The Dark Knight's Costume Designer Describes Creating the Joker's New Look

Great supervillains aren't born, they're made - something that costume designer Lindy Hemming will happily tell you. The costume designer for Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight recently talked to Wizard Universe about the process whereby she created the new look for Heath Ledger's Joker in Nolan's sequel to Batman Begins.

[Director] Chris [Nolan] didn't want him to have a brand-new costume made," Hemming says, "I started getting pieces together, and we made up a look, but always keeping them in various shades of purple. There are like 25 of those coats, all in different stages of breaking down because of the things happening to [the Joker]." Given that restriction, Hemming began looking at the character's past appearances in comics, and then comparing that to modern fashion.

"The first place that I looked [for inspiration] was obviously pictures of the Joker in past graphic novels, comic books, films, whatever, and then after that, I started to think, 'Well, how could someone be like this?'" explains Hemming. "Then I wanted to contemporize it, so I started looking in fashion."

"You say, 'What's the rationale for him being able to dress like this?' That's when I started looking at the pop world and I ended up looking at the Sex Pistols and Johnny Rotten. I was just thinking, 'Well, there are plenty of guys out there who actually are as extreme as this, and there's nothing wrong with doing it.' You've got to make it look like someone really dresses like this. It can't just be, 'Hello, I'm putting on my costume.' It's got to be wherever he lives and whatever he's been doing, he's been wearing that."

Hemming explains that when viewers first see the Joker in the film, he is already in "costume." "You can assume that he might've been dressed like that for years. He may have always been wearing those clothes. Instead of putting them on like the Joker has done before, you find him wearing these. He's already scarred in the film, so the makeup comes from what he does to enhance that rather than to look like a clown."

The Dark Knight opens on July 18, 2008, and stars Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman, Aaron Eckhart and Maggie Gylenhall.

From: http://www.moviesonline.ca/movienews_14928.html

The costume designer was able to get a lot more outlandish in costuming The Joker, modifying the character's familiar look to reflect the generation of the actor playing him. Hemming explains, "Once I knew The Joker was going to be played by Heath Ledger, I wanted the costume to have a younger, trendier style than previous versions. Basically, my research ranged from Vivienne Westwood to Johnny Rotten to Iggy Pop to Pete Doherty to Alexander McQueen. I was collecting all sorts of images."

Hemming ultimately designed an eclectic ensemble that she says "has a somewhat foppish attitude to it, with a little grunge thrown in." Staying with The Joker's traditional color palette, his outfit is topped by a purple coat, worn over a green waistcoat. Changing up his look, he also wears a lighter jacket that was based on the Carnaby Street Mod look. His shirt was patterned after a shirt that Hemming found at an antique market.

The Joker's shoes are from Milan and were selected by the costume designer because they had an upward swoop at the toe, which she thought was reminiscent of clown shoes. His tie was fashioned from a fabric that was specially woven to Hemming's specifications by Turnbull & Asser, a London-based clothier better known for dressing British royalty and the like. "Heath wanted it to be thin, so it's a '60s tie but in a Turnbull & Asser fabric. I dare say it's the weirdest tie that Turnbull & Asser has ever made," Hemming laughs. "When Heath came in and we showed him all the bits and pieces of the costume, he thought it was fantastically original and just went for it."

The Joker's make-up was also a departure from past incarnations of the character. While he retains an allusion to his familiar white-faced, sneering visage, his make-up for "The Dark Knight" was intended to give him a more frenetic look that also lends to its shock value. The Joker's face is covered in a white pancake that is cracked and runny in places. His eyes are thickly rimmed in black, and a sloppy red grin is painted on, extending from his mouth to his cheeks but not quite masking the terrible scars beneath. His hair is a more subtle, but still noticeable, shade of green.

Make-up and hair designer Peter Robb-King remarks, "Clearly, there was a perception in the audience's mind of what The Joker would look like, but we wanted to get under the skin, so to speak, of what this character represents in this story. He is someone who has been damaged in every sense of the word, so it was important that we create a look that was not, forgive the pun, 'jokey.'"

Heath Ledger's make-up artist, John Caglione, Jr., calls the application of the actor's make-up "a dance." He describes, "Heath would scrunch up his face in specific expressions, raising his forehead and squinting his eyes, and I would paint on the white over his facial contortions. This technique created textures and expressions that just painting the face a flat white would not. Then I used black make-up around Heath's eyes while he held them closed very tight, which created consistent facial textures. After the black was on, I sprayed water over his eyes, and he would squeeze his eyes and shake his head, and all that black drippy, smudgy stuff would happen."

