#top 31 devils

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The Devils I Know - NUMBER ONE

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Welcome to the final entry for “The Devils I Know!” For this spooky time of year, I’ve spent all of October counting down My Top 31 Depictions of the Devil, from movies, television, video games, and more! And today, I unveil our topmost contender! Who is my favorite Devil? I’ll give you a hint: sunshine is his destroyer. NUMBER ONE IS…Tim Curry, from Legend.

If you know me especially well, then you probably already knew this would be my number one choice. But for those who don’t…I could just simply say “it’s Tim Curry playing the Devil, I don’t need any other reason,” and leave it at that (which, frankly, would be true), but I’m an old windbag who likes to ramble and pontificate, sooo…nope. I’m gonna talk all your ears of…or…um…type all your eyes out…that sounds terrible, ANYWAY…! Directed by Ridley Scott – famous for the “Alien” franchise, of all things – 1985’s “Legend” was a film meant to be an homage to classic fairy-tales of yore. It’s not directly based on any specific story, mind you; it’s simply meant to be a story that FEELS like a classic fairy-tale. The plot is essentially a conglomeration of various elements and tropes taking from many myths and fables, so it isn’t exactly the most complex or unique…but, to be honest, that’s part of the point. “Legend” is meant to feel like a story out of your past, a story we all know, despite being its own original piece, and it’s more about the fantasy and the spectacle than anything else. It is a feast for the eyes and the imagination, with some hidden meaning under its surface, much like so many illustrated fairy-tale storybooks of decades past were. Now, to be fair, these same elements can turn some people off from the film, so to speak (not me, but some people), but I’ve yet to hear ANYBODY complain about one thing in the film. That one thing – the one part everyone agrees is the best part of the picture – is its villain: Tim Curry as the Lord of Darkness, or simply “Darkness.” Darkness is, of course, the Devil: he essentially has two plans in the film sort of moving together. Darkness wants to first of all kill the last two unicorns in the world, as apparently the unicorns are angelic symbols of light, and, being Darkness, light isn’t exactly something he cares for much. (“Sunshine is my destroyer!” he recites a couple of times in the film.) He ends up getting some unwitting help from the beautiful but naive Princess Lili. This, for me, is where Darkness gets interesting: he actually falls in love with Lili. And…he actually means it! Yeah! He legitimately loves her, and wants to impress and please her. It doesn’t seem to be a mere case of lust, he’s not offering her anything in exchange for loving him, exactly…he just…loves her, and wants to marry her. Of course, being the Lord of Darkness, he has no idea how to properly EXPRESS and handle love. Lili is not receptive of his advances, and ends up actually using that love against him to trick him and help save the day at the end (ouch, poor devil…literally), but I’ve always found this specific element fascinating. Because the rest of the time, Darkness is a classic Devil in every way: a pure evil fiend with no real redeeming qualities and a lot of power and prestige. But this one sympathetic element really helps make him a more layered character, and helps to make an already amazing Devil even more amazing. Beyond the sympathy, what qualities make him amazing? Well, beyond all else, two things: the actor, and the costume and makeup. I mean…freaking LOOK AT THAT THING. My God…or…My Devil! Just…LOOK AT THAT THING. That has to be one of the greatest costume and makeup designs of any movie ever, without question. Curry is completely buried, literaly head to toe, in that makeup. In fact, there’s a story about how Curry tried desperately to keep his own eyes for the outfit, only for them to demand he wear special contact lenses to give him feline-like eyes. Curry grumbled as he put them in…but the moment he looked in the mirror, he immediately felt impressed by how he, himself, looked in the full regalia. And he deserved to be impressed, not only because the Devil in the film is MAGNIFICENT to behold – like a blood red living sculpture of evil beauty – but because Curry himself, through all that makeup, not to mention vocal effects that deepened his voice and gave it a powerful, unsettling echo, manages to give, in my opinion, possibly the finest performance in his entire career. This is, without a shadow of a doubt, my favorite Tim Curry performance, if nothing else, and part of it is how effortlessly he seems to pull it off; he just lives inside that costume and that makeup, as if it is nothing. You have no problem believing this Devil as a walking, living, mighty thing as Darkness strides across the screen. Curry was cast because, to paraphrase Ridley Scott, he felt that the actor could bring something “operatic” to the role, which was obviously desired. Indeed, Curry is his usual melodramatic self, but it’s in the best way: this is an imposing creature, ruling the room with every moment he has onscreen, but also so human with his more sympathetic qualities. When I think of Tim Curry, Darkness is one of the first things I think of. When I think of the Devil, again, Darkness is one of the first things I think of, if not THE first thing I think of. This is just how I would imagine the Devil to look and behave, beyond all else, and to me, that is what makes him so great. He has the right balance of so many qualities other Devils, before and after, have: he’s theatrical, yet he’s genuine; he’s malicious, he’s tragic; he’s a master manipulator, and a beast of the battlefield, all at the same time. It’s the full package. These facts, beyond all else, are what make the Lord of Darkness from “Legend” My Favorite Portrayal of the Devil. No more need be said. Thank you all for joining me! I hope you had fun with this crazy little list. And don’t worry: when and if the day comes I see what Old Scratch actually looks like, I’ll let you know if any of the plus-thirty versions I’ve covered were anywhere near the mark. ;)

