So, I was watching First Take on ESPN this morning and they had some fucking contest where they voted on the best movie villian of all time, bracket-style, like the NCAA Tournament. Here’s their top 8, in no particular order. Vader was number 1.
Darth Vader
Hannibal Lecter
The Joker (Heath Ledger, not Jack)
Alex Forrest
The Shark from Jaws
The Wicked Witch
Norman Bates
The Terminator
Now, I won’t argue that these are all great villains (except maybe Alex Forrest from Fatal Attraction; fuck that bitch), but come on! No HAL 9000 from 2001, no Alex DeLarge from A Clockwork Orange! No Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest?! And no Michael Corleone! Hell, I’d put Patrick Bateman ahead of Alex Forrest.
So it got me thinking: what’s everyone’s top eight villains? Here’s mine:
- Vader
- Michael Corleone
- The Joker (taking into account both Heath Ledger’s version and Jack’s)
- Hannibal Lecter
- Norman Bates
- HAL 9000
- Alex DeLarge
- Nurse Ratched
[quote]DBCooper wrote:
So, I was watching First Take on ESPN this morning and they had some fucking contest where they voted on the best movie villian of all time, bracket-style, like the NCAA Tournament. Here’s their top 8, in no particular order. Vader was number 1.
Darth Vader
Hannibal Lecter
The Joker (Heath Ledger, not Jack)
Alex Forrest
The Shark from Jaws
The Wicked Witch
Norman Bates
The Terminator
Now, I won’t argue that these are all great villains (except maybe Alex Forrest from Fatal Attraction; fuck that bitch), but come on! No HAL 9000 from 2001, no Alex DeLarge from A Clockwork Orange! No Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest?! And no Michael Corleone! Hell, I’d put Patrick Bateman ahead of Alex Forrest.
So it got me thinking: what’s everyone’s top eight villains? Here’s mine:
- Vader
- Michael Corleone
- The Joker (taking into account both Heath Ledger’s version and Jack’s)
- Hannibal Lecter
- Norman Bates
- HAL 9000
- Alex DeLarge
- Nurse Ratched[/quote]
I’ll get back to you with my list, but don’t understand including Nicholson’s Joker. That wasn’t Jack Nicholson playing the Joker, it was Jack Nicholson in Joker make-up playing himself.
Honorable mentions:
Baby Jane Hudson
The Wicked Witch
Scarface (Al Pacino, not James Cagney)
The Shark
Noah Cross (from Chinatown)
The Terminator
Colonel Hans Landa
[quote]WhiteFlash wrote:
[quote]DBCooper wrote:
So, I was watching First Take on ESPN this morning and they had some fucking contest where they voted on the best movie villian of all time, bracket-style, like the NCAA Tournament. Here’s their top 8, in no particular order. Vader was number 1.
Darth Vader
Hannibal Lecter
The Joker (Heath Ledger, not Jack)
Alex Forrest
The Shark from Jaws
The Wicked Witch
Norman Bates
The Terminator
Now, I won’t argue that these are all great villains (except maybe Alex Forrest from Fatal Attraction; fuck that bitch), but come on! No HAL 9000 from 2001, no Alex DeLarge from A Clockwork Orange! No Nurse Ratched from One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest?! And no Michael Corleone! Hell, I’d put Patrick Bateman ahead of Alex Forrest.
So it got me thinking: what’s everyone’s top eight villains? Here’s mine:
- Vader
- Michael Corleone
- The Joker (taking into account both Heath Ledger’s version and Jack’s)
- Hannibal Lecter
- Norman Bates
- HAL 9000
- Alex DeLarge
- Nurse Ratched[/quote]
I’ll get back to you with my list, but don’t understand including Nicholson’s Joker. That wasn’t Jack Nicholson playing the Joker, it was Jack Nicholson in Joker make-up playing himself.[/quote]
That’s precisely why I included him. I love Jack Nicholson. In fact, Jack Torrance from The Shining might make my top 30.
Although I wouldn’t necessarily consider them “great” villains, I’m also particularly fond of Sterling Hayden as General Jack D. Ripper from Dr. Strangelove and George C. Scott’s character from The Hustler.
How is the shark from Jaws a villain? Its just doing innate shark stuff - don’t you think villains need be consciously evil?
