Harley Quinn and the Joker’s Daughter (Movie Pitch) Pt. 2

Characters:

Harleen Quinzel fka Harley Quinn (Jennifer Tilly) – Former devotee and henchwoman to the Joker who is now trying to get back to her original life plan of psychiatry. She wants to help people and keep her head down but has a flair for creativity and performance.

 Joker’s Daughter aka Dina {Bella Higginbotham) – A young woman who claims to be related to The Joker in order to gain some credibility in the criminal underworld.

Jewelee aka Julia Clarke (Jennifer Stone) – A former criminal and the wife of Punch. She has moved on and gotten her life back together (for the most part) but misses the excitement of crime.

Punch aka Paul Clarke (Joe Keery) – A former criminal and the husband of Jewelee. He is clingy without a job to go to and is kind of los in lifet.

 Enigma aka Evelyn Nashton (Joy Sunday) – The actual daughter of The Riddler who uses her considerable intellect to help people rather than hurt them. 

Lady Clayface (Chelsea Peretti, Ali Wong) – The victim of a freak accident with the original Clayface, she can shapeshift like her body was made of clay. She can also impersonate anybody or anything. Harley is helping her with identity issues related to her abilities.

The Toyman (Christopher Meloni) – A genius inventor and criminal who is tired of being overshadowed by the rest of Batman’s rogue’s gallery. He wears a mask resembling a doll’s head and often speaks softly.

Amygdala aka Aaron Helzinger (Derek Mears) – A muscular mountain of a man who has little control over his impulses but is easily controlled by Toyman. In his excitable state, he can barely form words let alone sentences. 

Blockbuster aka Mark Desmond (Charlie Rawes) – A steroid-infused thug who is also controlled by Toyman. He is a little more intelligent than Amygdala. 

Bob  – An ex-stooge for The Joker who survived when The Joker attempted to kill off his henchmen. He is captured by Toyman and tortured for information on The Joker’s resources before being killed and left as a message..

Batwoman (Kristen Stewart) – A costume crimefighter and cousin to Batman. She is stretched thin with the rest of the Bat Family off on a mission.

Pamela Isley fka Poison Ivy – Formerly an ecoterrorist as Poison IVy but now operates more as an activist after reforming coinciding with becoming Harley’s roommate and girlfriend.

The Joker (Jackie Earle Haley) – The boogieman of Gotham’s criminals. He has been missing for quite some time but his presence is still felt by many.

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Interior – Mayor’s Office, Interior – GCPD, Exterior – Street, Interior – Bar

Toyman takes over the airwaves. He asks Gotham where their heroes are. Gone. They once feared the Joker but where is he? Gone. Toyman is the new Joker. He’s better than Joker. He’s far more reasonable. Toyman has the power and he has the bombs. If the city of Gotham does not want to play nice, he can blow up any target he wants. And he will blow them up. He will follow through. No jokes. Bombs are already in place across the city. A list of demands will be transmitted and those demands better be met or there will be hell to pay.

Interior – Harley’s Hideout

Harley’s crew has just finished watching the broadcast. They are banged up and bandaged but still alive. They had a really close call. Harley tells the others that they have passed the point of no return. Toyman did not succeed in killing them but he tried really hard. He might think he succeeded but the instant he finds out he failed, it is execution on sight. The next time he will make sure to get the job done. If they run, they will never stop running. She did not want to get involved and she feels guilty for getting them into it. Everybody speaks up and says that they are there for her. It is personal for all of them now. It is time to suit up and wreck Toyman’s day. Dina points out that it has been shown that Harley cannot stop her from getting involved. Harley reluctantly agrees to take her along.

Enigma captured the truck’s license plate and her system’s algorithms have been going down the rabbit hole and gathering information. It has mapped out the financial and logistical structure of Toyman’s empire. He has done a lot in a very short time. Toyman has a data distribution center that he is likely using to remotely control his dollbots and drones across Gotham and possibly what he would use to set off the bombs. Harley says that dismantling that center would leave his operation confused and it would be fun. But first, they are going to need to gear up.

Interior – Multiple Locations

Paul and Jewlee go to their storage unit and dig out their old costumes. Enigma loads up on gear and pulls out a mask designed similarly to her father’s. Harley pulls out her old costume and shakes her head. She and Dina set about throwing new costumes together. Lady Clayface sits back and eats popcorn. She changes her form to include a costume in time for the lineup.

Interior – Box Truck

The group bonds as they drive toward the data center. Dina enjoys being a part of the group and Harley is clearly happy for her. They all have a lot in common being on the wrong side of the law but being good people at heart. 

Interior – Data Center

Their truck backs into the loading dock and several security guards start approaching. The door of the truck explodes, sending everybody flying. Harley’s gang pokes their heads in after the misdirection. Harley pulls a large piece of shrapnel out of the face of a dollbot. Harley congratulates Enigma on her bomb and asks how she knew they would all be dollbots. Enigma shrugs and states that she didn’t. The crew shrugs and sets about their plan. Punch and Jewlee will accompany Enigma to the control center. Harley, Dina, and Clayface will run interference.

Harley, Dina, and Clayface move to make as much noise as possible as they head toward the source of the most movement in the building. Their plan is to draw as much attention as possible to keep security off of Enigma’s group. As the three start to fight through the dollbots, Harley has to admit that she missed this. She also admits that Dina is doing a great job. Clayface is also thriving by cutting loose and allowing her form to continuously change. Harley remarks that Clayface might maintain better control by experimenting more. A rocket launcher hits Clayface and scatters her, leaving Harley and Dina to go on alone. Harley has seen Clayfaces go to pieces and come back together before.

Punch and Jewelee are bickering as they move with Enigma through the air vents. Enigma pleads with them to stop and focus but they cannot let it go. In the heat of the moment, both reveal their insecurities. They go silent and all business much to Enigma’s relief. They fight through their own gauntlet on the way to the control center. When they get to the control center, Enigma can no longer take the tense silence and begs the two to talk it out. As she hacks into Toyman’s systems, the two agree to confront their issues head-on. As they make up again, the two start making out much to Enigma’s annoyance/amusement. She struggles with Toyman’s system and looks over and spots a wall of photos of Batman’s rogue’s gallery. She spots her father’s picture and curses him before going back to it.

