# Movie villains who spook you. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 21, 2002, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-villains-who-spook-you/133261 "2002-10-21T17:00:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2002, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-villains-who-spook-you/133261/1 "2002-10-21T17:00:58Z")
I rented _The Salton Sea_ last night and was truly spooked by Vincent D’Onofrio as **Pooh-Bear**. This got me thinking: Which movie villain would you least like to spend a night with in an abandoned shack in the middle of, say, the Louisiana Bayou. My list would include: **Pooh-Bear** (Vincent D’Onofrio) from _The Salton Sea_ **Frank Booth** (Dennis Hopper) from _Blue Velvet_ **Max Cady** (Robert DeNiro) from _Cape Fear_ ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2002, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-villains-who-spook-you/133261/2 "2002-10-21T17:05:35Z")
When I was little, I refused to watch any of the _Star Wars_ movies-Darth Vader scared the living crap out of me. When I got over it, I never cared then, and didn’t see the movies until I was seventeen. Oh, wasted time… ---
**Author:** ![jk1245](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@jk1245](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jk1245)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2002, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-villains-who-spook-you/133261/3 "2002-10-21T17:23:52Z")
the two hillbillies (assume the Beatty position) in ‘Deliverance’ are an obvious choice. Also wouldn’t want to spend any time alone with Hannibal Lecter (the scary “Silence” Hannibal, not the cartoonish later one) ---
**Author:** ![No\_Me\_Ayudes\_Compadre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/no_me_ayudes_compadre/32/5224_2.png) [@No\_Me\_Ayudes\_Compadre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Me_Ayudes_Compadre)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2002, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-villains-who-spook-you/133261/4 "2002-10-21T17:59:20Z")
The Wicked Witch in _Wizard of Oz_, particularly the crystal ball close-up scene, is quite terrifying for a child. Some other creepies: - Willem Dafoe in _Streets of Fire_. - Crispin Glover in _The River’s Edge_. - Bikers Stanley and Richard in _The Ninth Configuration_. - Not exactly a villain, but the carjacker in _Grand Canyon_ gave me serious chills. ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2002, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-villains-who-spook-you/133261/5 "2002-10-21T18:23:15Z")
This is easy for me… Alan Rickman’s character (nameless, as far as I know) in _Closet Land_ gives me chills every time I watch it. _Brrr_. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2002, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-villains-who-spook-you/133261/6 "2002-10-21T20:13:19Z")
The Strangers from _Dark City_ gave me the willies. If you’ve seen the Buffy episode “Hush,” The Gentlemen are an homage/ripoff of The Strangers. The Strangers did not look so skeletal, but they were very, very creepy and had names like Mr. Hand, Mr. Book and Mr. Sleep and one of them looked like a child. ---
**Author:** ![Ol\_Gaffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Ol\_Gaffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ol_Gaffer)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2002, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-villains-who-spook-you/133261/7 "2002-10-21T22:35:27Z")
Gary Oldman’s (I know, I know, but he has had some great roles) character in **The Professional**. I love the part at the end when Leon and Matilda are in the hotel room and Oldman calls for the police to send him “everyone.” One of his guys questions him and Oldman turns around and screams “I said EVERYONE!” I love that part. **Frank Booth** is one that I wouldn’t like to meet either, although I guess I could always just start singing _Candy Coated Clown_! ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2002, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-villains-who-spook-you/133261/8 "2002-10-22T03:04:55Z")
In general, Poltergeist II was a whole sackful of stupid, but Julian Beck played a damned creepy [Reverend Henry Kane](http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Set/8476/). “God is in his holy tem-ple.” Brrrrr… ---
**Author:** ![Pink\_Champagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ea5d25/32.png) [@Pink\_Champagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pink_Champagne)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2002, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-villains-who-spook-you/133261/9 "2002-10-22T03:18:49Z")
The unseen truck driver from ‘Duel.’ ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2002, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-villains-who-spook-you/133261/10 "2002-10-22T03:55:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KarlGauss \* > **Max Cady** (Robert DeNiro) from _Cape Fear_ Surely you mean: **Max Cady** (Robert _Mitchum_) from _Cape Fear_. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2002, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-villains-who-spook-you/133261/11 "2002-10-22T04:59:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ogre \* > \*\*In general, Poltergeist II was a whole sackful of stupid, but Julian Beck played a damned creepy [Reverend Henry Kane](http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Set/8476/). > > “God is in his holy tem-ple.” > > Brrrrr… \*\* His creepiness on film was probably accentuated by the fact that he was dying of stomach cancer even as he was being filmed. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2002, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-villains-who-spook-you/133261/12 "2002-10-22T05:15:15Z")