You got some of the good ones there and I’m keeping:
Alex DeLarge
The Joker (Nicholson’s version FTW)
Hannibal Lecter
HAL9000
And adding:
- Bruno Anthony (strangers on the train)
- Travis Bickle (taxi driver)
- Jason
[quote]Mascherano wrote:
How is the shark from Jaws a villain? Its just doing innate shark stuff - don’t you think villains need be consciously evil?
You got some of the good ones there and I’m keeping:
Alex DeLarge
The Joker (Nicholson’s version FTW)
Hannibal Lecter
HAL9000
And adding:
- Bruno Anthony (strangers on the train)
- Travis Bickle (taxi driver)
- Jason
[/quote]
Ahh, Bruno Anthony. Can’t believe I forgot about that guy, being a huge Hitchcock and all. However, Travis Bickle was hardly a villain, unless you’re implying that a pedophile pimp like Sport was a good guy. More like an anti-hero.
[quote]Mascherano wrote:
How is the shark from Jaws a villain? Its just doing innate shark stuff - don’t you think villains need be consciously evil?
You got some of the good ones there and I’m keeping:
Alex DeLarge
The Joker (Nicholson’s version FTW)
Hannibal Lecter
HAL9000
And adding:
- Bruno Anthony (strangers on the train)
- Travis Bickle (taxi driver)
- Jason
[/quote]
Sorry, Travis Bickle was an anit-hero not a villain … he was nuts but he did save a 12 yr old girl from prostitution (aka sex slavery). The villain would’ve been Harvey Keitel (I forget his character’s name) or the Vietnam war for the psychological affect it had on Travis, but Travis was not inherently evil, just confused as portrayed during his date when he takes Cybil Sheppard to the “movies” and it’s some weird ass 70’s porn theater. He thinks it’s completely normal and eventually leaves her alone … if you recall she’s the one who got into HIS cab and the end, he wasn’t tracking her down.
And as for the shark from Jaws, the shark was stalking the boat, that’s not innate shark behavior. Sharks ignore boats of that size and won’t follow it around, especially since it was feeding so nicely from the swimmers in the water, why would it leave it’s source of food? That’s not innate shark behavior. That’s why the shark is a villain.
[quote]polo77j wrote:
Sorry, Travis Bickle was an anit-hero not a villain … he was nuts but he did save a 12 yr old girl from prostitution (aka sex slavery). The villain would’ve been Harvey Keitel (I forget his character’s name) or the Vietnam war for the psychological affect it had on Travis, but Travis was not inherently evil, just confused as portrayed during his date when he takes Cybil Sheppard to the “movies” and it’s some weird ass 70’s porn theater. He thinks it’s completely normal and eventually leaves her alone … if you recall she’s the one who got into HIS cab and the end, he wasn’t tracking her down.
And as for the shark from Jaws, the shark was stalking the boat, that’s not innate shark behavior. Sharks ignore boats of that size and won’t follow it around, especially since it was feeding so nicely from the swimmers in the water, why would it leave it’s source of food? That’s not innate shark behavior. That’s why the shark is a villain.[/quote]
Fine. I’m persuaded.
But if that’s your logic then I’m contesting Daniel Plainview.
More honorable mentions not already listed:
Doyle Lonnigan from The Sting
Hud (Paul Newman)
Angel Eyes from The Goood, the Bad and the Ugly
OH SHIT! How could I forget Keyzer Soze! Put him in the top ten.
[quote]Mascherano wrote:
[quote]polo77j wrote:
Sorry, Travis Bickle was an anit-hero not a villain … he was nuts but he did save a 12 yr old girl from prostitution (aka sex slavery). The villain would’ve been Harvey Keitel (I forget his character’s name) or the Vietnam war for the psychological affect it had on Travis, but Travis was not inherently evil, just confused as portrayed during his date when he takes Cybil Sheppard to the “movies” and it’s some weird ass 70’s porn theater. He thinks it’s completely normal and eventually leaves her alone … if you recall she’s the one who got into HIS cab and the end, he wasn’t tracking her down.
And as for the shark from Jaws, the shark was stalking the boat, that’s not innate shark behavior. Sharks ignore boats of that size and won’t follow it around, especially since it was feeding so nicely from the swimmers in the water, why would it leave it’s source of food? That’s not innate shark behavior. That’s why the shark is a villain.[/quote]
Fine. I’m persuaded.