Dina and Harley step into a room and are confronted with five Jokers. The Jokers insult both Harley and Dina. They make fun of Harley’s past infatuation and her repeated imprisonment. They then start to make fun of Dina’s claimed parentage, disowning her. Just as the two seem they cannot take anymore, a sixth Joker appears. He mocks the Joker in general and how, as scary as he was, he was a failure too. He always lost to Batman. Always. The sixth Joker winks which causes Harley to laugh and then Dina laughs. The sixth Joker is revealed to be Clayface and the three wreck the Jokerbots in a moment of true therapy.

Harley’s team meets up with Enigma’s team, sealing the door behind them. They spot Punch and Jewelee still making out. As Enigma gets close to shutting things down, Toyman shows up on screen. He declares that this is not over. Harley tells him he’s right because they are coming for him next. Dollbots are slowly destroying the doors behind them. Toyman says that they will die. Enigma tells him that there is one problem with that. She is smarter than her father. She shuts down the data center. The operation was a success. Now to go after Toyman himself. Enigma traced his signal when he tried to gloat. They have his location. It is in a sub-basement below the facility.

Interior – Toyman’s Hideout

Toyman is throwing things around and yelling in anger. He reminds Amygdala and Blockbuster that they work for him as long as he has control. He holds up the remote control and uses it to bring them in line. He vows to rebuild once they eliminate Harley and her gang.

Interior – Elevator

Harley’s gang is huddled together in the elevator as it descends, licking their wounds and getting ready for the last fight. Harley declares that she is going to end Toyman for this which makes Dina apprehensive. 

Interior – Toyman’s Hideout

The elevator dings open and Harley’s crew is met by Blockbuster and Amygdala. The fight begins as the crew tries to take on these lumbering behemoths. Eventually, most of the crew is able to hold the two men back. Harley and Dina get past them and into Toyman’s inner sanctum. There they find Toyman has gotten into a mechanized suit. He shoots at Dina and Harley and the fight begins. Harley is able to goad Toyman into revealing the remote to his henchmen. At least Joker used emotional manipulation, she teases. She manages to get the remote away and smashes it.

Back out in the entrance, Amygdala and Blockbuster suddenly stop fighting. They try to gather their wits and when Harley’s gang go to attack them, they beg off. They explain that they are free of Toyman’s influence and that Harley’s gang can do whatever they want with Toyman. They are officially clocking out. They walk over to the elevator and leave.

Dina and Harley are still fighting Toyman who is surprisingly spry. Toyman knocks Dina into a wall and Harley goes into overdrive and beats him with her mallet. She raises the mallet above her head for the killing blow but Dina calls out for mercy. Harley brings the mallet down and breaks open Toyman’s mask. She did not kill him but he is dazed as he looks up at Harley.

“There he is. There is the pathetic Joker wannabe. You wanted so badly to be the Joker but you couldn’t be a quarter of The Joker on your best day. But do you wanna know a secret? The Joker was a loser. What does that make you? Less than a loser. The truth is, he was holding me back. You couldn’t even do that right. You’re not even worth killing.”

Cut to Harley and Dina having tied up Toyman. Enigma warns that the police are on their way and Harley blows a kiss to Toyman as they leave, laughing.

Interior – Harley’s New Office

Another group session. Everybody has been decompressing and debriefing from the adventure. Harley says that the adventure was crazy but it might have been good for them. Unconventional therapy, maybe. The others are open to doing it again sometime. Harley says they have to lay low. Everybody but Dina has a record. Enigma states that they did a good thing. The Batfamily does good and nobody bothers them. The difference is they have the trust of the cops. Maybe they can do it again if they are needed.

The meeting breaks up and Harley and Dina talk. Dina is done with the Joker and Harley states that they will continue to keep each other to that promise. Dina states that she is going back to school and got a job and an apartment. Harley is happy for her. Things are going to be better from now on.

Post-Credit Scene – Exterior – Gotham Street

Harley is walking into her car and stops in her tracks. She calls out whoever is following her to show themselves. Batwoman steps out of the shadows, impressed that Harley knew she was there. Harley has developed a sixth sense when it comes to superheroes over the years. She is disappointed that she didn’t rate a visit from Bats himself. Batwoman actually volunteered to visit. She does have a message from the Batfamily. They know what she did and they hope that Harley and her crew have truly turned over a new leaf. They need to stay out of trouble. Harley says that she’ll try but no promises. She turns to go but Batwoman asks to speak to her. She has a problem that she needs Harley’s help with. A family problem.

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Harley Quinn and the Joker’s Daughter (Movie Pitch) Pt. 1

Characters:

Harleen Quinzel fka Harley Quinn (Jennifer Tilly) – Former devotee and henchwoman to the Joker who is now trying to get back to her original life plan of psychiatry. She wants to help people and keep her head down but has a flair for creativity and performance.

 Joker’s Daughter aka Dina {Bella Higginbotham) – A young woman who claims to be related to The Joker in order to gain some credibility in the criminal underworld.

Jewelee aka Julia Clarke (Jennifer Stone) – A former criminal and the wife of Punch. She has moved on and gotten her life back together (for the most part) but misses the excitement of crime.

Punch aka Paul Clarke (Joe Keery) – A former criminal and the husband of Jewelee. He is clingy without a job to go to and is kind of los in lifet.

 Enigma aka Evelyn Nashton (Joy Sunday) – The actual daughter of The Riddler who uses her considerable intellect to help people rather than hurt them. 

Lady Clayface (Chelsea Peretti, Ali Wong) – The victim of a freak accident with the original Clayface, she can shapeshift like her body was made of clay. She can also impersonate anybody or anything. Harley is helping her with identity issues related to her abilities.

The Toyman (Christopher Meloni) – A genius inventor and criminal who is tired of being overshadowed by the rest of Batman’s rogue’s gallery. He wears a mask resembling a doll’s head and often speaks softly.

Amygdala aka Aaron Helzinger (Derek Mears) – A muscular mountain of a man who has little control over his impulses but is easily controlled by Toyman. In his excitable state, he can barely form words let alone sentences. 

