This time, it's personal (another movie survey)
It's yet another movie thread.
A few days ago I thought of a movie I haven't seen in many, many years. It was a tv movie that starred Stockard Channing as a woman who gets plastic surgery to become beautiful and then goes around killing everyone who picked on her when she was an ugly duckling in college.
The Girl Most Likely To was not only one of the best black comedies I have ever seen, but also one of the best revenge movies out there.
So, simple question: What's your favorite revenge movie?
Comments
Revenge of the Nerds
Count of Monte Cristo
Cat Ballou
To Live & Die in L.A.
Hamlet
Posted by: leelu | January 27, 2005 02:44 PM
The Crow
Posted by: Shawn | January 27, 2005 02:53 PM
Kill Bill (both parts)
The Abominable Dr. Phibes
Unforgiven
Posted by: Doug McKay | January 27, 2005 02:55 PM
"Valentine" - The male version of "The Girl Most Likely To".
"The Wax Museum" - Very creative way to dispose of your victims..
Posted by: Kong | January 27, 2005 02:59 PM
I'll second the Abominable Dr. Phibes. I'd also throw in the Inigo Montoya sub-plot of The Princess Bride and Payback.
Posted by: Alex Knapp | January 27, 2005 03:03 PM
I'm rather partial to Gladiator myself...
Posted by: Jay Reding | January 27, 2005 03:06 PM
What about Falling Down, starring Michael Douglas! He rails against crappy fast food, traffic, and other random letdowns of modern urban life.
Posted by: Jason | January 27, 2005 03:10 PM
The Searchers
Outlaw Josey Wales
Unforgiven
Open Range!!!
Posted by: Darth Monkeybone | January 27, 2005 03:16 PM
The Quick and the Dead
Posted by: Slartibartfast | January 27, 2005 03:20 PM
Obviously, the movie that defined revenge as a moral imperative: Real Genius.
Posted by: Jeff R. | January 27, 2005 03:22 PM
Freaks
http://freaks.cinephiles.net/
The Princess Bride, at least Inigo Montoya's revenge against the six-fingered man
Posted by: josh | January 27, 2005 03:33 PM
Come on you pussies. At least get the RIGHT Eastwood movie:
High Plains Drifter.
Posted by: skinbad | January 27, 2005 03:33 PM
"Revenge of the Leopard Skin Spandex"
Posted by: jcwinnie | January 27, 2005 03:35 PM
BAH! I'd list Hang 'Em High before I'd list High Plains Drifter...
I forgot to list Once Upon a Time in the Old West...
:P
Posted by: Darth Monkeybone | January 27, 2005 03:46 PM
Dude, Tombstone. Hands down.
You tell 'em I'm comin'! AND HEEEELLLSZ COMIN' WITH ME!!
Plus Val Kilmer's Doc Holiday is off the chain.
Posted by: shank | January 27, 2005 03:51 PM
Kill Bill Vols. 1 & 2
1999's "Titus"
Posted by: BlkMktBabyDealer | January 27, 2005 03:55 PM
OK Darth,
Sorry to impugn. As long as you don't throw in Pale Rider I'll respect you in the morning. By the way, Toxic Avenger isn't half bad either.
Posted by: skinbad | January 27, 2005 04:00 PM
Payback
I have not seen many of the movies listed here, wife can't do gory or horror type movies, so my consumption is way down.
Posted by: Cinomed | January 27, 2005 04:04 PM
Hamlet
Payback
Murder by Death. Ok, nobody DIES in MbD but it's still revenge.
:-D
Posted by: tommy | January 27, 2005 04:06 PM
How about favorite rape revenge movies? It's almost a genre unto itself...
I Spit On Your Grave
Ms. 45
Gator Bait
Posted by: Flamen Dialis | January 27, 2005 04:08 PM
"House of Games" is a great one...
Posted by: Flamen Dialis | January 27, 2005 04:10 PM
The original "Willard" with Bruce Davison!
Posted by: Flamen Dialis | January 27, 2005 04:14 PM
Fresh
W/ Samuel Jackson
Posted by: Enrak | January 27, 2005 04:17 PM
Skinbad:
highfive
Toxic Avenger Rules! I haven't seen that movie in so long I'd almost forgotten...the nerd in that movie makes Revenge of the Nerds look like Terms of Endearment...;)
DM
Posted by: Darth Monkeybone | January 27, 2005 04:23 PM
Man On Fire was very good. My wife loved it.
