Good day to you, movie lovers! Carissa here, and I’m bringing you this week’s
installment of Monday Movie Maniac. Last week, you got a taste of the
character Mallory Knox, as played by Juliette Lewis in the critically-
acclaimed hit film, Natural Born Killers, directed by Oliver Stone, with a
cast to include Woody Harrelson and Robert Downey Jr. We delved into the
relationship between Mickey and Mallory, as well as a bit of a backstory as
to where the madness began for the character in the previous feature. It just goes to show
that some people (characters, in this case) are more of a product of their
environment than others.
And sometimes, movie characters are just downright evil without any just cause.
Today’s feature is keeping with the theme of gritty violence and magnetic
character, with a touch of salaciously sinful charm that is for lack of a
better word: deadly. Michael Wincott plays the villain named Top Dollar in
the 1993 cinematic release of The Crow, directed by Alex Proyas.
Top Dollar, in the movie The Crow, is responsible for the deaths of the Eric
and Shannon (the movie’s sickeningly sweetlovebirds). The love story between
these two is fairly simple. She loves him, he loves her…and sadly, they
both meet a tragic end. Yet, it is Eric’s love for Shannon and his need for
revenge that bring him back to life. Interestingly enough, the character Eric
does well in not only avenging Shannon and himself, but also many others who
have been hurt by Top Dollar and his crew. This actor’s versatility doesn’t
come as a shocker, yet his portrayal of Top Dollar is by far, the “movie bad
guy” icing on the cake. He’s unforgiving and calculating, and at certain
points in the film carries a humor that you just can’t help but go along
with. His maniac quality? Well, from where I’m sitting, it’s pretty obvious.
This villain is a thinker, and the character’s ability to rationalize his obsession
with power over the city (and also with catching Eric) is almost mind-bending.
You might recognize Wincott from other films like The Count of Monte Cristo,
where he plays the role of warden Armand Dorleac at the Chateau D’If as
keeper to Edmond Dantes. If you’re a fan of his voice, then you’ve had the
pleasure of experiencing it in the 2004 release of Halo 2, where he voices the
character named Prophet of Truth. He’s also the voice of Scroop from the movie
Treasure Planet, and more recently the voice of Death in the game Darksiders II.
That’s it for today’s Monday Movie Maniac! Thank you for stopping by, and feel free to leave your thoughts on today’s featured maniac. Cheers!
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Michael Wincott is really one of my favorite actors when it comes to villains. He just does bad so well. Of course, the gritty voice seems to help.