Blockbuster aka Mark Desmond (Charlie Rawes) – A steroid-infused thug who is also controlled by Toyman. He is a little more intelligent than Amygdala. 

Bob  – An ex-stooge for The Joker who survived when The Joker attempted to kill off his henchmen. He is captured by Toyman and tortured for information on The Joker’s resources before being killed and left as a message..

Batwoman (Kristen Stewart) – A costume crimefighter and cousin to Batman. She is stretched thin with the rest of the Bat Family off on a mission.

Pamela Isley fka Poison Ivy – Formerly an ecoterrorist as Poison IVy but now operates more as an activist after reforming coinciding with becoming Harley’s roommate and girlfriend.

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Dr. Harleen Quinzel had enough of being Harley Quinn, constantly dodging the Bat Family and usually ending up in Arkham no matter how hard she tried. On top of that, she had devoted herself to The Joker but he never fully returned her affection and instead constantly abused her. She shed that toxic relationship and earnestly worked toward redemption and eventually regained her degree. She hung up her shingle to practice psychiatry and although she was struggling, she was happier.

The Joker had mysteriously gone quiet a year ago but Gotham was far from quiet. Villains and gangsters still ran the criminal underground. 

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Gotham City – Second Bank of Gotham 

Police have surrounded a bank with a robbery in progress. The negotiator team taps into the security cameras as they talk to the robber.  A young woman wearing a handpainted mask reminiscent of The Joker looks directly into one of the security cameras. She declares herself to be The Joker’s Daughter and that she would be bringing her father’s chaos back to Gotham. After the young woman slips up, the cops rush in. She holds her own against the first handful of cops until somebody hits her from behind and she blacks out.

Interior – Abandoned Underground Bunker

We watch the interior of a large metal roll-up door for a moment before we see the sparks from somebody using a cutting torch device to cut a rectangle in the door. As the shape completes, there is a loud guttural noise as a fist slams into the door and knocks it down. As smoke drifts up from the door,  the forms of Amygdala and Blockbuster are silhouetted in the newly made entrance. We see them both step into the light, both of them monstrous. A commanding yet childish voice tells them to step aside. As the towering villains step aside, we see Toyman step into the light. Toyman remotely turns the lights on and we see that the place has Joker graffiti everywhere. This is the place. Time to get to work. 

Interior – Harley’s Office

She comes to, sitting in a plush armchair. As her vision comes back into focus, her gaze lingers on a plaque reading “Dr. Harleen Quinzel”. She sees degrees framed and hanging from the wall but also her discharge papers from Arkham. Dr. Quinzel is sitting behind that desk and smiles at the young woman and informs her that she saved her from the cops. The young woman complains that she would have been fine. Harley knows when she sees somebody over their head. The young woman freaks out when she realizes her mask is gone. Harley has it and can hand it and the young woman to the cops at any time. Besides, Joker is nobody to take after. 

The young woman declares that she is legitimately The Joker’s Daughter and that Harley is a quitter. Harley loses her cool and calls the woman a liar and she would know. The woman doubles down on her claim but it is not like they can do a DNA test. Harley calms down and finds out that the girl is basically homeless. With Pam out of town, Harley offers to let her crash at the apartment. She will tell this young girl all about The Joker. The girl’s name is Dina.

Interior – Harley and Pam’s Apartment

Harley and Dina order Chinese and talk into the night about Joker and Gotham as promised. They seem to bond just a bit. In the morning, Harley wakes up Dina and tells her that she has to go into the office and that Dina should come along. When Dina protests, Harley points out that she can turn her in to the police at any time. Dina calls her a narc but relents. 

Interior – Harley’s Office

Back at the office, Harley brings Dina into a group therapy session. It is here that Dina is introduced to some of Harley’s patients. The bulk of her patients are ex-villains like herself. Paul and Julie are former puppet-themed criminals Punch and Jewelee but came to Harley first for marriage counseling. Enigma came to Harley to deal with issues with her own father. Sondra is still coming to grips with her powers. We get short flashbacks of each patient here. Harley has Dina introduce herself and the other patients react to her claim of being the daughter of The Joker. Julie and Paul hate the mental image. Enigma states that Dina should not want to be the daughter of a villain. Sondra thinks Dina must be crazy. Harley defends Dina but also agrees with the group. She relates her own story as Harley Quinn with a flashback.

Exterior – Gotham City

Toyman stands on top of a roof overlooking Robinson Park with Amygdala, Blockbuster, and several doll robots. The city is unveiling a new outdoor theater pavilion. They are interrupted by two police officers doing a security check. Toyman watches passively as they are swarmed and silenced by the doll robots before they are killed. Toyman sets off an explosion, destroying the new outdoor theater and scorching a large section of the park. Toyman laughs as the fireworks are reflected in his doll eyes.

Interior – Harley’s Office

An alert on Paul’s phone interrupts the session but as his wife and the others yell at him he insists they will be interested. He shows the news of an attack on Robinson Park. Harley recognizes the tech used as coming from one of the Joker’s stashes. Dina gets excited about her father’s apparent return but Harley points out that if it was the Joker, he would be front and center and hogging the camera. Somebody else has done this. Dina is apoplectic and urges that something has to be done. She has to defend her father’s honor. Harley states that Joker never really had any use for honor and that the Bat Crew will handle it. As if on cue, the news anchors remark on the Bat Family being involved in a huge battle near Coast City. Harley curses.

Interior – Noonan’s Bar

Toyman struts into the toughest bar in Gotham and announces himself. He takes credit for the bomb in Robinson Park and promises more to come. He tells those assembled that she is the new King of Gotham’s underworld and they should run and tell their bosses. Forget the Joker, it is a new age.  If anybody crosses his crew, they will pay the price. The criminals start to hassle Toyman, asking what crew is going to back him up. He snaps and kills with his gadgets. Amygdala and Blockbuster appear. An impromptu barfight starts up and Toyman’s men make short work of their opponents while smashing up the bar. Toyman sits on the bar and just laughs as he watches. When the dust settles, he orders the two behemoths to go get the rest of the bombs.

