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1 Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro - Taxi Driver, 1976)
2 Leon (Jean Reno - Leon, 1994)
3 D-Fens (Michael Douglas - Falling Down, 1993)
4 Harry Callahan (Clint Eastwood - Dirty Harry, 1971)
5 Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell - A Clockwork Orange, 1971)
6 Mad Max (Mel Gibson - Mad Max, 1979)
7 Dr Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins - The Silence of the Lambs, 1991)
8 Jack Carter (Michael Caine - Get Carter, 1971)
9 Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell - Escape from New York, 1981)
10 John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone - First Blood, 1982)


To be honest, isn't Lecter an out-and-out villain?

Anyway, lots of those are good although Michael Douglas annoys me so I never end up cheering for him :D

Dr.  Hannibal Lecter  (The Silence of The Lambs)
Mad Max  (Max Max)
Lex Luthor  (Superman)
Freddy Krueger  (Nightmare on Elm Street)
Tony Montana  (Scarface)
Darth Vader  (Star Wars)
Lestat  (Interview With a Vampire)

What about Brando as Terry Malloy- On the Waterfront?  Don't see how you could omit that
one.

I dont get the term "anti hero" isnt that a villian?

Not in ranking order--

1. Otto Maddox: Repo Man (Emilio Estevez)
2. Hud Bannon: Hud (Paul Newman)
3. R.P. McMurphy: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Jack Nicholson)
4. Valerie Jean Solanas: I Shot Andy Warhol (Lili Taylor)
5. Archie Leach: A Fish Called Wanda (John Cleese)
6. Harry Callahan: the "Dirty Harry" movies (Clint Eastwood)
7. John Russell: Hombre (Paul Newman)
8. Travis Bickle: Taxi Driver (Robert De Niro)
9. Jim Stark: Rebel Without a Cause (James Dean)
10. Sonny Wortzik: Dog Day Afternoon (Al Pacino

I'm trying to think of good WOMEN anti-heroes.  NOT "Thelma & Louise," thank you.   I chose Lili Taylor's portrayal of Valerie Solanas, the so-called radical feminist who shot Andy Warhol in 1967.  She's also the founder of "S.C.U.M." (The Society for Cutting Up Men).  The anti-hero in Hollywood has generally been the province of men, but I know there are other female anti-heroes out there.  What say you?
I originally selected Jerry Lundergaard (William H. Macy) from "Fargo."  It's one of my all-time favorites, but I decided Lundergaard, a sleazy, underhanded, sniveling, cowardly f**k up isn't "anti-hero" material.

I dont get the term "anti hero" isnt that a villian?


An "anti-hero" isn't necessarily a villain. A hero has "heroic" qualities: nobility, loyalty, honesty, integrity, courage. An "anti-hero" is generally a character who has little or none of those qualities, but is so charismatic you end up cheering for them, anyway. In dramatic terms, they aren't necessarily "evil" (although Hannibal Lecter, Freddie Kruger and Darth Vader certainly are), but they aren't our usual idea of what a "hero" might be.

I'm trying to think of good WOMEN anti-heroes.  NOT "Thelma & Louise," thank you.   I chose Lili Taylor's portrayal of Valerie Solanas, the so-called radical feminist who shot Andy Warhol in 1967.  She's also the founder of "S.C.U.M." (The Society for Cutting Up Men). 

Two that come to mind are Mallory Knox from "Natural Born Killers" and the Bride from "Kill Bill". If I was pressed, I'd maybe include Carrie White from "Carrie" as well, but she's probably too pathetic to be real anti-hero material.

Two that come to mind are Mallory Knox from "Natural Born Killers" and the Bride from "Kill Bill". If I was pressed, I'd maybe include Carrie White from "Carrie" as well, but she's probably too pathetic to be real anti-hero material.

Yeah! Carrie White's a good one!

http://www.crazy4cinema.com/Review/FilmsC/posters/carrie.jpg

I can definitely agree with Leon from the film Leon (aka in the U.S., The Professional)   Leon was a great character, quiet, unassuming, anti-social seeming (hitman) that you couldn't help but like, especially in how he treated Mathilda.  One of my all-time favorite characters (and film).

And I agree with you, I don't see Hannibal Lector as anything but a villain, albeit a likeable villain, but he doesn't seem to fit the "anti-hero" criteria.

I can definitely agree with Leon from the film Leon (aka in the U.S., The Professional)   Leon was a great character, quiet, unassuming, anti-social seeming (hitman) that you couldn't help but like, especially in how he treated Mathilda.  One of my all-time favorite characters (and film).

And I agree with you, I don't see Hannibal Lector as anything but a villain, albeit a likeable villain, but he doesn't seem to fit the "anti-villain" criteria.

