Villain Tourney - Second Round Begins

(1) Johnny Lawrence vs (16) Leonard Smalls

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the King of 80s brats; your #1 seed, Johnny Lawrence. Black belt, blonde swoop, red leather jacket, skeleton costume, and annoying henchmen...
Leonard Smalls might be a bad, bad man, but it is nearly impossible to get more 80s (and more awesome) than Johnny L. "Get him a body bag! YEEEAAAH!"

(4) The Kurgan vs (12) Mola Ram

Well, let's see...

The Kurgan:  Immortal. Defiled and killed the Highlander's wife. Killed Sean Connery. Total freak show.

Mola Ram: The whole flaming, beating heart thing and also kidnaps and enslaves children for mining.

(3) Fratelli Gang vs (11) Cobra Commander

You know the score on this one.

Fratellis:  Murderers and thieves. Joey Pants with hair. The Goonies is a powerhouse movie for our generation.

Cobra Commander:  Animated terrorist bent on world domination. Shiny mask.

(2) Khan vs (10) Freddy

Khan Noonien Singh:  One of the top villains of all time on every nerd's list. Let's not discount the fact that Khan is the primary villain in what is considered one of the best sequels of all time. Plus, he put slimy mind-controlling bugs in people's earholes and got Spock killed.

Freddy:  Scariest janitor of all time.

Upload's News and Notes 3/25/13

I do not say this lightly:  Upload with Shaquille O'Neal is the worst television show I've ever seen. I got trapped by it last night after the NCAA Tournament games. It is impossible to look away. The format is a bizarre mess and even British practical joke shows are embarrassed by the laugh track.

Villain Tournament

Around here, it was all Villain Tournament all the time this weekend. I present you with the updated bracket after a completed first round of action. Just click to embiggen...

A quick look at the results shows that the genuine baddies did well. Freddy, Jason, and Michael Myers all made it through. Slightly disappointing for a guy like me who enjoys as much goofiness as possible, but hey, we decided to let majority rule.

The biggest upsets came out of 5/12 match-ups as always. Mola Ram over Stan Gable and Ming the Merciless taking down Ed Rooney from Ferris Bueller's Day Off. But I can get behind it. Ming officially becomes the dark horse of the tournament. Extremely dark.

Second Round

As you can see, we've got some amazing matches lined up and they start today. We'll see our number one overall seed up for vote for the first time. Come back for the first session at 10am.

Villain Tournament - First Round Final Session

(4) Shredder vs (13) Ric Flair

Shredder is sure to be a fan favorite, but the Selection Committee didn't do him any favors by pairing him with a grossly undervalued Nature Boy. I smell a possible upset. WOOOOOO!

(8) Alien vs (9) Chong-Li

Game over, man! The creature from 1977's Alien upped his game and his numbers in Aliens (1986). In this matchup, the alien takes on the infamous Chong-Li from Bloodsport and his freakish physique.

(2) Judge Smails vs (15) Freddy Krueger

Villains in comedies haven't been fairing as well as others so far, but Judge Smails is one of my personal favorites as the extremely quotable and fun to impersonate character from Caddyshack. Dr. Claw spent most of his time avoiding cameras, trying to take down Inspector gadget, and petting cats.

(3) General Zod vs (14) Bowser

Kneel before Zod.

(7) Megatron vs (10) Michael Myers

An animated legend that transformed into a gun versus a horror legend in a William Shatner mask.

(2) Biff Tannen vs (15) Lex Luthor

Biff is another heavyweight. He took bullying to new heights in classic 50s style and brought "butthead" back to our lexicon. While we all love Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor, let's keep in mind this is Luthor from Superman IV: The Quest for Peace not the original. Hence the high seed. Luthor might have to act like a tree and get outta here.

(8) Gargamel vs (9) Jason Voorhees

Freddy vs Jason? No. Gargamel vs Jason. They need to make this one a movie. ...Now! I expect this one to come down to the wire.

(5) Ed Rooney vs (12) Ming the Merciless

Another amazing match-up. Ed Rooney is an iconic, smarmy principal from one of the most universally beloved movies of the decade. And Ming...? Just look at him!!

80s Villain Tourney - Session 3

(8) Leonard Smalls vs (9) Goblin King

Leonard Smalls was hell on wheels but his Mama didn't love him. And, from what I hear, Goblin King had the 'power of the babe.'

(5) Stan Gable vs (12) Mola Ram

President of the Alpha Betas and nerd hater versus guy that pull your beating heart out of your chest and sets it on fire.

(7) WOPR vs (10) Freddy Krueger

The WOPR is a computer that tried to start Global Thermonuclear War with the Soviets and makes a cool noise. Freddy has knife fingers.

(6) Lieutenant Harris vs (11) Principal Vernon

This is a matchup of a couple first-class douches. I have no idea which way its going to go, but I know there are a lot of John Hughes lovers out there.

