LOVING HOLLYWOOD'S BADDIES

Woody Allen said he was more attracted to the bad witch in Sleeping Beauty than the recumbent good girl? I am the same way. I like warped sickos. The smarter, the nastier, the better.

Chosing my favorite baddies is always a challenge. Is it Hannibal Lecter or momma's boy Norman Bates? Maybe it's Machiavellian Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars? Whom ever it is, they all fascinate me.

It's not just males. There are some really bad mothers out there, too. Consider Nurse Ratched, Phyllis Dietrichson or Mrs. John Iselin. These gals dispensed drugs, murdered husbands or plotted the overthrow the US. Not your typical girl next door, but I am still drawn to them

The best villain is Hannibal Lecter. Affluent, articulate, and educated, he has a mordantly tasteful sense of humor. His tastes also extend to human flesh, usually served with a nice chianti. Admit it, deep inside, we like Hannibal. Maybe we wish we could be him. He goes to the dark corners of our souls, but with class.

OK, so besides Hannibal, who are the best villains of all time? Here are ten. First the males and then the females, but in no particular order and this is not the ultimate list. It's just a beginning.
MEN
Norman Bates, Anthony Perkins, Psycho
Darth Vader, David Prowse/James Earl Jones, Star Wars
Michael Corleone, Al Pacino, Godfather II
Hans Gruber, Alan Rickman, Die Hard
Frank Booth, Dennis Hopper, Blue Velvet
Roger 'Verbal' Kint, Kevin Spacey, The Usual Suspects
Amon Goeth, Ralph Fiennes, Schindler's List
Frank, Henry Fonda, Once Upon a Time in the West
Uncle Charlie, Joseph Cotten, Shadow of a Doubt
Clarence Boddicker, Kurtwood Smith, RoboCop

WOMEN
Wicked Witch of the West, Margaret Hamilton, Wizard of Oz
Lily Dillon, Angelica Huston, The Grifters
Nurse Ratched, Louise Fletcher, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Phyllis Deitrichson, Barbara Stanwyck, Double Indemnity
Matty Walker, Kathleen Turner, Body Heat
Alex Forrest, Glenn Close, Fatal Attraction
Mrs. John Iselin, Angela Lansbury, Manchurian Candidate
Regan MacNeil, Linda Blair, The Exorcist
Annie Wilkes, Kathy Bates, Misery
Catherine Trammell, Sharon Stone, Basic Instinct

Do you notice anything about this list? The guys are just mostly amorrally bad while the majority the women are black widows - manipulating and using men for monetary gain. I hope that says something more about our society than me.

Before I leave, how about some great non-human villains?
Bruce, Jaws
The Alien, Alien
Agent Smith, Hugo Weaving, The Matrix
Pod People, Invasion of the Body Snatchers
T-1000, Robert Patrick, Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Gollum, Andy Serkis, Lord of the Rings
HAL 9000, Douglas Rain (voice), 2001: A Space Odyssey
Imhotep, Arnold Vosloo, The Mummy
Predator, Kevin Peter Hall, Predator
Sil, Natasha Henstridge, Species

Now it's time to close out, but before I say goodbye, here's two quotes from the master of cinematic evil, Alfred Hitchcock:

"The more successful the villain, the more successful the picture"

"In the old days villains had moustaches and kicked the dog. Audiences are smarter today.....They want an ordinary human being with failings."

So who do you love to hate or is that hate to love?

Garen has been sitting in the dark for over 30 years as an film exhibitor, consultant and reviewer. You may have seen him on NE Cable or some other Boston station.  More likely you heard him pontificating about films on NPR, TKK, RKO, New Hampshire Public Radio, or any number of other stations he's been on, but one thing is certain, he loves, and knows, film. Be sure to check out BostonSci-Fi Film Fest.