Interior – Harley and Ivy’s Apartment

Harley gripes that Ivy loves Robinson Park and she is going to be so pissed. Dina tries again to push Harley into going after whoever is using the Joker’s bombs. Harley reiterates that it is not her problem. She is not a hero. She is a normal citizen. Dina says that she will never be normal again. Dina was such a fan of her as Harley Quinn. Dina wanted to be her.  But now Harley is just a traitor who turned on The Joker. Harley asserts that she did not betray The Joker, she just walked away. Her life with Joker was miserable. Dina asks if it was all bad because in the news footage, it looked like Harley was having fun. Harley admits that there were fun parts but after a while, those fun parts did not include The Joker. He never returned her feelings and then she realized that those feelings weren’t real. They were an addiction. Harley realizes that she is the only one who could investigate this. The cops don’t know about The Joker’s hideout. She insists that Dina stay put while she checks it out. She puts a tracking device on Dina to make sure she stays put.

Interior – Joker’s Bunker

Harley and Enigma show up to investigate. It is immediately apparent that somebody has been there. The place is a mess. Harley confirms that something is missing. She should have anonymously reported the bunker to the police. She supposes she didn’t out of a twisted sense of loyalty and fear of getting sucked back in. Enigma points out that she got sucked in anyway. It is because she let Dina push her into it. Enigma points out that maybe Harley wanted to be pushed into it. An adventure without The Joker. Joker had the keys to the place and had no need to break in so he has not returned. Enigma’s scans confirm that three people entered from footprints in the dust on the floor. They keep looking around and Harley finds her old gear and blows the dust off it. She reaches out and traces her fingers along the handle of her old mallet.

Interior – Harley’s Office

Dina is lounging at Harley’s desk. She is going through Harley’s personal files on The Joker and is curious. She gets up to clear her head when there is a knock on the door. She opens the door to find Punch and Jewelee standing there. They are there for emergency marriage counseling. Dina points out that Harley is out but lets them in. Dina points out that Julie and Paul clearly love each other like crazy, the only thing missing is their adventures. They’re stuck in a rut. She has just the solution but it is a little crazy. 

Interior – Sondra Fuller’s Apartment

Sondra opens the door to Dina, Julie, and Paul. Dina asks for Sondra’s help as she has a feeling that Harley and Enigma are going to be in over their heads. Sondra talks about fighting so hard not to be a monster that she cannot get involved. Dina points out that Harley was there for Sondra. Punch and Jewelee point out that a monster wouldn’t help Harley. She’s not just Lady Clayface, she’s their friend Sondra. They need to find Harley but Dina has a solution for that.

Interior – Joker’s Bunker

A truck backs into the bunker and Amygdala and Blockbuster get out. He lumbers over to load more bombs into the truck. Enigma and Harley hide and watch. An accidental sound draws Amygdala and Blockbuster’s attention and when they find Enigma, Harley attacks from behind with the mallet. The two women fight with the behemoths shrugging off their attacks. A drone appears with Toyman’s face on the screen and he is annoyed that the bomb retrieval is taking so long. Toyman activates robotic dolls that crawl out from under the truck. Harley and Enigma are very outnumbered now. 

The drone fires a rocket at them but a brick wall suddenly forms and blocks the shot. The wall is Sondra who immediately engages in a fight with Amygdala. Dina, Jewelee, and Punch join the fray and fight against the dollbots. Everybody gets in each other’s way and the fight is very dicey. Blockbuster loaded the truck while everybody else was busy. Near the end of the fight, something on the back of Amygdala’s neck sparks. Toyman’s crew gets in the truck and drives away. Dina tries to pursue but Harley holds her back, telling her they are in no condition to keep going.

Interior – Toyman’s Truck

Toyman is over the moon at besting one of The Joker’s greatest sidekicks, the great Harley Quinn. Still, he is upset that anybody would dare oppose him. He tells Amygdala and Blockbuster to deliver the bombs. He has business to take care of.

Interior – Joker’s Workshop

After regrouping, Harley decides that they should finish looking around before anonymously reporting everything to the cops. Harley is grateful for the help but it’s still not their fight. She does wonder how they found the place and Dina tells her to check her pocket. It’s the tracking device that Harley gave Dina. Harley is annoyed but impressed. They spread out to check things out. Dina is in Heaven as she tours the workshop of her alleged father. That delight turns to horror as she screams when she discovers a dead body nailed to the wall. She throws up as the others catch up to her. Harley confirms that this was an ex-Joker henchman named Bob. That must have been how they found the place. Bob was sick but he didn’t deserve to die like that. Dina is shaken. Harley comforts her but also explains that this is the kind of thing Joker did all the time, even to his own henchmen. 

Interior – Harley’s Office Building

After they are satisfied with their search, Harley tells everybody to come back to her office for a group session. They need to talk this out. When they get up to the floor where Harley’s office is, Dina looks pale and heads for the bathroom again. Everyone stops in the hallway as Harley goes into the bathroom after her. Dina is looking in the mirror. Harley watches her and gently tells her that some people aren’t cut out to be villains. She needs to find her own path. Dina frowns and keeps her mouth shut but when Harley looks away, she seems to really think about it. As they continue toward the office, they hear a loud noise. A missile impacts Harley’s office and a huge explosion knocks them all off their feet as parts of the building fall from above.

My Favorite Horror Villain

Candyman (Candyman 1 through 3, Candyman 2021)  – The spirit of a wronged man who will take vengeance on society.

The Fisherman (I Know What You Did Last Summer franchise) – A man who is nearly killed by a group of teens tries to stalk and kill all of them.

Lord Summerisle (The Wicker Man) – The leader and manipulator of an isolated pagan community on an island off of the United Kingdom.

Leland Gaunt (Needful Things) – A demon who manipulates people by giving them their heart’s desire but taking their souls.

Damien (The Omen franchise) – The son of Satan and the antichrist, born to take over the Earth.

The Blair Witch (The Blair Witch Project) – The ghost of a witch out in Western Maryland who possesses those who seek her out.

Angela Baker (Sleepaway Camp 1 through 3) – A summer camper driven crazy by body dysphoria and trauma to become a serial killer.

