Tagarchief: The Lord of the Rings

The 20 Greatest Ultra Villains in Movies

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

20. Bill the Butcher

Played by: Daniel Day-Lewis
Film(s): Gangs of New York (2002)
Line: ‘Ears and noses will be the trophies of the day. But no hand shall touch him.’

Nothing goes too far for William ‘Bill the Butcher’ Cutting in his personal mission to oppress the new immigrants whom Bill sees as mere cockroaches. His name is very appropriate: whenever he joins the street fights, he slaughters enemies by the dozens using his vast set of knives and stabbing weapons. He shows a softer side around Amsterdam, who he sees as the son he never had, but in the end, Bill is a bad man. Played to perfection by Daniel Day Lewis.

19. Mr. Joshua

Played by: Gary Busey
Film(s): Lethal Weapon (1987)
Line: ‘See, Martin, we have a problem. Since we have Murtaugh, we don’t really need you. But I believe in being thorough.’

The ultra blond Mr. Joshua is pretty much a badass. He shows his macho behavior in his intro-scene by letting his employer hold a lighter under his arm for a pretty long time. Riggs and Murtaugh have a lot of trouble with this ex-commando. In his mission to smuggle heroin into the United States, he lets nothing or nobody get in his way. He scores extra points for his pretty good fighting skills.

18. The Terminator

Played by: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Film(s): The Terminator (1984)
Line: ‘Your clothes – give them to me, now.’

Schwarzenegger is perfectly cast as a killing machine. The Terminator is one scary motherfucker. ‘Sarah Connor? Yes. Boom!!!’ He is efficient and unstoppable. The perfect invention really. James Cameron (director) and Stan Winston (special effects) have really outdone themselves. The highlight? There are many, but Schwarzenegger barging in the police station killing everybody is pretty damn exciting.

17. Amon Goeth

Played by: Ralph Fiennes
Film(s): Schindler’s List (1993)
Line: ‘Ah, an educated Jew… like Karl Marx himself. Unterscharfuehrer! Shoot her.’

Can a psycho Nazi killer still be charismatic? Leave it to Ralph Fiennes to pull it off. Even though Goeth commits horrible acts and certainly deserves to die for it, he can be touching in a strange and remote way. A truly remarkable bad guy, right up until his ‘Heil Hitler’ sent off.

16. Judge Doom

Played by: Christopher Lloyd
Film(s): Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
Line: ‘Soon, where Toon Town once stood will be a string of gas stations, inexpensive motels, restaurants that serve rapidly prepared food.’

Christopher Lloyd who nailed the ultimately sympathetic ‘Doc’ in Back to the Future, plays a really scary dude here. Judge Doom is one malicious bastard and the type of villain we could use more of: wacky, evil-lookin’ and carrying a dark secret. Brilliant character in a brilliant movie.

15. Anton Chigurh

Played by: Javier Bardem
Film(s): No Country for Old Men (2007)
Line: ‘What’s the most you have ever lost in a coin toss?’

Chigurh is one weird psycho killer for sure. Armed with an oxygen tank and a shotgun he makes life very difficult for the people in the wasteland of the Texas-Nevada borderlands His entrance in No Country for Old Men alone is enough to earn him this position. Add to that his terrible haircut, his deep voice and his seemingly random killing spree and you got an A-grade villain that’s just hard to forget.

14. Freddy Krueger

Played by: Robert Englund
Film(s): A Nightmare on Elm Street series (1984-2003)
Line: ‘I’m your boyfriend now, Nancy.’

The child murdering Freddy literally gives his victims nightmares. Both his burned face and his evil mind tricks can make everybody crap their pants. Freddy is without a doubt the greatest supernatural killer to ever appear on the white screen.

13. Annie Wilkes

Played by: Kathy Bates
Film(s): Misery (1990)
Line: ‘You! You dirty bird! How could you?’

Pour Paul Sheldon. Being captured by his greatest fan is a nightmare beyond imagination. He is constantly walking on eggshells as the slightest provocation will set off Annie Wilkes big time. It’s hard to say what kind of disorder she actually ‘suffers’ from, but there is no doubt that she is completely batshit.

12. Skeletor

Played by: Frank Langella
Film(s): Masters of the Universe (1987)
Line: ‘I am Skeletor.’

