Sunday, August 23, 2009

Monday Movie Meme - Liver, fava beans and a nice chianti


This week's Monday Movie Meme from the Bumbles is all about those villains that you love to hate. The ones that make you want to jump out of your seat and scream, the ones that make your stomach hurt. I've decided not to travel down the road of the robotic, soul-less masked dudes in Halloween, Friday the 13th or Nightmare on Elm Street. Nor can I really hold anything against Darth Vader, Michael Corleone or Heath Ledger's Joker...I actually kinda like those guys. I'm targeting the ones that, through character development, you get a peek inside their evil little psyche. And what you see keeps you awake at night. These guys (and gals) are a downright nasty bunch, but they keep you coming back for more!



Alex Forrester (Fatal Attraction) - How many characters could single-handedly scare the hell out of every red-blooded man in America? I've watched this movie no less than two dozen times, and at every viewing, I want to kill the bunny-slaughtering woman myself.

Annie Wilkes (Misery) - While some of these villains are pure evil, I believe that Annie is just psychologically deformed, and knows not what she is doing. Either way, that hobbling scene always cured me of any empathy I could possibly conjure for the woman.


Delores Umbridge (Harry Potter) - In the book and the movie, my stomach churned over this one, and made my knee bounce up and down. It is the sign of a true author and director to incite this reaction in someone that is a lover not a fighter. I wanted to beat the living crap out of Delores. The childish voice, the nervous giggle, the kitten pictures and pink sweaters? I was happy to see her hauled off into the woods, thank you very much.


Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs) - Hannibal is scary because not only is he pure evil, he is a smart son-of-a-gun. Anthony Hopkins made this liver-eating, Chianti-swilling shrink come to life, chill our blood, and cause more than one sleepless night. Even more so than Buffalo Bill that wanted the girls to "put the lotion on its skin".


Randall Flagg (The Stand) - I'm not a huge fan of TV miniseries, but I own this one on DVD. I loved this interpretation of the Devil, a long-haired guy with a southern drawl and cowboy boots, also known as "the walking dude". It was one of the few times I felt justice was done to a literary masterpiece.


The Wicked Witch of the West (Wizard of Oz) - This is the antagonist that needs a good attitude adjustment. She's not necessarily evil per se, but foul- tempered and a general pain in the behind. She's like a knat you can't seem to shake, a pathetic old woman that needs to get a life.


Amon Goeth (Schindler's List) - As far as I'm concerned, this put Fiennes on the map and proved he really had the goods. I felt I needed to disinfect myself after watching his portrayal of a brutal, narcissistic commandant of Auschwitz.


I had about 10 more villains in my list, but had to prioritize and pare down. What are your favorites? What character turns you from a normal functioning human being being to a crazed screaming maniac? Please share!

15 comments:

The Bumbles said...

Oooo - Annie is a good choice. I am not very squemish with movies but that "hobbling scene" you mention makes me want to puke. Shudders every time!!!

Awesome list.

ds said...

Great choices, Sandy! Though I'm saddened by Ralph Fiennes. I haven't seen Schindler's List, and so I thought he was the good one...Would add the guy (Jason someone) who plays Draco's father in the Harry Potter movies, but who was also the cold, brutal British soldier in Mel Gibson's film about the Revolutionary War. The one who gathers a village together in a church assuring them they'll be safe,then locks the doors from the outside and says, with utter calm, "Torch the church." Have only seen that movie once. It was enough.

Melody said...

Great choice, Sandy!
I hope you'll share with us about the other villians in your list! ;)

Lulu said...

Hannibal Lecter... Anthony Hopkins is perfect for the role... love his voice

Terry Kate said...

Wow,
Nice List!
You definitely came up with some that I would never have come up with.
Thanks for sharing.
Terry Kate
My List

Sandy Nawrot said...

Bumbles - that is definitely puking material, and I have a pretty strong stomach as well.

ds - you know, it was really hard for me to love him (which of course I eventually DID) after watching that movie. Then the dude becomes Lord Voldemort!? Oooh. Hate Draco's father.

Lulu - that voice is so creepy, but in a twisted way, thrilling!

Terry Kate - yes, and it was hard to narrow down, which brings me to...

Melody - OK girl. Here were my runners up:

Lord Voldemort (HP)
Anton Chigurh (No Country for Old Men)
Jack Torrance (The Shining)
Hans Gruber (Die Hard)
Gollum (LOTR)
White Witch (Narnia)
Captain Vidal (Pans Labyrinth)
Catherine Trammell (Basic Instinct)

Lynn said...

We got one match. I remember Alex and Annie, bad girls.

Care said...

oh yea - great list. Your title alone sent shivers up the spine. I knew exactly and could instantly image Hannibal and how he said that line! All I could think of was one of a favorite villians and not quite this category: but I love Alan Rickman/Hans Gruber in Die Hard.

Lauren said...

I love Delores Umbridge! She's so deliciously wicked.

kayerj said...

that is a great list of villians, and I liked how you included your reactions to them. my villian list is here

Sandy Nawrot said...

Lynn - I'm off to look at your list. You are right, these were very naughty girls!

Care - if you see in my comments, Hans was a runner up on my list. I have thing for Rickman!

Lauren - I really hated that woman! She made my blood boil!

Kaye - haha! On some of them, when I was writing about them, my heart started to race. How cool is that?

Carrie K. said...

Umbridge gives me the shudders every time we watch that movie!

The Gal Herself said...

Impressive list of ladies! Seeing Alex there made me think of Regina from The Little Foxes. And old movie, but she was as icy as Alex was passionate and certainly one very scary wife!

Natsthename said...

Oh, we both picked ANnie. She really creeps me out, as does most of your list! Randall Flagg! Wow, there's a name from the past.

King really writes a great bad guy!

Iliana said...

You've got some great villains here. Alex Forrester and Annie Wilkes are the best. Of course right now I can't think of any other good ones to add to the list but now I want to watch some older films :)