Tiffany Valentine (Bride of Chucky, Seed of Chucky, Curse of Chucky, Cult of Chucky)  – The serial killer girlfriend of serial killer Charles Lee Ray. She and Chucky were turned into killer dolls.

Count Orlok (Nosferatu) – One of the original horror villains. A reclusive vampire count with a thirst for blood.

Jerry Dandridge (Fright Night) – A dapper vampire with a habit of playing with his food.

Ghostface (The Scream franchise) – One of many killers who taunts their victims and kills based on the “rules” of horror.

Gabriel May (Malignant)  – The psychic twin of the hapless Emily who is upset at what the doctors did to him.

Mary Lou Mahoney (Prom Night 2 and 3) – The vengeful ghost of a prom queen turned into a powerful succubus.

Stitches the Clown (Stitches) – An undead clown out for revenge against the little shits who accidentally killed him.

Seth Brundle (The Fly) – A scientist who accidentally merged his cells with that of a housefly, triggering a terrifying transformation.

Dr. Edward Pretorius (From Beyond) – A sadistic mad scientist who has been merged with an otherworldly creature to become as monstrous outside as he was inside.

The Hitcher (The Hitcher) – A sociopathic hitchhiker who terrorizes those who pick him up by torturing and killing.

The Collector (The Collector, The Collection) – An expert kidnapper and creator of intricate traps that kill all who might escape or interfere with his collection

Art the Clown (All Hallow’s Eve, Terrifier 1 and 2) – An absolutely silent clown who murders people indiscriminately.

Patrick Bateman (American Psycho) – A sociopathic daytrader whose desire for status and excess lead him to bloody ends.

Killjoy the Clown (Killjoy, Killjoy 2, Killjoy 3, Killjoy in Hell, Killjoy Psycho Circus) – A demonic clown often summoned in vengeance rituals.

Evil Ash (Army of Darkness)  – The undead mystical clone of the prophecizsed hero Ashley Williams.

Billy Murphy (The Final Girls) – A young man who was the victim of a cruel prank gone too far who is disfigured and now kills anybody who has sex.

Jennifer Check (Jennifer’s Body) – A demon in the body of a hot high school girl who is out to take revenge on all of the men in her life.

Pennywise/ IT (IT Chapters 1 and 2) – An eldritch entity that feeds on the fears of the lost and tortured and especially children.

Krampus (Krampus) – The anti-Santa Claus, a demon who punishes the naughty at Christmas.

Paimon (Hereditary) – One of the nine kings of Hell who seeks dominion on Earth in a human body.

Annabelle (The Conjuring and Annabelle franchises) – A doll inhabited by a very nasty demon.

Pamela Voorhees (Friday the 13th) – A grieving mother out for revenge against all teenage camp counselors like the ones who failed to save her son who drowned.

Jack Torrance (The Shining) – An alcoholic writer driven over the edge by the past and the ghosts around him.

The Thing (The Thing) – A creature from beyond Earth that assimilates whatever it touches.

Belial Bradley (Basket Case 1 through 3)  – A deformed creature who cooperates with his twin Duane, the formerly conjoined brothers exacting revenge on the doctors who separated them.

David Powers (The Lost Boys) – The main runner in a vampiric gang that hunts in a small tourist town.

Officer Matt Cordell (Maniac Cop 1 through 3) – The undead police officer brought back to wreak havoc across New York City.

The Beast (Poltergeist)- A powerful spirit that draws upon the energy of lost spirits to terrorize and torment the living.

Mary Shaw (Dead Silence) – An undead witch obsessed with ventriliquist puppets and getting revenge on the bloodline of a heckler.

Michael Myers/ The Shape (Halloween. All of them except for 3) – Evil in the shape of a man who stalks Haddonfield.

Pumpkinhead (Pumpkinhead 1 through 4) – A creature created for vengeance by a backwoods satanic witch.

Freddy Krueger (A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise) –  A murderer and child molester who became a dream demon in death.

Horace Pinker (Shocker) – A serial killer who merges with electricity itself through the electric chair used in his execution. 

The Djinn (Wishmaster 1 through 4) – A demon who grants wishes with deadly twists and wishes to unleash Hell on Earth.

Pinhead (Every Hellraiser movie) – A demon of pain and torture who seeks to capture humans to convert them to Hell’s cause.

Richard Chapman  (Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 and 3) – The psychotic younger brother of the original killer Santa Claus who took up his brother’s mantle.

Norman Bates (The Psycho franchise) – A lonely motel proprietor who has been driven crazy by his mother.

Charles Lee Ray aka Chucky (The Child’s Play franchise) – The serial killer whose soul now inhabits a child’s doll.

Leatherface (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise) – An inbred cannibalistic hillbilly with a penchant for using a chainsaw)

Sadako Yamamura (The Ringu franchise) – The ghost of a young girl who wants the world to suffer as she did.

The Babadook (The Babadook) – A spirit that preys on children and feeds off of the negative emotions of parents.

Betelgeuse (Beetlejuice) – A ghost who is a self-described “bio-exorcist” with a desire to torment the living and gain power over the living world.

Jack Frost (Jack Frost 1 and 2)  – A serial killer in the body of a snowman.

Dr. Anton Phibes (The Abominable Dr. Phibes, Dr. Phibes Rises Again)  – A disfigured doctor of music and theology who murders based on the 10 Deadly Plagues.

Jigsaw (The Saw franchise) – A man who makes deadly traps designed to teach people lessons, primarily how to be thankful for their life.

Dracula (So many Draculas) – The charming and dangerous vampire of all vampires.

Red (Us) – A subterranean dwelling doppelganger who leads a rebellion to kill people on the surface.

Sam (Trick R. Treat) – The childlike spirit of Halloween who will take vengeance on those who do not honor the holiday correctly.

Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal) – A charming psychologist turned cannibalistic serial killer who hates rude people.

The Tall Man (Phantasm 1 through 5) – A physically imposing extradimensional invader who uses dead bodies and robots to attack Earth.

Pazuzu (The Exorcist) – A grand demon who possesses an unfortunate young girl in order to walk the Earth and shatter the faith of mortals.

