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.
Hippo has his pill-addled opinion below, but is Walter White a villain? Let’s go to the source:
I started with Star Trek, I’m ending with Star Trek.
Q.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MD05IVpnwFU
Riker: “You brought us [to the Borg], endangered us, and cost us the lives of our shipmates!”
Q: “Oh, please.”
6. My roster is thin at the “comic book villain” position so I’ll go with Kilgrave – as played by David Tennant – from Jessica Jones.
This was a genuine coin toss for me between him and someone else in that fictional universe.
“…it was Barzini all along”
Steve Lift, CEO of WorryFree Incorporated.
Voldemort. Yet another Dark Wizard.
The Kurgan from Highlander
I’m claiming “Gimme The Prize” now for if/when we do closer music entrances, which are entirely different than plate music.
Hell, I’ll write the damn thing if Horatio wants.
5. I have searched carefully and haven’t been able to find him, so I can’t pass up this value – Agent Smith from The Matrix.
MCPOYLES WILL TAKE OVER THE WORLD!
I’ll drink (milk) to that!
I see Vader’s off the board but you know who isn’t?
Chancellor/Emperor Palpatine. Gimme Darth Sidious, my next two picks will probably still be standing.
Sauron was a bit of a dick….
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The Gang from Always Sunny. They are 1000% villians
You can’t draft five players at once…unless…[turns in card for Brandon Marshall]
You’re right that they’re all villains, but RTD is also right that you’re being a right greedy pig taking all 5.
Pick one, the others remain on the table.
Dennis. Hands down
Would absolutely have been my pick.
Sort of an obscure pick, but Larry Miller played villain Michael Dobson on not one but two episodes of Law & Order./revision/latest/top-crop/width/360/height/360?cb=20220131221356
Going with Randall Flagg, aka Richard Frye aka Robert Franq, aka Ramsey Forrest aka Russell Faraday aka Robert Freemont, aka Richard Freemantle aka The Walking Dude aka The Midnight Rambler aka Old Creeping Judas.
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Watch out for The Walkin Dude
Not to be confused with The Loungin Dude
Mental Fitness (self-doubt/self-loathing)
Example: Richard Nixon (Nixon) and George W. Bush (W.)
SSgt. Bob Barnes
I am glad that he and Ricky “Wild Thing” Vaughn were able to push past the collective horrors of Vietnam and become such good teammates for Cleveland years later.
“Their role in the particular medium does not matter so much as their actions.”
Albert Brooks in “Drive”. He gave me chills
https://youtu.be/SS-bO_xxCbQ
Uh, I think I’ll go with just plain ‘ol “Satan”.
In the 4th round, going with Satanico
HOW THE HELL DID I MISS THAT???
Outstanding pick, good sir!
Winner.
The horror. The horror.
“Hey, got any butter?”
You need butter to tango.
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7xd8rb
Ok, going into Bond Girl territory time. The perfect Crazy Latina Villain, Fatima Blush from Never Say Never Again:
¿Ficción? Sí, claro.
🤣😂🤣😂
Another lurker, especially in the Bond universe:
Franz Sanchez
No megalomaniacal plans of world domination or genocide. Just a straight-up, lethal, and believable drug kingpin.
Didn’t that actor die fairly recently?
Regardless, he played a great villain
Time to give yourself a Blair Witch penalty, senor. He’s still going, aged 70 and living in Queens.
Good for him.
Except for the part about Queens. /shudders
THIS SENOR WEASELO I CALL HIM CHRIS JERICHO BECAUSE HORATIO JUST MADE HIS LIST!
“Just a straight-up, lethal, and believable drug kingpin.” – So like the Sackler family, but fictional….
Nope, he had more ethics in his business.
/can’t believe he’s still available
“Why don’t you go eat a fuckin’ sandwich or something?”
-Jimmy Serrano
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_MSg8CyvEM&ab_channel=tyler0896
Clear cut villain who also scared many husbands into monogamy: Alex Forrest in Fatal Attraction
https://youtu.be/WeeESSWBauw
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: in Colombia, “Atracción Fatal” is PG-13.
George C Scott
The Hustler (1961)
“Sideshow” Bob Terwilliger
Outstanding
Disappointed in all of us that he lasted this long.
Once again, surprised not to see “Blair Witch” references…
Damned images
Another Hall of Famer taken:
This wasn’t easy, as there are several choices, but, I mean, Handbanana made Carl want to be around the Aqua Teens for company (and protection).
Ajax from Deadpool
You mean Francis?
