I think the one that stands out in my mind is Annie Wilkes from Misery. I haven’t read King’s book, but I love the movie, and if ever there were a perfect casting, it was Kathy Bates as Annie. Annie is simultaneously sympathetic and repulsive. I like that sort of multi-dimensional villain.
This may get me laughed off the boards but I really liked Rebecca Gayheart in Urban Legend. She had the crazed look to play a very good psychopath.
Linda Fiorentino in *The Last Seduction * was a great mid-'90s film noir femme fatale.
Barbara Stanwyck in Double Indemnity, perhaps the quintessential Hollywood femme fatale.
In comic books, Miss Misery in the series Sleeper is a fascinating femme fatale, compelling, charismatic, and sexy as hell, but untrustworthy, vicious, and oh so evil.
Livia, in I, Claudius.
Kathleen Turner, in Body Heat
For cinema: Judith Anderson’s performance as Mrs Danvers in Hitchcock’s REBECCA is right up there with the most evil of 'em all.
For literature: few villains of any gender are as nassssty as Mrs MacBeth
One of the ‘best’ villians (if you’ll let me use the term) is Ma Mattulich from Lois McMaster Bujold’s short story “The Mountains of Mourning.” Both victim and victimizer… Very chilling, and sad.
For a scary villian: Rhoda Penmark (the evil little girl) in The Bad Seed
For a creepy, manipulative villian: Eve Harrington in All About Eve
Darn you, I was sure I’d be the first to mention Livia. What a role! If I could have had any part in that show I’d have wanted Livia’s. Her “pep talk” to the gladiators was great!
If you liked the movie, you must read the book. Phyllis is even creepier . . .
Kitty in **Scarlet Street ** was rather evil.
The Woman in Detour wasn’t exactly a wonderful person either.
And of course, there’s always Mrs. Iselin in the** Manchurian Candidate**(the original).
Nurse Ratchett in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.
Kathy in East of Eden.
Milady de Winter in The Three Musketeers.
Miss Havisham. Eek.
I liked her turn as a friendly mentor in the Tuesday Next books. Still wearing the tattered wedding dress and one shoe, though.
Cruella DeVille. And while we’re on the Disney, Ursula from The Little Mermaid, too.
And don’t forget Maleficent from Disney’s version of Sleeping Beauty. She’s my favorite villain of all time.
Since my son is watching it right now, there’s the Fairy Godmother from Shrek 2.
Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction
Rebecca DeMornay in The hand that rocks the cradle
Glenn Close in The Stepford Wives (2004 version, never saw the original so I don’t know if the villan was female or not)
and oooh! Bette Davis in “Whatever happened to Baby Jane”
Wow, Amazon has in thier List mania a bunch of movies i have always wanted to see.
Blue Angel -The film that made Dietrich an instant star, and a living legend. She’s the quintessential nightclub floozy, leading Emil Jennings to wreck and ruin.
Darn! I hit post too soon. wicked women
Grendel’s Mother in Beowulf
Morgan la Fay in any of the King Arthur books/movies
Mildred in Maugham’s Of Human Bondage
She Who Must Be Obeyed from Haggard’s She
Jason’s mom in Friday the 13th
Except, of course, The Mists of Avalon.