tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post2170790657426080661..comments2023-10-26T22:06:11.166+11:00Comments on Metamagician3000: Ten greatest movie villains?Russell Blackfordhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12431324430596809958noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-90499809714547186092011-12-09T03:09:44.847+11:002011-12-09T03:09:44.847+11:00The best villains are the ambiguous ones. For exa...The best villains are the ambiguous ones. For example, just about everyone in Watchmen would go on my list.latsothttp://www.lookatthestateofthat.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-20411313015180793812011-12-04T10:17:36.579+11:002011-12-04T10:17:36.579+11:00Professor Fate of The Great Race deserves mention ...Professor Fate of <i>The Great Race</i> deserves mention for proto-steampunk in 1965, but I'm more serious about Zorg from <i>The Fifth Element</i> for the banality of his evil.<br /><br />By the way, when Zorg sets a bomb in the hotel, he says, "I know this music -- let's change the beat," and when the hotel bomb detector alarm goes off, the soundtrack orchestra plays an original Eric Serra composition, "A Bomb in the Hotel" with a 5=3+2 meter and a quirky bassline. I take Zorg's line and Serra's 5=3+2 meter as an homage to Gustav Holst's "Mars, Bringer of War" (with a 5=3+2 meter) that's an action movie staple to portend violence -- an homage like when sound editors use the 1951 recording of the classic <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PxALy22utc" rel="nofollow"><i>Wilhelm Scream</i></a> as an in-joke.<br /><br />Which made me check my DVD with headphones, you can hear this for yourself -- earlier when Zorg detonates a bomb in the spaceport terminal, you can see this in quick sequence: A) bodies flying, B) flight attendant screaming, C) engines firing, then D) bodies flying again, with the classic <a href="http://hollywoodlostandfound.net/wilhelm/wilhelmtk4.html" rel="nofollow"><i>Wilhelm</i> take 4</a> (panned slightly left), then the lesser-known <a href="http://hollywoodlostandfound.net/wilhelm/wilhelmtk3.html" rel="nofollow"><i>Wilhelm</i> take 3</a> (louder in the foreground), then a wash of group screams. One explosion, two Wilhelms!Dave Rickshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03131126038425198891noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-25332363874249983632011-12-03T07:14:02.159+11:002011-12-03T07:14:02.159+11:00I've enjoyed reading the submissions here more...I've enjoyed reading the submissions here more than the original top ten, though I was particularly happy to see Nicholson mention from the Shining. Some others I'd note:<br /><br />Arno Frisch as Paul (in Funny Games) and Benny (in Benny's Video)<br /><br />Bette Davis as Baby Jane<br /><br />Tim Curry as Dr. Frank-N-Furter<br /><br />The Bomb from Dark Star<br /><br />Oh, and let me be the first to acknowledge the joke about Martha from Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Great movie!Jason Streitfeldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06950357341620206095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-87032631282844772252011-12-02T11:52:19.599+11:002011-12-02T11:52:19.599+11:00Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum) from Night of the Hu...Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum) from Night of the Hunter (Mitchum's Cody from Cape Fear deserves an honourable mention)<br /><br />Bruno Antony (Robert Walker) from Strangers on a Train (one of many classic Hitchcock villains).<br /><br />Tony Montana (Al Pacino) in Scarface<br /><br />John Doe (Kevin Spacey) from Se7en.<br /><br />Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) from American Psycho.<br /><br />Krug (the late David Hesse) from The Last House on the Left.<br /><br />Scorpio (Andrew Robinson) from Dirty Harry.<br /><br />Robert Helppman (Child Carcher) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.<br /><br />The Abominable Dr Phibes (Vincent Price) or Price again as Matthew Hopkins, Witchfinder General<br /><br />Adolf Hitler (Bruno Gantz) from YouTube.Shatterfacehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18390120752123732543noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-59190702016552415722011-12-01T21:02:34.789+11:002011-12-01T21:02:34.789+11:00Oh yeah, and Tommy Udo (Richard Widmark)in "K...Oh yeah, and Tommy Udo (Richard Widmark)in "Kiss of Death". (1947) who throws an old lady in a wheelchair down a flight of stairs while giggling.Terry Talks Movieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09316691511084403487noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-16933769903366258082011-12-01T21:00:50.366+11:002011-12-01T21:00:50.366+11:00You've got Harry Roate Jr from Scarsdale (Alan...You've got Harry Roate Jr from Scarsdale (Alan Arkin) in Wait Until Dark.(1967)<br />Julian Karswell (Niall McGinnis) from Night Of The Demon.(1958)<br />Pinkie Brown (Richard Attenborough) from Brighton Rock (1947)<br /><br />That list seems to just go for the obvious.Terry Talks Movieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09316691511084403487noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-66837814169450972682011-11-30T23:48:58.261+11:002011-11-30T23:48:58.261+11:00"Dracula might still Count"