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The Devils I Know - Number 10

Welcome to “The Devils I Know!” For this spooky time of year, from now till Halloween, I’ll be counting down My Top 31 Depictions of the Devil, from movies, television, video games, and more! Today we’ve reached the Top 10, and this Devil is a uniquely animated evil. Number 10 is…The Mysterious Stranger, from The Adventures of Mark Twain.

“The Adventures of Mark Twain” is a rather bizarre movie from 1985. It was the product of Will Vinton, the master of “Claymation” stop-motion animation, and has become a cult classic for its surreal tone and aesthetic style. The movie essentially tells the story of Mark Twain’s life through the eyes of his characters, as Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, and Becky Thatcher go on a series of unusual and colorful adventures all based on different stories from Twain’s life and works. Arguably the single strangest scene in the film (and that’s saying a lot), and undeniably the scariest and most infamous part of the film, is the encounter with this character, inspired by the unfinished Twain novel by the same name: The Mysterious Stranger.

About halfway through the movie, Twain brings the children to a strange, dark void to meet the titular character. The Mysterious Stranger is a bizarre, ghostly figure, and right from the word go, we get the distinct feeling he’s…off. He introduces himself first as an angel, but when the children ask the angel’s name, he replies with a growl: “Satan.” That’s probably enough to send most people fleeing, but the Stranger behaves so kindly after that point, the children are happy to follow him into his own little world. The Stranger lives on a small island in the void, where he makes clay figures and buildings and all sorts of other things out of the earth around him, then brings them to life. At first, it all seems sweet and fun and charming…but things change when the living dolls begin to fight with each other, behaving with greed and arrogance. Satan sees this as annoying, and promptly squashes two of the figures flat beneath his hand, then summons an earthquake and storm, smiting the rest of them in its wake, before rendering the entire little world to dust. With all life erased, he proclaims: “I can do no wrong, for I do not know what it is.” That’s scary enough, but things get worse when the children protest all this in fear, at which point Satan says, in a soothing tone: “Never mind them. People are of no value. We can make more sometime…if we need them.” It's the cold, callous, deeply unsettling way Satan does all this that makes the character so eerie and unnerving. He never expresses intense anger, in fact often sounding rather pleasant and even gentle…but the horror of his actions speak for themselves. This is reflected in the character’s design, as his mask-like face, which becomes increasingly more demonic the angrier he becomes, and turns into a skull near the end of the sequence. Now, apparently, Twain’s unfinished novel was actually about the SON of Satan, who went by the same name (Satan Jr., if you will), but even there, it’s implied he’s less a hellspawn and more just a continuation of the same, if that makes sense. He’s referred to as “Number 44,” indicating he’s the 44th Satan in line, and the fact he identifies himself as an angel, and behaves in the way he does, makes it possible he may just be the 44th incarnation of the same being. Of course, to anyone who doesn’t know about the incomplete book, all we see is the Devil in general. However you look at it, it’s the ambiguous and creepy nature of this character, who does such terrible things yet seems so gentle and even playful, that makes him such a deeply troubling character. The scene with the Mysterious Stranger is honestly more famous than the movie it’s from, and has been hailed as one of the most disturbing and yet expertly handled pieces of animation ever made. This is a very different kind of Devil…but that’s exactly what makes this particularly nightmarish, haunting scene so breathtaking and intriguing.

