Ten Greatest Film Villains

[Zapranoth]

David Carradine, as Bill, was a darned good villain too, I thought.   Certainly not a conventional villain, but greatly entertaining.

I've been rewatching Kill Bill v1 and 2, and I particularly enjoy the chapter (in 2) labelled "The Massacre at Two Pines."  (That's the one that shows the actual shooting at the wedding rehearsal.)  The bizarrely bright black and white filming gives Carradine a great look, and the tension is drawn out so well -- Beatrix gets a horrified/sick look on her face when she hears the flute, and then a mixture of grief and something else when she (mistakenly) thinks he is going to let it all go peaceably.    And then there's that awesomely mad look Carradine gives the groom when the groom says "I like to live dangerously!"  and Carradine pauses, and says "I know exactly what you mean."

And then there's the whole Pai Mei story that he tells by the campfire.  =)

Great use of an excellent second-tier actor.  More than most directors I've seen (not by any means as exhaustive, my viewings, as for most of you here) Tarantino has a gift for taking that has-been tarnish off of some actors and polishing them into diamonds again.

[Allhallowsday]

I've been rewatching Kill Bill v1 and 2, and I particularly enjoy the chapter (in 2) labelled "The Massacre at Two Pines."  (That's the one that shows the actual shooting at the wedding rehearsal.)  The bizarrely bright black and white filming gives Carradine a great look, and the tension is drawn out so well --
Great use of an excellent second-tier actor.  More than most directors I've seen (not by any means as exhaustive, my viewings, as for most of you here) Tarantino has a gift for taking that has-been tarnish off of some actors and polishing them into diamonds again.

Well said Zapranoth, though Quentin Tarrantino's schtick seems to be dusting off "second-tier" actors, I think his attraction is their tarnish and not so much a polish (he also resurrected Pam Grier, Robert Forster, and even John Travolta.) 

I watch KILL BILL VOL 1 or 2 whenever I get a chance, after repeated viewings, though, there's much to speed thru, but I do find them vastly entertaining.  Though I own the DVDs, I recently sat thru a TBS or TNT back-to-back showing, complete with commercials every 5 minutes.  Why?  It was on. 

[Ozzymandias]

Ozzymandias speaks: Monica Mooney of Rats Are Coming, The Werewolves are Here (I love crazy girls) and Douglas C. Neidemeyer from Animal House.

Ozzymandias has spoken!!!

[Kroogur]

In no particular order,

Freddy Krueger: why? because in at least the first 3 movies he was downright evil, he was calculating, methodical, and relentless all great qualities for a villian.

Max Schrek (Batman Returns) why? because he is perhaps the worst kind of villian as he will calm you with a warm smile, and reassuring words right before he gets You!! he is morally and ethically bankrupt yet a proficient enough liar to make folks think he's an ok guy.

Dr. Phibes: why? this dude is so brazen and badass he will get you no matter what you do, surrounded by police? ain't gonna help you, locked in a room alone? he still gets you! out in the exact middle of nowhere? he'll find you....if you are on his "list" you might as well just give up.

Dr. Smith(Lost in Space TV show or Movie): why? because he brings out the absolute worst in human nature, he is petty,coniving,greedy,self serving, and will stop at nothing to get what he wants, he will sell out his friends in a heartbeat to get what he wants.

Captain Howdy (Strangeland): why? he is not afraid to follow his own path and the fact that he preys on  children and taunts the parents and authorities while he does it makes him even worse.

[Fausto]

Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper) in Blue Velvet
Captain Vidal (Sergei Lopez) in Pan's Labyrinth
Judge Doom/Baron Von Rotten (Christopher Lloyd) in Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Elizabeth Nadosheen (Ingrid Pitt) in Countess Dracula

I forgot one - Kate Capshaw as flyboy's mother in The Locusts - possibly one of the most evil female characters ever comitted to celluloid

[peter johnson]

Oh, word . . .
Too many choices . . .
I read over what has already been posted here and am overhwhelmed --
Really, there are so many worthy candidates . . .
HOWEVER . . . (Didn't you know there would be a "however"?). . .
I would say that Robert Mitchum's duty in "Night of The Hunter", standing in for Charles Laughton's tortured Psyche, is perhaps the single sickest Villain ever put on film.  No "Top 10" here, as everyone named is worthy of inclusion.
I am only interested in Number One:  Robert Mitchum.  Sleazebag Evil Personified. 
If you have not seen "Night of The Hunter", please do so before arguing this point.
peter johnson/denny craine . . . what are you doing?  What's that in your hand?  OH GOD DON'T DRAG ME DOWN INTO THE WATER!!!

[Allhallowsday]

Oh, word . . .
Too many choices . . .
I read over what has already been posted here and am overhwhelmed --
Really, there are so many worthy candidates . . .
HOWEVER . . . (Didn't you know there would be a "however"?). . .
I would say that Robert Mitchum's duty in "Night of The Hunter", standing in for Charles Laughton's tortured Psyche, is perhaps the single sickest Villain ever put on film.  No "Top 10" here, as everyone named is worthy of inclusion.
I am only interested in Number One:  Robert Mitchum.  Sleazebag Evil Personified. 
If you have not seen "Night of The Hunter", please do so before arguing this point.
peter johnson/denny craine

NIGHT OF THE HUNTER, that weird frickin' mid-50s movie (yup know Laughton's only directorial, but tortured as it almost certainly was, I'm not so sure that psyche is expressed thru Harry Powell) is one of my top 5 favorite films.  Clumsy as parts of it are, that filmed fable is a miracle at the tail end of the so-called Hollywood era.  Though it has lots going for it, the great Robert Mitchum has much to do with the extraordinary impact of the masterpiece, NIGHT OF THE HUNTER. 