Hamlet is oustanding, at least the Laurence Olivier and Kenneth Branagh ones are, but as a "revenge" movie (or play) it kind of comes up short. He can't bring himself to avenge his father's death until he, Laertes and his mom are all killed dead. I'd like to see Steven Segal wait till he and his mom are both poisoned before taking the bad guy out.
Posted by: not that Matt | January 27, 2005 04:25 PM
Well, if nobody else will do it, I will:
Scorned (with Shannon Tweed seducing the entire family of the man she holds responsible for her husband's death -- top that!...)
Posted by: LDH | January 27, 2005 04:31 PM
Top three:
Kill Bill - I love The Bride, and her determination. I love the terrible wake of destruction she leaves. And I especially love the moment of retribution where she avenges Pai Mei's death.
Heathers - The Heathers so get what is coming to them. I also love the line, "I love my dead gay son!"
Real Genius - "Being snubbed by beauticians is not my idea of a good time." Great movie. Val is perfect. And the revenge is delicious, with butter and salt.
Posted by: Keith | January 27, 2005 04:32 PM
I second Heathers. Also, An Eye For An Eye.
Posted by: Lisa | January 27, 2005 04:42 PM
Surf Nazis Must Die
"Have some of Mama's home cookin', Adolf!"
Posted by: Craig | January 27, 2005 05:32 PM
Clockwork Orange. Kind of a reverse-revenge against the protagonist.
Posted by: JohnO | January 27, 2005 05:47 PM
What Otto does to his parents in Repo Man is some of the best revenge in moviedom. I wouldn't want a pissed off Harry Dean Stanton and Company coming to my door as I'm wathching a preacher on TV.
Of course, that's just one small part of what makes that movie great.
Posted by: jon | January 27, 2005 06:03 PM
Ummm... CARRIE.
Posted by: Tomcat | January 27, 2005 06:49 PM
freeway w/ reese witherspoon comes to mind and of course heathers.
Posted by: wendy | January 27, 2005 06:59 PM
"The Princess Bride" (Inigo, of course, but Miracle Max gets revenge, too...against "the king's stinking son"!)
"Gladiator"
"Man on Fire"
"Braveheart"
"Die Hard"
Posted by: ReaderMom | January 27, 2005 07:56 PM
Oh, and "The Outlaw Josie Wales"
Posted by: ReaderMom | January 27, 2005 08:00 PM
How could I forget "Ransom" If that isn't some major revenge against the kidnappers! Don't mess with Mel's kid!
Posted by: ReaderMom | January 27, 2005 08:04 PM
I second "The Girl Most Likely To" -I was 13 when it showed and I damn near went into arrest laughing. Nothing can compare to it, in my humble opinion.
I really must see again one of these days.
Posted by: Doug Jones | January 27, 2005 08:27 PM
C'mon people, what about Sleepers? Godfather's 1 2 and 3
Shawshank Redemption
And of course Carrie.
Posted by: Donna | January 27, 2005 09:01 PM
A Fist Full of Dollars -- comes back from the dead!
Posted by: BeckyJ | January 27, 2005 09:17 PM
All right, I'm not normally into snobby French cinema, but White was a terrific revenge movie.
Posted by: Barry N. Johnson | January 27, 2005 09:31 PM
"Hannie Caulder"
Posted by: Chris Jensen | January 28, 2005 01:09 AM
All of the above are good, but I also liked Working Girl. Watching Melanie Griffith avenge herself on Sigournie Weaver was great.
And Harrison Ford was cute.
Posted by: Linda F | January 28, 2005 07:31 AM
Trading Places (Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy)...great when the Duke brothers lose all their money!
After all, the movie's tag line was "there not just getting rich...they're getting even!
Posted by: Pax | January 28, 2005 09:39 AM
"High Plains Drifter"
Screwed the locals. Let the bad guys screw the locals. Screwed the bad guys. Let the remaining locals deal with the screwed up situation.
Posted by: FormerHostage | January 28, 2005 01:29 PM
No doubt about it: Theatre of Blood. Vincent Price got his revenge on all the critics who ever panned his performances. But he killed each of them in a Shakespearean way.
Oh, feeding the poodle pie to the one guy was my absolute favorite scene.
I need to watch that again.
Posted by: Meryl Yourish | January 28, 2005 02:49 PM
I'm surprised nobody mentioned "Double Jeopardy" but I suppose evening the score is not identical to revenge.
Posted by: triticale | January 28, 2005 03:46 PM
Payback.
And I know I'll be mocked for the rest of my choices, but here they are anyhow:
The Last Boy Scout.
Too many Chuck Norris and Steven Seagal movies to count.
At least I didn't say Punisher, OK?