The Joker's make-up also represents a revolutionary advancement in the application of prosthetics, developed and executed by prosthetic supervisor Conor O'Sullivan and prosthetic make-up artist Robert Trenton. "They used a brand new silicone-based process that enables the prosthetics to be laid on the skin in such a way that it's seamless," Robb-King describes. "It's absolutely amazing because you can put a camera right up to the face--even an IMAX camera--and there are no issues."

O'Sullivan reveals, "It took us about two years to develop the technology, but after a few glitches, we hit on it. We are now able to produce silicone pieces that are applied directly to the skin. And it blends with the skin perfectly; if you didn't know it was there, you would have a hard time seeing anything."

In addition, the new process cut the application time to a fraction of what was needed in the past. O'Sullivan confirms, "The Joker prosthetics would previously have taken a good three to four hours. Instead they took about 25 minutes and looked far superior, which was great."

The clown masks for The Joker's gang were individually sculpted and molded and then hand-painted. Interestingly, the filmmakers learned that every clown face is registered and owned by the person who first created it, so all of the clown masks in the movie had to be cleared; none of them could be copied from existing clown faces.

Batman Gets a Costume Overhaul in Dark Knight

[SPOILER ALERT!] Throughout The Dark Knight movie, there are many references to Batman's costume; and there are much more details about the costume and its ongoing design revealed throughout the movie. During the first scene, when batman is attacked by the mod dogs, he goes to Lucius Fox and asks for better armor, lighter and more agility. And he asks to be able to turn his head. I really love how throughout both The Dark Knight and Batman Begins, they focus on making the suit and all its gadgets truly believable. The take some painstaking effort to liken it to the armor and technology of today. Any Bat-Fan can truly appreciate details like this! And for a Bat-Fan and a costume lover, I am in heaven!



Redesigning the Bat Suit for The Dark Knight
Movie The Dark Knight Posted By: PuppetMaster / Source

The silhouette of Batman is an indelible image, instantly recognizable to even the most casual observer. Chris Nolan and costume designer Lindy Hemming knew it was important to preserve that image in redesigning and updating the Batsuit for "The Dark Knight."

Focusing on increased comfort and better flexibility, Hemming and her team did extensive research into the protective suits worn by motocross riders, as well as military issue protective armor. "We wanted the new Batsuit to be a more supple, more maneuverable, more breathable piece of equipment, like a modern suit of armor instead of a rubber suit," Hemming says, referring to the neoprene material used in making the Batsuit for "Batman Begins."

The new Batsuit is comprised of 110 separate pieces. The base layer of the suit was made of a polyester mesh material, which is employed by the military and high-tech sports manufacturers because of its moisture-wicking properties. Then individually molded pieces of flexible urethane were attached to the mesh to form the overall armor plating. For added protection, carbon fiber panels, which are light yet incredibly strong and resistant, were placed inside a select group of the urethane pieces around the legs, chest and abdomen.

To illustrate the evolution of the Batsuit from "Batman Begins" to "The Dark Knight," costume FX supervisor Graham Churchyard points out, "There were essentially three main components to the Batsuit in 'Batman Begins' and on this film there were more than 100, so it was a very complicated suit. Add to that, all of those individual pieces had to be modeled and then molded and cast. Each piece also had to be replicated dozens of times for the multiple Batsuits needed for the overall production. It was an extraordinary amount of work."

At the behest of both Nolan and Bale, Hemming's main mission was to modify the Batsuit to allow more rotation of the head and neck. "In the past, Batman has always had to move his shoulders to turn his head, so that was a definite priority," Bale affirms. The seemingly simple answer was to separate the cowl from the rest of the suit, but it had to appear seamless so as not to compromise The Dark Knight's imposing silhouette.

The overall redesign suited Christian Bale perfectly. "It was much more comfortable and far less claustrophobic than the first suit. It was also more agile and gave me better range of motion, which helped with the action and fight sequences. But it still gave me that feeling of invincibility," he acknowledges. "You can't help but feel protected and more powerful when you put the Batsuit on. It just works."

