Our bad: The villains we missed

Sun, Sep 28, 2008 at 12:24 PM EST

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Sat, Sep 27, 2008 at 12:17 PM EST

Off the top of my head:

Commodore Norrington in Pirates 2 and 3

Kerri Mon, Mar 31, 2008 at 02:44 PM EST

Yeah, I saw that list and just expected to see Voldemort at the very top. Imagine my surprise when he wasn't on there AT ALL!!! I mean, come ON! You don't even have to see Ralph Fiennes' performances to understand how truly evil this character is. Just reading about him is enough. They can't even SAY HIS NAME!

emily Mon, Mar 31, 2008 at 01:24 PM EST

http://youtube.com/watch?v=aY2tbeP_K1M

Peter Gregory Mon, Mar 31, 2008 at 12:24 PM EST

First off: Maleficent scared the heck out of me as a kid way more than any other Disney villain, to the point where. I get chills whenever I hear that music. She would've eaten the wicked stepmother from Snow White for breakfast and still been hungry. Also Night of the Hunter is terrifying and Robert Mitchum is evil as all get out.

I second Judge Doom, Emperor Palpatine, Pennywise as the primary source of frights from my childhood and Nurse ratched as someone who still gets me screaming at the TV.

There are two that I didn't see yet that absolutely need a mention. Madame Medusa from The Rescuers, still the straight-up darkest and scariest Disney movie of all time. And, I can't believe no-one's mentioned this, Major Arnold Toht, whose evil smile was only slightly scarier than when his face got melted off in raiders of the Lost Ark. Just thinking of that guy creeps me out.

Jackie Mon, Mar 31, 2008 at 09:44 AM EST

Agree with everyone who said Voldemort from "Harry Potter," and bless you to whoever said Mombi from "Return to Oz" (she used to scare the you-know-what out of me).

Unconventional, but I have to add Lorelai's parents on "Gilmore Girls." These are two people who used lying and manipulation to get everything THEY wanted under the pretext of doing 'what they thought was best' for their daughter and granddaughter. Nothing worse than selfishness and dishonesty disguised as love.

Also adding in The First from the final season of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." The First. As in The First Evil. 'nuff said.

JJ Mon, Mar 31, 2008 at 12:12 AM EST

How could you forget Christian Slater as JD in Heaters. The guy killed his classmates for fun and tried to blow up a school while students were at a pep rally. I mean I hated pep rallies and all, but thats taking it a just a tad bit too far.

kim in kentucky Sun, Mar 30, 2008 at 09:42 PM EST

The Ringwraiths from Lord of the Rings -- shudder!

May Saiki Sun, Mar 30, 2008 at 08:25 PM EST

OK. What's up with Voldemort and Sauron??? These are villains that have ABSOLUTELY no redeeming qualities, while a fair number of the ones you put up (*coughDarthVadercough*) do. Sauron only plunged Middle Earth into utter chaos for some thousands of years, killing millions, and oh, Voldemort? Yeah. He only laid the whole magical community to waste, killed thousands, was a racist (bloodist?), tortured orphans when he was 10, and killed HARRY POTTER'S PARENTS! Before trying to kill Harry, who was ONE AT THE TIME. Killing babies? How does that not warrant an evil spot???

Mike Sun, Mar 30, 2008 at 07:52 PM EST

Michelle Pfeiffer-Batman Returns
Jack Nicholson-Batman, The Departed, Witches of Eastwick
George Bush-Fahrenheit 9/11

Matt Sun, Mar 30, 2008 at 07:18 PM EST

I was a bit disappointed that a couple of great villains didn't make the list. These particular baddies come to mind:

Davy Jones - Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man's Chest and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Sauron - The Lord of the Rings

Warden Norton - The Shawshank Redemption

Neil McCauley - Heat

The Alien - Alien

The Queen - Aliens

The Predator - Predator

Jigsaw - Saw

The Monster - Cloverfield

Bruce - Jaws

The Strangers - Dark City -- These guys are most often forgotten in the gallery of great villains; their mere appearance gives me the creeps!

Overall, Sauron, the Predator, and the Alien were most deserving to be on the list.

Sun, Mar 30, 2008 at 06:09 PM EST

Wow, I'm embarassed for EW that readers had to mention Alex from "A Clockwork Orange."