The Leprechaun (The Leprechaun franchise) – A magical imp with a deadly sense of humor and a wicked temper when somebody steals his gold.

Imhotep (The Mummy franchise) – An undead sorcerer cursed to walk the Earth unless he can regain his humanity.

Jason Voorhees (Friday the 13th franchise) – The undead form of a neglected summer camper who now kills anybody in his territory near Crystal Lake.

Blade (The Puppet Master franchise) – A bladed puppet given life by a secret formula.

Guan Di (My Name is Bruce) – A Chinese deity out to kill the white inhabitants of a town in revenge for the deaths of Chinese railroad workers. 

Jumbo Klown (Killer Klowns from Outer Space) – One of many alien klowns who come to Earth to feed on the populace.

Disney: The Dark Kingdom (Theme Park Design)

I thought I would give my take on the rumored Disney villains park. In my mind, it would be more for teens to adults allowing for a spookier atmosphere and leaning into a more adult atmosphere. I mean, it would still be Disney so it would not go too far but kids would not be the main demographic. These are just some of the attractions that I thought of. It is divided into sections much like the Magic Kingdom. 

Maleficent’s Castle

Vile Village– The long road leading to Maleficent’s castle where villains can feel free to be themselves.

Maleficent’s Castle

Most Disney parks need a castle as their centerpiece. The jet-black castle that sat on the Forbidden Mountain would be a perfect choice. Its asymmetry is a great contrast to the picture-perfect castles in other parks. I think adding some gray ornamental flourishes similar to the brambles from the Kingdom Hearts franchise might look good.

Cruella’s Dress Shop – A villain-themed clothing store owned by Cruella De Ville.

The Wicked Spindle – A fancy restaurant themed on Sleeping Beauty and Maleficent

The Ruby Apple Cafe – A more casual dining experience themed on the Evil Witch

Lotso’s Army – A dark ride themed on the various Toy Story villains getting together

Straight to Hades – A boat ride on Charon’s boat through Hades where one can see depictions of various legendary greek heroes. The ride is hosted by Pain and Panic as 

Tartarus BBQ – A Hades themed barbecue place

The wild amusement park of Pleasure Island

Pleasure Island – An area based on the same place from Pinnochio mixed with the now-closed adult area of Disney.

Oogie Boogie’s Ghost Coaster – A dark coaster designed after the blacklight visuals from Oogie’s number from Nightmare Before Christmas.

Oogie Boogie’s Casino – A casino themed on Halloween and horror.

Turbo’s Arcade – A massive indoor arcade themed on the insane villain and also the MCP from Tron.

Stromboli’s Theater – A theater where versions of Disney stories are told biased in favor of the villains.

Cruella’s Road Racers – A high-speed driving ride based on the maniacal driving of Cruella De Ville.

Ralph’s Wrecking Rampage – A coaster themed on Ralph which he protests because he’s not “that” kind of villain.

The salty streets of a smuggler town similar to Tortuga from the movies.

Smuggler’s Bay – A lawless area near the water

Davey Jones: Terror of the Deep – A journey through scenes of Davey Jones punishing the people of the Caribbean along with his monster crew

Captain Hook’s Ship – A ride on Captian Hook’s ship out in the water

Smee’s Seaside Pub – A simple pirate pub

Ursula’s Grotto – A dark ride mixed with a splashdown ride that explores Ursula’s legendary lair.

The Weasels 

The woods have eyes.

Wicked Woods – A spooky forest-themed area.

The Snuggly Duckling – A recreation of the tough bar from Tangled.

Gaston and Clayton’s Hunting Lodge and Tavern – An eating and drinking establishment owned and operated by the two arrogant Disney hunters

The Flight of the Sanderson Sisters – A flight simulator in the vein of Soarin’ where you fly a broom and terrorize people with the Sandersons.

Yzma’s Zoo – A trip through an animatronic zoo with the implication that all of the animals are transformed humans. 

The Evil Queen’s Revenge – Basically Snow White’s Scary Adventures but lean even more into the horror elements

Maybe a giant recreation of the Cave of Wonders lion.

Atrocious Adventures – An area themed on more global and adventurous experiences.

Charles Muntz Flight of Adventure – A flight simulator in the vein of star tours that details the heroic deeds of disgraced adventurer Charles Muntz

The Elephant Boneyard – A dark ride where the riders are stalked by Scar and the hyenas

Glomgold’s Minecart Ride – A frantic mine cart ride similar to the Indiana Jones Adventure mixed with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Journey into Jafar’s Lamp – A terrifying and surreal thrill ride into the world inside of Jafar’s lamp where he has complete power.

Monsters, Inc. : Right to Scare – A journey into the Monster’s Inc. world with those still dedicated to scaring and not laughing

Real Video Game Villains: Jack Thompson

To me, “activist” usually denotes fighting for the powerless and being the voice of the voiceless. In that sense, Thompson was not an activist. He was the unhinged voice of the Christian Right and a lawyer (the latter I will not immediately hold against him). He first came to some prominence by crusading against Rap music. He fought for censorship in the now-infamous case against 2 Live Crew. Bolstered by his perceived success, he turned toward violence in video games.

He went hard against Grand Theft Auto 3, creating a huge fervor that caused my mom to make me return the game to Blockbuster. He said that the game was far too violent and that kids would be influenced to commit acts of violence. However, the game’s title was Grand Theft Auto so what did he expect. While violence is prevalent and rewarded in-game, characters who engage in violence are quickly punished.

He also railed against the game Manhunt (by Rockstar, the same publisher as GTA3). In Manhunt, you play as an ordinary person stuck in a twisted reality game show where a death row prisoner is offered his life and freedom if he can kill all of the other contestants (Running Man style). The game is designed to look and feel dirty as you murder people in horrible ways while trying to remain stealthy. The game is written to put the player in a huge gray area where you are forced to kill or die. You are not a hero.

The third major game he targeted was Bully (again developed by Rockstar). In Bully, you play as a young kid freshly arrived in a boarding school who must contend with the cliques in school often with violence and manipulation. The game plays a lot like GTA 3 with plenty of lewd and violent behavior. However, nobody has a gun and you more often use your fists, rubber bands, and stink bombs instead.