When it came to fighting and protection, the new and improved Batsuit did more than offer added flexibility. It is also outfitted with a variety of gadgets to aid Batman in his war on crime, including razor sharp fins that can be extended and then fired from the gauntlets on his forearms; and sonar-imaging lenses which flip down within Batman's cowl, enabling him to see sonar images in 3D while masking his eyes behind glowing white shields.

The only design element of the Batsuit that remained unchanged from "Batman Begins" to "The Dark Knight" was the cape. Hemming says, "We spent a lot of time getting the cape right for the first film, and we didn't want to change it." The cape does have one added feature: it can fold itself into a kind of backpack and then unfurl on command, which was accomplished through digital effects.

While Bruce Wayne's image is not as iconic as that of his alter ego, he has his own distinctive sartorial style, dictated by his financial and social status. To clothe the man behind the mask, Hemming collaborated with legendary fashion designer Giorgio Armani. "Chris Nolan and I wanted Bruce Wayne to have an elegantly tailored appearance," Hemming offers. "We felt that the Giorgio Armani brand was emblematic of the contemporary classic look we were going for. We chose the fabrics and then worked directly with Mr. Armani and his people to tailor an entire wardrobe of suits, custom-made for the character." As Bruce Wayne, Bale wears Armani's newest line, Giorgio Armani Hand Made-to-Measure. Each suit carries Armani's traditional customized owner's label, in this case Giorgio Armani for Bruce Wayne.

'The Dark Knight ' Movie Reviews

Applause, please!


Both critics and fans have tuned into that same Bat-Channel once again and all I can say is 'Holy Great Reviews, Batman!

Everyone seems to be loving the latest Batman franchise movie, 'The Dark Knight' and dark it was! Its hard to decide who turned in a better performance, Christian Bale, who reprized his role as the one and only caped crusader, or Heath Ledger, who is being praised for his sinister and evil portrayal of The Joker.

There was so much hype leading up to the movie, that often makes it hard for the movie to live up to that hype, but 'The Dark Knight' totally delivers. Heath Ledger's untimely death makes this picture even more dark, just knowing that, sadly, this is his last completed role and a great talent has been taken from us way too soon. There is a line in the movie when The Joker says something along the lines of "me and the Batman, we need each other". And indeed, every hero needs his arch nemesis, but what will our Batman movies do now in the future? I truly believe no one can ever live up to Ledger's Joker, but then again, I thought no one could ever live up to Keaton's Batman and Christian Bale has done a spot on job doing just that!


I am curious to see if they put the Joker in the next movie or if they just leave well enough alone. They dropped a hint, and I believe the next Batman movie villain will be Catwoman, but I hope I'm wrong actually; lets leave all the "done there, been that" alone and have a new villain that we haven't seen before in the live action films!


Rapturous reviews and a Joker-fueled frenzy helped 'The Dark Knight' blow past 'Spider-Man 3' for a record-breaking $158.3 million opening weekend. See why critics are hailing Heath Ledger's final performance as "mad-crazy-blazing brilliant" and referring to this 'Batman Begins' sequel as a "full symphony." [MovieFone has] the scoop in our roundup of 'Dark Knight' reviews.

Here is what the critics are saying:

"In 'The Dark Knight,' Christopher Nolan's ominously labyrinthine and exciting sequel to 'Batman Begins,' good and evil aren't just separate forces -- at times, they're a whisper away from each other -- and the movie exudes a predatory glamour that makes the comic-book films that have come before it look all the more like kid stuff." -- Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

''I can only speak superlatives of Ledger, who is mad-crazy-blazing brilliant as the Joker. Miles from Jack Nicholson's broadly funny take on the role in Tim Burton's 1989 'Batman,' Ledger takes the role to the shadows, where even what's comic is hardly a relief ... If there's a movement to get him the first posthumous Oscar since Peter Finch won for 1976's Network, sign me up." -- Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

"Bale again brilliantly personifies all the deep traumas and misgivings of Batman's alter ego, Bruce Wayne. A bit of Hamlet is in this Batman. Ledger's performance is a beauty. His Joker has a slow cadence of speech, as if weighing words for maximum mischief and contempt." -- Kirk Honeycutt, The Hollywood Reporter

"Good and evil, peace and chaos, Batman and the Joker are two sides of the same coin -- with their fates just a wrist-flick away -- in this gritty, glorious sequel to 'Batman Begins.' Thanks to impressive action, Christian Bale's tortured turn as the demon-knight and Heath Ledger's unsettling, unforgettable performance as his clown-faced foe, this is a masterpiece -- no joke." -- Tom DiChiara, Moviefone