Oooh one more Sun, Mar 30, 2008 at 05:27 PM EST

Samara from "The Ring"- I don't scare easily, but that final scene got me!

Jen Sun, Mar 30, 2008 at 05:23 PM EST

I just watched "The Departed" again this weekend, so I'm adding Matt Damon's Colin Sullivan to the list. Even though I've seen it several times, I still feel betrayed by him when he deletes Billy Costigan from the files.

mertits Sun, Mar 30, 2008 at 04:54 PM EST

Alex from "A Clockwork Orange"? Come on he should have been at the top of the list. Pure unwavering evil, a man that desires violence and evil above all else. Joker and Voldermort too

Kay Sun, Mar 30, 2008 at 10:36 AM EST

Miculy Culkin in The Good Son
The Alien from Alien
Mrs. Voorhees from Friday the 13th
The creatures from The Descent
The high school president from Ferris Buellers Day Off
Matt Damon in the Talented Mr. Ripley

Sun, Mar 30, 2008 at 04:12 AM EST

MYCHAEL MYERS AND VOLDEMORT!!

glg Sun, Mar 30, 2008 at 12:58 AM EST

Your list lacks Voldemort, Hannibal Lecter, and Alan Arkin as Roat from Wait Until Dark.

Nix Sun, Mar 30, 2008 at 12:19 AM EST

May Welling from "The Age of Innocence."

Carlos Sat, Mar 29, 2008 at 11:43 PM EST

Voldemort(Ralph Fiennes) from Harry Potter, He's not only based on such real and fictional villains as Hitler,Stalin,Darth Vader and the impersonation if evil but Fiennes's portrail of him leaves you thinking you walked into a horror movie instead of a Harry Potter Movie

Andrea Sat, Mar 29, 2008 at 11:19 PM EST

Nina Brown played by Wesley Snipes in New Jack City. He used a little girl to shield him from gunfire. Nuff said.

Paul S. Sat, Mar 29, 2008 at 08:52 PM EST

How on earth could you forget the most devilishly stylest villian of all: Miranda Priestly. Meryl Streep was ice cold and created a villain who didn't depend on physical weapons or brute strength for her power. Her fixed glare, demanding commands, and ability to intimidate with a calm tone of voice were her choice of weapons that scared anyone she encountered. Most importantly, Streep gave Miranda a very human facet that made audiences identify with the editrex. Now that's scary.

Nicolletta Sat, Mar 29, 2008 at 07:35 PM EST

Terrence Stamp in "Superman II"

KNEEL before ZOD!!

Sat, Mar 29, 2008 at 07:32 PM EST

Michael Myers
Jason Voorhees
Agent Smith
Gary Busey as Mr. Joshua in "Lethal Weapon"
The Xenomorph in "Alien" (and the sequels)
The Predator in "Predator"
Peter Stormare as Gaear Grimsrud in "Fargo"
The house in "The Amityville Horror"
Christopher Lee as Dracula
Tom Noonan as Francis Dollarhyde in "Manhunter"
The possessed Regan McNeil in "The Exorcist"

Dixie Sat, Mar 29, 2008 at 06:00 PM EST

Great list, but a few quibbles. First off, I never really saw Doc Ock as a villain, but more of a tragic figure (at least in the movie). I mean, the poor guy saw his wife die right in front of him, then had his own invention take over his body! Is it any wonder he became unhinged? The Green Goblin was more of a villain to my way of thinking.
Second, the omission of the original animated baddie: The Wicked Queen in Snow White. Maleficent had nothing on this b****. She's been the scourge of stepchildren for the last 70 years.
And finally, although it's already been said: Where's Voldemort?
Other than that, good work.

Camilla Sat, Mar 29, 2008 at 05:12 PM EST

Alright, maybe it's just me, but mean little kids are scary, far scarier than their full-grown counterparts. So, I've got to wonder where Rhoda Penmark from The Bad Seed is! Honestly, what's creepier than a blonde, pigtailed serial killer?