Har har."Dracula might still Count"<br /><br />Har har.Svlad Cjellinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-5484585251084317782011-11-30T06:25:46.386+11:002011-11-30T06:25:46.386+11:00Just a few others I would like to add for consider...Just a few others I would like to add for consideration<br /><br />H.A.L.<br />The shark from Jaws<br />AJ Maggot<br />Rhoda Penmark (The Bad Seed)<br />Angel Eyes (The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly)<br />Martha (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf)<br />Major Arnold Toht (RotLA)<br />Staff Seargent Barnes (Platoon)The Loraxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13361004494346338824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-14599415175550693202011-11-30T05:17:18.972+11:002011-11-30T05:17:18.972+11:00Frank Booth from Blue Velvet.Frank Booth from Blue Velvet.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-19927943484755253632011-11-30T00:46:43.563+11:002011-11-30T00:46:43.563+11:00lol @ Jar Jar Binks (that one almost slipped past ...lol @ Jar Jar Binks (that one almost slipped past me).Russell Blackfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12431324430596809958noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-12290505100402685702011-11-30T00:04:46.262+11:002011-11-30T00:04:46.262+11:00This comment has been removed by the author.Myrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10129417807912174500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-32825436108967583862011-11-30T00:04:32.070+11:002011-11-30T00:04:32.070+11:00This comment has been removed by the author.Myrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10129417807912174500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-34527903844399506722011-11-30T00:03:56.711+11:002011-11-30T00:03:56.711+11:00Christian Szell from Marathon Man would be in my t...Christian Szell from Marathon Man would be in my top five.Myrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10129417807912174500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-28638555934996778512011-11-29T23:21:01.796+11:002011-11-29T23:21:01.796+11:00I was disappointed by the list. I expected some le...I was disappointed by the list. I expected some less modern characters, but I was very glad to see the Wicked Witch of the West.<br /><br />Names that I listed which have not yet been mentioned are:<br /><br />Captain Hook<br />Cruella De Ville<br />Voldemort<br />Keyser Söze<br />Marlon Brando as The Godfather<br />Emperor PalpatineFelixnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-50178811226106160342011-11-29T22:24:40.213+11:002011-11-29T22:24:40.213+11:00I think Emperor Ming (Max von Sydow) should be on ...I think Emperor Ming (Max von Sydow) should be on there, and I, too, loved Baron Harkonnen (both the Lynch movie and the mini-series, both great). Of course, Kaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhnnn! I think Mickey Rourke did a faboulus baddie in Iron Man 2, but in a wider history I's say Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet comes closest to freak me out, in performance and character.<br /><br />Honorable mention to the six-fingred man in Princess Bride (his calm evil is somewhat disturbing) and Jar Jar Binks.Alexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10613480150660825848noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-18833588306678713502011-11-29T21:48:26.262+11:002011-11-29T21:48:26.262+11:00The first to come to mind was Baron Harkonnen from...The first to come to mind was Baron Harkonnen from David Lynch's Dune. I like a good scenery-eating villain. so I guess I should include Geoffrey Rush's Captain Barbossa.<br /><br />More mainstream ones are Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates role in Misery), and Amon Goth (Ralph Fiennes in Schindler's List)Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16494731273916705327noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-55623690842272408992011-11-29T21:36:33.398+11:002011-11-29T21:36:33.398+11:00I always rooted for Hannibal Lecter, which probabl...I always rooted for Hannibal Lecter, which probably means I'm a horrible person. But anyways, the real villain in Silence of the Lambs is Jame Gumb aka Buffalo Bill. Ted Levine did a pretty good job too in the role. <br /><br />Of the other villains, the tremendously brutal ganster roles of Joe Pesci come to mind.MHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14697172554669263698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24761391.post-39145116850264028682011-11-29T21:08:01.205+11:002011-11-29T21:08:01.205+11:00I also have some personal favourites that I wouldn...I also have some personal favourites that I wouldn't be wanting to argue for, but they raise some issues. Unfortunately, Dr. Doom did not translate well to the cinema, so he is <i>not</i> on my list of favourite movie villains.<br /><br />Ironically, Darth Vader was largely based on the look and feel of Dr. Doom, but he works much better and is rightly on the list. I wonder whether anyone will ever do a <i>good</i> Fantastic Four movie and make Doom more interesting.<br /><br />Magneto was likewise originally based on Dr. Doom, but has translated to the cinema much better so far, largely thanks to superb performances by Ian McKellen and Michael Fassbender. I don't claim that he should rank high enough to place on this top-10 list,though. There's also the issue as to whether we really think of him as a villain, especially after the most recent movie (though you might ask a similar question about Darth Vader, I suppose).<br /><br />Other personal favourites are the Terminator (I'm thinking mainly of the first movie) and Roy Batty. Perhaps they don't count as flesh-and-blood characters, though, even if we were tempted to rank them so highly.Russell Blackfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12431324430596809958noreply@blogger.com