95 of the top 100 greatest movie characters

Oh the fight is on. It seems that British magazine Empire made a list of the top 100 movie characters ever. This of course could not go without dispute. and thus Yahoo had to throw in their 2 pennies with a list of the top 25.

And I think that both lists have some merit but forget quite a bit. And the order of the characters is just plain dumb. Empire has Tyler Durden (Fight Club) as Number 1, Yahoo goes with The Tramp (Charlie Chaplin's films). While the Tramp is a good choice I think it isn't the best.

So here is my entry into the foray. Without question I will be told I am wrong to varying degrees. But that is the nature of a top list.

1.Harvey (Harvey)- The number 1 spot has to go to the only character that is never seen or heard from, is spoken about in virtually every 3rd line, is the center of attention, and is loveable.
2.Darth Vader (Star Wars series) - this is what bad guys are
3.HAL-9000 (2001) the definition of paranoia and what happens without the 3 laws
4.Morpheus (Matrix) the heart of the entire series
5.Mad Max (Mad Max series) defining the loner
6.Ellen Ripley (Alien quadrology) The most powerful woman character on several levels
7.Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs) The power of a mind twisted
8.Willie Wonka (original version Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) The joy of childhood in an adult
9.Malcolm X (Malcolm X) The example of what a life can become
10.Captain (Das Boot) The ultimate in determination
11.Popeye Doyle (French Connection) Perserverance personafied
12.T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) Ambition and a dream made real via willpower and planning
13. Lee (Enter the Dragon) The fusion of mind and spirit
14.John McClane (Die Hard series) The worst of being in the wrong place wrong time
15.Han Solo (Star Wars trilogy) Swashbuckling in space
16.Ferris Bueller (Ferris Bueller's Day Off) The perfect in the right place and right time
17.Keyser Soze (Usual Suspects) The least is the greatest among us
18.James Bond (007 series)
19.The Terminator (The Terminator series)
20.Ghengis Noonian Khan (Star Trek: Wrath of Khan)
21.Lieutenant Colonel William "Bill" Kilgore (Apocalypse Now)
22.Indiana Jones (Indiana Jones series)
23.The Tramp (Charlie Chaplin's films)
24.Mr Blonde (Reservoir Dogs)
25.Forrest Gump (Forrest Gump)
26.Harry Callahan (Dirty Harry)
27.Dr. Strangelove (Dr. Strangelove)
28.Ash (Evil Dead)
29.Charles Foster Kane (Citizen Kane)
30.Blondie (The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly)
31.C3PO and R2D2 (Star Wars)
32.Inigo Montoya (Princess Bride)
33.Jules Winnfield (Pulp Fiction)
34.Mr. Virgil Tibbs (In the Heat of the Night)
35.Roy Batty (Blade Runner)
36.Will Kane (High Noon)
37.Norma Desmond (Sunset Blvd.)
38.Arthur Chipping (Goodbye Mr. Chips)
39.V (V for Vendetta)
40.Zatoichi (Zatoichi series of films)
41.The Major (Ghost in the Shell)
42.Inspector Clouseau (original Pink Panther series)
43.Alex DeLarge (A Clockwork Orange)
44.Michael Meyers (Halloween series)
45.Roy Dillon - (The Grifters)
46.Lilly Dillon (The Grifters)
47.Chris (The Magnificent 7)
48.Max Bialystock (The Producers),
49.Yojimbo (Yojimbo, Sanjuro)
50.Jason Bourne (Bourne series)
51.Capt. Hilts "The Cooler King" (The Great Escape)
52.Hans Beckert (M)
53.Rooster Cogburn (True Grit)
54.Ray Charles (Ray)
55.Princess Leia Organa (Star Wars)
56.Atticus Finch (To Kill A Mockingbird)
57.Saul (Soylent Green)
58.Chance the gardener (Being There)
59.Fred C. Dobbs (The Treasure of the Sierra Madre)
60.Jessica Rabbit (Who Framed Roger Rabbit)
61.Dracula
62.Frank White (King of New York)
63.Agent Smith (Matrix series)
64.E.T. (E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial)
65.Jack Torrance (The Shining)
66.The Car (Christine)
67.Snake Plissken (Escape From New York)
68.Lt. Frank Drebin (The Naked Gun)
69.Luke (Cool Hand Luke)
70.George Bailey (It's A Wonderful Life)
71.Mathilda (The Professional)
72.G. Joubert (3 Days of the Condor)
73.Robin Earl of Locksley (Adventures of Robin Hood)
74.Nurse Ratched (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest)
75.Maximus Decimus Meridius (Gladiator)
76.the kids (Village of the Damned)
77.Mystery Woman (Blues Brothers)
78.Alice (Alice in Wonderland)
79.Ensign Frank Thurlowe Pulver (original Mr. Roberts)
80.Ken Pile (A Fish Called Wanda)
81.Witch of the West (Wizard of Oz)
82.Marv (Sin City)
83.Norman Bates (Psycho original)
84.Dil (Crying Game)
85.Damien (Omen original)
86.Lieutenant Commander Philip Francis Queeg (The Caine Mutiny original)
87.Zed (Killing Zoe)
88.Lawrence Garfield (Other People's Money)
89.Mary Kate Danaher (The Quiet Man)
90.John "Bluto" Blutarsky (Animal House)
91.Alice (Resident Evil series)
92.John Robie (To Catch a Thief)
93.Chief Bromden (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest)
94.Old Yeller (Old Yeller)
95.Cujo (Cujo)

Each of the characters in the above films stands out, and their loss is one that makes a vacuum. Though the roles are not always the biggest they are powerful.

