Who is your all-time favorite movie villain? (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

Was kind of thinking about this one earlier today...


Who is your all-time favorite villain? You know,
someone so entertainingly evil that you almost
root for that individual.


It can be a villain from any genre movie.


The choice was tough for me. Darth Vader
would probably have been my first choice but

he was edged out by none other than....


Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) from Die Hard


His portrayal of a suave German terrorist is

one of the most memorable bad-guy roles

ever brought to film.

"Nice Suit."


Forget Bruce Willis. I enjoy DIE HARD solely

for Hans.


Looking forward to reading your favorites.

 

[Walter Kittel]

Easy...


Henry Fonda as Frank in Once Upon A Time In The West.


"People scare better when they're dying."


- Walter.

 

[Leo Kerr]

Oh... there are so many "good" bad-guys..


One of the most convincingly, sinister and effortlessly evil characters is John Woods' Bishop in Ladyhawke. "I believe in miracles.. it's part of my job."


The high point of Waterworld was Dennis Hopper's Deacon.. "Don't just stand there, shoot something!"


Darth Vader had an amazingly effective presence in the first two "real" Star Wars films.. (New Hope and Empire.)

And, as Ron pointed out, just about any "bad" character played by Alan Rickman. The high point of the Kostner Robin Hood... "I'm gonna cut your heart out with a spoon!"


Haven't seen Die Hard in a long time.. maybe I'll have to go back and check that out.


Leo

 

[Steve Tannehill]

Auric Goldfinger, mainly for this exchange: "Do you expect me to talk? " "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!"

 

[SD_Brian]

Terrence Stamp as General Zod in "Superman II."


"General Zod does not take orders. He gives them!"


"KNEEL before Zod!!!"


The President: Oh, God!

General Zod (Corrects him): Zod.


He can rule Planet Houston anytime he wants.


Honorable Mention to Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor in the first 2 Superman movies but, as a puny human, he just can't compete with General Zod.

 

[Steve Christou]

Some great choices already, I'll add Stephen Boyd as Messala from Ben-Hur (1959). "Kill me and your mother and sister will die, nailed to crosses in front of you. Go on Judah. Kill me."


And a more recent favourite, Christopher Lee as Saruman the White, in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

 

[Chi Chi Rodrigweez]

Shatner says it better than I ever could: http://www.khaaan.com/

 

[Kazz]

Anthony Perkins, how could you keep your mummified mother in a hotel.

 

[dpippel]

It's so hard to pick just one. My favorite villain from more recently released films has got to be Sergi Lopez' Captain Vidal in "Pan's Labyrinth." The man was completely evil - an intelligent stone-cold killer; calmly sadistic and unrepentantly narcissistic, driven by self-loathing. His malevolence was palpable. What a performance!

 

[Simon Massey]

Vader comes first for me


But then


Dr Evil

 

[WillG]

Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) from Die Hard

That was what first popped into my head.


Lot of the other ones I would have went with have been mentioned. I'll throw out Biff/Griff/Buford Tannen from the Back to the Future movies.

 

[Richard--W]

Noah Cross in Chinatown (1974).

He sees no boundaries, but he doesn't know he's evil.

He doesn't realize he's doing bad things.

He just wants to be loved, to succeed, and to leave behind a legacy.

He even says so, and he's completely sincere.


"Some people never have to find out they're capable of anything," he tells Jake Gittes.

 

The Wicked Witch of the West

 

[Steve_Pannell]

Maybe not typical villains but...


HAL-9000 & Hannibal Lecter.

 

[Richard--W]

-- glitch --

 

[Student]

I totally agree that Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter in ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991) is a very likable villain. Although he is jailed and kills two police officers in a very brutal way he acts as a father figure or protector for Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster). Especially in that scene when she is bothered by Miggs.


‘I don't think Miggs could manage again quite so soon, even though he is crazy. [shouting] Go now!’

 

[TerryRL]

My faves...


The Joker (Heath Ledger) "The Dark Knight"

Darth Vader (David Prowse/James Earl Jones) "The Empire Strikes Back"

Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) "The Silence of the Lambs"

Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) "No Country for Old Men"

Archibald Cunningham (Tim Roth) "Rob Roy"

Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer) "Blade Runner"

Khan (Ricardo Maltalban) "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan"

Chancellor Palpatine/Emperor (Ian McDiarmid) "Revenge of the Sith"

Scar (Jeremy Irons) "The Lion King"

Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) "The Matrix

 

[Aaron Silverman]

What, no love for Tony Montana?


Going off the beaten path. . .


Satan in South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut.

James Woods as Max in Once Upon a Time in America.

Michael Keaton as Beetlejuice.


And of course, Billy Zabka as Johnny!

 

[JonZ]

Hmmm... so many...


The Joker (The Dark Knight)

Darth Vader ( The Empire Strikes Back)

Bill The Butcher (Gangs of NY)

Hans Gruber (Die Hard)

Kyung-chul ( I Saw The Devil - wait until this film becomes more popular in a few months time. Best villian prob since Lecter)

Anton Chigurh(No Country For Old Men)

Hal9000 (2001 A Space Odyssey)

Hannibal Lecter (Silence of he Lambs)

Daniel Plainview (There Will Be Blood)

Generel Zod (Superman 2)

Roy Batty (Blade Runner)

Khan (The Wrath Of Khan)

Patrick Bateman (American Psycho "I have to return some videotapes")

Vito & Michael Corleone (The Godfather 1& 2)

Norman Bates (Psycho)

 

[Tim Glover]

Darth Vader....by a pretty wide margin for me.

BTW, GREAT list there Terry. Great list.