I cruised through Netflix last night, stopping randomly on a British movie called, you guessed it, ‘Villain’. I just love movies about gangsters where I understand every third word. I would say it was hardly original, but entertaining enough. Most importantly, it clocked in at a tidy 97 minutes, which is something more movies could take a lesson from these days. I, for one, do not need 220 minutes on why Batman’s fucked up childhood as led to his current life as a full-time billionaire, part-time vigilante. Do something, Congress!
Anyway, it did strike me that the villain is often the most interesting character in any particular medium, and that drafting them would kill a Monday almost as effectively as a villain might dispose of someone who has looked at them the wrong way.
For the rules, we go to this week’s commissioner, a man I would consider an all-timer at portraying villains, Mr. Peter Lorre.
The rules are simple, yet complicated, much like the ideal villain. They can be either an antagonist or a protagonist. Their role in the particular medium does not matter so much as their actions. The only rule I will impose strictly is that you cannot take an undead killing machine; there will be no Freddy Krugers or Jason Voorhees here. That’s too easy. Darth Vader would be an excellent choice, but so would Walter White: while one is clearly an antagonist and one a protagonist, both engage in activities undeniably villainous. Choose to your taste.
Just for some meta fun, Peter Lorre characters are on the board. If a conflict arises that Peter feels he is not able to impartially decide, I’ll have my first pick step in.
Speaking of that, with the first pick, something that should be obvious from the featured image, I take Tywin Lannister. Charles Dance’s portrayal of Tywin in ‘Game of Thrones’ was terrific. A man absolutely worthy of hatred, a man undeniably opposed, (frequently quite successfully), to the protagonists, yet not without the (very) occasional redeeming touch.
The rest of you are on the clock. As always, wait ten picks or 30 minutes.
Going with the Misters
Mr. Blue from Taking of Pelham 123
Mr. Blonde from Reservoir Dogs
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And since I am a bit of a villain myself, I’ll break the rules and nominate a second choice.
”I’m sorry Cecil. I’m afraid you can’t do that.”
Smashing thread, chaps! It is truly criminal that my King’s African Rifles colleague Idi Amin (from The Last King of Scotland) remains on the board. A truly evil man portrayed by an incredibly gifted thespian with an “eye” for the dramatic!
Idi Amin, while a true villain, also happens to be real. Fiction only, old chap.
Much like an Arsenal goal after a questionable VAR review, this pick is disallowed.
And now Senor clears out the anime antiheroes with picks 2 and 3 because the open thread is up
2. Light Yagami. Kira’s writing everyone’s name in the Death Note.
3. Lelouch Lamperouge. Okay, anti-hero, but considering he (spoilers) made the entire world hate him by becoming emperor of it, before arranging his own murder via the masked figure he gave birth to, I think we can count it.
Last one. G. Joubert from Last Days of the Condor, and Condor.
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Holy shit, it worked! Chrome hasn’t let me comment in like a year. Anyway, did anyone pick Boyd Crowder? Or Wynn Duffy? I’ll take them both.
Ordinarily I’d disallow the two at once pick, but you haven’t been here in a year and what the hell, go for it.
Thanks. I’ll take Hela from Thor as well.
Sark. Even has a villainous name…
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Since you suggested Peter Lorre himself, howsabout him as Joel Cairo and Sidney Greenstreet as the Fat Man in the Maltese Falcon?
I was going to put him in, but figured he had enough going for himself as the Commissioner.
Solid pick though.
All right, gonna round ’em up.
6. Kilgrave (from Jessica Jones)
5. Agent Smith (from The Matrix)
4. Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil (from Dangerous Liasons)
3. Chad (from In The Company Of Men)
2. Nurse Ratched
1. Hannibal Lecter
Very solid draft.
Nicky Santoro
Casino (1995)
The only difference between the movie scene and the actual events was that in reality they set the guy on fire after they were done with him instead of cutting his throat
The evil Todd Manning from One Life to Live.
He’s now on General Hospital, and I am ashamed I know this.
I stopped watching soaps many years ago. Good thing, because the ones I watched, One Life to Live and All My Children, aren’t even on any more. But they were chock full of villains!
Since Hans is long gone:
Simon Peter Gruber, Hans’ brother
O’Brien from 1984.
Most bunny rabbits are soft, cute, gentle lil fellers…
General Woundwort from Watership Down, however, was a psychotic, fascist prick. Kinda like Vladdy Putin in bunny form.
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That’s a good one.
Thanks. Always loved that book…
Me too. Did you like The Plague Dogs?
Ooo. Haven’t read it. Thanks for the rec. Another one for the reading list.
I loved it.
Sounds “Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH” but with puppers instead of rodents. Kewl!
Of course, Woundwort was a baddie, but he wasn’t the true villain in Watership Down. The real baddies were, well….