Masters of the Universe is no masterpiece, but Frank Langella really elevates the movie with his highly enjoyable appearance. His portrayal of Skeletor, who was already a favorite villain in cartoons, became a most memorable bad guy. His looks are spot on, and he rules his underlings with an iron fist. It’s a total shame that He-Man kicks him into a dark, deep shaft at the end of the movie.

11. Saruman

Played by: Christopher Lee
Film(s): The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001 / 2002 / 2003)
Line: ‘Hunt them down! Do not stop until they are found. You do not know pain, you do not know fear. You’ll taste men-flesh!’

While Sauron may be the real bad guy in The Lord of the Rings, Saruman makes a far greater impression. His voice is perhaps his greatest asset. The way he utters spells and commands is just the ultimate in evil cool. Christopher Lee, almost 80 when he played this, is remarkable in the role that he was born to play. When it comes to evil old wizards surrounded by Orcs, Saruman is the man.

10. Agent Smith

Played by: Hugo Weaving
Film(s): The Matrix (1999) / The Matrix Reloaded (2003) / The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
Line: ‘I will enjoy watching you die…Mr. Anderson.’

Who ever thought a software application could be this menacing? Smith may be funny with his monotone voice and robotic locomotion, but he can be vicious as well. It’s really hard to relax with this guy around, and he is always around. When you think he’s finally gone, he returns with clone abilities. Smith is an unstoppable force of destruction and can ultimately be only stopped by himself. Now that’s pretty bad.

9. Clarence Boddicker

Played by: Kurtwood Smith
Film(s): RoboCop (1987)
Line: ‘Can you fly Bobby?’

It’s not exactly his looks that make Clarence Boddicker ultra villain material. It is his ruthless and merciless attitude. He first shows his vileness, when he kicks one of his wounded cronies out of a moving truck. Soon after, he displays a real sadistic streak when he brutally murders Murphy. Although he’s a street level boss, he meets personally with Dick Jones, Vice President at OCP (Omni Consumer Products) showing he is also an intelligent and competent gang leader.

8. T-1000

Played by: Robert Patrick
Film(s): Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Line: ‘Thank you for your cooperation.’

Robert Patrick as the liquid metal T-1000 is an example of perfect casting. This unstoppable and constantly morphing killing machine is pretty scary at times. The fact that he is wearing a police uniform makes this even worse. Rather than ‘protect and serve’, he fanatically chases John Connor around while killing everybody that gets in his way. Glad to have Schwarzenegger around, the only one with a remote chance to stop it. Now that’s pretty telling.

7. Bill

Played by: David Carradine
Film(s): Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) / Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)
Line: ‘Do you find me sadistic?’

Bill is a murderous bastard, but he can be honorable as well. When the Bride arrives to take revenge on Bill for shooting her in the head, he grants her one night with her daughter, who she had presumed to be dead. Make no mistake though, in the duel that follows he would have killed her without mercy if it hadn’t been for her special skills. A classic villain who gets extra points for his great knowledge of martial arts and pop culture.

6. Major Arnold Toht

Played by: Ronald Lacey
Film(s): Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Line: ‘You Americans, you’re all the same. Always overdressing for the wrong occasions.’

The boring communists in The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull showed again what great villains Nazi’s can be. Major Toht is an absolute favorite. A very unpleasant appearance and an equally disturbing voice can make someone cringe. It’s a true relief when his face starts melting towards the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark.

5. Emperor Palpatine

Played by: Ian McDiarmid
Film(s): Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983)
Line: ‘Welcome young Skywalker. I’m looking forward to completing your training. In time, you will call me…master!’

While the Ewoks made Return of the Jedi just a little too child friendly, Ian McDiarmid restored the balance with his dark portrayal of the Emperor. Allegedly, serial killer Jeffrey Damner was a huge fan of Palpatine. This figures, because Palpatine is a true incarnation of evil. Every line he utters comes out as pure poison. He is often underestimated because of his fragile old appearance, but make no mistake! When Palpatine starts using his dark side force techniques there is nobody who can stop him. Well there’s always one.

4. Hans Gruber

Played by: Alan Rickman
Film(s): Die Hard (1988)
Line: ‘Nice suit. John Phillips, London. I have two myself. Rumor has it Arafat buys his there.’