Tomorrow, the countdown continues with Number 9! HINT: He’s a particularly mysterious malefactor. (Pauses) Yeah, that hint is terrible, I know, just cut me some slack. :P

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The Devils I Know - Number 13

Welcome to “The Devils I Know!” For this spooky time of year, from now till Halloween, I’ll be counting down My Top 31 Depictions of the Devil, from movies, television, video games, and more! Today I present to you all…Two Devils for the Price of One! Number 13 is a tie between Peter Cook from Bedazzled (1967) AND Elizabeth Hurley, from Bedazzled (2000).

The 1967 film “Bedazzled” is widely regarded as a British cult classic. It’s 2000 American remake is much the same. Both tell the same basic story, but they do so in very different ways…and with two very different Devils. Both films focus on the adventures of a socially inept, dead-end-job working man, who longs for love and success. The Devil appears before the man, and offers him a bargain: in exchange for his mortal soul, the Devil will grant the man seven wishes (“one for each sin”). The man tries to use this bargain to better his life and snag the girl of his dreams, but each time there’s a loophole that causes his new life to become an utter nightmare. In the end, the man comes to realize that simply wishing for good things won’t make them happen: sometimes, it’s best to work with what you have in life, and find courage in your own self.

The 1967 version stars Dudley Moore as the poor guy who gets conned by the Devil, named Stanley Moon. Meanwhile, Peter Cook – Moore’s frequent onscreen co-star – plays the role of the Devil, who goes by the alias “George Spiggott.” This film you can essentially call a Monty Python Faust, as the sense of humor has that strange, bizarre sensibility many English comedies of the time have and had (including MP). However, there’s also a lot of interesting points raised in it about faith and virtue. Cook’s Devil is a scoundrel, but a very loveable one; he never really comes across as a total dastard, but more just a sort of roguish troublemaker. The way he describes himself and his conflict with God matches this: according to Spiggott, he simply got bored of God getting all the kudos and praise, and felt perhaps it was time to change a few things. God – being God – disagreed and cast him out. Spiggott is classy and yet crooked, with a slightly childish, immature side to his personality; he actually reminds me a little bit of a later Devil, Tom Ellis’ Lucifer, in terms of his mannerisms and overall sense of style. This is essentially Willy Wonka as the Devil: eccentric, unusual, at times seemingly dangerous, but you can never really feel frightened of him.

The 2000 remake is another story. That one makes a few twists to the formula. This time, Brendan Fraser (FIREFLY WAS ROBBED, JUST THROWING THAT OUT THERE) plays the poor Joe: this time a man by the name of Elliot Richards. The Devil is this film is given no name of her own…she’s just the Devil. And yes, “her” and “she.” We’ve had a couple of female Devils on this list so far, mind you, but the idea of Satan as a woman is actually fairly rare. And, in my opinion, this is probably my favorite example of a female Devil in all of cinema. Portrayed by Elizabeth Hurley, she has the same with and class that Cook’s Devil had, with a similar sense of unusual humor, but now there are two big differences: one, she’s a smokin’ hot babe (and I use that phrase only because you KNOW the screenwriters and casting people had to use it, too), and two, she’s a little more threatening than Cook’s Devil. With Cook’s Devil, when Stanley realizes he may be damned to Hell, it’s hard to really feel just how dangerous the situation is. But with Elliot and Hurley’s Devil, the way things play out and the way Hurley plays things off both really do give you the feeling that this is a Devil who means business, and can do a lot of damage if she so chooses.

