Favorite Film Scientists

[Mofo Rising]

I am, you might say, a fan of science. More specifically, the scientific method. Film scientists rarely follow the scientific method; in fact they are usually stand-ins for an excuse to pelt more horror at the audience (with pseudo-scientific babble).

Naturally, they are some of my favorite characters.

I think my favorite scientist is Dr. Matthew "Frankenstein" Logan, portrayed by Richard Liberty in Romero's Dawn of the Dead. For most of the film he displays the absolute arrogance of the pure intellectual, and is one of the only characters to not just stand up to, but completely ignore, Captain Rhodes' claim to authority.

His experiments, ostensibly to find the "cure" for zombiedom start out sinister, and over the course of the film are revealed to be more depraved than one would reasonably expect. The slow reveal that the brilliant Frankenstein isn't just morally questionable, but absolutely insane, is one of my favorite transitions in film.

Of course, he's Romero's criticism of the failings of science (which are not unwarranted), but he's just such an enjoyable character to watch.

Other favorites:
Doc Emmett Brown
That scientist from that dumb movie Bats who loudly proclaims, "That's what we do! We make things better!"

[RCMerchant]

Dr.Erik Vornoff! A genuis! He will create a race of atomic supermen-that vill rule thee woooorld! And he does it with such glee! He loves his job. I would too.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxVa_n9w4bc

I have to add Dr. Horace Meirshultz (what kinda name is that???) in the 1934 classick-MANIAC.

He's only in the film for a short time before his equally insane assistant kills him...but WOW. Whatta guy! He's blinded by science! And now she's making love to me-(wha-oops-uh-uhm....that's not right-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mV9uwd53U64

[venomx]

Dr. Emmett Brown - Back to the Future.

Dr. Frankenstein - Young Frankenstein.

Dr. Boris Balinkoff - Gilligan's Island.

[Doggett]

Ian Malcolm, Jurassic Park....I think he counts.

[Jack]

Saffron Burrows as Dr. Susan McCallister in Deep Blue Sea.  She was trying to find a cure for Alzheimer's because a family member suffered from the disease.  She was using some sort of fluid from the brains of sharks, and of course this required the shark's brains to be made larger to extract more fluid.  And obviously this resulted in the sharks instantly becoming much more intelligent.  I like her because as she explained the situation with her family member, she came off as completely likable, and indeed, worthy of admiration.  Really an example of the finest and most moral ambition of science.  And then she has to put up with everyone else in the movie b***hing and b***hing at her because the intelligent sharks put them all in danger.  A)  There's no way the other members of the science team didn't know what was going on - did they not notice that the amount of brain fluid extracted from the sharks had gone up about 2,000%?  B)  Blaming someone for not foreseeing some highly improbably and completely implausible series of events is just nonsense.  They were trying for the usual "evils of science" cliché, but screwed it up so bad that the scientist, to me at least, came off as a commendable example of what is best about humanity, and everyone else came off as a bunch of b***hy hypocrites more concerned with casting blame than coming up with a plan to save themselves.  Oh, and she's totally hot too 

[darthchicken]

Rotwang from Metropolis.

[Saucerman]

Dr. Rochelle (played by Ace Mask) in THE RETURN OF SWAMP THING (1989).  One of his best scenes is him flipping through a spank mag and drawing gills and flippers on the girls.  That and, even after becoming a pulsating mutant monster, he's still an asthmatic. 

[Flangepart]

Good guy : SPOCK! He knew everything about everything. I mean, Even Scotty depended on him sometimes, and he's a miracal worker!

Bad Guy : Peter Cushing as Dr. F. When ya wanna monster maker with style, Peter's yer guy...oh, and he also blew up Alderran.

[AndyC]

Sir Bedevere the Wise.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBcKyWbYXdM

[p1zl3]

I'ma have to go with Dr.Forrester from MST3K... He's quite possibly everything a B-movie mad-scientist should be!

[the ghoul]

Dr. Pretorious (from The Bride Of Frankenstein)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS94uhCLP9s

[Monster Jungle X-Ray]

Charles Laughton as Dr. Moreau in Island Of Lost Souls - What is the law!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gL3P377BQA

Kudos to RC for Dr. Horace Meirschultz from Maniac, his character has to have the most maniacal laughter in the history of film.

[Neville]

No mention of DR. Herbert West yet?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggLTNlNGtiY

Although the role after he was modelled, Peter Cushing's Frankenstein, should rank even higher.

[RCMerchant]

Charles Laughton as Dr. Moreau in Island Of Lost Souls - What is the law!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gL3P377BQA

Kudos to RC for Dr. Horace Meirschultz from Maniac, his character has to have the most maniacal laughter in the history of film.

That film,for me, has some of the most disturbing imagry from any film of it's time. Wonderful.

[Psycho Circus]

Dr. Ruth (Scanners)