(7) Scott Farkus vs (10) Jack Torrance

A lot of people are going to argue that Jack Torrance was seeded too high. It's time to find out. Scott Farkus was the neighborhood bully and loved to make kids scream "uncle." All work and no play made Jack a psycho.

Villain Tourney: First Round - Session 2

Now, things are about to get interesting. Could we have our first upset of the tournament?

(1) Boss Hogg vs (16) Skroeder

I'm not even putting this one up for vote. Boss Hogg is the top-seeded television villain and a force to be reckoned with. Skroeder is the villain from Short Circuit. I expect G.W. Bailey to have better luck with Lieutenant Harris from the Police Academy movies.

(8) Clubber Lang vs (9) Prince Humperdinck

Clubber Lang (Rocky III) versus Prince Humperdinck (The Princess Bride) in an 8/9 matchup? My gut tells me one thing, but this is a potential bracket buster if you liked either of these guys to advance deep.

(4) The Kurgan vs (13) Chucky

The Kurgan!! I'm a huge Highlander fan and the Kurgan is a first class, immortal psycho, but I wouldn't be shocked if Chucky somehow pulled off this huge upset. He's a goofy legend. We'll see which way the votes go.

(6) The Nothing vs (11) Cobra Commander

The Nothing (The Neverending Story) going head to head with Cobra Commander. CC is surely the more famous of the two, even though animated characters were saddled with higher seeds. But, I know a lot of people out there have a soft spot for The Neverending Story. Does the Nothing still haunt their dreams?

(3) Gozer/Stay Puft vs (14) El Guapo

Uh oh. We've got a literal and figurative heavyweight in this matchup. Gozer the Gozerian, the malevolent Sumerian god who took the form of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man versus El Guapo from Three Amigos. "Would you say I have a plethora of pińatas?"

VOTE NOW! On Twitter or Facebook

VILLAIN TOURNEY: First Round - Thursday Session

(2) Khan vs (15) Inky, Blinky, Pinky & Clyde

Khan

KHAAAAAAANNNNNN!!!

Inky, Blinky, Pinky, and Clyde

They try to kill Pac-Man. Pac-Man eats them. They turn into eye balls, go to their box, try to kill Pac-Man again. You know how it works.

(3) Fratelli Gang vs (14) Thunderlips

The Fratelli Gang

A couple boys who love to please their Mother and sing Italian operas. And what can you say about Ma Fratelli? She's tough as nails and keeps her third son (who she dropped repeatedly on his head as a child) locked up in a dungeon. The Fratellis are thieving, murdering snakes who chase the Goonies in a hunt for pirate treasure and if you didn't know that, this blog probably isn't the place for you.

Thunderlips

"For all my love-slaves out there...  Thunderlips is here! In the flesh, babuh!"
Thunderlips may have only been a five-minute cameo in the third Rocky film, but his name is Thunderlips, the Ultimate Male.

(6) Belloq vs (11) Skeletor

Dr. René Belloq

The lead villain in one of the most revered movies of our generation. Belloq sells out to the Nazis to hunt for the Ark of the Covenant in a quest for ultimate power.

Skeletor

I have no idea what Skeletor's deal is. He's a skull with a big, blue muscleman body. Skeletor wanted to conquer Castle Grayskull so he could learn its ancient secrets, making him unstoppable and able to conquer all of Eternia. And according to Wikipedia, he was once a man named Keldor who got acid splashed on his face.

Just a couple dudes searching for ancient secrets.

(5) David vs (12) George and Eunice

David from The Lost Boys

David got several mentions when we were taking suggestions for this tournament, so I expect him to be pretty popular. The Lost Boys is just one of those films that everyone my age knows and knows well. And Keifer's David is a big reason it sticks with us. (For anyone born in the 90s, he's a vampire that wants to eat you instead of kiss you.)

George and Eunice MacCready

George and Eunice (from Cloak and Dagger) are a seemingly nice old couple, that could easily be your kindly grandparents. That's what makes them all the more menacing when you find out Eunice is missing fingers and they are actually murderous super spies trying to smuggle national secrets in little Davey's video game cartridge. (For the full scoop on Cloak and Dagger, you can read our VHessay.)


VOTE NOW
In the comments, on Facebook, or Tweet it with the hashtag #VillainTourney

CUJO KEEPS SEED

UPDATE:  Although it pains me to say it, Garthe couldn't get overwhelming support in the vote, so we're going to keep Cujo so as not to screw up your brackets.  Several people are actually doing this thing with their friends, so breathe easy, your brackets are intact. For now.


Garthe Knight is hijacking Indie Wednesday in a last ditch attempt for votes in his Villain Tournament play-in game. Behold:
http://youtu.be/wq_Dp01wVb4

You didn't know Garthe had it like that did you?

