Posted: January 09, 1999 at 17:28:55: by Lord Arkanor
: : : I'm American and I have never heard anybody(especially actors) talk like that, and I live in florida which is as far south as you can get. Just English accents WILL alienate an American audience because it sounds stupid to most of us, just like we do to you, It may depend on who will be the larger audience or more likely it will be New Zealand accents.
: : : (Cyberlock): : Why should English accents alienate an American audience? Did the Scottish accents in 'Braveheart' alienate them (OK Mel Gibson's accent probably alienated half of Scotland but that's another story). : : Why does an English accent sound stupid? I'm English but I don't feel alienated when I go the cinema and see American movies with every actor speaking with an American accent. Furthermore I have *never* heard *anyone* here express any views of that kind. : : Are you seriously suggesting that the majority of Americans will not enjoy a film if they cannot hear an American accent in it? And you think the ENGLISH are stupid? : : I definitely did not mean that the English are stupid, I said that the accents that I have heard in the films I have seen sounded stupid to me, THE ACCENTS, I am not an Anglophobic or anything. I just did'nt believe that people believed any director would make Aragorn or any other chracter talk in that ridiculous southern accent. Another thing though is that the majority of the American audience will not be Tolkien fans and might think that it is another crappy English movie(this is not my opinion but it's what alot of people think if it does'nt have distinctive American actors in it)and most foreign movies do not do well in the poles for just that reason. So if any accent is used it will not be a very strong one, I for one would have no problem with a New Zealand accent.
: (Cyberlock) : : BTW I don't think an American accent sounds stupid, just different. If you equate being foreign or different with stupidity then you need to get out more. : : The majority of views that I have seen expressed on the matter on the various forums, talkbacks etc. have said that they think the accents in the movie should sound British. I think you are in the minority here, Cyberlock. As Peter Jackson himself said, an American account would sound out of place - try watching Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. : : PS. I thought Michael's posting was excellent - I knew that Aragorn was a Ranger; I never realised he was a Texas Ranger :) : : His point was not that people in the 'Deep south' talk like that, merely that Hollywood seems to think that they do. If you were English (or Scottish or Irish or Welsh... etc) and had to listen to the laughable attempts of American actors to 'do' a British accent (of any flavour) then maybe you would have a different viewpoint.
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