"'Batman' isn't a comic book anymore. Christopher Nolan's 'The Dark Knight' is a haunted film that leaps beyond its origins and becomes an engrossing tragedy. It creates characters we come to care about. That's because of the performances, because of the direction, because of the writing, and because of the superlative technical quality of the entire production." -- Roger Ebert, The Chicago Sun-Times

"It's a tribute to Ledger's indelible work that he makes the viewer entirely forget the actor behind the cracked white makeup and blood-red rictus grin, so complete and frightening is his immersion in the role. With all due respect to the enjoyable camp buffoonery of past Jokers like Cesar Romero and Jack Nicholson, Ledger makes them look like -- well, clowns." -- Justin Chang, Variety

Besides all of these critics giving unlikely praise to an action / comic book film, the viewers are also chiming in with their praises as well! The movie review site, RottenTomatoes.com has The Dark Knight at a very high 94% approval rating!

Dark Knight Movie Breaks Box Office Records

'Dark Knight' Turns in Golden Weekend

By David Germain, AP
From MovieFone.com

LOS ANGELES (July 20) - Batman has sent Spidey packing as king of Hollywood's box office superheroes. "The Dark Knight" took in a record $158.3 million in its first weekend, said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros., which released the "Batman Begins" sequel.

That topped Hollywood's previous best of $151.1 million, set by "Spider-Man 3" in May 2007.

"We knew it would be big, but we never expected to dominate the marketplace like we did," Fellman said. The movie should shoot past the $200 million mark by the end of the week, he said.

Factoring in higher admission prices, however, "Spider-Man 3" may have sold slightly more tickets than "The Dark Knight."

At 2007's average price of $6.88, "Spider-Man 3" sold 21.96 million tickets over opening weekend. Box office tracker Media By Numbers estimates today's average movie prices at $7.08, which means "The Dark Knight" would have sold 21.94 million tickets.

The movie's release was preceded by months of buzz and speculation over the performance of the late Heath Ledger as the Joker, Batman's nemesis. Ledger, who died in January from an accidental prescription-drug overdose, played the Joker as a demonic presence, his performance prompting predictions that the role might earn him a posthumous Academy Award nomination. See Ledger's Glowing Reviews

The poll about Batman, Dark Knight answers as of July 21st.

Are you going to see 'Dark Knight'?

Absolutely	56%
Already did	36%
Not at all	8%

Total Votes: 60,842

What are you most interested in seeing?

Heath's Joker	54%
Everything	40%
Bale's Batman	4%
Morgan Freeman	2%

Total Votes: 56,984

The Dark Knight Costume Quiz

The folks over at MovieFone have really been celebrating the latest Batman movie 'The Dark Knight' and I have been eating up all the articles since I am a huge Bat-Fan. Take the Batman Quiz and see if you can beat my score! 11 correct 5 incorrect



I'll even give you a few head starts!


The original Batman suit that Michael Keaton wore weighed a whopping 70 pounds!


Michelle Pfieffer had 60 Catwoman costumes made for the movie. A pretty expensive cat suit at $1,000 each! Reportedly, she cited the skin tight suits' un-comfortableness as a reason for turning down the Catwoman sequel film.


Danny Devito's Penguin Makeup was so horrific it actually frightened a co-star into needing re-takes. He spent two hours in makeup everyday to obtain that scary villain look!

Want your own Batman costume or Bat - Villain costume? Check out the Batman Costumes from all the movies and Batman costume accessories available at AnniesCostumes.com. New Dark Knight Batman costumes coming very soon!

Superhero Fashion

From the ColumbiaTribune.com

Superheroes bash boring fashion

By WAYNE AND CARLA ANDERSON

Published Sunday, July 6, 2008

NEW YORK CITY - Anticipating amusement at the juxtaposition of comic book heroes influencing avant-garde haute couture, we recently joined the crowds at the exhibition "Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Indeed, we had great fun marveling at the psychological concepts involved in this unique collection of iconic bodysuits, capes, masks and boots linking the past to the possible future.

Growing up in the 1930s when superheroes were just being introduced, Wayne was a regular customer of the 64-page, 10-cent comics of Superman, Batman and their colleagues, while Carla followed Wonder Woman’s adventures with interest.

