On Thursday (January 14) we said a fond ‘goodbye’ to Alan Rickman, who sadly passed away at the age of 69. Rickman was a terrific actor and a thoroughly decent chap, whose scene-stealing performances were often the best thing about the films he appeared in. From being the romantic lead in TRULY MADLY DEEPLY (1990) to trying his hand at comedy in GALAXY QUEST (1999) Rickman mastered every genre he featured in. As an actor who worked consistently and conscientiously, he welcomed a whole new generation of fans with roles such as Severus Snape in the HARRY POTTER films and as the voice of the Blue Caterpillar in ALICE IN WONDERLAND (2010), and its sequel ALICE – THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS (2016).
With his striking looks and mellifluous voice, Rickman was the go-to guy for portraying memorable movie villains and Rickman excelled at this. Who can forget his Hollywood debut as suave terrorist Hans Gruber in DIE HARD (1988) or his career-defining star-turn as the Sheriff Of Nottingham in ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THEIVES (1991)? Although we’re not meant to root for the baddie, who could resist Rickman’s devilishly charismatic Sheriff? So here are my Top 5 Movie Villains, in tribute to the great man himself.
1) The Child-Catcher – CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG (1968)
Your childhood, like mine, is probably indelibly scarred by the sight of Robert Helpmann’s Child-Catcher in CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG’S. With his distinctive pointy nose and ghostly complexion framed by dark, lank locks, the Child-Catcher’s ghoulish appearance was the stuff of nightmares. Lollipops have lost their appeal, ever since he offered up the sweet treats to innocent children to lure them to their peril. And as a world renowned ballet dancer, Helpmann’s unsettling dance routines effectively conveyed the notion that his character was an evil Pied Piper.
2) Cruella De Vil – Disney’s 101 DALMATIONS (1961)
Being a cartoon character didn’t make Cruella De Vil any less terrifying. Brought to life by screen and voice actress Betty Lou Gerson, De Vil lived up to her name, by plotting to kill a bunch of adorable puppies in order to fashion a new fur coat for herself. With De Vil, Disney proved that truly effectively movie villains can be both 2D and 3D, and that children are never too young to learn what’s right and what’s wrong.
3) Skeletor – MASTER OF THE UNIVERSE (1987)
Where there are superheroes, so must you find super-villains – or so it seems. When his adversary Skeletor (Frank Langella) captures Castle Grayskull, He-Man flexes his mighty muscles to battle the bony-faced tyrant. Again, as is often the case with movie villains, Skeletor is a charismatic force to be reckoned with, ably abetted by his 2nd in command Evil-Lyn. With a name like that, she was always destined to be a trouble-maker of epic proportions.
4) Mrs Mott/Peyton Flanders – THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE (1992)
Whatever happened to Rebecca De Mornay? As a psychotic nanny hell-bent on tearing her employer’s family apart in THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE, De Mornay’s villain went one step further – winning the confidence of her prey, to the extent that she is welcomed into their home. What’s particularly disturbing about this role is that Mrs Mott (using the alias of ‘Peyton Flanders’) also targets Joey, the baby of her employer Claire, secretly breast-feeding him when she’s not looking, while being pathologically determined to destroy Claire’s marriage and family life.
5) Hedra ‘Hedy’ Carlson – SINGLE WHITE FEMALE (1992)
Like THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE, the villain in SINGLE WHITE FEMALE manages to move in with their victim, making her dangerous game of ‘cat and mouse’ much easier to play. Finding a flatmate has never been so treacherous as when Allie (Bridget Fonda) gives Hedy (Jennifer Jason Leigh) the thumbs up to be her new ‘roomie.’ Hedy tries to morph into Allie, by copying her haircut and clothes, and in the violent denouement, Allie fights for her life in a fight to the death with the psychotic Hedy. Perhaps most disturbingly of all, Ally’s puppy Buddy falls to his death after a window is (deliberately) left open. Does this make Hedy the worst villain of them all? In my book, yes, it does!
 we said a fond 'goodbye' to Alan Rickman, who sadly passed away at the age of 69 and now we take a look at the Top 5 Movie Villains... ){kind=link}