What spooks me is the how many people got seduced by Anthony Hopkins's portray of Dr. Hannibal Lector.  I kept hearing women describe him as sexy and charming and all that.  My God!  There was nothing, nothing, charming about Lector. 
Yes, he was refined and handsome.  So what?  He was a cold psychopath with no human empathy!  Yet, I saw a personal ad once, a woman was looking for a "kinder, gentler Hannibal Lector."  Oh, so if he didn't kill and eat people, he'd be your dream date?  Did you happen to notice how utterly rotten he was?  There was nothing redeeming about Lector.

I chose Lili Taylor's portrayal of Valerie Solanas, the so-called radical feminist who shot Andy Warhol in 1967.  She's also the founder of "S.C.U.M." (The Society for Cutting Up Men).  The anti-hero in Hollywood has generally been the province of men, but I know there are other female anti-heroes out there.  What say you?



I heard they are about to rerelease the Mainfesto.  I had  a copy of it when it first came out and
am actually sorry I lost it.  She was absolutely nuts, but you can see how she got there with
all the abuse.

What spooks me is the how many people got seduced by Anthony Hopkins's portray of Dr. Hannibal Lector.  I kept hearing women describe him as sexy and charming and all that.  My God!  There was nothing, nothing, charming about Lector. 
Yes, he was refined and handsome.  So what?  He was a cold psychopath with no human empathy!  Yet, I saw a personal ad once, a woman was looking for a "kinder, gentler Hannibal Lector."  Oh, so if he didn't kill and eat people, he'd be your dream date?  Did you happen to notice how utterly rotten he was?  There was nothing redeeming about Lector.


I think you're right.  It's only Hopkins's portrayal of Lector that makes people like him.  If you read the books or if you've seen the first film with the character (Manhunter, taken from the book Red Dragon) he's definitely not likeable at all.  (at least, to me he wasn't) As much as I liked Hopkins's performance as Lector, if I met someone like that in real life, I'd run as far away as I could from him.  He was definitely a great evil character.

Looking for a "kinder, gentler Hannibal"?   Uhh...okay.  Beware if he serves you liver and fava beans....DON'T DRINK THE CHIANTI!!!!  :D

I think you're right.  It's only Hopkins's portrayal of Lector that makes people like him.  If you read the books or if you've seen the first film with the character (Manhunter, taken from the book Red Dragon) he's definitely not likeable at all.  (at least, to me he wasn't) As much as I liked Hopkins's performance as Lector, if I met someone like that in real life, I'd run as far away as I could from him.  He was definitely a great evil character.

Looking for a "kinder, gentler Hannibal"?   Uhh...okay.  Beware if he serves you liver and fava beans....DON'T DRINK THE CHIANTI!!!!  :D

I hope you didn't infer I was saying you were one of those women.  Yes, Brian Cox's portrayal of Hannibal Lecktor (sic.) in "Manhunter" lacks the charm Hopkins gave to the character in "Silence of the Lambs."  I didn't see "Manhunter" until much later.  That's also a great movie, and has a few songs in it by one of my favorite bands, Shriekback.

Danoota wrote:
I heard they are about to rerelease the Mainfesto.  I had  a copy of it when it first came out and
am actually sorry I lost it.  She was absolutely nuts, but you can see how she got there with
all the abuse.
Well, Valerie Solanas' Scum Manifesto said men turned the world into a "sh*tpile," which I find hard to argue with!
:-\\
Anyway, "I Shot Andy Warhol" wasn't a cinematic masterpiece, but I did enjoy it.  It also portrayed Andy Warhol as kind of a shallow, egotistical jerk, which he was.

I hope you didn't infer I was saying you were one of those women.  Yes, Brian Cox's portrayal of Hannibal Lecktor (sic.) in "Manhunter" lacks the charm Hopkins gave to the character in "Silence of the Lambs."  I didn't see "Manhunter" until much later.  That's also a great movie, and has a few songs in it by one of my favorite bands, Shriekback.



No, I definitely didn't think you were lumping me into that group at all. (my last comment was a silly joke  :))

And I liked Manhunter, too...better than the recent Red Dragon because the newer version made too much of Hopkins's Lector, who wasn't the main character. (I always wondered why they changed the spelling to Lecktor in Manhunter?)

No, I definitely didn't think you were lumping me into that group at all. (my last comment was a silly joke  :))

And I liked Manhunter, too...better than the recent Red Dragon because the newer version made too much of Hopkins's Lector, who wasn't the main character. (I always wondered why they changed the spelling to Lecktor in Manhunter?)

I didn't bother with Red Dragon, since the sequel with Julianne Moore as Agent Starling was so abominable!

Here are two more of my favorite anti-heroes:
Martha: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Elizabeth Taylor)
George: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Richard Burton)
;D