Another German villain to make the list. It is just hard to ignore their bad guy potential. Hans Gruber is the perfect baddie against Bruce Willis’ hero John McClane. He is both ruthless and smart, but certainly not without a sense of humor and style. You gotta hand it to this guy. Up till now, the Die Hard creators haven’t yet found a suitable replacement for him as the villains in the four sequels all made far less of an impression.

3. Frank

Played by: Henry Fonda
Film(s): Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
Line: ‘I could crush you like a wormy apple.’

Not a businessman but ‘just a man’. If that is true, humanity is truly fucked. Look at Frank’s sins: killing a young boy in his first appearance, raping Jill McBain and off course the thing he did to royally piss off Harmonica. Nobody figured the sympathetic Henry Fonda could play a bad guy this well. He proved them dead wrong. Frank is one of the most accomplished villains ever, and Fonda should have won an Oscar for the part.

2. Dr. Hannibal Lecter

Played by: Anthony Hopkins
Film(s): The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Line: ‘I’m having an old friend for dinner.’

Anthony Hopkins delivers a wicked and Oscar-winning performance as Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Charming, extremely intelligent, psychically strong: Lecter has it all. One of the few baddies in this list who actually survives the films he is in, Lecter stands above the regular laws of good and evil. He just does what he does. His character has been exploited a little too much in modern cinema and literature, but his turn in The Silence of the Lambs remains one of the most chilling and spellbinding performances ever in cinema history.

1. Darth Vader

Played by: David Prowse, James Earl Jones (voice)
Film(s): Star Wars Trilogy (1977 / 1980 / 1883)
Line: ‘If you only knew the power of the dark side.’

Its villains have always been the best thing about Star Wars, but Darth Vader is the baddest motherfucker of them all. It is hard to say which is cooler; his voice (and breathing), his name or his appearance. His introduction in A New Hope alone makes him the best movie villain ever. But he also has a fair share in fighting skills, force power and strategy. Just a fantastic character altogether.

Hoe het kwaad zich manifesteert anno 2022

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

‘The evil I’m talking about lives in us all. It takes hold in an individual, in private lives, within a family, and then it’s children who suffer most. And then, when the conditions are right, in different countries, at different times, a terrible cruelty, a viciousness against life erupts, and everyone is surprised by the depth of hatred within himself. Then it sinks back and waits. It’s something in our hearts.’
― June in ‘Black Dogs’

De Westerse wereld dacht in 1945 definitief met het kwaad te hebben afgerekend. Dit is een misrekening geweest, zegt oud-schaakkampioen Garry Kasparov in zijn boek ‘Winter Is Coming: Why Vladimir Putin and the Enemies of the Free World Must Be Stopped’ uit 2015. Dat fantasiefilms een mooie metafoor zijn voor oorlogen blijkt uit de titel: ‘Winter is Coming’ komt uit Game of Thrones en ‘Enemies of the Free World’ uit The Lord of the Rings. Kasparov verliet in 2013 definitief Rusland nadat hij zijn thuisland had zien veranderen in een dictatuur onder Poetin.

Zijn visie over hoe we moeten omgaan met de leider van de Russische Federatie is helder: ‘je kunt het kwaad niet met wortel en al verwijderen’, schrijft hij. ‘Je moet er voortdurend scherp op blijven waar het opduikt en het meteen de kop indrukken.’ En hierin heeft het Westen gefaald als het op Poetin aankomt. De Russische leider heeft voortdurend de grenzen overschreden, zoals een psychopathische narcist dat doet: kijken hoe ver hij kan gaan. Toen hij het Krim annexeerde in 2014 had het Westen hem snoeihard moeten aanpakken met de hardst mogelijke economische sancties, maar dat deed het Westen niet waardoor Poetin het signaal kreeg in zijn zieke geest dat hij verder kon gaan.

Niemand had verwacht dat hij een full blown invasie zou doen in Oekraïne omdat hij daarbij ook zijn eigen land tot paria zou maken en zou veroordelen tot een zware economische achteruitgang die decennia zal aanhouden. En dit is één van de kenmerken van het kwaad anno nu; de volledige bereidheid tot zelfdestructie als het maar zijn doel dient om de wereld in chaos te storten. Dit wordt in Poetins geval gedreven door een pure haat voor het vrije Westen. Poetin haalde in een van zijn gestoorde speeches onlangs J.K. Rowling aan en hoe walgelijk hij het vond dat zij gecanceld werd om dingen die ze gezegd heeft over transgenders. Poetin haat cancel culture, en nu wordt Rusland wereldwijd gecanceld.

