Dialects/Accents in the Movies

Rathdown · Aug 25, 2011

Saint-Just said:
Undoubtedly. He does wear well film-specific props.

ZARDOZ, filmed in Ireland, with my home (Holybrooke Hall) used as one of the principle locations...
I own those boots, if any one is interested... (they are for sale). What's really cool is the pistol, a self-cocking Webley-Fosbery revolver in .455 caliber. These highly sought after collector's pieces now bring about $5,000... or about 10x more than I'm asking for the boots.

davidraphael · Aug 25, 2011

LizzieMaine said:
I'm a big fan of the idea that Ancient Romans always spoke with posh British accents. What ho, Brutus?

Ah yes, the Hollywood propensity to use British accents for the bad guys. The Brits make good Nazis too!

Cricket · Aug 25, 2011

Reading through these posts, I agree with many who say the Southern accent is overdone in a lot of movies. That is one of my pet peeves, being from Mississippi. Sometimes a bad, and I mean really bad Southern accent, will turn me off through the entire movie.

And off topic of accent, I also hate how many movie based in the South always seem to have characters who have out of control sweating. I agree that it is extremely hot down here, and I may can tolerate better than some. But if it gets too hot, I'm turning on the air conditioner.

Edward · Aug 25, 2011

VitaminG said:
only it wasn't Chris O'Dowd delivering that line - it was a Londoner patronising him when he found out he was Irish

AH! I'd forgotten that one... yes. lol It's a superb ensemble piece, that show. I've known so many Roy and Moss type in my time..... Matt Berry as the mad boss in wonderful. And I have quite the thing for Jen....

C-dot said:
Yes, to which he answers "Mad for crack!"

Heh, yes..... well, we're all mad for the craic over there.

LizzieMaine said:
I'm a big fan of the idea that Ancient Romans always spoke with posh British accents. What ho, Brutus?

[video=youtube;y-l4uoistRg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-l4uoistRg&feature=related[/video]

Rathdown said:
ZARDOZ, filmed in Ireland, with my home (Holybrooke Hall) used as one of the principle locations...
I own those boots, if any one is interested... (they are for sale). What's really cool is the pistol, a self-cocking Webley-Fosbery revolver in .455 caliber. These highly sought after collector's pieces now bring about $5,000... or about 10x more than I'm asking for the boots.

You have Seany's actual boots? Wow. Always thought that would be a fantastic costume for a convention, but would never actually have the nerve myself.... Thoroughly entertaining film: wonderfully awful.

Cricket said:
Reading through these posts, I agree with many who say the Southern accent is overdone in a lot of movies. That is one of my pet peeves, being from Mississippi. Sometimes a bad, and I mean really bad Southern accent, will turn me off through the entire movie.

How are the accents in True Blood for Louisiana area?

And off topic of accent, I also hate how many movie based in the South always seem to have characters who have out of control sweating. I agree that it is extremely hot down here, and I may can tolerate better than some. But if it gets too hot, I'm turning on the air conditioner.

That'll be all them Yankee actors, can't take the heat....

Puzzicato · Aug 25, 2011

Miss Golightly said:
I find most non-Irish actors have a hard time putting across a decent Irish accent - a lot of the time it strays into Oirish territory or at worst Darby O'Gill. I have read that the Irish accent is one of the hardest to do - I'm trying to think of someone that has done it successfully and am having some difficulty.

I've never heard anyone do a good Australian accent on screen either.

davidraphael said:
And you should hear what German dubbing does to voices. Despicable. Criminal.

I watched The Lord of the Rings in German in a hotel in Switzerland and became absolutely intrigued by the dubbing - if I closed my eyes I couldn't distinguish between the characters. I think they only had 3 voice artists doing the whole cast.

conrad5157 · Aug 25, 2011

Sometimes I think the Brits do a better southern accent than we do.

But probably the 2 worst accents of any kind I've ever heard:

Kevin Costner in JFK

Kevin Costner in 13 Days

Is there one I missed?

Cricket · Aug 25, 2011

Edward,
Sadly, I have never seen True Blood...yet. I will most certainly check it out now to see if they ring true. In fact, that gives me something to do after deadline.

Which I ask myself, why am I on here now...on deadline. Haha.

Dubya · Aug 25, 2011

Russell Crowe in Robin Hood.

He mananged to cover most parts of the British Isles with his accent. I think it started off somewhere in the North of England, drifted slightly over the border into Scotland, and ended up somewhere in the Emerald Isles!

....................Oh, whilst having a very short holiday in Australia

Edward · Aug 25, 2011

Puzzicato said:
I watched The Lord of the Rings in German in a hotel in Switzerland and became absolutely intrigued by the dubbing - if I closed my eyes I couldn't distinguish between the characters. I think they only had 3 voice artists doing the whole cast.

The most fascinating one I've ever seen was in Poland. One night in Cracow, Escape to Victory was on. The dubbing was one male voice, translating all parts - and in the little gaps where he paused for breath or waited for the next line, you could still hear the original English language soundtrack (think the effect you get of the original dialogue in the background of a DVD commentary). It was for all the world like sitting beside someone who was translating the entire film for you in person. Absolutely fascinating.