[Jack]

* JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH - Count Saknussem (Thayer David)

I'll have to check that out.  I'm a huge Dark Shadows fan and Thayed David plays several characters in that show.

[Rev. Powell]

Oh, word . . .
Too many choices . . .
I read over what has already been posted here and am overhwhelmed --
Really, there are so many worthy candidates . . .
HOWEVER . . . (Didn't you know there would be a "however"?). . .
I would say that Robert Mitchum's duty in "Night of The Hunter", standing in for Charles Laughton's tortured Psyche, is perhaps the single sickest Villain ever put on film.  No "Top 10" here, as everyone named is worthy of inclusion.
I am only interested in Number One:  Robert Mitchum.  Sleazebag Evil Personified. 
If you have not seen "Night of The Hunter", please do so before arguing this point.
peter johnson/denny craine

NIGHT OF THE HUNTER, that weird frickin' mid-50s movie (yup know Laughton's only directorial, but tortured as it almost certainly was, I'm not so sure that psyche is expressed thru Harry Powell) is one of my top 5 favorite films.  Clumsy as parts of it are, that filmed fable is a miracle at the tail end of the so-called Hollywood era.  Though it has lots going for it, the great Robert Mitchum has much to do with the extraordinary impact of the masterpiece, NIGHT OF THE HUNTER. 

Thanks guys!

[HappyGilmore]

Dr. Evil (Austin Powers series)- Hell, his name says it all.  He's evil.  AND a doctor to boot.

[Zapranoth]

Let me add to this thread:

Heath Ledger's Joker.

[ghouck]

* STAR WARS - Darth Vader (David Prowse / James Earl Jones)

As much as I disliked the prequels, Darth Maul was a greater villain IMO

Mr. Smith from the Matrix Trilogy?

Darryl Revok from Scanners

The Klowns from Killer Klowns from Outer Space (not really, probably the least evil villains)

Lord Crumb

[Joe the Destroyer]

-Darth Vader (Star Wars)
-Dracula
-Joker (The Dark Knight)
-Pennywise (It)
-Bill (Kill Bill)
-Norman Bates (Psycho)
-Hannibal (Hannibal series)
-Costello (The Departed)
-Captain Vidal (Pan's Labyrinth)
-Pazuzu (The Exorcist)

[darthchicken]

Blofeld
Vader
Norman Bates
Godzilla (original)

[JaseSF]

1. The Vampire  (Esp. Nosferatu and Dracula, the original inspirations)

2. Frankenstein's Monster (arguably the forefather of every mad scientist created monstrosity)

3. The Werewolf (especially the influential Universal Wolf Man)

4. The Alien Invader (The Thing from Another World stands out in memory as does the Metaluna Mutant but for more modern day frights, there's Alien and Predator)

5. The Unstoppable Robot (From Metropolis to Terminator, how do you defeat a machine with no feelings or conscience? Or is this in fact true at all?...what if it's an alien creation as in The Day the Earth Stood Still?)

6. The Giant Monster (whether spawned by atomic mutation such as Godzilla or hidden away in a remote unknown area like King Kong or awakened from a deep frozen slumber like Gamera, these baddies are mighty tough to bring down!)...tied to dinosaurs and lost worlds too.

7. Aliens Among Us or Controlling Us (What if the alien looks just like us as can inflitrate our society? Invasion of the Body Snatches, It Came From Outer Space, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Invaders From Mars all delved into this)

8. The Creature From the Black Lagoon (arguably the inspiration for nearly every underwater nightmare to come).

9. The Real World Killer (especially the serial killer...Ed Gein an inspiration for PSYCHO, THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE and DERANGED just to name but one). One could sight real world killers such as sharks and lions. Certainly the shark in Jaws was a great screen villain.

10. The Slasher Killer (the real world killer often magnified and sometimes given supernatural powers...Freddy Kruger, Jason Vorhees, Micheal Myers, etc.)

If we're talking about single acting performances, there are indeed way too many to names in all film genres. Some particular favourites include The Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz, The Emperor from Star Wars, Christopher Lee and Bela Lugosi's Draculas, Max Shreck's Nosferatu, Peter Cushing's Dr. Frankenstein, Eddie Albert's Capt. Erskine Cooney, CO, Fox Co. in the 1956 war B-move ATTACK, The previously mentioned Rev. Powell from NIGHT OF THE HUNTER, Vincent Price's Matthew Hopkins, Witchfinder General and Dr. Phibes amongst other roles and certain actors like Jack Palance, Lee Marvin and Cameron Mitchell not to mention actresses like Hazel Court, Barbara Steele and Ingrid Pitt tended to make particular memorable villains in many a film.