Een ambtgenoot van Poetin die hem qua vernietiging waarschijnlijk gaat overtreffen is Jaire Bolsonaro. De Braziliaanse president is bezig met een grand plan voor massamoord dat zelfs niet onderdoet voor Hitler, Stalin en Mao. De warming-up was de coronapandemie waar in Brazilië meer dan 660.000 mensen aan zijn doodgegaan dankzij zijn crimineel lakse beleid (alleen in de VS, waar toevallig ook een narcist aan de macht was, waren het er meer: 1.004.000). Zijn tweede actie is het zwaar versoepelen van de wapenhandel geweest wat heeft geleid tot een gigantische toename in wapens en moorden in Brazilië. Alsof dat niet genoeg is, is hij momenteel bezig middels vijf nieuwe wetten het Amazonegebied definitief te laten vernietigen wat een ramp zal betekenen voor de planeet. Hij zei het al bij zijn aantreden: “Ik ben goed in doden”. Daar is geen woord van gelogen.

Bolsonaro is de ultieme vertegenwoordiging van een ander kenmerk van het kwaad; de bereidheid om natuur te vernietigen op ongekende schaal. Hij is als Saruman uit The Two Towers die het prachtige bos Fangorn afbrandt en vervangt door een grootschalige oorlogsindustrie. Twee belangrijke wereldmachten worden nu geleid door bezeten maniakken, maar ik vrees dat we het daar niet mee gehad hebben. Er is een reëel gevaar dat Trump of een andere engerd, zoals DeSantis, aan de macht komt in de VS. En Xi, de dictator die China in zijn greep heeft, is onmogelijk te vertrouwen. Kijk wat het dictatorschap met Poetin gedaan heeft.

Dit is één van de bewezen voordelen van onze democratie, dat niet een of andere idioot aan de macht kan blijven en een land kapot maakt in zijn waanzin. Rusland had dit ook kunnen hebben, maar daar heeft de democratie niet langer dan acht jaar geduurd. God mag weten hoe lang het nu weer gaat duren voor ze van deze travesty hersteld zijn. Niet dat het Westen zo perfect is, verre van. De afgelopen jaren hebben regeringen met een hebzuchtig neoliberaal beleid gezorgd voor een groeiende kloof tussen de haves en have-nots en een steeds verder uitgeholde middenklasse. Het is hier lang niet zo erg als in de VS, maar het gaat niet de goede kant op. En dat zorgt ervoor dat bovenstaande autocraten zoveel ‘volgers’ hebben (in het socialmedia tijdperk zijn het niet alleen volgers, maar noemen we ze ook echt zo).

Dan is er nog de klimaatcrisis en zesde massa-extinctie, die maakt dat we het ons helemaal niet kunnen veroorloven om in oorlog verwikkeld te zijn met de Russen of Chinezen. De wereldmachten zouden nu op ongekend niveau moeten samenwerken en historische initiatieven moeten ontplooien om te redden wat er te redden valt. Maar dat zit er niet in. Een van de zeldzame positieve berichten in al deze misère is dat het Westen meer verenigd is dan in decennia en bereid is Poetin aan te pakken. Volgens Kasparov is dat – helaas – de enige taal die een dictator verstaat. Hopelijk krapt Xi zich nu wel even achter de oren voordat hij ook een invasie gaat doen in Taiwan.

In de media gaan de Oekraïne-berichten vaak over het voorkomen van een Derde Wereldoorlog. Deze is eigenlijk al begonnen; we weten alleen nog niet wat voor oorlog dat is, en hoe we hem moeten vechten. Kasparov heeft gelijk; het kwaad is niet weg. We kunnen we doen alsof we geen vijanden meer hebben, maar dat betekent nog niet dat het waar is. Poetin heeft zijn kaarten laten zien. En hij zal niet stoppen totdat hij tegengehouden wordt. Winter is here.

My Greatest Cinema Moments Ever

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

There was a terrific feature in Empire Magazine last month, especially during a pandemic when all cinemas are shut down and barely any major movies are released. They invited their readers and celebrated filmmakers, like Steven Spielberg, James Cameron and Bong Joon-Ho to share their favorite cinema moments.