But the exclusion of BOTH The Joker and Agent Smith? That's harsh.

lance Sat, Mar 29, 2008 at 02:22 PM EST

You forgot Louise Fletcher both as nurse Ratched in ONE FLEW OVER and Mrs. Mckeltch in INVADERS FROM MARS!

more on that horrifying character here:
http://www.kindertrauma.com/?p=215

rsncrntz Sat, Mar 29, 2008 at 01:20 PM EST

I just watched the documentary The King of Kong, and I haven't spent nearly as much time shouting at and getting angry at a character as I have at Billy Mitchell. No, he didn't kill anyone, but he definitely makes quite a villain!

kim in kentucky Sat, Mar 29, 2008 at 01:03 PM EST

SPIKE from Gremlins -- as he leaves the house, he stops and blows his nose on the living room curtains - now THAT's mean!! -- Ray Liotta in Something Wild and Billy Zane in Titanic

Amber Sat, Mar 29, 2008 at 12:54 PM EST

Glenn Close: Fatal Attraction
Anthony Hopkins: Silence of the Lambs
Christian Bale: American Psycho
Joe Pesci: Casino and Goodfellas
Tom Hanks and Daniel Craig: Road to Perdition
Kathy Bates: Misery
Tim Curry (Pennywise): IT
The car from Christine
Steve Buscemi and that other creepy guy: Fargo

And the funny yet creepy:

Kevin Klein: A Fish Called Wanda
Slimer: Ghostbusters
Rachel McAdams: Mean Girls
Lumberg: Office Space
Stewie: Family Guy
Rob Lowe: Tommy Boy

MOMENG Sat, Mar 29, 2008 at 11:52 AM EST

Gary Oldman as either Mason Verger (Hannibal) or Dracula, Vincent D'Onofrio in Full Metal Jacket, the alien in Predator, the alien in Aliens, Percy (guard) in The Green Mile

Rose Tyler Sat, Mar 29, 2008 at 10:20 AM EST

So no evil Bond villains? I'll never forget Dr. Julius No. The first and still the best. Also I whole heartily agree with the Wicked Witch of the West but lest not forget Mombi from Return to Oz. There is little more frightening to a child then a baddy who can change her head at whim. Not too mention if she likes your head, she just might take it.

Michael Sat, Mar 29, 2008 at 09:02 AM EST

You got Robert Mitchum in his best role as the preacher in "Night of the Hunter", but he was a much creepier Max Cady in the original "Cape Fear" than Robert De Niro was in Scorsese's remake.

tia77 Sat, Mar 29, 2008 at 08:54 AM EST

Definitely agree that Joker, Judge Doom, Lex Luthor, and Goldfinger, Voldemort, and Sauron need to be added.
I'd also add Biff from Back the the Future, Johnny or Sensei from Karate Kid, and Ed Rooney from Ferris Bueller's.

Veronica Sat, Mar 29, 2008 at 04:45 AM EST

Robert Knepper as Theodore "T-Bag" Bagwell in Prison Break is an awesome villain, psychotic, vicious, surviving as a cockroach and pretty smart. Besides, you shouldn't forget Sylar (Zachary Quinto) in Heroes, hot, powerful and incredibly evil :D

Rakeem Sat, Mar 29, 2008 at 03:17 AM EST

Um...Ursula from the Little Mermaid! Duh!

Spring_Chicken Sat, Mar 29, 2008 at 02:48 AM EST

I've always thought that Michelle Pfeiffer in the little-seen (and underappreciated) movie White Oleander was a very scary and, yes, evil villain: Ingrid Magnussen (is that how it's spelled?) is the sort of character whose sense of entitlement spelled doom for everyone around her; she doesn't believe she's bad, she thinks she's special. And Pfeiffer, with the right combination of coldness and righteous indignation, gives me the chills every time I see the film.

MEM Sat, Mar 29, 2008 at 12:24 AM EST

How about Ben Linus from "Lost" (played by Michael Emerson--he also played a freaky guy in The Practice who was beheaded by another freaky killer who dressed up like a nun.) Great villain who calls himself "one of the good guys..."

Jessica Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 10:43 PM EST

Benny-I'm glad you mentioned the females. I heartily agree with your ladies, but I would have to include my all-time favorite Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest. I always think twice about hanging up a wire hanger in my closet.

kim in kentucky Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 09:55 PM EST

ooh, and Earl Talbott Blake (John Lithgow) in Ricochet -- when he responds to guard's question about whether or not he flossed that morning ..... oooh creepy/nasty!

kim in kentucky Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 09:46 PM EST

Hopper (Kevin Spacey) from "A Bug's Life" - not just mean -- he LOOKED scarey! Nothing like a giant grasshopper glaring at you from a movie screen looking like he's going to bite your face off.

amanda Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 09:16 PM EST

How about Sauron from LOTR, Voldemort, Emperor Palpatine, and Dracula?

