Judging by my experiences, there exists three accents that are worthy of complete bad-assery when it comes to being a bad guy.
These three accents are:
1) Russian.
2) German.
3) English (posh, not regional).
1) Whilst most people portray Russians as villains because they are dirty communists who like to kill more than they like to drink their breakfasts, I find that they just sound cool, and as a rule, a villain must sound cool in order to be taken seriously as the villain (for instance, a two-bit thug or a lovable hero with humble origins would have some sort of Bronx accent etc).
I remember in a James Bond film, the villain was an American. Yeah, I wasn't impressed - not an accent of villainy, the American accent, unless we're thinking of a white-suited cowboy hat-sporting oil magnate with a Texan accent, but the corporate accents are always the accents of evil, and since they transcend nationality, I am excluding them from this. Conversely, the same actor returned as Bond's American ally in Goldeneye - this time it worked. He was the likeable friend and the accent complemented that.
2) Again, I suppose the whole "Germans are Nazis" thing comes into effect here, but now it's become ingrained in my mind as a cool villain accent. Not that immensely camp one, which my German friend assures me resembles the Austrian accent much more.
3) Regionals, no. I have not yet heard an English regional accent that sounds clever, calm and sophisticated. If someone finds one, I shall give them a hundred fascinated stares.
However Received Pronunciation (we don't have to venture into "Queen's" territory here, but any accent along these lines will do) works perfectly in either a capable ally or a formidable enemy. An English ally will sound dependable, stoic and intelligent. An English enemy will sound ruthless, calm, persistent, and also intelligent.
Out of all evil villain accents, I would actually go for an English one over the others.
That is not to say that I am evil, being a Lord. I am merely commenting in a less than objective fashion.
These three accents are:
1) Russian.
2) German.
3) English (posh, not regional).
1) Whilst most people portray Russians as villains because they are dirty communists who like to kill more than they like to drink their breakfasts, I find that they just sound cool, and as a rule, a villain must sound cool in order to be taken seriously as the villain (for instance, a two-bit thug or a lovable hero with humble origins would have some sort of Bronx accent etc).
I remember in a James Bond film, the villain was an American. Yeah, I wasn't impressed - not an accent of villainy, the American accent, unless we're thinking of a white-suited cowboy hat-sporting oil magnate with a Texan accent, but the corporate accents are always the accents of evil, and since they transcend nationality, I am excluding them from this. Conversely, the same actor returned as Bond's American ally in Goldeneye - this time it worked. He was the likeable friend and the accent complemented that.
2) Again, I suppose the whole "Germans are Nazis" thing comes into effect here, but now it's become ingrained in my mind as a cool villain accent. Not that immensely camp one, which my German friend assures me resembles the Austrian accent much more.
3) Regionals, no. I have not yet heard an English regional accent that sounds clever, calm and sophisticated. If someone finds one, I shall give them a hundred fascinated stares.
However Received Pronunciation (we don't have to venture into "Queen's" territory here, but any accent along these lines will do) works perfectly in either a capable ally or a formidable enemy. An English ally will sound dependable, stoic and intelligent. An English enemy will sound ruthless, calm, persistent, and also intelligent.
Out of all evil villain accents, I would actually go for an English one over the others.
That is not to say that I am evil, being a Lord. I am merely commenting in a less than objective fashion.
