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Film's Most Sinister Villains

By C. Raymond Hidalgo,  Newser User

Posted Jun 25, 2009 7:30 PM CDT

(Newser) – Movie heroes may get the girl, the fans, and the happy ending, but villains have all the fun. With the summer lineup under way, moviegoers will see evil in many forms—from a megalomaniacal robot/tank to a sinister British sorcerer. But what performances by their predecessors will they have to top? The Times of London names its 50 best movie villains:

  1. Darth Vader (Star Wars): the galactic menace
  2. Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs): suave and psychotic
  3. Henry F. Potter (It’s a Wonderful life): Mr. Moneybags gone wrong
  4. Norman Bates (Psycho): talk about having mommy issues
  5. Alex Forrest (Fatal Attraction): one bunny-boiler you don't want to give your number to
  6. Count Orlock (Nosferatu): Twilight's villains have nothing on this blood-sucker
  7. The Joker (Batman films): laughter never sounded so evil
  8. Nurse Ratched (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest): pass on that spongebath
  9. Gordon Gekko (Wall Street): sometimes the bear isn’t so bad
  10. Hans Gruber (Die Hard): John McClane’s first nemesis

Beware the #1 bad guy: Darth Vader.
Beware the #1 bad guy: Darth Vader.   (Getty Images)
The Joker makes the top 10.
The Joker makes the top 10.   (AP Photo/Warner Bros., Stephen Vaughan)
Max Schreck as the vampiric Count Orlok hits the list at No. 6.
Max Schreck as the vampiric Count Orlok hits the list at No. 6.   (Getty Images)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Glenn Close's Alex Forrest is one of two females to grace the top 10.   (YouTube)
Hannibal Lecter grabs the number 2 slot.   (YouTube)

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 7 comments
ack
Jun 26, 2009 12:53 PM CDT
Gordon Gecko? Hans Gruber? Sinister? [eye roll] Voldemort's got them beat, and he's so over the top it's almost a joke. How about Francis Dollarhyde from "Manhunter"?
Riffran
Jun 26, 2009 12:37 PM CDT
"Are the lambs still screaming...Clarice?".......
Riffran
Jun 26, 2009 5:21 AM CDT
Kathy Bates???? OH YEAH!....she was AWSOME!!!!!! in that movie......."Its for the best.....*WHACK*)
 

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