JM Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 08:55 PM EST

Gary Oldman (Stansfield - The Professional
Christopher Lloyd (Judge Doom) - Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Kimberly Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 08:25 PM EST

Warden Norton in The Shawshank Redemption. That man was more a criminal than the ones he kept locked up behind bars.

chris.m Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 07:55 PM EST

how about the king from braveheart ,edward longshanks (sorry my spelling isnt the best ) he was a mean bastard or the guy from the patroit ,forget his name but he is the guy who kills mel gibson's son's he is played by the guy who plays luciuos malfoy,another mean bastard ....

GeeMoney Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 07:41 PM EST

PS - I know Mr. Feather isn't creepy or scary or anything.... but he's defintely a good villain.

GeeMoney Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 07:40 PM EST

I don't know how many people saw Undercover Brother, but Chris Kattan as Mr. Feather is an awesome villain. He's so funny! I'm laughing just thinking about his performance!

Stephanie Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 06:30 PM EST

I know there were Disney villains already on the list but Shan-Yu from Mulan is terrifying-I jumped the first few times I saw him pop out of the snow after the avalanche. My terror was further compounded when a character of him was going around EPCOT completely without warning-just appearing and scaring the crap out of me and others. I also think Jafar is scarier than Maleficent, but that's just my opinion.

Rachel Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 06:03 PM EST

Col Kurtz in Apocalypse Now! Built up so well and then so much worse than you could have imagined. Although I guess the real villain in that movie is the war itself but let's not get too metaphorical.

Heather Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 05:45 PM EST

What about the Wicked Stepmother from Snow White? That woman was scaaary. That scene where she turns to a hag and there's all that music, light, and skulls? That's the main reason why I still cannot watch Snow White.

lordheinrich Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 05:31 PM EST

Where are Lex Luthor and the Joker?

dala Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 05:30 PM EST

sarah michelle gellar in "cruel intentions"!!!!!! best teen villain.

steph Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 04:57 PM EST

Ok, where is Bill the Butcher? Daniel Day Lewis from Gangs of New York. "That's a kill, that's a wound"...anyone?

Also, I can't remember if it made the initial list but the character Glenn Close plays in Dangerous Liasons.

E.P. Sato Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 04:55 PM EST

Where was Luther from the Warriors? He is a timeless villain!

The line "Warriors Come out to PlaYYYY" was used to sell a 2004 video game based on a 1979 movie. How's THAT for a memorable villain? It was also rehashed as "bad boys, come out to playyy" for Bad Boy Records, quoted by the Wu Tang Clan AND parodied by Dave Chappelle, more than 20 years after the Warriors screened.

How you gonna put David Carradine's half assed impersonation of Han from Enter the Dragon over an A class villain like Luther? And really, do you expect the psycho from the already forgotten 'Single White Female' to be hawking video games to another generation? I don't think so.

Though David Patrick Kelly has played a million roles since Luther, by his own admission its what people most remember him for. The man was practically typecast as a villain for the rest of his career thanks to this role.

Clearly, some fiendish villain is responsible!

Mike Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 04:54 PM EST

Gary Oldman-The Professional. Come on. "Get me everyone." What a good line made Classic by a great Performance.

Sarah Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 04:52 PM EST

I totally agree about Pennywise from "It". I watched that movie when I was in Grade 3 at a sleepover (what kind of parent lets kids in Grade 3 watch a movie like that in the first place). And the girl whose house I was staying at had her room covered with clowns. I was so emotionally traumatized I had nightmares for 3 months and had to sleep with my sister with a nightlight or I wouldn't sleep. I still hate clowns!

Vicky Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 04:44 PM EST

Totally agree with NineDaves. Judge Doom terrified me as a child. That steamroller part was engraved in my mind for years.

Derreck Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 04:29 PM EST

Kill Bill - Elle Driver(Daryl Hannah)
She was just plain menacing, and totally cold-hearted. you have to be really evil to plant a snake in a suitcase, and after the guy gets bitten, slowly describe how he is going to die. EVIL. loved her though.

