# Movies in which the brutal, onscreen death of the villain is roundly celebrated \[spoilers\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 18, 2012, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-brutal-onscreen-death-of-the-villain-is-roundly-celebrated-spoilers/644418 "2012-12-18T13:00:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![getitrite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@getitrite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/getitrite)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-brutal-onscreen-death-of-the-villain-is-roundly-celebrated-spoilers/644418/61 "2012-12-24T02:55:34Z")
What about the movie Cowboys and Aliens, and Kill Bill, though I didn’t cheer out loud, the intent was there. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-brutal-onscreen-death-of-the-villain-is-roundly-celebrated-spoilers/644418/62 "2012-12-24T03:52:58Z")
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Played With Fire, and Kicked the Hornets Nest both the guardian, her brother and her father…brutal and yet satisfying… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-brutal-onscreen-death-of-the-villain-is-roundly-celebrated-spoilers/644418/63 "2012-12-24T14:06:39Z")
He’s hardly an unbiased source, but Bernie Goetz – as interviewed in the current issue of ESQUIRE – helpfully mentions the following: “Did you ever go to see the Charles Bronson movie _Death Wish_ in a theater? Some people were cheering.” ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-brutal-onscreen-death-of-the-villain-is-roundly-celebrated-spoilers/644418/64 "2012-12-24T14:24:37Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Let’s go over some of the most popular action movies of recent decades: > > … > Terminator 2 - bad guy melted > … > > Need I go on? All of these deaths were widely seen as worthy of celebration. The T1000 melting in the pit at the end was good. But the “fake” death where Arnold shoots the frozen T1000 received a much greater audience response. Hasta la vista! ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-brutal-onscreen-death-of-the-villain-is-roundly-celebrated-spoilers/644418/65 "2012-12-24T18:46:22Z")
About 20 years in an art cinema I saw Douglas Fairbanks Sr’s 1922 “Robin Hood”. It’s a silent movie, so they had a pianist in the back of the audience for music. The crowd got into the movie, cheering Fairbanks every time he appeared on screen and hissing the villain. To be perfectly honest, I can’t remember who is the main villain in Fairbanks version: Prince John, Sheriff of Nottingham or Sir Guy of Gisbourne, or which ones were killed. Anyways at end when the lights came on, everyone stood up and cheered/applauded. We all then turned 180 degrees and cheered the piano player. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-brutal-onscreen-death-of-the-villain-is-roundly-celebrated-spoilers/644418/66 "2012-12-24T21:26:10Z")
That scene in \*Deliverance \*where Burt Reynolds shoots the bad guy with an arrow brought cheers from the audience when I saw it in 1972. He was a REALLY bad guy and REALLY needed killing. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-brutal-onscreen-death-of-the-villain-is-roundly-celebrated-spoilers/644418/67 "2012-12-24T22:11:49Z")
[Diva](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082269/?ref_=fn_al_tt_3). The bad guys get what they think is the tape they want, then take Gorodish’s car to drive off in triumph. They turn the key, it blows up. That wasn’t what caused the theater to erupt into cheers, though. We cheered when, seconds later, Gorodish walks up to the garage door in the background of the exploded car, opens it, and drives a second car, exactly like the first, out and away. I have \*got \*to watch that movie again. It’s been too many years. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-brutal-onscreen-death-of-the-villain-is-roundly-celebrated-spoilers/644418/68 "2012-12-24T22:47:42Z")
It has not happened yet, that will be sometime in April, but when it does… The internet will erupt in a spontaneous sound of righteous satisfaction. Declan ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-brutal-onscreen-death-of-the-villain-is-roundly-celebrated-spoilers/644418/69 "2012-12-24T22:49:19Z")
> [@Poysyn](#): > > The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Played With Fire, and Kicked the Hornets Nest > > both the guardian, her brother and her father…brutal and yet satisfying… One thing about the swedish movies, was that I did not realize that she had tattooed the social worker, in Swedish. Which as a great deal more painful, than the english books that I had read. Declan ---