He was certainly sallow and gaunt enough. I’m sorry to hear that. From what little I’ve read about him, he seems like a really fascinating person. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2002, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-villains-who-spook-you/133261/13 "2002-10-22T05:39:17Z")
> [@](#): > > The Wicked Witch in Wizard of Oz, particularly the crystal ball close-up scene, is quite terrifying for a child. I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen the movie, but when I was a kid, Margaret Hamilton appeared on Seasame Street to show how she used make-up to change from herself to the Wicked Witch. I suppose the idea was to show that the Witch was really just this nice actress lady. Didn’t work. My mom describes me watching her wide-eyed, slowly contracting into a ball as she got more and more witchy. Finally, when she put on the hat and suddenly started talking in character, I shrieked and ran out of the room. Anyway, moving on to movies I’ve actually seen, well, I seem to be drawing a total blank. I can think of really good performances and great writing, but for visceral, lasting dread… The closest I can come is The Blob. It’s a really bad movie, but something about the blob always freaked me out. You can’t get away from it. It’ll come under the door, out of the heating ducts, up the drain, and if it touches you, even a little bit, it starts turning you into more of it. I literally shudder thinking of it just now. ---
**Author:** ![I\_am\_Sparticus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@I\_am\_Sparticus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_am_Sparticus)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2002, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-villains-who-spook-you/133261/14 "2002-10-22T06:31:18Z")
Kate, East of Eden. ---
**Author:** ![stylize](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@stylize](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stylize)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2002, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-villains-who-spook-you/133261/15 "2002-10-22T06:35:24Z")
The one-armed man from The Fugitive. Creepy. The blonde guy from The Bodyguard (I know the movie sucks but he was scary) An obscure one: The brown haired killer from the Stallone classic Cobra. When he’s in the hospital…I was a kid when I saw that crap on cable and it still freaks me out. I’m scared of “actual killers” instead of freaks. ---
**Author:** ![Cholo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Cholo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cholo)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2002, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-villains-who-spook-you/133261/16 "2002-10-22T07:11:39Z")
I was always creeped out by “The Dane” in “Miller’s Crossing”. He was just so cold hearted that he made me shudder. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2002, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-villains-who-spook-you/133261/17 "2002-10-22T08:18:31Z")
I would like to be trapped with Salma Hayek’s vampire as in ‘From Dusk till Dawn’. 😃 When she stares into her victim’s eyes, places a (shapely) foot on their body and sneers something like ‘You’re my dog’, I can only think ‘Woof!’ :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Alice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Alice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2002, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-villains-who-spook-you/133261/18 "2002-10-22T12:10:36Z")
Billy Zane’s character in Dead Calm. \ ---
**Author:** ![Profane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@Profane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Profane)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2002, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-villains-who-spook-you/133261/19 "2002-10-22T13:55:05Z")
The child catcher from Chitty Chitty Band Bang. Thw worst ia when he’s trying to tempt them “…all free today…” eek. As an adult, I’d have to say Kevin Spacey as John Doe in _Se7en_. My best friend and I were still holding on to ech other for dear life when the lights came up in the theatre. I still have to watch it with someone else. ---
**Author:** ![NYR407](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@NYR407](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NYR407)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2002, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-villains-who-spook-you/133261/20 "2002-10-22T17:08:29Z")
LunaSea, while reading the post I said to myself “I can’t believe no said that guy from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”. I was all set to add it to the list but you beat me to it. That guy creeped me out when I was a kid. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-villains-who-spook-you/133261.md?page=2)