A nasty piece of work

[on:]

Okay I was reading an article in Cinescape about how to spot the villain in a film. So this got me to thinking was are the best character traits that a villain needs on TV or in the movies?

One of the best accents I think for a villain is a Shakespearian accent. I think it provides a colder more sinister edge to the character.

Anyway what do you think the best qualities of a villain?

[Reply #1 on:]

Well, at some point, the villain HAS to kill one of his own henchmen, to show that he's Bad.

[Reply #2 on:]

Killing their own family members is even better, like Kiser Sosay in the Usual Suspects or the equally cool Dr Evil

[Reply #3 on:]

British voices can be the most sinister voices in the entire world I think. This doesn't mean that a villian has to be British. I would say though that the Galactic Empire did better on the evil edge for having British officers (and a British Emperor). Not even German accents come close. American accents are miles off. 

[Reply #4 on:]

didn't Darth Vader have an American accent? It was James Earl Jones or am I getting mixed up?
Anyway I'm trying to pin down what makes another villain cool namely Scorpious. There is jsut something so cool about him.

[Reply #5 on:]

I'll listen to Darth Vader's voice tomorrow, as Star Wars is on   

[Reply #6 on:]

Darth Vader was indeed voiced by James Earl Jones.

[Reply #7 on:]

I do think one thing that makes soem villains cool is being swauve. Charasamtic villians are always better than ones which are just evil.

[Reply #8 on:]

um...er...African-American accents are the exception... 

I'm just saying... 

[Reply #9 on:]

Patrick Stewart has an English accent. He is a Shakespeare actor. He is bald, and Captain Jean-Luc Picard, his Star Trek TNG character, is French.  Therefore, he is EVIL !

[Reply #10 on:]

Eating of ones staff works very well, and it also spurs the workers or whateve to begin to hate him.

[Reply #11 on:]

Maniacal laughter is always a plus. Harming the hero's family members is good, too.

[Reply #12 on:]

Insane intelegence, a la Hannibal Lector in The silence of the Lambs and Red Dragon.

[Reply #13 on:]

a misfigured head or something wierd like that.. Samuel L jacko said it in "unbreakable" and what a lame movie that was.

[Reply #14 on:]

You know I kinda liked that movie
Anyway I think another thing that makes a villain cool is them nowing they are powerful but not flaunting it. Tehre power is so great they don't have to use it because of the terror it inspires.

[Reply #15 on:]

I think the most evil thing a villan needs is tonot care who he kills, then a villan is the heartless creep he should be.

[Reply #16 on:]

Actual motivation, nothing pisses me off more then being evil for the sake of evil (unless a comedy)

A well rounded character, sure he may kill off his henchmen and try to take over the world but give him likes and dislikes, (with the first line in mind, nothing worse then someone who is too evil to be plausable)

Intellegence, any villian that manipulates is cool.

Breaking the sterotype, have them read the evil overloards handbook, do some unexpected things.

[Reply #17 on:]

Motives are always important. Some villains can be cool if they are abberent by nature. There way is just different from the heros they are not nessarly evil.

[Reply #18 on:]

First of all, he should have a mustache and/or beard. Second of all, he should be British or speak with a British accent. Third of all, he should be Tim Curry.

If the villain is (heaven forbid) a female, she should at least have a Mom-ish laugh.

[Reply #19 on:]

He should have a pet, preferrably a cat. And he should, ironically, be very kind to the pet while being evil in every other way.

[Reply #20 on:]

...some kind of nervous tick (which he would take medication for).

[Reply #21 on:]

Also they should all have bonitus, and at the end of every movie the villain should die from not curing bonitus.

[Reply #22 on:]

Villains are screw-ups with teamwork. In the end, they want everything for themselves.

[Reply #23 on:]

They should be the perfect gentleman while at the same time, be insanely evil.

[Reply #24 on:]

WORLD DOMINATION: YOUR TEN POINT PLAN FOR SUCCESS

by Dr. Evil

1)Invent a plan that will ensure your control of Earth, even though it will result in huge areas of the world being destroyed or poisoned.

2)Buy a grey safari suit and adapt it to look a bit commie and nerdy.  From now on, no one sees you nude.

3)Acquire exotic pets.  Siamese cats, sharks, octopi or one of those dogs with "granny's neck" skin.

4)Recruit bodyguards, strong silent types.  To keep them on their toes regularly punish them by death.

5)Establish a top secret base in one of the world's most photogenic locations not too far from a scuba equipment hire company, and an international airport.

6)Don't forget to build a secret escape pod.  If you need to use it, pretend to be going to the toilet.

7)Tell everyone crucial details of youe evil scheme.  You'll enjoy it more if you share it.

8)Ensure your base is stockpiled with huge quantities of high explosives and volatile propellants.

9)When issuing your final ultimatum, get to the point and don't ever negotiate.

10)Say to a secret agent "I've been expecting you" - even if you haven't.

[Reply #25 on:]

Is that from the movies, or what? I don't remember that at all. I like number 10 a lot.

[Reply #26 on:]

It's from a promo booklet for Austin Powers 2 that dropped out of the local newspaper.

[Reply #27 on:]

Top 100 rules for an Evil Overlord

[Reply #28 on:]

 

Originally posted by FishyJoe:
Also they should all have bonitus, and at the end of every movie the villain should die from not curing bonitus.

And their only regret should be that they had boneitus, nothing else.

[Reply #29 on:]

 

Originally posted by Kryten:
Top 100 rules for an Evil Overlord

Classic.  Absolutely classic.

[Reply #30 on:]

Supervillain Online Shopping.

Heheh, yeah.

[Reply #31 on:]

They must have an unwillingness to run.

[Reply #32 on:]

They must have a slow-moving-dipping-mechanism.