Both of these performers and films do one thing very well: they make the Devil just as sympathetic and interesting as the character they offer “help” to. Spiggott’s sense of humor, desire to just go back to Heaven, and even explanation of his reasons for what he does and why, all make him endearing to the audience. As for Hurley’s Devil, the humor is still present, but we also get the feeling she’s not really out to hurt Elliot. Indeed, by the end of the film, the two have become friends, and she actually seems to be on better terms with God: the two are played less as opposing forces, and more as just two sides of the same coin. Between these two films and portrayals, it’s difficult to say which I like more. If you tied me to a chair and forced me to pick, I’d say that the 1967 version of “Bedazzled” is the better movie. It’s funnier, for one thing, and while Hurley and Fraser have a good back-and-forth, NOTHING can compare to the chemistry between Dudley Moore and Peter Cook when it comes to something like this. HOWEVER, HAVING SAID THAT, if I had to choose which of these specific Devils I’d say I like more, I’d probably give the trophy to Elizabeth Hurley. She’s just a lot more unique and has more going on in terms of layers and complexity. Both films and both depictions of the Devil are great though; if you have not seen either of these pictures, check them out as soon as you can.

Tomorrow, the countdown continues with Number 12! HINT: An Operatic Villain…Literally.

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The Devils I Know - Number 16

Welcome to “The Devils I Know!” For this spooky time of year, from now till Halloween, I’ll be counting down My Top 31 Depictions of the Devil, from movies, television, video games, and more! We’re halfway through the countdown now! Today’s Devil would not be surprising if he declared, “You will suffer me.” Number 16 is…Viggo Mortensen, from The Prophecy.

Believe it or not, I only saw “The Prophecy” for the first time about a year ago. It’s hard to believe it flew under my radar for so long, but I finally found time to give it a look-see around the same time I discovered “Mr. Frost.” In some ways, the plot of the movie is reminiscent of the 2005 version of Constantine, which I mentioned earlier in the countdown. Much like that movie, the story focuses on a detective – in this case, Thomas Daggett, played by Elias Koteas – who, while involved in a case, gets sort of roped into a massive cosmic conspiracy. Just like in that film, the Archangel Gabriel is revealed to have plans for humanity that are not exactly angelic, and just like in that film, it’s ultimately by joining forces with Lucifer himself that the hero and his allies are able to defeat Gabriel and save the world.

Gabriel is played by Christopher Walken, and I think it’s fair to say it’s one of Walken’s absolute best performances. However, of equal interest to me is Viggo Mortensen as Lucifer. Once again, this is a Devil who isn’t onscreen for very long, but he makes a big impact. Lucifer doesn’t appear till the last third or so of the film, but once he pops up, he steals the show. Stealing the show from Christopher Walken is not exactly easy to do, so that tells you a lot right there. XD What I love about Mortensen’s Lucifer is that this is one of the few depictions of the character where I can actually believe he used to be an angel, so to speak. And not just any angel, but God’s second-in-command; the first and most beloved angel. Mortensen’s performance is subtle and dangerous, but there’s something about the way he carries himself and the way he looks that makes his origins clear. Having said that, you still feel the darkness oozing off of him: his motivations for helping out aren’t exactly the most saintly, and it’s clear that he’s not someone to be trifled with. He doesn’t need to have fangs or horns or any of those things to seem threatening: it’s all in what he says and does, and how he does and says it all. Later movies in The Prophecy film series would feature different actors in the role of the Devil, but I haven’t seen them yet, and by all accounts they’re not necessarily that great. As it stands, it’s hard to imagine anyone in this franchise topping Mortensen’s work here. I never thought the Son of Arathorn would make a good Prince of Darkness, but by Gadfrey, I’m glad this is something that exists.

Tomorrow, the countdown continues with Number 15! HINT: If rock is the Devil’s music, he’ll prove it.

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The Devils I Know - Number 12

Welcome to “The Devils I Know!” For this spooky time of year, from now till Halloween, I’ll be counting down My Top 31 Depictions of the Devil, from movies, television, video games, and more! Today’s Devil is an operatic villain…literally! Number 12 is Samuel Ramey. (pauses) Just…just Samuel Ramey.