**Author:** ![April\_R](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@April\_R](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/April_R)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-brutal-onscreen-death-of-the-villain-is-roundly-celebrated-spoilers/644418/70 "2012-12-24T23:05:52Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Who Framed Roger Rabbit? – dissolved by inches Ahhh, you stole mine! So I am going to post the video 🙂 Start at minute 4:25 ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-brutal-onscreen-death-of-the-villain-is-roundly-celebrated-spoilers/644418/71 "2012-12-24T23:06:40Z")
The largest cheer I’ve heard as when Sragorn beheaded Lurtz, the lead urukai. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2012, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-brutal-onscreen-death-of-the-villain-is-roundly-celebrated-spoilers/644418/72 "2012-12-26T17:10:02Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > The largest cheer I’ve heard as when Sragorn beheaded Lurtz, the lead urukai. The question is, did “I AM NO MAN!” get a big fine cheer? ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2012, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-brutal-onscreen-death-of-the-villain-is-roundly-celebrated-spoilers/644418/73 "2012-12-26T23:22:31Z")
A slight tangent, but still fairly on topic. A college friend of mine had a brilliant theory about _The Silence of the Lambs_: it’s an extended game of "who’s the monster?’ As the film starts, Starling is running by herself through a forested obstacle course, the photography and music bleak and somewhat menacing. You almost expect her to be attacked. So the setting is the monster. Buffalo Bill and his killing spree are introduced, and the senator’s daughter is abducted. Bill becomes the monster. Starling’s mentor takes her to the morgue to view the most recent victim and falls right into the “patronizing male” role instead of supporting her. So for a brief moment, Jack Crawford is the monster. Enter Hannibal Lector. For most of the remaining film, he dominates the monster role. Dr. Chilton, the asshat who oversees Lector’s confinement, indulges in a bit of dickwaving that put him in the monster’s seat. Buffalo Bill comes on strong near the closing to try and steal the title for once and for all. For the big finish, though, we see Chilton climbing off of a plane with Hannibal waiting for him – “I’m having an old friend for dinner,” he quips. Cheers and scattered applause from the audience. Because in that last moment, as we gleefully anticipate the exquisitely painful death that is about the be visited upon someone who was unpleasant and obnoxious, but not actively evil, we, the audience, have become the monster. ---
**Author:** ![UntouchedTakeaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d78d45/32.png) [@UntouchedTakeaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UntouchedTakeaway)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-brutal-onscreen-death-of-the-villain-is-roundly-celebrated-spoilers/644418/74 "2012-12-27T02:47:04Z")
Dwight Yoakam as the ever lovable Doyle Hargraves in _Sling Blade_. When I saw it, the audience did everything but sing God Bless America. UT~ ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-brutal-onscreen-death-of-the-villain-is-roundly-celebrated-spoilers/644418/75 "2012-12-28T17:10:40Z")
> [@Declan](#): > > One thing about the swedish movies, was that I did not realize that she had tattooed the social worker, in Swedish. Which as a great deal more painful, than the english books that I had read. > > Declan Agreed. The Swedish movies are excellent, in my opinion. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![OtisCampbellWasRight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d78d45/32.png) [@OtisCampbellWasRight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtisCampbellWasRight)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-brutal-onscreen-death-of-the-villain-is-roundly-celebrated-spoilers/644418/76 "2012-12-28T19:49:12Z")
