Who Is the Most Villainous Villain?
14. Oct, 2009 
3 Comments
In film. In genre film to be precise.
That is essentially the question asked in today’s Mind Meld over on SFSignal.
I am evil enough to have been asked to participate. Check out my answer and those of other well-known genre pundits. There’s some surprising unanimity there, not just in choosing THE villain of villains, but also in identifying what makes a villain in genre film.
Pitiful Earthlings.
Three cheers for Ming!\\
Seems to me most of the contributers, including you, gave the question WAY too much thought and analysis instead of going with the gut reaction, which is what movie baddies are all about. I disagree with the distinction between animal villains (snakes, ‘gators, dinosaurs, etc.) and “thinking” villains. Bad is bad. The worst (that is, the best villain) is what I’d least like to see when I open the front door, which would be the Alien. Or the Velocraptors in Jurassic Park. Not that I want to see Freddy or Jason or any of that ilk, but they might be outrun…
Very cogent and thoughtful answer, Steve. I think I’d formulate it a bit differently, and say that it’s when the narrative is reduced to simplistic melodrama that we encounter clear cut villains, but I agree with your overall point.