All-time scariest TV characters — #4: The Gentlemen
Characters: The Gentlemen
Show: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Episode: “Hush”
When we decided to make this list, I knew right off that I’d start dipping into the Buffy well for scary characters. But you know what? There aren’t a whole lot of “scary” things from this show. So immediately my mind jumped to the most obvious choice by far: The Gentlemen from “Hush”.
In fact, I’d have to say The Gentlemen are the most frightening characters I’ve seen on TV in a long, long time, and I’ve caught a lot of horror-themed TV shows and movies (I’m a horror junkie). It wasn’t just The Gentlemen who were scary, it was also those freakin’ gimps that hopped around along with them, strapped into straight jackets though still somehow able to free their flailing arms to beat the crap out of people.
What was scary about The Gentlemen? Where to begin?! The toothy perma-grin. The pasty white and hairless heads. The way they got around just by floating a few inches off the ground. The fact that they didn’t make a sound at all. They floated around, all four of them, regarding one another as though having a creepy, unheard discussion.
The creepiest scene by far was during the moment when they calmly sliced into a silenced student, extracting his heart out of his chest. Who the hell would want to go to sleep after seeing that?
Oh you can come back and say that our list should have included one of several other Buffy or Angel characters, but really, did they truly frighten you like these guys did? The First Evil? Please!
Here’s a scene that captures the creepiness of these characters. When Tara drops her books and you see some familiar movement in the background … I near shite my drawers.
#10 #9 #8 #7 #6 #5 #4 #3 #2 #1
VH1 gives Scream Queens the green light
This is news that leaves me somewhat torn. On the one hand, I really like horror movies, and by extension, I’m pretty fond of scream queens. On the other hand, just hearing about this show calls to mind the train wreck that was E!’s Kill Reality, and that isn’t a happy memory. I suppose it also sounds a lot like Joel Silver’s Next Action Star, which wasn’t all bad. But then, I might just be trying to talk myself into liking it because that picture of Lexa Doig (Jason X) is staring at me.
The new show will gather ten unknown actresses to compete for a role in a horror movie from Lionsgate Films. The contestants will compete in challenges and be judged by an as yet unnamed director. I’m guessing there will be blood, and possibly chainsaws. The drawback is that it’s not on HBO or Showtime, so despite having an acting coach on hand, these girls are all going to be cheated out of that valuable topless-in-the-steamy-locker-room training. I feel for them.
The series is set to premiere in the fall and play out over eight hour long episodes. My expectations are low, but there is just enough there to get me to tune in at least once.
Jessica Alba Brightens Up Today
Jessica Alba Brightens Up Today
It’s no wonder we spotted Jessica Alba in Manhattan yesterday. She’s in town to do press for her new movie “The Eye,” which comes out this Friday.
This morning, the “Dark Angel” babe was at NBC studios charming the folks over at The Today Show. And it seems that anchor Matt Lauer took a real liking to the expecting actress.
Regarding her adjustment to being pregnant, Jessica told Matt, “I’m good now. I’m past the nauseous stage. It wasn’t morning sickness, it was definitely all day sickness. And I was shooting a comedy at the time! You definitely have to go with the flow. You definitely have to surrender. But it’s a shock to a system. Again, I’ve never been one to emphasize anything on my looks or anything. It was just the polls, the magazines, they do it. It was never my thing. So I really don’t care.”
And with “The Eye” marking Alba’s first time wading into the waters of horror films, she confessed that she loved it. “I love horror movies. I love psychological thrillers. I love the fact nobody is being mutilated. Thirteen-year-olds can go and watch this movie. It’s a good, classic ghost story.”
With a baby on the way, the “Awake” actress revealed that she’s eagerly awaiting motherhood. “I’ve always loved kids and I’ve always wanted kids. It’s kind of perfect.”
10 X 10 = the next AFI 100 Special
In a departure from past CBS specials, which spotlighted the Top 100 movies either of all time or in some specific category, the AFI has decided that this summer’s special would be ten different Top 10 lists. We’ve already seen 100 Years … 100 Movies, 100 Stars, Laughs, Thrills, Passions, Heroes & Villains, Songs, Movie Quotes, Cheers and 100 Years … 100 Movies–10th Anniversary Edition. I guess it gets harder and harder to find 100 worthy entries in specific categories, so this is the compromise.
Yesterday, AFI sent out the ballots with 50 selections in the 10 categories to a pool of 1,500 industry leaders. These categories are animation, courtroom dramas, epic films, fantasy, gangster, mystery, romantic comedy, science fiction, sports and western. I think they made the right call, because if some of those specials had struggled a bit in the ratings already, that’s nothing to what 100 Sports Movies or 100 Gangster Movies would do.
I hope they stick to this format. I’ve got some suggestions for next year’s special:
AFI’s 100 Terrible Movies
10 Direct to DVD Sequels
10 Lifetime Original Movies
10 Horror Movie Sequels
10 Live-Action Movies Based on a Cartoon
10 Movies Based on a Video Game
10 Made for TV Movies Based on a True Story
10 Classic Movie Remakes
10 Giant Animal/Bug Movies
10 Movies Based on a TV Show
10 Sci Fi Channel Original Movies
And we need an ATI (American Television Institution) to start putting out yearly specials on “100 Television” something or others. Let’s help get them started with suggestions in the comments. I’d love to see ATI’s 100 Live Television Screw-Ups or 100 Musical Performances. Finally, a list that could include both Elvis’ classic Ed Sullivan appearance and Ashlee Simpson’s lip-synched SNL hoe-down.