But if that’s your logic then I’m contesting Daniel Plainview.[/quote]
How can you contest Plainview? He was motivated by greed and ego to the point where he let nothing stand in his way. The treatment of his son, of Eli, of the townspeople. This all screams evil. Hardly an anti-hero.
[quote]Mascherano wrote:
[quote]polo77j wrote:
Sorry, Travis Bickle was an anit-hero not a villain … he was nuts but he did save a 12 yr old girl from prostitution (aka sex slavery). The villain would’ve been Harvey Keitel (I forget his character’s name) or the Vietnam war for the psychological affect it had on Travis, but Travis was not inherently evil, just confused as portrayed during his date when he takes Cybil Sheppard to the “movies” and it’s some weird ass 70’s porn theater. He thinks it’s completely normal and eventually leaves her alone … if you recall she’s the one who got into HIS cab and the end, he wasn’t tracking her down.
And as for the shark from Jaws, the shark was stalking the boat, that’s not innate shark behavior. Sharks ignore boats of that size and won’t follow it around, especially since it was feeding so nicely from the swimmers in the water, why would it leave it’s source of food? That’s not innate shark behavior. That’s why the shark is a villain.[/quote]
Fine. I’m persuaded.
But if that’s your logic then I’m contesting Daniel Plainview.[/quote]
K…
[quote]Mascherano wrote:
[quote]polo77j wrote:
Sorry, Travis Bickle was an anit-hero not a villain … he was nuts but he did save a 12 yr old girl from prostitution (aka sex slavery). The villain would’ve been Harvey Keitel (I forget his character’s name) or the Vietnam war for the psychological affect it had on Travis, but Travis was not inherently evil, just confused as portrayed during his date when he takes Cybil Sheppard to the “movies” and it’s some weird ass 70’s porn theater. He thinks it’s completely normal and eventually leaves her alone … if you recall she’s the one who got into HIS cab and the end, he wasn’t tracking her down.
And as for the shark from Jaws, the shark was stalking the boat, that’s not innate shark behavior. Sharks ignore boats of that size and won’t follow it around, especially since it was feeding so nicely from the swimmers in the water, why would it leave it’s source of food? That’s not innate shark behavior. That’s why the shark is a villain.[/quote]
Fine. I’m persuaded.
But if that’s your logic then I’m contesting Daniel Plainview.[/quote]
Don’t you get me wrapped up in your conjecture-fest lady! Plainview was a sonofabitch!
Ernie “Big Ern” McCracken
[quote]DBCooper wrote:
Hell, I’d put Patrick Bateman ahead of Alex Forrest.
[/quote]
Is Patrick Bateman even a villain?
In no particular order:
Keyser Soze from The Usual Suspects
John Doe from Seven
Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss’ character) from Memento
Col. Hans Landa from Inglourious Basterds
That bitch from Fatal Attraction
Anton Chigurh from No Country For Old Men
Thulsa Doom in Conan the Barbarian
I refrained from putting up the Joker or Darth Vader as theiy’re pretty well represented already!
EDIT: Vigo from Ghostbusters II!
[quote]RTJenforcer wrote:
[quote]DBCooper wrote:
Hell, I’d put Patrick Bateman ahead of Alex Forrest.
[/quote]
Is Patrick Bateman even a villain?
In no particular order:
Keyser Soze from The Usual Suspects
John Doe from Seven
Natalie (Carrie-Anne Moss’ character) from Memento
Col. Hans Landa from Inglourious Basterds
That bitch from Fatal Attraction
Anton Chigurh from No Country For Old Men
Thulsa Doom in Conan the Barbarian
I refrained from putting up the Joker or Darth Vader as theiy’re pretty well represented already!
EDIT: Vigo from Ghostbusters II
[/quote]
Vigo’s a good addition but might I recommend Walter Peck for an honorable mention in the first Ghostbusters movie … I mean he did almost cause armageddon
[quote]polo77j wrote:
[quote]Mascherano wrote:
[quote]polo77j wrote:
Sorry, Travis Bickle was an anit-hero not a villain … he was nuts but he did save a 12 yr old girl from prostitution (aka sex slavery). The villain would’ve been Harvey Keitel (I forget his character’s name) or the Vietnam war for the psychological affect it had on Travis, but Travis was not inherently evil, just confused as portrayed during his date when he takes Cybil Sheppard to the “movies” and it’s some weird ass 70’s porn theater. He thinks it’s completely normal and eventually leaves her alone … if you recall she’s the one who got into HIS cab and the end, he wasn’t tracking her down.
