Wall Street Journal 31 July 2011

[judypatooty]

You're all very welcome!

And a big thank you to Rai for that illuminating explanation for the odd accent in IASL. (Although I don't think he particularly sounded like a Mainer! Maybe a Mainer who had been in the South Seas for a long time.)

I really like the description that Roof gave of his character in ALVH! I'm getting a mental image and it sounds like it's going to be quite good. How the film as a whole turns out, God only knows! But Roof's role sounds like one he had some fun developing. If I were a vampire, I'd definitely vote for Adam for Vampire King.

[kissmekate]

Aug 1, 2011 13:26:58 GMT judypatooty said:

(Although I don't think he particularly sounded like a Mainer! Maybe a Mainer who had been in the South Seas for a long time.)

Well, we don't know how he sounded when he was still officially a Mainer ;D

If I were a vampire, I'd definitely vote for Adam for Vampire King.

Very much so I still can't quite get over my prejudice concerning vampire movies, but there must have been something in it that appealed to Rufus, so it can't be that bad ...

[tipou]

i still CAN'T GET OVER THE FACT that a WHOLE TEAM OF MOVIEMAKERS chose tom cruise OVER RUFUS SEWELL to play LESTAT.
is this the world we want to live in??

[kissmekate]

Aug 1, 2011 14:03:57 GMT tipou said:

i still CAN'T GET OVER THE FACT that a WHOLE TEAM OF MOVIEMAKERS chose tom cruise OVER RUFUS SEWELL to play LESTAT.
is this the world we want to live in??

At least this world does have someone like Rufus in it Imagine a world of Cruises and Francoes

But no, it's definitely not OK to choose Tom Cruise over Rufus. Not at all. Wonder where those people had their eyes and minds at the time.

[rueful]

Aug 1, 2011 14:03:57 GMT tipou said:

i still CAN'T GET OVER THE FACT that a WHOLE TEAM OF MOVIEMAKERS chose tom cruise OVER RUFUS SEWELL to play LESTAT.
is this the world we want to live in??

LOL! If it's any consolation, I'll bet the money men* were mostly responsible. (*and I mean "men" because I think "money women" would have had more sense).

[megagem]

Thank you so much for posting, Judy!!! I've been away from RT for about a week and a half and I was hoping for something like this to return to!!!

Jul 31, 2011 18:36:13 GMT judypatooty said:

I was in a 17th century costume at one point.

YES, YES, YES!!!! ;D

[wichiwoman]

Thanks for the article, Judy.

And the big thing for me was to decide how he was supposed to talk because you can’t do an Aramaic twinge – because if they cut the scene that explains where you came from you just look stupid. So I just picked Old Hollywood – rather, old American, like Roosevelt.

I'm confused. Based on this quote and based on what Rai posted, he's going to change his accent for this part? I guess he can't really use his natural accent.

[judypatooty]

Aug 1, 2011 17:21:52 GMT @wichiwoman said:

Thanks for the article, Judy.

And the big thing for me was to decide how he was supposed to talk because you can’t do an Aramaic twinge – because if they cut the scene that explains where you came from you just look stupid. So I just picked Old Hollywood – rather, old American, like Roosevelt.

I'm confused. Based on this quote and based on what Rai posted, he's going to change his accent for this part? I guess he can't really use his natural accent.

I always think of that old Hollywood (old Roosevelt) accent as an oddly Anglicized American accent. If you watch those old movies from the 30s and early 40s, the actors playing upper-class or rich or powerful characters never sounded like ordinary Americans. They had a kind of upper-class accent (which in America usually translates into British ).

[annachibi]

Oh my, thank you so much for sharing this, Judy! Now I'm just so so excited!

[nell]

Thanks for posting Judy. I thought at the start it was going to be the same old, same old - yawn inducing questions. No wonder Rufus is sick of them. The old smouldering tag was a bit cringy too.

It was nice to hear a bit about ALVH though and interesting to hear about Interview with a Vampire. Ironically I watched that and hated it because I thought Tom Cruise was lousy in the role.

I'm a bit disappointed he won't use his own accent in ALVH. Many vampires come from Europe (or so the story goes )so he could quite easily have had a British accent IMHO. I have an idea that Hollywood probably doesn't recognise this.

Re the accent in IASL - if you read what Rai put, I think the point is it was originally filmed with a Maine accent and then dubbed over to get rid of the Maine accent after the bit about him coming from Maine was taken out. Perhaps that's why he didn't sound like a Mainer .

Of course - me being the ultimate expert on accents thought he was supposed to be an ozzie the first time I watched it .

[anyother]

Refreshing interview - thanks for finding this, Judy. I haven't made up my mind about ALVH, so I'll just wait and see (hopefully the wait won't be too long).

[rai]

Yes, Nell has it right - he originally filmed it with a Maine accent, then they cut the explanation and he redubbed the whole thing with a more nondescript flat accent.

The Roosevelt accent intrigues me - definitely rich American voice - remember the old M*A*S*H television show with the uppercrust Major Winchester, who was supposed to be a Boston blueblood? That's the accent I'm thinking he might have. Or the rich couple on Gilligan's Island? Or more recently, Stewie on Family Guy? Comes across British in the end, but an American trying to sound posh.

Rai

[judypatooty]

Aug 1, 2011 19:28:40 GMT nell said:

Re the accent in IASL - if you read what Rai put, I think the point is it was originally filmed with a Maine accent and then dubbed over to get rid of the Maine accent after the bit about him coming from Maine was taken out. Perhaps that's why he didn't sound like a Mainer .

Ahhh. That makes more sense.

Having spent a week with my Maine cousins a couple of summers ago, it makes me wonder what Roof's version of a Maine accent would be like.

Ayuh.

[lovethemanrs]

Thanks for posting the interview Judy - much appreciated.

Personally I think Adam looks pretty hot for a guy who's 5000 years old. I could do with some of that wrinkle cream!!

[GreenEyesToo]

Thanks for the article, Judy - interesting to read what Rufus has to say about Adam. And thanks to Rai for the info about the accent on IASL - I have to say, I've always had a problem with that accent, never thought it was one of Rufus's better efforts, but it makes a lot more sense now.

But, oh, Adam speaking like Winchester? Good lord, I hope not!

Jul 31, 2011 23:49:37 GMT tipou said:

ANYWAY... somehow i feel like this new movie was strictly a personal budget move from rufus, and might be a disappointment for fans.

I don't know - I think the fact that Tim Burton is involved, and has said that's so he can ensure the book stays true to the film without "the suits" messing it up, was the lure for Rufus, and not just that he was running out of money!

I have my misgivings about vampire movies, too, but maybe we just have to trust Rufus's integrity on this one!

Re his comment "I sent this missive about how we were going to we were going to speak to them (the press); I’m in charge of my own intellectual property, thank you very much.", does anyone else think a word was missing there? I reckon it began "I was sent...." - then the "intellectual property" bit makes more sense.

(And, boy, didn't he sound testy throughout the interview?!)