Now, the chances are VERY high that if you’re reading this, your immediate thought is, “Who is Samuel Ramey?” The answer is simple: Samuel Ramey is a performer – a singer and actor – who is probably most well-known to general audiences for his voicework in things like “Over the Garden Wall.” Beyond that, he’s most renowned for his work in opera. Having said this, before I continue talking about this entry, I need to make one thing clear: I’m not a big opera buff. I respect and admire opera immensely, and I don’t believe the old cliché that “opera is boring” has much merit…but the simple and fundamental problem is that most of the great operas are written in any language but English. Which wouldn’t be a problem if it weren’t for the fact that I, personally, don’t understand any language BUT English. Seriously. I’m terrible with other languages; I can’t even speak or understand much Spanish, and I live about a hop skip and a jump away from the Mexican border. I took a French course in High School, and I think I’ve forgotten everything I learned there. It all goes in one ear and out the other. So, unless I’m watching a video with subtitles, and I’m REALLY riveted to what’s going on, I’m just not going to really “get” what I’m watching. Thankfully, I’ve seen Ramey’s performances in such situations. Ramey is a renowned performer with many credits under his belt, but he’s probably most well-known for playing one role, which he has effectively made a career out of, and that is the Devil. More specifically, Mephistopheles in numerous productions of Faust…and with numerous librettos. In the world of opera, you see, there are no less than THREE separate operatic versions of the Faust legend, ALL of which are VERY highly respected and frequently performed. In order of when they were composed, there’s “La Damnation de Faust,” by Berlioz; Gonoud’s “Faust;” and Boito’s “Mefistofele.” All three of these tell the exact same story, with basically the exact same plot, but with obvious minor differences between each one. I like to call them “The Three Devils of Opera.” Ramey has played Mephistopheles in productions of all three of these operas, and in all three cases, he has done so more than once. While the music and lyrics and some scene elements may change, his portrayal of the Devil in each of these is consistent. And when I think of Mephistopheles in ANY of these shows, it’s usually Ramey I think of. Ramey’s Mephistopheles is a figure of true fantastical power; he’s a grand and show-stealing figure who is impossible to take your eyes off of, and the simple fact this actor has played this same role in so many shows for so many years really does help to make him noteworthy. It’s the operatic equivalent of, say, Mark Hamill as the Joker: Hamill has not only played the same character for many years, but in many different adaptations, and every single time he’s awesome. Ramey is exactly the same with his portrayal of Faust’s tempter and deceiver. He’s become so well-known in the part, that Ramey actually went on a touring concert once singing different songs in his repertoire; the concert was appropriately called “A Date with the Devil.” Indeed, one could argue The Beast from “Over the Garden Wall” – his most well-known performance beyond the hallowed halls of opera – is really just another example of Ramey playing the Devil, given the way the fiendish monster is portrayed in the miniseries. If you’re not into opera, watching or listening to any of Ramey’s performances probably won’t change your mind. However, for those who are interested, just to get you started…there are recordings of Ramey’s full performances from productions of “Faust” and “Mefistofele” available on YouTube (as of when I typed this, anyway). The former was recorded and aired on television and in theatres in 1995; the latter came earlier in 1989. In my opinion, these are the two finest examples of Ramey’s work with the Devil. Check them out as soon as you can. :) Tomorrow, the countdown continues with Number 11! HINT: An Eggs-asperatingly Evil Fellow.

[twistedtummies2]

The Devils I Know - Number 2

Welcome to “The Devils I Know!” For this spooky time of year, from now till Halloween, I’ll be counting down My Top 31 Depictions of the Devil, from movies, television, video games, and more! We’ve reached my second place choice in the countdown; this is our penultimate ranking! Today’s Devil proves that when you wish upon a star…your nightmares will come true. Number 2 is…Chernabog, from Fantasia.

