From Entertainment Correspondent Laurin Sydney
July 11, 1995
It seems that nice guys are finishing last this summer in the theaters. Summer villains have captivated audiences with their demonic presence and evil ways. Not only do they intrigue us, but they inspire the course of action that keeps us on the edge of our seats and coming back for more.
Dennis Hopper is no fish out of water when it comes to being bad. In "Waterworld" his character enjoys putting the hook to Kevin Costner's mariner.
Maybe Michael Keaton knew something when he let Val Kilmer take over the role of Batman. Afterall, everyone knows that in this comic-based saga the villain steals the show. And no question, Jim Carrey commits grand larceny as the Riddler. Carrey's partner in crime, Tommy Lee Jones, decked out as Two-Face. "Of course it was fun to wear wild costumes and cavort about and cackle insanely," said Jones.
While Sean Connery and Richard Gere vie for the attention of Julia Ormond's Guenivere in "First Knight," it's Ben Cross as the malevolent Maligant, who wants to stick the knife into both heroes. Cross said, "He is just a mean guy, so bearing that in mind I just ate it up and played it as mean as I could."
Villainy transcends time as purple, jello-like creature Ivan Ooze seeps ultimate evil and tries to keep those pesky Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers out of his hair.
It's more than just a bad hair day for Natasha Henstridge when she reveals her true colors in "Species." "I definitely have a few different personalities going on in there I hate to say," said Henstridge.
It's Armand Assante who gives Sylvester Stallone something to dread in the futuristic thriller "Judge Dredd."
And while some villains are hard to kill, others simply die hard, like Jeremy Irons as the twisted terrorist Simon in "Die Hard with a Vengeance."
Perhaps it's just that sort of creative license that makes playing a villain so appealing.
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