They are specifically looking for moments in which the whole audience experienced movie magic. Think Hannibal Lecter escaping from prison in The Silence of the Lambs. Can you imagine the audience’s response when he pulls the face off in the ambulance? I sure can, even though I never saw Silence in cinema. Or the ending in Buffalo Bill’s house where the depraved serial killer is stalking Clarice Starling with night vision goggles? These are memories from filmmaker Edgar Wright (Baby Driver, Shaun of the Dead), who initiated this feature.

Wright: “I vividly recall riotous screenings of A Fish Called Wanda and There’s Something About Mary, the unforgettable sound of massed sobs in E.T. or Titanic, or just the palpable energy of the first weekend crowd of Scream or The Silence of the Lambs, which was so electric, you’d think it could power a city. I’ve been lucky enough to have made a few scenes myself where the crowd have drowned out the next scene because they are laughing or whooping (I’m thinking the ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ scene in Shaun of the Dead, JK). Such moments are truly infectious, but again, that’s an adjective that needs to be retired for the moment.”

Other notable contributions in the issue are:
– Darth Vader’s dilemma right before he kills the emperor in Return of the Jedi. By Simon Pegg.
– Luke throwing down his lightsaber, also in Return of the Jedi. By Mark Hamill.
– Neo stops the bullets, but the whole film really, in The Matrix. By Chris Evans.
– The tragic reality of Menace II Society. By Patty Jenkins.
– The ear scene in Reservoir Dogs. By Joe Russo.
– And many many more….

My favorite cinema moment by far is The Lord of the Rings. I went to fellowship on opening day and it was a magical experience. You could feel the whole room just be completely absorbed by the wondrous world Peter Jackson and his team had painted on the screen. It was breathtaking. I remember highlight after highlight, but the ultimate audience engagement happened in Moria where the fellowship faces one challenge after the other. When finally Gandalf sacrifices himself to let the others escape, the audience felt like Frodo: totally and utterly defeated. By the time they face the Uruk Hai at the end, the audience was re-energized, and left the room in pretty good spirit, but also sad because of the loss of both Boromir and Gandalf.

The Two Towers even topped this experience. The way it starts is just a master move. Gandalf being pulled into the abyss and falling and fighting the demonic Balrog. Everybody in that cinema went apeshit. After that: one great scene after the other. But the real show stealer of the evening was off course Gollum. Never before had a digital character been so fully realised. Andy Serkis’ performance is mind blowing. He should have won the Oscar for best supporting actor that year, no question. The movie ends at Helm’s Deep and this is a groundbreaking battle scene in terms of pure scale and spectacle. It is the only movie I saw in cinema three times.

Of course, at the moment there are no cinema experiences at all, but the memories remain. And like many of our favorite movie characters, they will return at some point. No question. True cinema moments are magical. There is no substitute.

A Collection of Movie Trivia

Posted on by Jeppe Kleijngeld

PROLOGUE – THE LORD OF THE RINGS

Galadriel: The world has changed. I see it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air. Much that once was is lost. For none now live, who remember it.

It began with the forging of the Great Rings. Three were given to the elves: Immortal, wisest and fairest of all beings. Seven to the Dwarf-lords: Great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls. And nine…nine rings were gifted to the race of men… who, above all else, desire power. For within these rings was bound the strength and will to govern each race. But they were all of them deceived…for another ring was made.

In the land of Mordor, in the fires of Mount Doom…the dark lord Sauron forged in secret a Master Ring…to control all others. And into this ring he poured his cruelty, his malice and his will to dominate all life. One Ring to rule them all.

One by one the Free Lands of Middle Earth fell to the power of the Ring. But there were some who resisted. A Last Alliance of Men and Elves marched against the armies of Mordor. And on the slopes of Mount Doom, they fought for the freedom of Middle Earth. Victory was near. But the power of the Ring could not be undone. It was in this moment, when all hope had faded…that Isildur, son of the king, took up his father’s sword. Sauron, the enemy of the Free Peoples of Middle Earth, was defeated.

The ring passed to Isildur, who had this one chance to destroy evil forever. But the hearts of Men are easily corrupted. And the Ring of Power has a will of its own. It betrayed Isildur to his death. And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend, legend became myth. And for two and a half thousand years the Ring passed out of all knowledge. Until, when chance came, It ensnared a new bearer.