I talked about this character quite a bit before, a couple years ago, when I did my first ever October countdown, “31 Days of Disney Villainy.” Some of what I say here may end up being reiteration of what I said there and then, just to warn you all. Sometimes a character can become noteworthy almost without trying. Chernabog, the Devil of Bald Mountain from Disney’s masterpiece, “Fantasia,” is arguably an example of this. While his name is essentially a corrupted version of the title given to the Black God of Slavic Mythology, the actual CHARACTER of Chernabog is, without any argument at all, the Devil: he is literally referred to as “Satan himself” within the movie, Walt Disney himself referred to the character as The Devil, and so on. No matter which way you slice it, that is who this dark demon is in the original film, without a shadow of a doubt. And unlike all the other Devils on this list…Chernabog really doesn’t DO that much that is directly dangerous or destructive. “Night on Bald Mountain” is literally just a sequence basically showcasing a party in Hell. That’s really about it: he doesn’t form any evil plans, he doesn’t tempt any innocent beings to his side, he doesn’t try to take over the world…he’s just the Devil doing Devil things, so to speak. In a way, though, that’s exactly what makes Chernabog so great. We get to see not what the Devil does, with him, but more what the Devil IS. Chernabog may not do anything to directly cause trouble for any great hero or heroine, but he paints a portrait of purest, vilest evil, all without uttering a word. He forces his minions to dance for him, before heartlessly casting them into the flames just because he can. He creates things of beauty, just so he can change them into things of repugnance later. He is a being of pure careless cruelty, doing horrible things just for the sheer sake of it, without remorse, hesitation, or even much deep thought. Dominant villainy in its purest form. Ever since his creation, Chernabog has become something of a mascot for the Disney Villains lineup, and is widely regarded as one of the most powerful and monstrous villains Disney has ever created, all without facing a handsome prince or a beautiful maiden. He is simply evil incarnate, plain and simple, and that’s really all he needs to be. The character has popped up and been reimagined in numerous places since his debut in “Fantasia.” He’s a recurring boss battle in the “Kingdom Hearts” video games; he’s the leader of the Overtakers in the “Kingdom Keepers” novels; he’s a demon who devours those with dark hearts in “Once Upon a Time;” he’s even been made into a figure of parodical fun in “House of Mouse.” All of these appearances are interesting, but none have matched the raw power of Fantasia’s haunting imagery and resonant intensity. When I think of the Devil, and of imagery of Hell, “Night on Bald Mountain” is one of the first things I think of. That, alone, earns this monstrosity second place. Tomorrow is Halloween, and the countdown will come to a close. Who will be My Number One Devil? HINT: Sunshine is his destroyer. (Pauses) In hindsight, that applies to Chernabog, too…but I guess that will just make the number one SLIGHTLY more surprising. 😉

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The Devils I Know - Top 9

Welcome to “The Devils I Know!” For this spooky time of year, from now till Halloween, I’ll be counting down My Top 31 Depictions of the Devil, from movies, television, video games, and more! Today’s Devil is a particularly mysterious malefactor. Number 9 is…Robert DeNiro, from Angel Heart.

A friend of mine introduced “Angel Heart” to me about a year ago. Up till then, I had never even heard of the film, and…in hindsight, I find that completely baffling that the film somehow was unknown to me for so long. The movie is something of a combination of a neo-noir murder mystery, a psychological horror story, and a supernatural thriller, all rolled into one. A little bit like “Constantine” or “The Prophecy,” both of which I mentioned earlier in the list. However, this movie is much more grounded than those films: there is no great cosmic war between Heaven, Earth, and Hell going on here. It’s the story of one man, one world, and one mind in tatters.

