1. Jack Carter (Michael Caine)
Get Carter (1971)
“Jack Carter was such a shit, it never occurred to me that a star would risk his reputation to play him,” remembers director Mike Hodges. But Caine didn’t blink at the part of the cool, psychotic London gangster hunting his brother’s killer in Newcastle.
“In the script Carter was softer and sleazier than he was in the final film. But Michael gave him an edge… Made him more ruthless,” says Hodges.
“Remember when he’s in that Newcastle bar and he asks for the drink in a ‘thin glass’? Nobody forgets that. And you know why? In the script, Carter says, ‘Please’. But Michael left that out and that little choice makes Carter even more terrifying.”
As if a man with Carter’s complete lack of morals, propensity for sudden, shocking violence and – let’s face it – total indifference to human life wasn’t frightening enough, eh? The biggest movie bastard ever?
It’d be a brave – possibly suicidal – person who tried to deny him the title.
Prime Act Of Bastardy: The way he casually splats a man off the top of a car park? The sleazy telephone sex with his Mob boss' girlfriend? The dead look in his eyes he watches a car with a woman trapped in the boot sink into a canal? The “big man, bad shape” speech?
No, we’ve gone for his treatment of young Keith (Alun Armstrong). This lad worships Carter and has done nothing but help him since the mobster arrived in Newcastle. Surely he can expect a little appreciation?
After taking a beating on Carter’s behalf, Keith lies battered and bleeding in his bed as Carter visits him. When he finds out what happened, Carter just sneers, “Get yourself some karate lessons,” chucks some money down on the bed and strides out.
Prime bastardy, indeed…
Who's your favourite Movie Bastard? Speak now in the Comments!
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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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