Well folks... it's all been, "a part of the plan"....... Although I must admit it was not easy making this final decision, I think nobody deserves it more than The Joker. As recent as the performance may be, I still feel that it is fitting to have him at the top, and that his legacy will continue to grow through time... So here's to Heath Ledger as "The Joker", the greatest villain in cinema history!
1. The Joker
Movie: The Dark Knight
Year: 2008
Actor: Heath Ledger
Why: The Joker was taken to a new and darker level with this masterful performance by Heath Ledger. Here we get to see a more psychotic and deranged villain instead of the clown he is known for. His character is still very humorous with many practical jokes yet mixed with a heavy dose of insanity. The Joker feels that Gotham City deserves a better villain and he's the guy to give it to them. He is an agent of chaos who believes the only sensible way to live is without rules, pure anarchy! As mad as The Joker may be, he is also very sensible and is a brilliant, mastermind schemer. Throughout the story he unleashes his master-plans of chaos and havoc in the streets, which not even Batman can fully handle. After all he knew he would not have a chance in a fist-to-fist fight with Batman so why not hit him where it really hurts... The future of Gotham.
Key Line: "Do you know why I use a knife? Guns are too quick. You can't savor all the... little emotions. In... you see, in their last moments, people show you who they really are. So in a way, I know your friends better than you ever did. Would you like to know which of them were cowards?"
Quick ReCap
50. Captain Barbossa (Pirates of the Caribbean)
49. Colonel Stryker (X-Men 2)
48. Marcellus Wallace (Pulp Fiction)
47. Crowned Prince Leopold (The Illusionist)
46. Terry Benedict (Ocean's Eleven)
45. The White Witch (Chronicles of Narnia)
44. Percy Whitmore (The Green Mile)
43. Vincent Vega (Pulp Fiction)
42. Cyrus Grissom (Con-Air)
41. Darth Maul (Star Wars Phantom Menace)
40. Severus Snape (Harry Potter)
39. Coach Bud Kilmer (Varsity Blues)
38. Tommy DeVito (Goodfellas)
37. Frank Costello (The Departed)
36. King Agamemnon (Troy)
35. Sweeney Todd (Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber of Fleet Street)
34. Derek Vineyard (American History X)
33. Jules Winnfield (Pulp Fiction)
32. Antonio Salieri (Amadeus)
31. Mola Ran (Indiana Jones & Temple of Doom)
30. Bill the Butcher (Gangs of New York)
29. Mr. Creedy (V for Vendetta)
28. Colonel Frank Fitts (American Beauty)
27. Magneto (X-Men)
26. O-Ren Ishii & the Crazy 88 (Kill Bill Vol 1)
25. King Edward Longshanks (Braveheart)
24. Saruman (Lord of the Rings)
23. Capitan Vidal (Pans Labyrinth)
22. Boba Fett (Star Wars)
21. Sgt. Bob Barnes (Platoon)
20. Wicked Witch of the West (Wizard of Oz)
19. Colonel Kurtz (Apocalypse Now)
18. Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs)
17. Keyser Soze (The Usual Suspects)
16. Sauron (Lord of the Rings)
15. Colonel William Tavington (The Patriot)
14. Jango Fett (Star Wars)
13. Lord Voldermott (Harry Potter)
12. Agent Smith (Matrix)
11. Gollum (Lord of the Rings)
10. Alonzo Harris (Training Day)
9. Warden Samuel Norton (Shawshank Redemption)
8. Michael Corleone (Godfather II)
7. Tyler Durden (Fight Club)
6. Darth Vader (Star Wars)
5. Amon Goeth (Schindler's List)
4. Tony Montana (Scarface)
3. Commodus (Gladiator)
2. Emperor Palpatine (Star Wars)
1. The Joker (The Dark Knight)
Honorable Mention:
-The Deacon (Waterworld) Dennis Hopper
-Nurse Ratched (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) Louis Fletcher
-Mr. Blonde (Reservoir Dogs) Michael Madsen
-Clubber Lang (Rocky III) Mr. T
-Howard Payne (Speed) Dennis Hopper
Pending Potentials to see:
- Anton Chigurh (No Country for Old Men) Javier Bardem
-Hans Gruber (Diehard) Alan Rickman
-Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver) Robert de Niro
-Norman Bates (American Psycho) Christian Bale
-T1000 (Terminator 2) Robert Patrick
Interesting Notes:
Of the list, 5 were from "Star Wars", and 3 from "Lord of the Rings" and "Pulp Fiction".
Also major kudos goes to Al Pacino, Ralph Fiennes, and Brian Cox for appearing twice as two different characters... these guys just make for good villains!
Final Word:
As usual it has been fun compiling this list, and i hope you enjoy it as I much as I enjoyed creating it! I know I have way too much time on my hands, but this stuff is just way too fun! Once again, I know this list is likely to change over the years, as I watch newer or older movies, yet for now, I feel pretty good with it... Let me know if you would add anyone else?
You may notice there aren't any slasher/horror villains on this list, and I can tell you why... as creepy and horrific as they may be, i see no skill or real draw in the performance of their characters... its nothing but gruesome disturbing gore! so you might have to find another list to see Freddy Kruger, Jason, or Leatherface...