The story takes place in the 1950s. Private detective Harry Angel – played by Mickey Rourke – gets a job from a mysterious, well-to-do client who calls himself “Louis Cyphre.” (If you think that alias is about as transparent as naming yourself “Mr. Devil Person,” don’t worry, because a.) the film itself makes fun of it later, and b.) even if the movie didn’t do that, I think that’s kind of the point, to be honest.) Cyphre is looking for a man who apparently owes him a debt: a singer named John Libeling, a.k.a. Johnny Favorite. The man apparently suffered shell shock after fighting in World War II, and has since gone missing. Harry travels to New Orleans to try and track Johnny Favorite down, and what at first seems like a standard missing persons case becomes increasingly more bizarre, disturbing, and complex as the detective digs deeper. I won’t give away the full ending of the movie, but naturally, it’s eventually revealed that the mysterious "Louis Cyphre” is, obviously, Lucifer. And, as you might just as easily suspect, the “debt” Johnny Favorite owes him is the man’s immortal soul, which sold in hopes of gaining fame and fortune as a singer. What I find most interesting about DeNiro’s Devil is honestly what I think I find interesting about the movie as a whole: maybe it’s just because I have seen so many mysteries in my time, but I sort of knew what the twist was going to be by the end of the film. However, the movie still kept me engaged due to its artistic merits and the strength of its performances. DeNiro’s Devil is the same way: even if you don’t guess automatically that he’s THE Devil, the way he looks and the name itself would automatically make it clear that something Devil-ish is going on with the character. But even knowing what we know, Cyphre manages to be a scene stealer and an intriguing portrayal of the Prince of Darness. He’s a very sly, slick, methodical Devil, and the way he’s shot, framed, and presented as a whole makes him feel almost like a villain in a fairy-tale, which makes him all the more interesting in a story that’s so brutal and visceral as this one. DeNiro plays the character with effortless calm; this is another Devil who rarely shows his inner monster, but you can feel that monster brewing under the surface. He’s only in the movie for a few scenes, but in every single one of those scenes, you cannot take your eyes off him once he’s onscreen; he just rules every moment he has, and DeNiro seems to disappear into the part as a result. The moments between himself and Mickey Rourke as Angel are the best parts of the movie by far, and I could watch them over and over again without ever seeing the rest of the picture and feel just as satisfied as if I watched the whole thing through. To the friend who introduced this movie and this Devil to me…if you’re reading this, thank you so much. Tomorrow, the countdown continues with Number 8! HINT: Proof that the fast-food industry is the most evil thing in the world. Bua ha ha.

[twistedtummies2]

The Devils I Know - Number 31

Welcome to “The Devils I Know!” For this spooky time of year, from now till Halloween, I’ll be counting down My Top 31 Depictions of the Devil, from movies, television, video games, and more! Today’s Devil is a real Metal-head. Number 31 is…Beelzebot, a.k.a. The Robot Devil, from Futurama.

“Futurama,” I must admit, isn’t a show I’m mega familiar with. In fact, full confession time…I actually don’t usually watch a lot of adult cartoons. Family Guy, The Simpsons, American Dad, Robot Chicken, South Park…I’ve seen bits and pieces of all of them, but I’ve never really been that into such programs. I don’t really know why: it’s not the humor, I don’t think, because I’ve definitely gotten a giggle out of various stuff from all of them. But for some reason, I’ve just never cared about any of them enough to give them a thorough look. “Futurama” is no exception…but it’s one I’ve come the CLOSEST to liking a whole lot. In fact, alongside “The Simpsons,” it’s the only animated show of this variety I’ve ever watched full episodes of, and many of the episodes I’ve looked at are the ones featuring this character.

The Robot Devil (voiced by Homer Simpson himself, Dan Castellaneta, with one episode’s exception) is one of two examples on this countdown of a character who isn’t necessarily THE Devil, de-facto and straight on, and more a Devil for a specific group. (Technically three characters, if you count Lucia from the Honorable Mentions yesterday.) Beelzebot is a robotic demon who commands Robot Hell, which is…exactly what it sounds like. Robot Hell, incidentally, is accessed via a creepy old abandoned amusement park in New Jersey…because of course it is. Beelzebot is a recurring antagonist in the show; he seems to be the secondary villain, after the perennial pain known as “Mom,” and he’s definitely one of my favorite characters in the program. Flamboyant, theatrical, and often childish, he is nevertheless a cunning and ruthless trickster: by his own admission, the only character who could rival him on the evil scale, at least among robots, is probably Bender. (No surprise there.) I love all the references to other Devils throughout this character’s run. Not only is his appearance obviously modeled after the stereotypical Devil we all see around Halloween, and not only does he have a crafty personality befitting the master of evil, but even just little quirks about him are directly influenced by other Devil-related pieces. His love of opera is a reference to the MANY operatic versions of Faust; his love of playing the fiddle (which is made of gold) is a reference to the song “The Devil Went Down to Georgia;” the list goes on. There’s really not much more to say about this one: the Robot Devil is just a fun and funny take on the idea, and definitely earns some kudos in the Top 31.  

Tomorrow, the countdown officially continues with Number 30! HINT: She’s one bad kitty.