And as for the shark from Jaws, the shark was stalking the boat, that’s not innate shark behavior. Sharks ignore boats of that size and won’t follow it around, especially since it was feeding so nicely from the swimmers in the water, why would it leave it’s source of food? That’s not innate shark behavior. That’s why the shark is a villain.[/quote]
Fine. I’m persuaded.
But if that’s your logic then I’m contesting Daniel Plainview.[/quote]
K…[/quote]
Right? Just because Plainview is a mean son of a bitch doesn’t make him a villain. In this case he’s also just the anti-hero. Perhaps then capitalism is the villain since it stands in opposition to the protagonist…Hm.
Anyways, I’ll stop here. My knowledge of film doesn’t extend beyond rolling joints and working DVD players. I’ll leave the rest to the experts.
C’mon, the villains from all the bond movies rule… j/k
DBCooper…those are some great choices. Nurse Ratchet and George C Scott in the hustler are ones I never would have thought of. That fuckin’ nurse grrrrrr.
The warden(Eddie Arnold) from the origanal longest yard was a royal prick.
[quote]Mascherano wrote:
[quote]polo77j wrote:
[quote]Mascherano wrote:
[quote]polo77j wrote:
Sorry, Travis Bickle was an anit-hero not a villain … he was nuts but he did save a 12 yr old girl from prostitution (aka sex slavery). The villain would’ve been Harvey Keitel (I forget his character’s name) or the Vietnam war for the psychological affect it had on Travis, but Travis was not inherently evil, just confused as portrayed during his date when he takes Cybil Sheppard to the “movies” and it’s some weird ass 70’s porn theater. He thinks it’s completely normal and eventually leaves her alone … if you recall she’s the one who got into HIS cab and the end, he wasn’t tracking her down.
And as for the shark from Jaws, the shark was stalking the boat, that’s not innate shark behavior. Sharks ignore boats of that size and won’t follow it around, especially since it was feeding so nicely from the swimmers in the water, why would it leave it’s source of food? That’s not innate shark behavior. That’s why the shark is a villain.[/quote]
Fine. I’m persuaded.
But if that’s your logic then I’m contesting Daniel Plainview.[/quote]
K…[/quote]
Right? Just because Plainview is a mean son of a bitch doesn’t make him a villain. In this case he’s also just the anti-hero. Perhaps then capitalism is the villain since it stands in opposition to the protagonist…Hm.
Anyways, I’ll stop here. My knowledge of film doesn’t extend beyond rolling joints and working DVD players. I’ll leave the rest to the experts.[/quote]
I don’t know, I’ve never seen the movie 
[quote]Mascherano wrote:
[quote]polo77j wrote:
[quote]Mascherano wrote:
[quote]polo77j wrote:
Sorry, Travis Bickle was an anit-hero not a villain … he was nuts but he did save a 12 yr old girl from prostitution (aka sex slavery). The villain would’ve been Harvey Keitel (I forget his character’s name) or the Vietnam war for the psychological affect it had on Travis, but Travis was not inherently evil, just confused as portrayed during his date when he takes Cybil Sheppard to the “movies” and it’s some weird ass 70’s porn theater. He thinks it’s completely normal and eventually leaves her alone … if you recall she’s the one who got into HIS cab and the end, he wasn’t tracking her down.
And as for the shark from Jaws, the shark was stalking the boat, that’s not innate shark behavior. Sharks ignore boats of that size and won’t follow it around, especially since it was feeding so nicely from the swimmers in the water, why would it leave it’s source of food? That’s not innate shark behavior. That’s why the shark is a villain.[/quote]
Fine. I’m persuaded.
But if that’s your logic then I’m contesting Daniel Plainview.[/quote]
K…[/quote]
Right? Just because Plainview is a mean son of a bitch doesn’t make him a villain. In this case he’s also just the anti-hero. Perhaps then capitalism is the villain since it stands in opposition to the protagonist…Hm.
Anyways, I’ll stop here. My knowledge of film doesn’t extend beyond rolling joints and working DVD players. I’ll leave the rest to the experts.[/quote]
Money and booze were the only things that gave Plainview any warmth. He would have been a bad man if he was a Farmer, Cooper, Blacksmith, real estate developer, you name it.
A true villian is someone who brings out the bad in good people, and Plainview had that quality about him in spaids.