Posted by: Mark | January 28, 2005 04:11 PM
Mocked? Last Boy Scout is one of the best movies EVER.
Posted by: michele | January 28, 2005 04:12 PM
You think so too?!?!!
I...love you.
Posted by: Mark | January 28, 2005 04:13 PM
Animal House -- remember the deathmobile?
Carrie
Conan the Barbarian (when Arnie decapitates James Earl Jones)
Posted by: dittybopper | January 28, 2005 04:28 PM
Since no one else has mentioned it:
The Count of Monte Cristo
Posted by: Joel | January 28, 2005 04:39 PM
Unforgiven - Little Bill: "You sir are a cowardly son of a bitch, you just shot an unarmed man." Bill Munny: "Well he should have armed himself, if he is gonna decorate his saloon with my friend."
I still get shivers when I see Clint starting to guzzle the whiskey.
Posted by: Kent | January 28, 2005 04:49 PM
Come on - even though I generally have a Tim Robbins bias (and the fact that not many movies depicting prison rape go over real well with me), The Shawshank Redemption has such a sweet revenge at the end. Great movie all around.
"The last thing that went through the Warden's head, aside from that bullet, was the question of how Andy Dufresne ever managed to get the best of him." (I paraphrase.)
Runners up: Hang Em High, Trading Places
Posted by: Darcyman | January 28, 2005 04:50 PM
Oh crap - Unforgiven. Excellent call, Kent.
Also, there is some movie with Keifer Sutherland who is a rapist/murderer, and Sally Field plays the mother of one of his victims. Don't remember to exact plot or how it turns out, but the entire movie is about her taking matters into her own hands. What the hell is that movie called?
Posted by: Darcyman | January 28, 2005 04:53 PM
A shock to the system(1990)
Posted by: moghedien | January 28, 2005 05:02 PM
Odd that no one's mention Pulp Fiction. You've got Marsellus Wallace tossing Tony Rocky Horror out the window for giving his wife a foot massage. Jules cleaning up the coke transaction with the Big Kahuna Burger boys.
And the classic Marsellus soliloquy: "What now? Well let me tell you what now. I'm gonna call a couple pipe-hittin' n*****s, who'll go to work on homes here with a pair of pliers and a blow torch. Hear me talkin' hillbilly boy?! I ain't through with you by a damn sight. I'm gonna git Medieval on your ass."
And of course Butch's revenge plot against Marsellus that precipitated the above.
So much revenge, so little time!
Posted by: Karl | January 28, 2005 05:22 PM
I have to agree that "Shawshank Redemption" is an excellent movie. It had a "Best Picture" nomination and it has aged well.
Not really a movie, but the Cowboy BeBop series, with the subplot of revenge against Vicious was engaging.
The Count of Monte Cristo really set the standard in this department, though. Talk about being tenacious.
I liked Double Jepordy as well, but in my world, she woulda' fried.
Of course, in my world, after she really did kill him, I'd let her go.
Posted by: Geoff Matthews | January 28, 2005 06:50 PM
Memento
Posted by: Joe R. the Unabrewer | January 28, 2005 08:59 PM
I'm with Tomcat. Nothing beats "Carrie".
Posted by: Thesaurus Rex | January 28, 2005 09:17 PM
Ransom.
Any parent will understand.
Posted by: Neo | January 28, 2005 10:55 PM
Revenge is a dish best served cold...
"bortaS bIr jablu'DI' reH QaQqu' nay" - in the orginal Klingon.
My pick (honorable mention): First Blood
Posted by: WormSign | January 29, 2005 10:21 AM
Glad to see I Spit on Your Grave and Outlaw Josey Wales, two excellent guilty pleasure revenge movies. Add just about anything with Charles Bronson in it, and possibly Jeremiah Johnson.
Posted by: Nancy | January 29, 2005 01:42 PM
Unforgiven, The Princess Bride, and The Count of Monte Cristo.
"I was lucky in the order, but I've always been lucky when it comes to killin' folk."
Posted by: Robin Goodfellow | January 29, 2005 02:10 PM
High Plains Drifter
Hang Em High
Once Upon a Time in the West (that particular revenge took years)
Man on Fire--the original
Posted by: kimberley | January 30, 2005 11:07 AM
The entire "Lone Wolf and Cub" samurai film series.
Posted by: Dave Grubbs | January 30, 2005 08:49 PM
Kill Bill[v. 1/2]
Trading Places
Animal House
Unforgiven
Outlaw Josey Wales
Posted by: lawhawk | January 31, 2005 11:53 AM