4. Gordon Gekko (Michael Douglas)
Wall Street (1987)
Oliver Stone’s withering stare into the brains of ‘80s Yuppiedom brought to life one of Movieland’s smoothest sharks. Gekko’s a money-hungry monster who spends his time buying up companies, making a packet and ditching the ethical consequences.
And though the director had wanted Warren Beatty or Richard Gere to inhabit Gekko’s skin, Douglas nailed it, bagging an Oscar in the process.
Prime Act Of Bastardy: Setting up hungry young stockbroker Bud Fox (Charlie Sheen) as his stooge in the takeover of an airline that employ’s Fox’s father. Then slicing up the business and hanging Bud out to dry when the fraud squad come calling.
3. Vicomte De Valmont (John Malkovich)
Dangerous Liasons (1988)
Malkovich seemed unlikely casting to play this sexual snake-charmer, but whether using naked maids as writing desks or gleefully deflowering Uma Thurman’s virgin, it’s clear he’s no ordinary Don Juan.
“I’m not blind, crippled or gay and I’ve played them all,” scoffed Malkovich at the time. He brings a curiously contemporary air to Valmont, shambling around Chateaus like some lanky, high school brat, with lisping diction and slouching body language to match.
But his lizard-lipped creep is unsurpassed in the Pre-Revolutionary seduction stakes, obliging his co-conspirator, the Marquise de Merteuil (Glenn Close) in her venal sex plots, and setting his shameless sights on the deeply pious Madame de Tourvel (Michelle Pfeiffer) – just to, like, prove that even she can be corrupted by his slithery charm.
Prime Act Of Bastardy: Having bulldozed Madame de Tourvel’s resistance, the Vicomte treats her like dirt, repelling her wretched pleas for love. He can’t bear the fact that she’s won his heart. Aww…
2. JJ Hunsecker (Burt Lancaster)
Sweet Smell Of Success (1957)
He’s the most powerful newspaper columnist in New York. A man who can make or break careers with a paragraph.
He prowls Manhattan’s Midtown district like he owns it (“I love this dirty town”), striding along sidewalks as his limo crawls beside him, dining with senators and starlets who’ll happily fawn to curry favour with JJ. And he’s one man you do not want to piss off.
But that’s exactly what Sidney Falco (Tony Curtis), a publicist who tails Hunsecker like a whipped dog, has done. JJ told Falco to break up the love affair between his kid sister Susan (Susan Harrison) and jazz guitarist Steve Dallas (Martin Milner).
Falco hasn’t yet managed it, meaning none of his clients are getting mentions in JJ’s column.
And so begins a vicious chain of events, set in motion by Hunsecker and carried out by Falco…
Prime Act Of Bastardy: Not content that he’s already caused the break-up of his sister’s relationship, JJ tells Falco, “I want that kid taken apart,” slipping him a piece of paper with a corrupt cop’s name on it.
Yes-man Falco finally says no – ‘til JJ offers him a column of his very own. Cue a perfect fit-up, Falco planting dope on Dallas and arranging for another columnist to print the story, labeling Dallas a dope fiend and a Commie. Nice, nice, nice...
Comments
ThrashGordon
Jul 7th 2009, 12:37
cool, glad to see Burke in there, he rules!! Could have done with Ellis from Die Hard to shore up the 80s sleaze... ''Show him the watch... Its a Rolex.' 'Hans, Boobie! I'm you're white knight!'' Class. Maybe Shooter McGavin from Happy Gilmore too... ah I'm just listing all my heroes here!
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alowe
Jul 7th 2009, 15:26
Good shout with Shooter. And we know we haven't included Daniel Plainview - but he's keeping for something else... :)
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weirdr0b0t
Jul 7th 2009, 15:34
lets be honest... brick top from s****h should have been up there!! He was an awesome character, completely lacking any defining positive features!!
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slowhands107
Jul 7th 2009, 16:42
The fact that you left Don Logan (Ben Kingsley - Sexy Beast) from the list makes it totally void. Mr.Blonde!!! Archibald Cunningham (Tim Roth -Rob Roy) Stephen Graham in THIS IS ENGLAND.
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mic2803
Jul 7th 2009, 16:45
i'm sorry, but you have all forgotten about Jeremy Irons' "Scar" from the "Lion King". "Long live the king", throwing his own brother into the depths of a fatal stampeed (is that the correct spelling?)
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omniblue
Jul 8th 2009, 0:48
I'm sorry. b*****d list without... Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale) @ American Psycho Fails
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Heskin
Jul 9th 2009, 12:02
What no Michael Corleone?
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BapNayak
Jul 10th 2009, 11:50
What about Clancy Brown's Captain Hadley in Shawshank. I'm sorry but what an evil b*****d!
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Mizino
Jul 10th 2009, 12:52
No Joker?
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greatatuin
Jul 12th 2009, 14:08
Daniel Plainview?
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Mozkiwi
Jul 13th 2009, 0:34
How about two b*****ds in one film? Once Were Warriors' Jake Heke (Temuera Morrison) who dismisses the family trip to visit his son in borstal, in favour of drinking at the local pub with his mates - one of whom, Bully (Cliff Curtis) rapes Jake's daughter,while the parents and guests are partying downstairs, with that most b*****dly of lines, "Give your Uncle Bully a kiss." Ick and ick... but the actors were brilliant!
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casinoheat
Jul 20th 2009, 19:27
Robert De Niro in Raging Bull... The biggest c**k on film
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Kedders1986
Jul 22nd 2009, 0:28
How Tom Berenger as Sgt. Barnes in Platoon. Shooting fellow soldier Willem Dafoe and leaving him for dead is a good enough reason.
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halo14
Jul 31st 2009, 7:00
This list can not be complete without Gary Oldman. He makes the ultimate 'bad guy' in many movies. The best - his perfomance as the pshycho pill popping detective in The Professional.
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SCY385
Jul 31st 2009, 22:29
I have seen other lists about cinema b*****ds, and they always seemed to leave a few of my picks off. But you guys did me proud when you mentioned Dennis Peck from Internal Affairs. Of all the Jason's, Freddie's,etc. Dennis Peck scares me more than any of them. Why? Because he has the potential to be real. A cop with that kind of charisma, ruthlessness, and evil magnetism is a scary prospect. This was the role that proved to me that Richard Gere could act. Good choice.
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carolineadams
Aug 27th 2009, 18:56
how about Captain Vidal from Pan's Labyrinth??
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FBLPedroza
Sep 25th 2011, 17:51
The Lieutienant from "Bad Lieutenant" and both versions to booth.
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abbywatson
Nov 22nd 2012, 6:09
You forgot Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter series. He could even give Biff Tannen (Back to the Future) and Bully (Once Were Warriors) lessons on what a b*****d should be like and how a true b*****d should act. Plus, Biff would definitely be shocked at Draco's magical powers, seeing as how, although Biff is a bully, he's also a Muggle (non-magic person) in Harry Potter's world...
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