1. The JokerMovie: The Dark Knight
Year: 2008
Actor: Heath Ledger
Why: The Joker was taken to a new and darker level with this masterful performance by Heath Ledger. Here we get to see a more psychotic and deranged villain instead of the clown he is known for. His character is still very humorous with many practical jokes yet mixed with a heavy dose of insanity. The Joker feels that Gotham City deserves a better villain and he's the guy to give it to them. He is an agent of chaos who believes the only sensible way to live is without rules, pure anarchy! As mad as The Joker may be, he is also very sensible and is a brilliant, mastermind schemer. Throughout the story he unleashes his master-plans of chaos and havoc in the streets, which not even Batman can fully handle. After all he knew he would not have a chance in a fist-to-fist fight with Batman so why not hit him where it really hurts... The future of Gotham.
Key Line: "Do you know why I use a knife? Guns are too quick. You can't savor all the... little emotions. In... you see, in their last moments, people show you who they really are. So in a way, I know your friends better than you ever did. Would you like to know which of them were cowards?"
Quick ReCap
50. Captain Barbossa (Pirates of the Caribbean)
49. Colonel Stryker (X-Men 2)
48. Marcellus Wallace (Pulp Fiction)
47. Crowned Prince Leopold (The Illusionist)
46. Terry Benedict (Ocean's Eleven)
45. The White Witch (Chronicles of Narnia)
44. Percy Whitmore (The Green Mile)
43. Vincent Vega (Pulp Fiction)
42. Cyrus Grissom (Con-Air)
41. Darth Maul (Star Wars Phantom Menace)
40. Severus Snape (Harry Potter)
39. Coach Bud Kilmer (Varsity Blues)
38. Tommy DeVito (Goodfellas)
37. Frank Costello (The Departed)
36. King Agamemnon (Troy)
35. Sweeney Todd (Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber of Fleet Street)
34. Derek Vineyard (American History X)
33. Jules Winnfield (Pulp Fiction)
32. Antonio Salieri (Amadeus)
31. Mola Ran (Indiana Jones & Temple of Doom)
30. Bill the Butcher (Gangs of New York)
29. Mr. Creedy (V for Vendetta)
28. Colonel Frank Fitts (American Beauty)
27. Magneto (X-Men)
26. O-Ren Ishii & the Crazy 88 (Kill Bill Vol 1)
25. King Edward Longshanks (Braveheart)
24. Saruman (Lord of the Rings)
23. Capitan Vidal (Pans Labyrinth)
22. Boba Fett (Star Wars)
21. Sgt. Bob Barnes (Platoon)
20. Wicked Witch of the West (Wizard of Oz)
19. Colonel Kurtz (Apocalypse Now)
18. Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs)
17. Keyser Soze (The Usual Suspects)
16. Sauron (Lord of the Rings)
15. Colonel William Tavington (The Patriot)
14. Jango Fett (Star Wars)
13. Lord Voldermott (Harry Potter)
12. Agent Smith (Matrix)
11. Gollum (Lord of the Rings)
10. Alonzo Harris (Training Day)
9. Warden Samuel Norton (Shawshank Redemption)
8. Michael Corleone (Godfather II)
7. Tyler Durden (Fight Club)
6. Darth Vader (Star Wars)
5. Amon Goeth (Schindler's List)
4. Tony Montana (Scarface)
3. Commodus (Gladiator)
2. Emperor Palpatine (Star Wars)
1. The Joker (The Dark Knight)
Honorable Mention:
-The Deacon (Waterworld) Dennis Hopper
-Nurse Ratched (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) Louis Fletcher
-Mr. Blonde (Reservoir Dogs) Michael Madsen
-Clubber Lang (Rocky III) Mr. T
-Howard Payne (Speed) Dennis Hopper
Pending Potentials to see:
- Anton Chigurh (No Country for Old Men) Javier Bardem
-Hans Gruber (Diehard) Alan Rickman
-Travis Bickle (Taxi Driver) Robert de Niro
-Norman Bates (American Psycho) Christian Bale
-T1000 (Terminator 2) Robert Patrick
Interesting Notes:
Of the list, 5 were from "Star Wars", and 3 from "Lord of the Rings" and "Pulp Fiction".
Also major kudos goes to Al Pacino, Ralph Fiennes, and Brian Cox for appearing twice as two different characters... these guys just make for good villains!
Final Word:
As usual it has been fun compiling this list, and i hope you enjoy it as I much as I enjoyed creating it! I know I have way too much time on my hands, but this stuff is just way too fun! Once again, I know this list is likely to change over the years, as I watch newer or older movies, yet for now, I feel pretty good with it... Let me know if you would add anyone else?
You may notice there aren't any slasher/horror villains on this list, and I can tell you why... as creepy and horrific as they may be, i see no skill or real draw in the performance of their characters... its nothing but gruesome disturbing gore! so you might have to find another list to see Freddy Kruger, Jason, or Leatherface...
3 comments:
Stephen this is freakin' awesome man, how long did this take?
good list but as your fellow blogger i will write the counter article. good job overall a lot of creativity, life in the Guad is getting sweeter everyday
nicely done stephen. this was a fun read. chi isnt the same without you!
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