As you can see, its Garthe versus Cujo for an 11 seed.
Vote in the comments, on Facebook, or on Tweet your vote with hashtag #VillainTourney.

Play-In Game: Cujo vs Garthe Knight

We've got a play-in game!
Wait, there's no play-in game on the bracket? You forgot; this is a Villain tournament and Garthe Knight is trying to sneak his way in! You think these guys play by the rules? Adjust your brackets accordingly and prepare to vote.

Garthe Knight

Garthe is Michael Knight's arch-nemesis from Knight Rider and he's got his eye on Cujo's 11 seed. He isn't Michael Knight's evil twin. He's actually billionaire Wilton Knight's biological son. After Michael is shot in the face, Wilton reconstructs him to look exactly like his disappointing son. In other words, Garthe has Daddy issues.
Garthe's resume is hall-of-fame worthy for a TV villain. He spent time in an African prison, came to America to steal missiles, constructed an invincible Semi truck to destroy KITT, kidnapped a scientist and changed his appearance, and even smuggled someone out of the country in a submarine.  Top notch stuff, Garthe. I'm not surprised he snuck into this tournament through the backdoor.

Cujo

Cujo is the dog-version of Jaws. (With Rabies.)
The plot in a nutshell goes like this: a friendly Saint Bernard gets bitten by a bat and shortly thereafter attempts to kill everyone.
Kill Count: 4 (3 directly, 1 indirectly)

VOTE!

Villain Tourney's News and Notes 3.18.13

Are you kidding me? The Villain Tourney is here! And how can you NOT be excited about possible matchups like Darth Vader vs. Gargamel?  Or Cobra Commander vs. Thunderlips? The possibilities are endless! And that makes the ridiculous task of seeding a 64 competitor tournament of fictitious characters totally worth it. Let's talk about some of the biggest stories that came out of Selection Sunday. (If you haven't downloaded it already, GET YOUR BRACKET.)

Dems Da Rules

Here's how this is going to work. We've got a lot of match-ups to get through and once we start, it's going to be a mile a minute. We'll announce each matchup with a little breakdown on the blog. You'll then be able to cast your votes on Facebook with poll questions. Or on Twitter, with the hashtag #VillainTourney. Your poll results equal one vote, then two of the WSF guys get a vote. So each of us counts for a third and each of us can break a tie.

Seedings and Criteria

The number one factor we were looking for were villains that best exemplified the 80s era. Then we used iconic stature, memorability, and our own personal preference as additional criteria. The same criteria will be used to determine the winner of these match-ups. We are not looking for who would win in a fist fight or even who holds a higher place in cinematic/television history. Who do we remember the most? Who entertained us the most? Which character wreaks of 80s greatness?

The Rocky Trio

First of all, I can already hear the grumbling. How can one franchise get three spots in the tournament?! Well, as in college basketball, some conferences are just stronger than others. In a year that the Big East could get seven bids, the SEC might only get two. Look at the rest of the field and tell me Ivan Drago, Clubber Lang, and Thunderlips don't belong. Thunderlips was a cameo appearance at best, you say. Well, his name is Thunderlips the Ultimate Male, I say! Your argument is moot.

Lex Luthor and Jaws

Yes, Lex Luthor and Jaws are both 15 seeds. But before you burn the WSF compound to the ground, let's take a closer look at why. We're confined to films, shows, and games released from 1980-1989. That means earlier iterations from the original Jaws and Superman films don't count. Instead, we're talking about Jaws 3D and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace. (Superman II was produced in 1980, but Zod was the primary villain and Luthor doesn't appear in the third film.) Makes more sense now, right? Trust me, both characters are lucky to even make the field with those stinkers.

Animated Characters and Video Games

Let's be honest; 64 slots are a lot to fill. When pickings began to get slim, we could have either trimmed the field down to 32 and leave some contenders behind or broaden our scope a bit and let in some legendary cartoons and video game characters. Early reactions indicate that most of you are onboard with the decision.

Wrestling

Ric Flair and Roddy Piper were two of the "Last Four In." The 80s were the golden era of professional wrestling, it is entertainment, it is scripted and these are characters, so I have no qualms whatsoever in giving them bids. In fact, I'd contend that these characters are as memorable as 90% of the field. Plus, Piper also had Saturday morning cartoon crossover exposure as the lead villain on Hulk Hogan's Rock n' Wrestling.

Enjoy the March Madness and get ready to vote!

80s Villain Bracket

It is time! March Madness is here and for us, that means the 80s Villain Tournament! Without further ado, download your Printable Bracket right now!

The Selection Committee was up until the wee hours seeding all 64 competitors and it was not an easy task. Just as with any tournament, I'm sure many of you will be up in arms over some of the seeds. Read all about the rules and process here.

Results start rolling in Thursday. Keep checking in for matchup breakdowns and voting right here at blog.walksoftlyfilms.com