Top 10 Movie Threats
Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear. Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the Top 10 Movie Threats. For this list, we're looking at specific movie threats that either implied something dangerous was going to happen or were direct and overtly clear. These are the big screen scenes that made characters squirm and shut their traps.
Special thanks to our users David Street, Brittany Cauble, Edsan González, Andy Roehl and Mattyhull1 for submitting the idea at http://www.WatchMojo.comsuggest
#10: I’m Gonna Cut Your Throat “There Will Be Blood” (2007)
Don’t be tellin’ no prospectors how to run their families! When a clean-cut businessman attempts to buy out fledgling oil tycoon Daniel Plainview in “There Will Be Blood,” he goes a little too far by playing Dr. Phil and offering family advice. After a long, awkward pause and piercing stare, Mr. Plainview promises that there will, in fact, be blood and it won’t be pretty. This threat was like saying, “your ass is grass and I’m the lawnmower…and yes, I will actually kill you” – kind of like Daniel Day-Lewis’ threat in “Gangs of New York.”
#9: Ominous Plans “Cape Fear” (1991)
Perhaps it was the tattoos or maybe it was his rapist past, but Max Cady simply conveys a troubling demeanor in Martin Scorsese’s remake of a 1962 classic. After taking up permanent residency in the clink due to his lawyer’s inadequacy, De Niro’s character teaches himself not only to read but also the LAW. Incidentally, he also tracks down his former lawyer and terrorizes his entire family with passive-aggressive behavior and a few direct zingers. Sam Bowden attempts to resolve the issue by hiring a private investigator, but Max Cady has something entirely different in mind. No, he doesn’t want to start a Hawaiian shirt company, he wants to get down and dirty, and not on the dance floor.
#8: Human Popsicle “The Warriors” (1979)
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When a monster gang war breaks out in New York City, and your opponent is wearing makeup and a baseball uniform, there’s a select group of threats that are always perfect for the occasion. Case in point: when one of “The Baseball Furies” confronts the Warriors crew, an angry Ajax delivers an appropriate zinger complete with popsicle reference. It’s unclear if the Baseball Fury was stunned by Ajax’s deep cleavage or if he was legitimately scared about a Louisville Slugger penetrating his backside. All in all, the intensity of the insult was bold and impressive and we could see it all over the insult receiver’s face.
#7: One-Time Warning “Scarface” (1983)
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Here’s a shocker: international drug lords don’t like to give second chances to people who screw them over. And they will ALWAYS speak in calm and collected voices to express their displeasure. Oh, and they usually murder someone in front of you to drive home their points. Such was the case in Brian De Palma’s “Scarface,” as Alejandro Sosa reminds the ambitious Tony Montana how things work, especially in his own backyard. The delivery of this threat was poignant and well-articulated, since he could have just launched Tony from a helicopter.
#6: Head Collector “Kill Bill: Vol. 1” (2003)
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If you want to become the ultimate Queen of the Tokyo Underworld, then you have to make a few things clear. For example, when a frustrated council member named Tanaka publicly insults his new boss, it takes about three seconds for his head to roll and a bloody rain to shower over the frightened guests. To make herself even more clear, O-Ren utilizes her translator and delivers a brief yet potent threat about how future business will be conducted. Crazy eyes. Bloodstained face. Head in hand. Three cues to shut up and obey orders.
#5: I Will Gouge Out Your Eyeballs and… “Full Metal Jacket” (1987)
As a real-life sergeant during the Vietnam War, R. Lee Ermey required little guidance for his performance in Stanley Kubrick’s wartime classic. Once a new set of recruits arrives at Parris Island, Gunnery Sergeant Hartman unleashes a verbal assault and lays down the law of the land. One particular soldier finds the rants quite hilarious, which leads to one of the most inventive and powerful threats of all-time. No, Hartman won’t just gouge out the eyes of Private Leonard Lawrence, he’s also going take advantage of his skull. You can’t see his face but the cadence was pure perfection.
#4: Brain Basher “The Shining” (1980)
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All death and no threat makes Jack a dull poet…of REDRUM! In Stanley Kubrick’s classic film, Jack Nicholson’s character goes mental and completely loses his mind. As Jack Torrance and wife Wendy ascend a staircase at the Overlook Hotel, the deranged writer drops a serious truth bomb on the frightened woman, who offers up the worst baseball swing ever seen on screen. Regardless, Wendy still manages to connect a line drive smash right up against crazy Jack’s mug. Look who’s talkin’ now!
#3: Family Loyalty “The Godfather” (1972)
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Spoken calmly and quietly, this movie threat rang loud and clear. After Michael Corleone and company roll into Vegas, it’s discovered that brother Fredo has been horsing around at Moe Greene’s hotel. But rather than defending the family name, Fredo gets punked not once, but twice – and the younger Corleone puts the matter to rest. When a mob boss ends a sentence with “ever,” then he usually means business. Al Pacino produced a similar threat in Brian De Palma’s “Carlito’s Way,” that was almost as memorable but equally menacing.
#2: I Will Find You and I Will Kill You “Taken” (2008)
This snarling threat was delivered like a boss, albeit a rather concerned one. When Kim Mills and her U2-loving friends arrive in Paris for a European adventure, they get snatched up, but only after a well-timed phone call to Daddy. Before taking his threat overseas, Bryan Mills, a retired CIA operative, reminds his nemesis how things will go down. He doesn’t trash the room nor does he scream like a madman, he just offers up a few facts…and it is amazing. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. - Shut Your Yapper “Drive” (2011) - Piggy Time “Whiplash” (2014) - What If… “Nightcrawler” (2014) - Trash Can Delight “They Live” (1988) - Push It “Training Day” (2001)
#1: Do You Feel Lucky? “Dirty Harry” (1971)
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Please, Harry, don’t hurt ‘em. While tracking down a psycho serial killer on the mean streets of San Francisco, homicide inspector Harry Callahan thwarts a robbery by taking out two of three gunmen, and then delivers the ultimate movie threat upon finding the third. You might call Dirty Harry a policeman poet of the streets, as he precedes his threat with a fantastic soliloquy of truth or dare. You know what happens next. Clint Eastwood slays the scene with cool tenacity. Do you agree with our list? What is your favorite movie threat? For more mind-blowing Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com… OR ELSE.
