MovieChat Forums > Muppet Treasure Island (1996) Discussion > Tim's accent...

Tim's accent...

posted 19 years ago by MacTavish14
6 replies | jump to latest

Now I suppose I could figure this out by choosing the subtitle feature either on my DVD or my TV, but I thought it would be more fun to ask:
When Long John Silver (Tim Curry) has his first scene, he gets the chance to freak out Jim Hawkins. He holds up his right hand (sans a few fingers) and says something along the lines of "Look what a cannonball took, leaving me with my own life." Then he flips his fingers up to show he's really got all five and gives that oh-so-perfectly-evil Tim Curry laugh.
NOW, does he say CANNONBALL (as in shot from a cannon which would be a very pirate thing) or CANNIBAL (as in a savage a pirate might have run into during a voyage)?
Secondly, does it really matter? (LOL)

There's a new world order coming, Shadow, and I'm going to be a king! A KING!

[–] mttomb 19 years ago

"Look what a cannon ball took off me, in exchange for me own life."

I think this is what he said. I always heard cannon ball. I never thought of cannibal, but now that you mention it, they do sound similar. But, I think he says cannon ball. But, cannibal does make sense, because it could "exchange," whereas a cannonball can't.

Evil will always triumph, because good is dumb.

[–] MacTavish14 19 years ago

I finally checked; the subtitles of the original DVD version have Tim saying "cannibal". (hah!) I'll check the new DVD next week, eh!

There's a new world order coming, Shadow, and I'm going to be a king! A KING!

[–] mttomb 19 years ago

Good to know! That does make more sense, now that you mention it, because I was always like, "How would a cannon ball exchange his fingers for his life?" But this makes more sense, because he could just be like, "I'll give you my fingers if you don't kill me." It's always interesting when you've always heard something one way and the actor or actress actually said something else.

Evil will always triumph, because good is dumb.

[–] magenta1000 19 years ago

I was wondering about that...

I thought it was cannon ball cos I'd never heard cannibal pronounced canny-BALL, just CANNI-ball.

Weird...

--
My life depends on Lay's Sour Cream and Onion Chips, Dr. Pepper, and Tim Curry.

[–] Dracin 19 years ago

Hehe, I never evend considered it beeing a cannonball, I have allways heard Cannibal, wouldnt it be a bit weird if he bargained for his life with a cannonball? :D
I do however understand that the two words may sound quite the same.

Congratulations! on a scale of perversity from 1-10, you just hit a 74.

[–] davidkennedy92 19 years ago

If it was cannonball, it still would have made sense. When he said "exchange," it was a figure of speech. He means he ducked out of the way of it at the last minute and it hit his fingers. Had he but been a split-second too later, it would have hit him dead-on, killing him.