The Best Movie Villains of the 1980s
Image by annethelibrarian via Flickr
Special treat today for a unique edition of FFF (no poll). I’ve asked 4 fantastic bloggers to briefly explain their pick for best movie villain of the 1980s. I could wax awesome about how terrific each of these folks are, but you’ll see that by reading what they’ve prepared just for us! Be a hero and check out their links too.
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Ivan Drago by Ellie Soderstrom from WritingGig. Twitter @elliesoderstrom.
Imagine The Incredible Hulk without green skin, ripped pants, and a good human heart and you’ll have Ivan Drago from Rocky IV. This Goliath of a man is my favorite 80s villain, not just because of his steroid-charged training montage, not just because of his granite expression, and not just because he instills fear into the heart of the Italian Stallion. It’s because he has the best, most terrifying line of any baddie of the decade. “I must break you.”
You know Drago’s a truly successful antagonist when he puts Rocky’s marriage on the rocks. We watch in horror as Adrien doesn’t even even give Rocky one of her awkward kisses goodbye. Curses on you, Drago, for pulling one of the best cinematic couples apart!
Even though Drago’s spiky haired wife claims, “he is not a killer,” when we look deep into his blue eyes, as cold as the Russian terrain, we know he’s a killer . . . we know. With one colossal punch to the face, he steals the life of Rocky’s arrogant best friend, Apollo Creed. Apollo! You should have listened to your wife and became a trainer/heavy user like the rest of retired boxers! Let Apollo’s demise be a lesson to you, Brett Favre.
But the more we learn about Drago’s stony heart and even stonier muscles, the more we realize that it’s actually his biggest weakness. We all know Rocky’s big, golden, Philadelphian heart makes him the best—makes him the better man. And it’s not just because Drago’s heavy diet of steroids will shrivel his voice and penis and turn him into a woman eventually, but because Rocky has a family, robot, and honor worth fighting for. Continue reading
Life. Culture. Education.
Life as Pop Culture Professor Clay Morgan
In The Matrix, Morpheus tells Neo he can take the blue pill and go on believing whatever he wants to believe. Or he can take the red pill to stay in Wonderland and find out how deep the rabbit hole goes.
This is a red pill type site that provides information in an entertaining way. It’s about clear thinking and good writing. It’s about finding meaning amidst the absurd. It’s about humor and truth.
I’m a writer / speaker who teaches history and political courses at a couple of local colleges. Where is local, you say? Well, that would be Wonderland of course.
On topics ranging from pop culture to the meaning of life, my brain’s always poppin’. Take the red pill and unplug.
EduClaytion 