TIE: Archdeacon Frollo - The Hunchback of Notre Dame AND Jafar from Aladdin.
Frollo was the most wicked Disney villain because he was the most human and the most realistic. driven by lust by Esmeralda, he decides to give her a ultimatum. love me or burn.

and Jafar..well, Jafar was just wonderfully over the top and hilarious. i always loved the malice in his voice whenever he called Aladdin, "street rat"

Michael Corleone - The Godfather series (Al Pacino)
The first two movies were all about Michael's descent from decent man to monster. Even his wife had an abortion so she wouldn't have his child...and he killed his own brother!

Tom Ripley - The Talented Mr. Ripley(Matt Damon)
cold blooded killer who makes you feel sorry for him

Jelana Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 04:25 PM EST

Some very good suggestions here. Let me add Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko. The white collar greedy guys are the scariest of them all.

Cara Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 04:11 PM EST

Ving Rhames as Marsellus Wallace, "Pulp Fiction"! The absolute blueprint for the afro gangster villain.
You got Darth Vader, but what about the one who's irredeemable--Darth Sidius? Equal parts seductive and repellent, horrifying and horrible and just begging for your boos and hisses.
Heck, while we're in the Star Wars universe, you just can't beat Darth Maul for sheer badassery. I maintain that the Star Wars prequels would have been perfectly okay if only they'd had Darth Maul flip out and kill everyone in the cast. Now THAT would have been a prequel!

Benny Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 04:08 PM EST

Excellent list, but you missed some of the baddest ladies in cinema to me : Anne Baxter as Eve Harrington in "All about Eve" , Barbara Stanwyck as "Phyllis Dietrickson" in "Double indemnity" , Bette Davis as Baby Jane Hudson in "Whatever happened to Baby Jane", Mercedes McCambridge as Emma Small in "Johnny Guitar" and my favorite : Michelle Pfeiffer as catwoman in "Batman returns".

MCM Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 04:02 PM EST

Rhoda, the little girl from The Bad Seed. Creepy kid who kills just so she can have her way? Gives me chills.

Minutiae Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 03:55 PM EST

Personally, I'm glad you eschewed some of the more predictable slasher-movie villains and included ones like John Doe from Se7en instead. I would, however, include the rotten-to-the-core yet cowardly-as-they-come Prince Humperdinck from The Princess Bride. So evil, yet such a worm... it was great to see him get his comeuppance at the end.

Nick Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 03:49 PM EST

Scott Pritchard, aka Will Patton... forever typecast after _No Way Out_ (1987). The stare alone and soft demeanor still give me chills.

Also, Louis Boyer in Gaslight.
Joseph Cotton in Shadow of a Doubt.
Robert Walker in Strangers on a Train.
and... just for fun... Herbert Lom in the Pink Panther movies (particularly in The Pink Panther Strikes Again).

paige Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 03:47 PM EST

where's Ursula for The Little Mermaid? She was THE scariest drag queen in the history of Disney cartoons.

I'm suprised nobody mentioned Arnold for Terminator. You're telling me you didnt get freaked out when he takes his eye out???

COME ON! Leatherface gets a nod and Michael Myers gets the cold shoulder? you're telling me that the scene when Laurie thinks he's dead and she takes a breath and he gets up in the quietest, freakiest way didnt make you s*** your pants?! you definately got a stomach of steel. NOBODY hides in the shadows better than Michael Myers!

CS Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 03:45 PM EST

Although not a traditional villain, Lumbergh from Office Space ("He represents all that is soulless and wrong!")

Aaron Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 03:43 PM EST

I know it's fairly recent and wasn't a big hit, but I thought Philip Seymour Hoffman was to-the-bone chilling in M:I-3. He was calm without being particularly flippant and you knew, right away, he had every intention of fulfilling the deadly promises he made.

monica Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 03:40 PM EST

my friend just told me:
Voldemort - DUH! Harry Potter
Jafar - Aladdin

paige Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 03:40 PM EST

oh ceballos- once again you predicted what i was gonna say hours before i even read this post :-(

- i agree 100% with Lil ze who is as pyschotic as any real gangster in a third world ghetto can ever be. i love how he takes what he wants and is completely jealous of his friend but loves him just the same. he's so vane cause he knows he's ugly! f***in brilliant if you ask me! and yes 1,000% agree with you about pennywise... sadly, that bad t.v. movie only got casting Tim Curry. I swear they should remake IT on HBO call it "Derry", make it a 2 season series and recast Tim Curry (btw- i sooo trademarked that!)