> [@Kizarvexius](#): > > A slight tangent, but still fairly on topic. > > A college friend of mine had a brilliant theory about _The Silence of the Lambs_: it’s an extended game of "who’s the monster?’ > > As the film starts, Starling is running by herself through a forested obstacle course, the photography and music bleak and somewhat menacing. You almost expect her to be attacked. So the setting is the monster. > > Buffalo Bill and his killing spree are introduced, and the senator’s daughter is abducted. Bill becomes the monster. > > Starling’s mentor takes her to the morgue to view the most recent victim and falls right into the “patronizing male” role instead of supporting her. So for a brief moment, Jack Crawford is the monster. > > Enter Hannibal Lector. For most of the remaining film, he dominates the monster role. > > Dr. Chilton, the asshat who oversees Lector’s confinement, indulges in a bit of dickwaving that put him in the monster’s seat. > > Buffalo Bill comes on strong near the closing to try and steal the title for once and for all. > > For the big finish, though, we see Chilton climbing off of a plane with Hannibal waiting for him – “I’m having an old friend for dinner,” he quips. Cheers and scattered applause from the audience. Because in that last moment, as we gleefully anticipate the exquisitely painful death that is about the be visited upon someone who was unpleasant and obnoxious, but not actively evil, we, the audience, have become the monster. Your friend is very wise. This is a well thought-out analysis of a movie that is essentially one big mind-fuck. On topic: in the 1980’s move Dune, when the “floating fat man, the Baron” gets sucked out the window and into the gaping yaw of a worm, the audience was quite pleased. OTOH, since that movie was one big WTF? perhaps they were just sensing the merciful end of the film. ---
**Author:** ![Ashley\_Pomeroy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@Ashley\_Pomeroy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashley_Pomeroy)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-brutal-onscreen-death-of-the-villain-is-roundly-celebrated-spoilers/644418/77 "2012-12-28T20:22:54Z")
> [@Kizarvexius](#): > > we, the audience, have become the monster. Silence of the Lambs: Repercussions of Chianti … Dr Lecter was a doctor for fourteen years. When he was young he was captured by the soviets and said to them “I want to avenge my sister.” The soviets said “No! You will BE KILL BY DEMONS” There was a time when he believed them. Then as he got oldered he stopped. But now in the airport he knew there were demons. “This is Starling” the telephone crackered. “You must give yourself up!” So Dr Lector gotted his telephone. The psychiatrist deplaned. “I will eat him” said Dr Lector and he smiled. The audience laughed and waited for him to eat the psychiatrist. But then the credits rolled and they were trapped and not able to watch. “No! I must watch Dr Lector kill the psychiatrist” they shouted The director said “No, Audience. You are the demons” And then the audience were zombies. ---
**Author:** ![AlohaBear32](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e47774/32.png) [@AlohaBear32](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlohaBear32)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-brutal-onscreen-death-of-the-villain-is-roundly-celebrated-spoilers/644418/78 "2012-12-29T00:15:33Z")
I fondly remember sitting in the theatre watching “Hand that rocks the cradle” starring Rebecca De Monray as an 'evil" nanny who takes revenge on the woman that (rightfully) accused her husband of rape,thus making him commit suicide and causing her to have a miscarraige When she bit it at the end,the entire theatre burst into appaluse and ramdon people started high fiving…it was a glorious moment lol And she did deserve it…she picked on mentally disabled African Americans, made babies stop drinking milk, made husbands consider cheating…yeah she deserved it… Haven’t seen Django yet, but heard depending on your crowd, there were similar reactions like that… ---
**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:** [December 29, 2012, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-brutal-onscreen-death-of-the-villain-is-roundly-celebrated-spoilers/644418/79 "2012-12-29T00:59:18Z")
[Did it sound anything like that?!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSm68IEDDT0) (Frank Nitti’s “downfall” from the Untouchables) ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2012, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-brutal-onscreen-death-of-the-villain-is-roundly-celebrated-spoilers/644418/80 "2012-12-29T07:42:51Z")
Can’t believe no one has mentioned Brian DePalma’s _The Fury_ yet. Haven’t seen it since it first played on HBO in the late 70s, but the ending was, ah, memorable. Even though it’s a 35 year old film, spoiler- The villain John Cassavetes gets telekinetically exploded by a young, cute Amy Irving, and they show it in slow motion, from different angles, at least a dozen times! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-in-which-the-brutal-onscreen-death-of-the-villain-is-roundly-celebrated-spoilers/644418.md?page=3)