Jack Thompson made a lot of the same leaps of logic that other proponents of censorship go with. If a school shooter had a copy of one of these games, the games were the problem. He didn’t think about all of the people who played these games who did not engage in actual acts of violence. He was convinced that, as a born again Christian, he had to be the moral authority and save children from themselves. This probably comes from a belief that morality is an external thing gifted to humanity by God instead of something that is inherent or logical. In the case of Manhunt, he rose to the occasion because of an erroneous news report that a copy of the game was present in a criminal’s home.

The thing these people do not get is that most humans are fairly stable. Most people know the difference between fiction and real life. They know that many things that happen in video games are not acceptable to do in the real world. We would have way more problems if most of us did not have that solid line between fact and fiction. People would have been stomping on turtles in the Eighties.

Thompson created a lot of fire and fury in the 90s and 00s but it eventually died down as people started to look more at the actual causes of violence. Thompson eventually overstayed his welcome in the courts and was disbarred in Florida and quietly rode off into the sunset in disgrace. He was rightfully ridiculed and the games industry and games journalism came together to deal with him. He will be remembered as a lunatic but sadly probably made a lot of money with his fear-mongering activity.

Real Video Game Villains: Joe Lieberman

Back in 1993, Senator Joe Lieberman got a bug up his butt about video games. What apparently happened was that his Chief of Staff, Bill Andresen, was approached by his son to buy a copy of Mortal Kombat. Andresen was appalled by the violence he saw in the game and ran to his boss to put a stop to it. Lieberman had already taken note of a moral panic about video games based on a game called Night Trap. The bottom line is that gun violence had skyrocketed in the United States and politicians were panicking. They could have admitted that the problem was complicated and systemic and worked toward a solution that could have saved the lives of so many people. They could have even enacted some short term fixes by curtailing the NRA and enacting common-sense gun control. No! Video games, rap music, and television were the problem! Lieberman called a congressional hearing.

If you watch footage from this hearing, you can see that nobody involved had ever really played video games or if they had, it was not for over a decade. Everybody mentions Pac-Man or Pong and cannot seem to mention specifics of what they are objecting to. Instead, they pull out mothers near tears or old white men and have them say what a shame it is these games are being sold to children. They fail to mention that it is parents buying games for their kids because most kids do not have the pocket money. One mother holds up a video game box and says that it is more confusing than reading the ingredients on store-bought food. Let us pause and look at the covers of the two aforementioned games.

Night Trap is a fairly innocuous name although it does sound vaguely sinister like the title of a Stephen King short story. The cover shows a screaming blonde teen which is a bit of a red flag. (Hollywood teen which means she’s probably twenty). Behind her is something but we do know that it is reaching for her and that it has red, pointy eyes which even Scooby-Doo viewers know is a villain trait. To top it off, there is a trio of armed soldiers off to the side. Without knowing anything about the game, I would hope that most sane people would pause before giving it to a kid.

The Mortal Kombat box art is rather simple and there are no actual visual red flags. A dragon emblem does not immediately shout at parents not to buy it for kids. Although, the name “Mortal Kombat” kind of describes a game where people might do combat to the death. The back of the box definitely describes a martial arts tournament and depicts some of said kombat. It is not exactly rocket science. If you just pay a little attention to what you put your kids in front of, you might just be alright.

Lieberman’s hearings eventually resulted in a bill being put forward to create a video game rating system. The video game industry saw the writing on the wall and they created their own rating system the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) which still exists today. They rate everything either Early Childhood, Everyone, Everyone above 10 (umm), Teens, Mature, and Adults Only.

The bargain kept the government’s hands off of video games and they turned their attention elsewhere. It did not stop the moral panic because nothing stops dumb people panicking over the wrong things without doing their research.

I leave you with the goofiness of Night Trap.

It’s basically a bad b-movie

Top 11 Favorite Disney Villains Pt. 1

Obviously, I am adding a SPOILER WARNING here but for eleven movies that you should have seen by now. There are still a few Disney animated films that I have not seen but these are my favorite based on how important I think they are but mostly how much I enjoyed them. Some, like the Evil Queen and Malificent, have become more iconic to me in later materials but this is based solely on their appearances in Disney films.

11 Syndrome (The Incredibles 2004)

Syndrome did not start out as a villain. He used to just be Buddy Pine, a boy who was a huge fan of Mr. Incredible. He geeked out over his favorite superhero but his fandom started to become unhealthy when he started to take it farther. He tried to convince Mr. Incredible to accept him as a sidekick and in the process, endangers himself, others, and causes trouble for Mr. Incredible. As a result, Incredible gets frustrated and has Buddy taken away from the police and rejects him. As a result, Buddy grows resentful and bitter and changes into the super villain Syndrome. Since he could not become a hero, he decides to kill all heroes so that he can finally be the only hero. Whether intentionally or not, Syndrome represents the worst parts of fandom. First, he becomes such a fan that he tries to insert himself in Mr. Incredible’s life and career. He is rightly rejected because his sudden appearance causes complications. Second, he becomes bitter by being rejected instead of just going off and doing his own thing. He could have forged himself as an impressive hero and earned respect as Mr. Incredible’s peer eventually. Third, he grows to hate the thing he loved because it is not how he envisioned it. He is played with annoying perfection by Jason Lee as a sociopathic, toxic young man.

10 Ernesto de La Cruz (Coco 2017)

Ernesto was a famous musician in Mexico who became an Elvis-level celebrity, with elaborate stage shows, costumes, and backup singers. He died in a stage accident and he is still mourned and practically worshiped at least by the people of his hometown of St. Cecilia and probably the rest of Mexico. However, like a lot of celebrities, the public does not know the whole story. In truth, Ernesto does have a lot of talent for performing but had little imagination. He dreamed to become a celebrity for the fame and fortune and not at all for the love of music. Fortunately for him, he was able to convince his friend Hector to join him on the road to stardom. Hector was truly gifted and was able to write many beautiful and popular songs. When a homesick Hector wanted to go back home, Ernesto killed him and took his songbook for his own. This is especially despicable because, if Ernesto asked, Hector might have given him permission to play his songs as Hector had given up on being a star. In the afterlife, Ernesto remains a big celebrity but he still only plays the songs Hector wrote. When he meets Miguel, Hector’s great-great-grandson, he sees another Hector he can exploit. However, when Miguel proves as difficult as his ancestor, he tries to take him out too. Ernesto is arrogant and uncaring but deep inside he is also afraid of his secret getting out, desperate for fame, and jealous of men like Hector. He is willing to ruin or kill anybody who opposes him and thinks nothing of exploiting the people around him. He is played by Benjamin Bratt with Antonio Sol doing the singing. His performances makes him smarmy but it makes you believe that he could convince others to love him.