The ring came to the creature Gollum who took it deep into the tunnels of the Misty Mountains. And there…it consumed him. The Ring brought to Gollum an unnatural long life. For five hundred years it poisoned his mind. And in the gloom of Gollum’s cave, it waited. Darkness crept back into the forests of the world. Rumor grew of a shadow in the East, whispers of a nameless fear. And the ring of power perceived…its time had now come.

It abandoned Gollum. But something happened then the ring did not intend. It was picked up by the most unlikely creature imaginable. A Hobbit. Bilbo Baggins of the Shire.

For the time will soon come, when Hobbits will shape the fortunes of all.

CHARACTERS INTRODUCED BY CREDITS
– In order of appearance in the movie

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
The Ugly (Eli Wallach)
The Bad (Lee Van Cleef)
And The Good (Clint Eastwood)

Mean Streets
Tony (David Proval)
Michael (Richard Romanus)
Johnny Boy (Robert De Niro)
Charlie (Harvey Keitel)

Snatch
Cousin Avi (Dennis Farina)
Sol (Lennie James)
Mickey (Brad Pitt)
Vinny (Robbie Gee)
Franky Four Fingers (Benicio Del Toro)
Turkish (Jason Stratham)
Gorgeous George (Adam Fogerty)
Tommy (Stephen Graham)
Bullet-Tooth Tony (Vinnie Jones)
Boris the Blade (Rade Serbedzija)
Doug the Head (Mike Reid)
Brick Top (Alan Ford)

Trainspotting
Renton (Ewan McGregor)
Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller)
Begbie (Robert Carlyle)
Spud (Ewen Bremner)
Tommy (Kevin McKidd)

The Faculty
Casey (Elijah Wood)
Stokely (Clea DuVall)
Delilah (Jordana Brewster)
Stan (Shawn Hatosy)
Marybeth (Laura Harris)
Zeke (Josh Hartnett)

The A-Team
Col. Hannibal Smith (Liam Neeson)
Lt. Faceman Peck (Bradley Cooper)
Bosco B.A. Baracus (Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson)
Capt. HM. Murdock (Sharlto Copley)

THE FOUR TELEVISION DAVIDS

It seems David’s with five-letter surnames make excellent TV-shows;

David Chase – The Sopranos
David Lynch – Twin Peaks
David Milch – Deadwood
David Simon – The Wire

JAY AND SILENT BOB

Who are they?
Two stoners from New Jersey. One has verbal diarrhea, the other hardly talks except to sum up the movie in one short monologue. They feature in films from writer/director Kevin Smith, who ‘plays’ the character Silent Bob himself. Jay is portrayed by his close friend Jason Mewes. They made an appearance in many movies, video games, comics and an animated television series. In Smith’s movies, they usually function as side-characters (only one scene in Chasing Amy). In 2001 they got their first own movie: Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.

Films:
Clerks (1994), Mallrats (1995), Chasing Amy (1997), Dogma (1999), Scream 3 (2000, Cameo), Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001), Clerks II (2006), Jay & Silent Bob’s Super Groovy Cartoon Movie! (2013), Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019), Clerks III (2022)

WHO’S THE MAN?

The Man Who Copied
is André (Lázaro Ramos)
The Man Who Cried
is Cesar (Johnny Depp)*
The Man Who Fell To Earth
is Thomas Jerome Newton (David Bowie)
The Man Who Knew Too Little
is Wallace ‘Wally’ Ritchie (Bill Murray)
The Man Who Knew Too Much
is Bob Lawrence (Leslie Banks) in 1934 and Ben McKenna (James Stewart) in 1956
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
is Tom Doniphon (John Wayne)
The Man Who Wasn’t There
is Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton)
The Man Who Would Be King
is Daniel Dravot (Sean Connery)

* More men cry in the movie but Johnny Depp’s character is the most obvious choice for the title role. However it is also suggested that the title is a reference to crying out or singing as well and that ‘the man’ can also refer to men in general.

DIRTY HARRY SERIES

Dirty Harry (1971)
Director: Don Siegel

Magnum Force (1973)
Director: Ted Post

The Enforcer (1976)
Director: James Fargo

Sudden Impact (1983)
Director: Clint Eastwood

The Dead Pool (1988)
Director: Buddy Van Horn

FILMS ABOUT FILMMAKERS

Chaplin (1992)
About Charles Chaplin
Played by Robert Downey Jr.

Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993)
About Bruce Lee
Played by Jason Scott Lee (no relation)

Ed Wood (1994)
About Edward D. Wood Jr.
Played by Johnny Depp

Gods and Monsters (1998)
About James Whale
Played by Ian McKellan

Shadow of the Vampire (2000)
About Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau
Played by John Malkovich

Aviator, The (2005)
About Howard Hughes
Played by Leonardo DiCaprio

THE TERRORISTS IN DIE HARD

Hans Gruber – Alan Rickman
Karl – Alexander Godunov
Franco – Bruno Doyon
Tony – Andreas Wisniewski
Theo – Clarence Gilyard, JR.
Alexander – Joey Plewa
Marco – Lorenzo Caccialanza
Kristoff – Gerard Bonn
Eddie – Dennis Hayden
Uli – Al Leong
Heinrich – Gary Roberts
Fritz – Hans Buhringer
James – Wilhelm von Homburg

PETER JACKSON CAMEOS IN THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY

1. Carrot Eater

When and where: City of Bree in The Fellowship of the Ring

2. Wild Man

When and where: Isengard in The Two Towers

3. Spear Thrower

When and where: Helm’s Deep in The Two Towers

4. Pirate

When and where: Corsair ship in The Return of the King

ACTORS WHO PLAYED TWINS

Eddie Murphy – Bowfinger
Sean Young – A Kiss Before Dying
Jean Claude van Damme – Double Impact
Andy Garcia – Steal Big, Steal Little
Jeremy Irons – Dead Ringers
Lee Marvin – Cat Ballou
Nicolas Cage – Adaptation
Matthew Modine – Equinox
Armie Hammer – The Social Network
Bette Midler – Big Business
Lily Tomlin – Big Business
Leonardo DiCaprio – The Man in the Iron Mask
Edward Norton – Leaves of Grass
Lindsay Lohan – The Parent Trap
Bette Davis – A Stolen Life

CHEECH AND CHONG

Cheech & Chong are a famous stoner duo consisting of Richard ‘Cheech’ Marin and Tommy Chong who found a wide audience in the 1970s and 1980s for their films and stand-up routines, which were based on the hippie and free love era, and especially drug culture movements, most notably their love for cannabis.

Movies
Up In Smoke (1978)
Dir: Lou Adler

Next Movie (1980)
Dir: Tommy Chong

Nice Dreams (1981)
Dir: Tommy Chong

Things Are Tough All Over (1982)
Dir: Tom Avildsen

Still Smoking (1983)
Dir: Tommy Chong

Corsican Brothers, The (1984)
Dir: Tommy Chong

Get Out Of My Room (1985)
Dir: Cheech Marin

Born In East L.A. (1987)
Dir: Cheech Marin

Far Out Man (1989)
Dir: Tommy Chong

NEO REALISM

What is it?
A film movement that portrays ordinary people in the midst of the ruins of post WWII in Italy. A period dominated by angst, poor economics and extreme poverty. Neo realism is arguably more a trend than an actual movement by a group of people with similar thoughts and ideas. Its characteristics are the use of unknown actors (also for main parts), real locations and a realistic looking visual style.

Famous examples
Ossessione (1943, Luchino Visconti)
Rome, Open City (1945, Roberto Rosselini)
The Bicycle Thief (1948, Vittorio De Sica)
La Terra Trema (1948, Luchino Visconti)
Stromboli (1950, Roberto Rosselini)
Umberto D. (1952, Vittorio De Sica)

SELECTION OF ASH’S ONELINERS*

Ash?
Ashley J. ‘Ash’ Williams is the protagonist of The Evil Dead franchise. He is portrayed by Bruce Campbell. Throughout the series, Ash has to face off against his loved ones inside an abandoned cabin as they are possessed by deadites, the evil souls of the dead. Ash was named the 24th Greatest Movie Character of All Time by Empire Magazine.

Oneliners
– ‘Groovy’
– ‘Yo She-Bitch, let’s go!’
– ‘How’d you like the taste of that, huh?’
– ‘Name’s Ash, Housewares’
– ‘Come get some’
– ‘Can I borrow your face for a while? My ass is on vacation’*
– ‘That can’t be your face! What did your neck throw up?’*

* Videogame ‘A Fistful of Boomstick’

ACTORS WHO HAVE PLAYED PHILIP MARLOWE

Who?
Philip Marlowe is a fictional character created by Raymond Chandler in a series of mystery / detective novels including The Big Sleep and The Long Goodbye. Marlowe first appeared under that name in The Big Sleep, published in 1939.