daisyj Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 03:40 PM EST

Okay, if you have space for something like five Disney villains, you totally should have been able to fit in one or two more of Hitchcock's (and, Ming the Merciless? Really?). My votes would go to "Strangers on a Train"'s sociopathic obsessive Bruno Anthony, and Mr. Thorwald from "Rear Window." You don't really realize what an amazing acting job Raymond Burr with that role, until you think that he had to play almost the entire movie from a distance, and still manages to imbue his character with enough desperation and menace that when you hear his footsteps coming up to Jimmy Stewart's apartment it's absolutely terrifying.

Ames Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 03:39 PM EST

I'll go with Cody Jarrett -- James Cagney's character in White Heat. Maybe he doesn't count since technically he is the protagonist in the movie. But he's evil, so it should count right?

Elissa Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 03:38 PM EST

Sauron - Lord of the Rings
Saruman - Lord of the Rings
Voldemort - Harry Potter
"Keys" - in the ET film (as a child he scared the crap out of me)

CS Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 03:38 PM EST

Eric from Billy Madison ("He is a BAD, BAD MAN!!!")

Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 03:36 PM EST

hey eric friedman - he was on the list. he's even in linked photo!

DanOregon Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 03:35 PM EST

To me the best villians a) have an accent b) are normally controlled but have a habit of sudden uncontrolled and even irrational brutality c) When not surrounded by henchmen, are big time cowards.

Los Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 03:35 PM EST

One more, Biff from Back To The Future (credit to NineDaves for reminding me; Christopher Lloyd connection)

monica Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 03:33 PM EST

These are kind of lame, but I don't usually watch movies that involve villains:
Matt Damon - Talented Mr. Ripley
Peter Stormare - Constantine
Leonardo DiCaprio - Man in the Iron Mask
Raymond Burr - Rear Window
Danny DeVito - Batman Returns
Jack Nicholson - Joker in Batman; don't remember if you included him. But how about for the Shining too?
Al Pacino - Devil's Advocate
Sarah Michelle Gellar - Cruel Intentions

oh and I second the Star Wars Chancellor/Emperor Palpatine. Sooo ugly and evil.

Los Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 03:32 PM EST

These are just for fun: Samson (Half Baked), Dee-Bo (Friday), Hedley Lamarr (Blazing Saddles), Fred O'Bannon (Dazed & COnfused), Alonzo (Training Day), Castor Troy (Face/Off- played by John Travolta, to clear up confusion)

Brooke Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 03:27 PM EST

Hellloooo? Byron Hadley and Warden Norton anyone? Shawkshank Redemption!One was a BMF with a wicked beatin' stick who patrolled for weaklings and the other a man who killed an innocent guy for wanting to testify for the wrongly accused. Or were you being obtuse?

NineDaves Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 03:26 PM EST

I'd also like to throw a shout out to Judge Doom (Christopher Lloyd) in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. Come on - you KNOW you were scared of him as a kid. A man who wanted to destroy all toons and hated laughter? Way more scary than Darth Vader! I remember losing my mind when I learned he was a toon ("Holy smokes he's a toon!), but him getting flattened by a steamroller was still one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Exhibit A: http://youtube.com/watch?v=GvxxdIaPolY

Jasmine Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 03:24 PM EST

The house/ghosts in Poltergeist have freaked me out since I was five. They were invisible, malicious, and you couldn't fight them. I now have a permanent aversion to closets, clown dolls and television static.

Eric Friedmann Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 03:22 PM EST

Actor Javier Bardem in NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN! His eerie calmness made him all the more evil!

Los Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 03:21 PM EST

Shame, shame... All this discussion and still not one mention of Alex from A Clockwork Orange or the Joker (Jack Nicholson) from Batman (which should have been one of the most obvious ones). Really, people? Really??

Sher Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 03:19 PM EST

Ralph Fiennes as Voldemort?!?

Blurb Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 03:17 PM EST

Um, hello - where is Kevin Bacon from "Sleepers"?? Like with the evil "Cuckoo" nurse, you just want to smother Bacon's sleazy child-rapist by the end of the film. In a star-studded (albeit flawed) feature, Bacon truly maliciously stands out.