Cricket · Aug 25, 2011

Ok Edward, just checked out True Blood's trailer online since I dont have HBO. For the most part, of what I've heard, everything seemed right on the money. However, I did think Anna Paquin's was overdone, but that's just my opinion. There were a few who tend to draw their "i" sound but thats normal for many trying to nail the Southern accent.

But then again I probably draw out my "i" just never really noticed how bad.

A few Southern accents in movies I like:
a few in Gone with the Wind
a few in To Kill a Mockingbird
a lot in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
several in The Client and a Time to Kill

Kevin Spacey can do a really good one in my opinion
Morgan Freeman, but hey, he's from Mississippi
Tommy Lee Jones

Many of the ones I like are actors from the South however.

Worst:
Nicholas Cage in Con Air
Just about everyone in Varsity Blues

Rats Riley · Aug 25, 2011

I am so ruined for life... This image has really hurt me deeply. Why oh why did you post this? I have to go somewhere and cry now..... and call a shrink!

Yeps · Aug 25, 2011

For a great example of dialect in a movie, watch Ieri, Oggi, Domani with Sophia Loren. It is three short films, one in Naples, one in Milan, and one in Rome. It is fascinating to hear the different ways of speaking. I had to watch it with Italian subtitles. Also, any movie set in Sicily, or most any movie with Italian Americans speaking Italian. Siciliano and Napolitano are foreign languages to most Italians.

As far as accents go, I always laugh at the generic Britishish which is used for most fantasy movies, although my favorite accent in a fantasy movie has to be Billy Boyd in LoTR. It was great watching the special features and realizing that while they added accents to most of the cast, they had him tone his back. I actually can do a somewhat passable Glaswegian accent on account of watching those movies and the dvd extras so many times.

MisterCairo · Aug 25, 2011

Dubya said:
Russell Crowe in Robin Hood.

He mananged to cover most parts of the British Isles with his accent. I think it started off somewhere in the North of England, drifted slightly over the border into Scotland, and ended up somewhere in the Emerald Isles!

....................Oh, whilst having a very short holiday in Australia

An improvement over Kevin Costner though! The one funny line from the spoof "Men in Tights" was Carey Elwes': "At least I can speak with an English accent!"

RichardH · Aug 25, 2011

Cricket said:
Ok Edward, just checked out True Blood's trailer online since I dont have HBO. For the most part, of what I've heard, everything seemed right on the money. However, I did think Anna Paquin's was overdone, but that's just my opinion. There were a few who tend to draw their "i" sound but thats normal for many trying to nail the Southern accent.

But then again I probably draw out my "i" just never really noticed how bad.

A few Southern accents in movies I like:
a few in Gone with the Wind
a few in To Kill a Mockingbird
a lot in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
several in The Client and a Time to Kill

Kevin Spacey can do a really good one in my opinion
Morgan Freeman, but hey, he's from Mississippi
Tommy Lee Jones

Many of the ones I like are actors from the South however.

Worst:
Nicholas Cage in Con Air
Just about everyone in Varsity Blues

Tommy Lee Jones is from Texas ain't he? I always thought his voice in all the movies I've seen him in had that distinctive texan drawl.

Chasseur · Aug 25, 2011

the pistol, a self-cocking Webley-Fosbery revolver in .455 caliber. These highly sought after collector's pieces now bring about $5,000.

As Sam Spade said, "They don't make 'um any more."

I have to agree with the comments on Kevin Costner's horrid chowdah accent in 13 Days . I use clips of that movie for class so each year I have to endure his channeling of Mayor Quimby from The Simpsons...

Grace Park's "pidgin" in Hawaii Five-O could give him a run for the money though.

Nicholas Cage's Italian accent in "Captain's Coreilli's Mandolin" is also pretty painful...

hatophile · Aug 25, 2011

Hey Chasseur, since you're from Hawaii, any movies that pick up a good local accent?

4spurs · Aug 25, 2011

http://http://aschmann.net/AmEng/#LargeMap5Left

Above is a link to a dialect map of North America. If you check out New Orleans you will find that it has more distinct English dialects than any city in N.A. Scroll around the map and you will find links to Youtube videos of some New Orleans accents. Check out the New Orleans Yat accent. I'm from N.O. and when I travel I can't tell you how many people tell me "you can't be from New Orleans, you don't have a "southern accent."" [And I thank gawd fa dat.]

VitaminG · Aug 26, 2011

Puzzicato said:
I've never heard anyone do a good Australian accent on screen either.

I thought Kate Winslet in Holy Smoke was very good.

Puzzicato · Aug 26, 2011

conrad5157 said:
But probably the 2 worst accents of any kind I've ever heard:

Kevin Costner in JFK

Kevin Costner in 13 Days

Is there one I missed?

Kevin Costner in Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves!

VitaminG said:
I thought Kate Winslet in Holy Smoke was very good.

I haven't seen that one, I will have to check it out!

Cricket · Aug 26, 2011

RichardH said:
Tommy Lee Jones is from Texas ain't he? I always thought his voice in all the movies I've seen him in had that distinctive texan drawl.

I believe he is from Texas. I am one of those people who consider Texas southern even though western may be more appropriate.

Dialects/Accents in the Movies

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Practically Family

Practically Family

One Too Many

One of the Regulars

Practically Family

One of the Regulars

Practically Family

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Call Me a Cab

I'll Lock Up

One of the Regulars

Call Me a Cab

One of the Regulars

One of the Regulars

One Too Many

Practically Family

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