Actors who have played this private snoop
George Sanders in The Falcon Takes Over (1942) [named ‘The Falcon’]
Lloyd Nolan in Time To Kill (1942) [named Michael Shayne]
Dick Powell in Murder, My Sweet (1944)
Humphrey Bogart in The Big Sleep (1946)
Robert Montgomery in Lady in the Lake (1947)
Robert Montgomery in The Brasher Doubloon (1947)
James Garner in Marlowe (1969)
Elliott Gould in The Long Goodbye (1973)
Robert Mitchum in Farewell My Lovely (1975)
Robert Mitchum in The Big Sleep (1978)

ACTORS / DIRECTORS AND THEIR BIRTH NAMES

Alexander Payne- Alexander Papadopoulos
Charles Bronson – Charles Dennis Buchinsky
Demi Moore – Demetria Gene Guynes
Jodie Foster- Alicia Christian Foster
Kiefer Sutherland – Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland
Martin Scorsese – Martin Marcantonio Luciano Scorsese
Martin Sheen – Ramon Antonio Gerard Estevez
Mel Gibson – Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson
Michael Keaton – Michael John Douglas
Nick Nolte – Nicholas King Nolte
Quentin Tarantino – Quentin Jerome Tarantino
Richard Donner – Richard D. Schwartzberg
Robbie Coltrane – Anthony Robert McMillan
Robert De Niro – Robert Mario De Niro Jr.
Robert Duvall – Robert Selden Duvall
Sylvester Stallone – Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone
Tom Cruise – Thomas Cruise Mapother IV
Woody Harrelson – Woodrow Tracy Harrelson

PUNNING PORN MOVIE TITLES

Anal Analysis
Battlestar Orgasmica
Beaverjuice
Blown in 60 Seconds
Buttman and Throbbin’
Cape Rear
Clockwork Orgy
The Cockateer
CreamCatcher
Driving Miss Daisy Crazy
Ed’s Wood
Edward Penishands
Erectnophobia
Fill Jill
Forrest Hump
The Flint Bones
Hannibal Lickter
Good Will Humping
Honey, I Blew Everybody
I Know Who You Did Last Summer
In Diana Jones and the Temple of Poon
Intercourse with the Vampire
Juranal Park
Jurassic Poke
The Last Anal Hero
Lost in Penetration
Lust, Ties and Videotape
Mad Jack: Beyond Thunderbone
Muffy the Vampire Layer
Plan 69 From Outer Space
Position: Impossible
Robocock
Romancing the Bone
Schindler’s Fist
Sexcalibur
Sexorcist
Sex Trek: The Next Penetration
Shaving Ryan’s Privates
Spermacus
The Sperminator
Star Whores
Total Reball
Twin Peeks
Wet Dreams May Cum
When Harry Ate Sally
White Men Can’t Hump

TITLES THAT FEATURE A COLOUR

The Black Dahlia
Pitch Black
Black Hawk Down
Tears of the Black Tiger
Black Narcissus
Black Rain
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Black Caesar
Meet Joe Black
Men In Black
Black Widow
Black Swan

Blue Velvet
The Big Blue
Betty Blue
Three Colours: Blue
Blue in the Face
The Blue Angel
The Blue Dahlia
Deep Blue Sea
Rhapsody in Blue
Blue is the Warmest Colour

Foxy Brown

The Boy With Green Hair
The Girl With Green Eyes
The Green Mile
The Green Hornet
The Green Man
The Green Slime
Monster From Green Hell
The Green Lantern
Green Inferno
Green Book
The Green Knight
Soylent Green
Fried Green Tomatoes

A Clockwork Orange
Orange County
Soldier of Orange

The Color Purple
Purple Rain

Red River
Three Colours: Red
Red Beard
The Thin Red Line
The Red Shoes
Moulin Rouge
Red Planet
Deep Red
Red Rock West
Red Desert
Raise the Red Lantern
The Man with One Red Shoe
The Red Balloon
Lady in Red

Pretty in Pink
Pink Flamingo’s

White Fang
White Heat
White Zombie
White Men Can’t Jump
Three Colours : White
Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
The Bride With White Hair

Yellow Submarine
She Wore A Yellow Ribbon
The Clouded Yellow