Ladies and gentlemen, the EPA’s Walter Peck!
https://youtu.be/DQ2ucU0KTkI
Boooo! The man’s trying to find out if the Ghostbusters are properly storing spirits consisting of God knows what, or if they’re on the verge of creating an environmental disaster.
Calling him a villain is some Ronnie Reagan bullshit.
It’s true. This man has no dick.
He’s a villain and you both can suck it.
ESPECIALLY for comparing me to Ronald Reagan
I did think that might have been a bridge too far, but it really does fit in with 1984 USA.
Lex Luthor
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I like Jesse Eisenberg, but his Luthor is a ripoff of Bruce McCollough
https://youtu.be/iJ__KkzH1U8
One more because I traded all my low-round picks for a bunch of mid-round value:
William Strannix from Under Siege
Tommy Lee Jones at his Joniest
This is an excellent pick
The Overlook hotel itself counts as a villain right? Since that is what possessed Jack Torrance
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I’ll allow it.
Fun fact, my wife went on a ghost tour there and won a night in the suite that inspired King to write the book. She’s pretty convinced it’s haunted af.
The Stanley in Estes Park where it was allegedly inspired or Timberline Lodge in Oregon where a bunch was filmed?
/Should not know either off the top of my head
The Stanley
Good whiskey bar in there.
I hear they’re very big on spirits the…
/Just fucking bombarded with rotten fruit and empty whiskey bottles
We had a firm retreat and stayed at the Stanley. An associate got very wasted and grabbed another associate’s ass and he was let go a week later. The ghosts of corporate malfeasance are stong there!
Stripe:
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This is probably going to get me “Blair Witched”, but I searched and searched and did not see Baron Vladimir Harkonnen.
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& must mention that “Vladimir” sure is a great name for a villain.
Nope, to the best of my knowledge you’re hex free on this one.
Well sonofabitch… I was expecting Vlad to be long gone just because he’s so…. villainous.
Well, that and the first name.
I don’t know how he fell this far, but, here’s a First Ballot Hall of Famer:
Clarence Boddicker
Any one who never misses a Tiger’s game is probably a villain.
Or a masochist.
Bitches Out!
Still good value out there in animal villains.
That shouldn’t count, those humans invaded his home and he was hungry. If anything the crew of the S.S. Orca were the real villains!
I think I’m a minute or two early, but BFC is chomping at the bit and he sends me good beer so…
‘Better Call Saul’ is the best drama on TV right now, and if you’re not watching it you should. Literally every character on that show could be a villain, but my personal favorite at the moment is the charming psychotic Lalo Salamanca.
*champing at the bit
(Thanks, George Carlin, for teaching me that bit of pedantry)
-sigh-
Hedley (NOT Hedy) Lamarr:
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You magnificent bastard
My next two picks COULD possibly be of interest to others and I have meetings, so hurry up and pick to make this all about me
Speaking of real life villains, people who schedule office meetings.
Just for that, my next pick is Brett Favre in There’s Something About Mary.
He was prepared to leave his wife and his 9-year old kid for another woman.
Counts
(apparently, real life Bill Murray is a villian, damn this timeline)
Yeah, saw that they just suspended filming on his latest movie because he was being such a dick.
I know I’m in the minority on this but I’ve never liked real life Bill Murray.
I should dislike his Bastard Man Small Bears fandom, but the acting jobs he did in Lost In Translation and Broken Flowers was next level moving (to me)
He’s a great actor, no doubt about it.
He’s like a slightly better version of Chevy Chase, in that he’s an asshole but with a capacity for good.
No idea on the timing, but zero chance he’s on anyone else’s draft board (save MAYBE Rev) so I’m taking RJ Fletcher from UHF
https://youtu.be/vt4DB1KwrGg
He was actually on my board!
You don’t count, you left the draft room to go vacuum
Professor Moriarty
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Khhhhhaaaaaaan! (Ricardo Montalban Edition)
3rd round… Ilsa Nazi Shewolf.
Go ahead… hit me with the Kinky meme
You’ve earned it.
Lo Pan
Because we both like girls with green eyes.
So does Van Morrison, who at this point might be eligible for the draft in that he’s become a total cartoon villain.
I thought Van Morrison’s thing was for Brown Eyed Girl(s).
Long story involving my wife, that song, and some contact lenses
Omar comin’, yo.
v
whistling can be heard in the distance
David from Prometheus, Alien: Covenant, and whatever the 3rd one will be
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Hated that movie, but he’s a true villain.
That glowing orb looks familiar….
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Sterling Archer
You sir, are a Philistine.
But also probably correct.