Some might dispute the inanimate or anime characters. But that does not prevent the characters from being as real or influential as any other. Some may wonder about why there are so few women. The honest answer is that until relatively recently there just haven't been many roles written where women are prominent or have a truly standout role. Some might discount the characters that reflect real people. But these movies are not the actual person's life and still their characters are larger than life.

And why does my list stop where it does? Well how might you round out this list? What might you change?

Prince, Anna Nicole Smith, Hannibal Lecter - 2.10.2007.1

This has been quite a week. I’ve been quite busy, and a touch ill, so I have a bit to catch up with. I will get to my thoughts on Anna Nicole Smith shortly. What was catching a lot of earlier in the week are the various television commercials for the Super Bowl. I’ve heard the Snickers ad has been removed from circulation. While many were creeped out by the ad, it seems the outcry from various groups about its anti-gay theme is what wound up being the final nail. I really don’t get where the humor was in the ad. I get where it’s supposed to be, but they really lost something in the translation from idea to commercial ad. Still they can’t be judged too harshly, at least they tried to do something new unlike Schick.

Of course television commercials were not the only thing criticized from this Super Bowl. It seems that now Prince’s half-time show is drawing fire. Truly I’m surprised and have to wonder who are these people seeking out these complaints. I really feel they are trying to find something to object to. The now infamous still image of Prince playing the guitar in silhouette seems to be driving some mad. Come on people, it wasn’t all that. At full speed it’s barely a standout image. I suppose though that if someone has sex or body parts on the mind they will pick up on these things quickly. In the same place where the Snickers ad caught and shocked every viewer no one noticed anything during Prince’s performance. Yet some, probably the same ones that are terrified of a bare bosom’s exposure for a few seconds, seem or disturbed by the half-time show than the commercial.

I have to wonder if those same people offended by Prince are offended when they park their car. It is a key-to-keyhole action. Male-fits-female, or did they not think of that in their constant search for sexuality in public. Perhaps they should start attacking bottle manufacturers, or zipper makers. I mean the vast number of actions and items that confer a phallic message in ordinary life are mind-boggling. That says nothing of the overt sexuality in most music videos, television shows and commercials, cartoons, and movies. Which isn’t too surprising considering Humans are not asexual, and procreation is one of the top 3 genetic imperatives (food, procreation, self-preservation). While I can understand to an extent the need to protect kids (blatant sexuality is unnecessary, incidental stuff is life) some people need to relax. And by the way, anyone playing a guitar is a sexual image (if you want to think of it that way) just by the nature of the shape and position of a guitar. Get off of Prince.

The new Hannibal movie is now out. I’m sure it will pull in a decent amount of cash. I doubt it will live up to the work of Sir Anthony Hopkins. Hannibal Lecter is more than a slasher killer with a large vocabulary. This character is motivated in much the same way a true killer is, which is something a ‘normal’ person will never fully get. To try to humanize this character lessens the impact he has. Epic characters can never be described in brief. Darth Vader’s backstory took 3 movies and that changed the whole meaning of the previous 3 films. A single movie motivated on capturing the violence and gore that teens enjoy en masse, especially when logic or thought are watered down to almost nil, can never capture the intensity this character needs to express his past. I can capture all this just from the televised scenes and a couple of reviews. The focus is not the mind of the killer, which is where the real shock is, but the gore of the actions (and a bad European accent). I’m skipping this movie, but tell me if you see it and I am wrong.

Now about Anna Nicole Smith. I am sorry that she has passed. It’s a shame when anyone dies so young. I feel very bad for her daughter, who will have to live with the various unresolved legal battles throughout her life. I have deep suspicion of Mr. Stern who I feel is not the father of the baby (nor the prince now claiming fatherhood), and impresses me as a male golddigger. Though I could be wrong on several points. But this is all in the public eye and thus I will comment.

Ms. Smith was a sexy woman, reminding us all that a woman with curves is more attractive than a size 0 model. I think that is part of what captured the publics attention. She was pretty, and shapely, and a touch naïve (or so she seemed) which made us all wish we could help her out. It’s a subtle desire to help those around us in need. And to an extent we all saw that, yet those closest to her seemed unable to get her the help she needed. From Playboy to Guess jeans, to movies (like Naked Gun 2) and television we all followed her. Some had envy, others admiration, but we all paid attention. Perhaps it’s not the best legacy, but it is her legacy. Hopefully her daughter will fare better.

I hope her daughter can be with her father, whoever that is. I hope her father is motivated by the love of his daughter and not her potential inheritance. I hope the daughter has something to inherit. I most deeply hope that her daughter will be able to grow into a strong woman that has overcome all these challenges.

This is what I think, what do you think?