NineDaves Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 03:15 PM EST

Beverly R. Sutphin (Kathleen Turner) in Serial Mom. I swear, I've never been able to listen to Barry Manilow's "Daybreak" the same way since. And everytime I see someone wearing white shoes after Labor Day, I get nervous.

H2OHen Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 03:12 PM EST

First of all, let me just say that I was THRILLED at the inclusion of Maleficent. I have been a fan of her as the perfect villain for years!

Secondly, the first "miss" that came to my mind was Jason Isaacs as Col. Tavington in the Patriot. Anytime I think of that character, I get chills, and its what made me knew he was the right choice for Lucius Malfoy in the HP fils as well.
I also agree about the Emporer from Star Wars. He was bad to the end, unlike the Star Wars villain on your list.

EP Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 03:08 PM EST

I would have to say Richard Kiel, who played "Jaws" in the James Bond movies. I remember seeing him when I was 5 or 6 years old and he scared the heck out of me!

ChadronJames Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 03:07 PM EST

Mary Tyler Moore as Beth Jarrett in Ordinary People. She was such an evil mother that I never wanted to watch that movie again, and I appreciated every hug I got from my Mom.

Dtom Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 02:59 PM EST

By the way, to Jon Hughes, I was going to agree with you, but then I realized that these "lists" are on the ew.com, not in the magazine. If you want "REAL content on REAL topics in the entertainment industry," pick up a print copy of Entertainment Weekly (EW - you can send my royalty check anytime).

mikey Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 02:58 PM EST

And let's not forget Alex Forrest (Glenn Close) from "Fatal Attraction" after all, she will not be ignored.

ChadronJames Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 02:58 PM EST

Where is Cyrus 'The Virus' Grissom? Yes Con Air is a ridiculous (but fun) movie, but you will never find a smarter more entertaining villain.

Court Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 02:57 PM EST

I thought it was a great list, for the most part, but I disagreed with your choice of Gollum as the LOTR villain. He's more a victim of circumstance as well as his own greed and lust, and is actually more of a sympathetic character, to me, for most of the films, other than for a few moments when he does creepy things, and the very, very end. I would have chosen Saruman, because he's more sinister and iconically evil, is the polar opposite of Gandalf's goodness, and because he's frickin' Christopher Lee.

Dtom Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 02:57 PM EST

To Ceballos - Pennywise also freaked me out...

What about Dr. Evil? I mean, he was inept and decidedly comic-book evil, but evil nonetheless.

Also, how about the Poltergeist from, er, "Poltergeist"? I had nightmares about getting eaten by trees after watching that movie.

Jon Hughes Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 02:57 PM EST

Plus, you list Freddy Krueger but miss the greatest slasher killers of all time: Michael Myers from "Halloween" and Jason Vorhees from "Friday the 13th"?

Good Grief!

mikey Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 02:49 PM EST

How about Lee Van Cleef's Angel Eyes from "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly"? A professional badass who took quiet, cool satisfaction from killing, torturing, or disdainfully dispelling one's illusion that such a thing as justice was possible. Besides, he was a title character -- "The Bad" -- in a movie with a truly classic title.

mykietown Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 02:49 PM EST

Jade Fox, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon...that's one scarry old lady that you don't want to mess with.

Marquise Merteuil, Dangerous Liasons...what Paris Hilton will probably look like in about 15 years...

Jon Hughes Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 02:48 PM EST

Is there a particular reason that all EW can do these days is come up with "lists" of 50 greatest whatevers?

None of these lists are definitive by any means, and this is starting to get as ridiculous as VH1's "50 greatest rock songs/videos/etc."

How about some REAL content on REAL topics in the entertainment industry?

Oh, and you left key James Bond villians (Goldfinger, Blofeld, etc.)off the list too. And Chancellor/Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars.

Weak.

Mrs. Taylor Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 02:48 PM EST

I'm still totally freaked out by "Bob" from Twin Peaks. Remember that shot of him appearing in the corner of Laura Palmer's living room, then slowly crossing, climbing over the back of the couch, and ending up, mouth wide open, with his face right in the camera? Yeesh. That's a sleep-with-the-lights-on moment.

davkat Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 02:46 PM EST

"Mister" (Danny Glover) from "The Color Purple". He was just plain mean to Whoopie Goldberg's character through the whole movie until the end when his conscience gets the best of him.