MovieChat Forums > The Stone Tape (1972) Discussion > English

English

posted 20 years ago by Fenris Fil
6 replies | jump to latest

Why are there always comments/reviews on the IMDB by Yanks complaining about "British Accents" on films/programs from the UK? I mean how dense and narrow minded can people be! Maybe I should start complaining about the thick American accents on American films (and make a point not to be able to differentiate between wildly different regional accents).

Also it's a damn English accent anyway. It's not Scottish is it? It's not Irish? It's certainly not Welsh. It's English. You know the country in the middle that the damn language is named after? These accents are no more "British" then Scottys in Star Trek. And really they are just standard 70's English accents. Seen doctor Who from that decade?

Sheesh. Sorry for the rant, just peeved at the ignorance of people like cowboypsychic (who wrote an otherwise positive review for this film). It's sadly far from the only time I've seen someone say something like that.

If Americans are put off because people in films from outside the US don't speak with American accents then they are missing out on a whole load of good films. Now if they were speaking in Gorgie or Brummie accents (parts of England, yes we have other parts then London and Man Utd) I could understand the complaints. Lol.

Oh yeah, I am English incase you hadn't guessed.

[–] CamelCamelCamel 20 years ago

I wouldn't even think to complain of such a thing. Anyway, I thought most people foreign found English accents charming and fascinating (I know I do). In fact, as silly as it may be, I feel almost enriched when I hear an English accent. But I'm from Texas and our "y'alls" and unique enunciation can wear on one's nerves, so I guess it makes sense for proper usage of the language to sound like music to me.

Now if you should want to call me, use this number. This other one is the old number.

[–] 20 years ago

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[–] ian-jackson 18 years ago

In the review by cowboypsychic, I think he means 'thick' as in heavy and all pervading, rather than 'thick' as stupid.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] rock_bustin 14 years ago

Frankly,

I think this is a rather silly thing to bitch about. After all, how many people
of any nationality go around complaining about why a serial killer in a USA
prison who likes to eat people's livers (with fava beans) would have an Emglish
accent?

It's kind of a joke among some Americans how "Britain" - a nation that has
ruined its own economy in the last century, destroyed its aristocracy on the
battlefields (supposedly), and messed up the Middle East with its Colonialism
could still manage to have the damn best Stage & Screen Actors as well as such
damn fine television. That in itself is a bit of a spoof on the line from the
movie, "Dr. Stranglove" where Peter Sellars mentions the lousy Japs even if,
"they make such damn good cameras." Some might say that the current Royals
themselves are the Best Drama going in England. (No offense.)

All that being said, the accents did seem to my Yank ears to get heavier when
the long scene came - the one where they obsessedly try to capture the sounds
only to "erase" the tape. I wondered if there wasn't a sort of "Stage English"
that was considered best but the actors were slipping into their regional accents
in all the havoc of the scene. Sort of like if a Shakespearean-trained
Brit slipped into Cockney in the heat of the moment in a play. But it wasn't
bothersome. How could it be? But I did notice the change, FWIW.

Andrew

[–] strangenstein (683) 4 years ago

I’m in 16 years after your post! I can’t speak for all Americans, but I think most people here think a British accents classes things up a bit. Good heavens, listening to Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee is delightful!