound British, German or Russian, depending on the category of villain.
    Exception: James Bond MUST have a British accent.

    Can you imagine Bond saying "Howdy, Ma'am! Name's Bond. Nice t'meet y'all."
    "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
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  4. #14
    Senior Member IshbelRobertson's Avatar
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    I thought Hollywood had ditched the German and Russian baddies in favour of only English baddies?

    And of course, it is a given, that ALL heroes are Americans!

  5. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by IshbelRobertson View Post
    I thought Hollywood had ditched the German and Russian baddies in favour of only English baddies?

    And of course, it is a given, that ALL heroes are Americans!
    German can still work, if played by British actors, such as Alan Richman in Die Hard or Olivier's Nazi dentist in Marathon Man. I will grant that there are fewer of them than there were some years ago, as more people become about as familiar with the Second World War as they are with the War of the Pragmatic Sanction.

    Russian is a popular accent for promiscuously violent gangster types, but not really for top-shelf villains.

    True villainy seems to require a sort of upper class received pronunciation speech. It may be because we expect a certain level of intelligence and arrogance in our villains. It may be because British actors are better trained and therefore more suitable for the more technically demanding villain roles. It may be that American movie stars shy away from roles that may make them viewed negatively in focus groups. It may be that Hollywood types simply feel inferior culturally, and take the opportunity for a bit of spiteful casting. But today, if you need to cast a psychotic Roman emperor, renegade billionaire or general galactic threat, British upper class seems like the accent of choice.

    As a corollary, films with no American characters, such as the Harry Potter series, pit posh-talking villains against working stiff good guys.

  6. #16
    Senior Member IshbelRobertson's Avatar
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    Where are the Scotsn Welsh, Norn Irish and Irish on this spectrum, I wonder?

  7. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by catherine View Post
    Exception: James Bond MUST have a British accent.

    Can you imagine Bond saying "Howdy, Ma'am! Name's Bond. Nice t'meet y'all."
    Depending on your age, James Bond just doesn't sound right unless tinged with a bit of Scottish accent.

  8. #18
    Senior Member catherine's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by IshbelRobertson View Post
    Where are the Scotsn Welsh, Norn Irish and Irish on this spectrum, I wonder?
    They're not villains..they're just rascals.
    "Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it--every, every minute?" Emily Webb, Our Town
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  9. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by catherine View Post
    No, the ending of that fairy tale would be Handsome escaping and making money off of a tell-all book of his years with a witch while the hag's palace gets condemned and she becomes homeless. Nothing good comes from stories about unattractive women.
    Dorothy: Oh, but I've already told you, I'm not a witch at all! Witches are old and ugly. [The Munchkins giggle from concealment] What was that?
    Glinda: The Munchkins. They're laughing because I am a witch. I'm Glinda, the Witch of the North.
    Dorothy: You are?! Oh, I beg your pardon! But I've never heard of a beautiful witch before.
    Glinda: Only bad witches are ugly.

  10. #20
    Senior Member bae's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by catherine View Post
    Exception: James Bond MUST have a British accent.

    Can you imagine Bond saying "Howdy, Ma'am! Name's Bond. Nice t'meet y'all."
    Yes. I present to you: Jimmy Bond


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