9 Scar (Lion King 1994)

Scar is the brother to Mufasa, the ruler of the Pride Lands which is an area around Pride Rock which is somewhere in the African wilderness. They both belong to a pride of lions who have passed down the title of ‘king’ from father to son for generations. In the event that his brother were to die, he would become king but that was changed when Mufasa and He observed the birth and early childhood of his brother’s son Simba with obvious displeasure. Scar always wanted to be king and resented that his brother became the monarch of the area. He was forced to resort to the lesser role of adviser to the king. This is a role he is obviously not satisfied with. He befriends some of the scavengers of the land and stages a coup by murdering his brother and convincing his nephew that it was his fault. In Simba’s absence, Scar rules over the Pride Lands as a cruel dictator instead of the benevolent monarch that his brother was. Scar is largely based on Claudius from the play Hamlet who envied his brother’s life and killed him and took it over. Scar is much like any bad bureaucrat who believes they know what is best but do not actually have any good ideas. Scar and his cronies over hunt the Pride Lands and the environment suffers and a once thriving area suffers. Scar holds no illusions that he is what the Pride Lands need. He is gleeful about being cruel to get what he wants and uses fear to control his subjects. Jeremy Irons is really good at being unapologetically evil and slimy which became kind of a theme for his career around that time.

8 Gaston (Beauty and the Beast 1991)

Gaston is the most handsome alpha male in the small town where the heroine Belle lives with her father. It is never explicitly mentioned but he is a town hunter who provides meat for the town. As a result, he seems to be idle often and he also seems to be independently wealthy as well. He is accompanied by his assistant LeFou who he treats horribly. However, he seems to treat everybody in town pretty horribly.  Gaston gets it into his head that he is the town’s most eligible bachelor, an idea that is reinforced as many women in town pursue him and flirt with him. As the most eligible bachelor, he believes that he deserves Belle as his wife. To get this clear, he believes that he <deserves> Belle as an award for being the most handsome and the strongest guy in town like she is some award. When Belle repeatedly turns him down, he cannot accept it and remains in denial as if it was some sort of game she is playing. Instead, she is not interested because Gaston is a pig and has no chemistry with her because she is a dreamer and an intellectual and he is shallow. When Gaston finds out that Belle might be falling for somebody else, somebody ‘unattractive’, he flips out and lets toxic masculinity completely take over. He tries to blackmail her into marrying him but when that does not work, he decides to kill her potential suitor. When he is defeated in combat, he is granted mercy but he still refuses to believe that he has lost his chance at Belle and attacks only to be accidentally killed by the man he was trying to kill. He is the patriarchy made flesh and he dies, still raging about not being the winner for the first time in his life. He would have lived if he had just accepted that one girl in town did not want to kiss him.

7 Judge Frollo (The Hunchback of Notre Dame 1996)

Frollo is a judge and minister of justice in Paris, France. He presides over the Palace of Justice and he uses them to both keep the peace and further his personal agenda. Like a lot of the most misguided religious people, Frollo is prejudiced. He believes in a ‘natural order’ but that natural order involves Christianity and nothing else. If you are not Christian, then you are guilty in the eyes of Judge Claude Frollo. Specifically, he has a vendetta against gypsies because they are heathens in his eyes. They flaunt their non-Christian lifestyle and seem to make a mockery of society. In the beginning of the movie, he accidentally kills a gypsy woman and is shamed into adopting her baby. However, her baby grows up with a hunchback and a disfigured face so Frollo treats him like an abomination. Years later and his goal has become to discover the Court of Miracles, the Gypsy sanctuary, and destroy it and murder them all. Yes, this is a Disney film. When a Gypsy girl, Esmerelda, defies him in the middle of the city, it enrages him and his twisted mind fixates on her. He hates what she is but he finds that he also lusts after her and racism and bullshit guilt clash in his head. He pursues her across the city terrorizing, torturing, or murdering anybody who he thinks might be hiding her. When he is questioned by his captain of the guard, he sentences him to death for insubordination. When Esmerelda refuses to sleep with him, he tries to kill her too. When all of this fails, he tries to kill the young man who is supposed to be his son. He only dies because his religious mania makes him see the face of Satan which frightens him into death by falling. He is an unstable man who got further destabilized and twisted by his religion and it ultimately killed him.

6 Dr. Facilier (The Princess and the Frog 2009)

Dr. Facilier is a fortune teller and general voodoo practitioner for hire (also known as a bokor) on the streets of New Orleans. Bokor are usually supposed to serve the loa (or voodoo spirits) with ‘both hands’ meaning they work for good and for evil. However, Facilier apparently was somehow connected with dark loa who are much more proficient in dark magic. So, Facilier became accustomed to being in control of dark powers through his ‘friends from the other side’. Of course, he also seems to be indebted to these loa and trusting in them ultimately proves to be his undoing. While these dark powers may have influenced him into a wicked life, it seems that he did not start off so good anyway. He mentions being descended from royalty but he has obviously fallen on hard times as he tries to swindle tourists and locals on the streets of New Orleans. He has formed a grudge against the wealthy of the Big Easy and actively works against them, seeming to believe he is owed wealth and power. This is a direct contrast with Tiana who works hard for everything she has and is not looking for handouts. He built an infamous reputation around town and is left with the desperate and the ignorant to prey on. He shows that he is very willing to curse or kill to get what he wants and what he wants is to rule New Orleans. Facilier cannot grant himself boons through his magic and so he manipulates others by giving them gifts whether they want them or not. He does not care who gets hurt as long as he satisfies his own desires and pays his debt to his dark masters.