Modern youths are more likely to have met these fantasy idols through the movies. In our culture, superheroes seem to have replaced the mythical heroes of our ancestors. How fitting that the exhibition is located in the Greek and Roman art section with its statues of muscular warriors, athletes and gods.

We were greeted by a life-sized hologram of Christopher Reeve that constantly morphs between his role as Superman and his role as Clark Kent. It epitomizes the transformation that occurs when clothing is changed, and it appeals as a metaphor related to our fears of being vulnerable as well as our fantasy of becoming powerful.

The other superheroes were life-sized with original costumes displayed along with mannequins in modern costumes, reflecting the influence of these superheroes on fashion, which also celebrates the body, transformation and fantasy.

Two kinds of superheroes are those with special attributes, such as Superman, Wonder Woman and Wolverine, and those who have only human abilities reinforced with special equipment, such as Batman and Iron Man.

Each hero represents a different body archetype. Michael Chabon notes in the "Superheroes" catalog that the bodysuit "takes its deepest meaning and serves its primary function in the depiction of the naked human form, unfettered, perfect and free."

Of course, each hero needs a striking costume to show off that body. Spider-Man, representing the "Graphic Body," wears a suit made of Milliskin, a material used in manufacturing bras. Muscle groups of foam latex are attached to his undersuit. The foam latex web took eight hours to trim, paint and glue on by hand, and "Spider-Man 3" required 42 suits. James Acheson, one of the costumers, noted that the boots are built inside the suit because, "Once you put a superhero into external boots, he always looks dumpy."

Webs have been influential in modern high-fashion design. On display is skiwear with web-patterned race suits by designer Spyder and a beige evening gown by Armani with an insect-adorned web.

One of the themes is that a costume can cause a metamorphosis, changing the bodies as well as the identities of the wearers, causing them to feel more empowered, patriotic or appealing. Wonder Woman in the "Patriotic Body" collection wears stars and stripes from the flag in a body-revealing design. Some of those elements we have seen in street wear.

One exhibit is given over to the "Paradoxical Body" as represented by Catwoman in the bodysuit of rubber sheeting that Michelle Pfeiffer wore in the 1992 film "Batman Returns." The outfit highlights her sexual features and includes details that are based on sexual fetishes with strong elements of the sadistic dominatrix. The playful kittenish recent offshoots on mannequins were designed by Gianni Versace.

As one of the displays notes, the superheroines have "thin waists, pert bottoms, large breasts and long shapely legs," and as objects of male desire and fantasy, most are neutered or domesticated by males driven by the need for mastery.

The Iron Man - the "Armored Body" - stands inside the original costume worn by Robert Downey Jr. in the movie released this year. The Incredible Hulk - "Virile Body" - is surrounded by figures in padded gear reminiscent of "Mad Max" characters.

Several more useful modern costumes included Nike’s Swift Suit and Speedo’s Fastskin swimsuit, both designed for athletes interested in improving their speed. A BioSuit designed by Dava Newman, an MIT aeronautics professor, would protect the wearer from the vacuum of space. Wing suits, designed by Atair Aerospace founder Daniel Preston, can be filled with jet fuel allowing the wearer to fly up to 350 kilometers per hour avoiding detection by radar.

To see comic book characters, considered by many as one of the lower forms of literary and artistic endeavor, cavorting with haute couture was refreshing and just plain fun.

The exhibit runs until Sept. 1. For more information, visit www. metmuseum.org.

---

Reach Wayne Anderson at andersonwp@ missouri.edu.

Celebrate Summer in Costume

SUMMERTIME: time for hot dogs, lemonade, bathing suits and the beach. Celebrating summer in costume is easy with ideas from AnniesCostumes.com!

Spice up your summer BBQ parties by adding a luau dress up theme and some luau party games. Your family and friends will no doubt have fun dressing up in Hawaiian shirts, grass skirts and wearing flower leis. In fact, taking the opportunity for a quick photo will give you a keepsake that will warm you up later on this winter!

Add a patriotic dress up theme to your party this summer and your guests are sure to have a blast this summer.

Trying to keep the kids busy while they are home from school? Costumes not only enlighten and spark the imagination, and inspire creativity, they can become hours of fun! Kids can run around in costume either outdoors or inside on a rainy day. Dress up games are definitely a fun summer activity.

New Star Wars: Clone Wars Movie Trailer

I just finally saw the new trailer in the theater this weekend. I am so excited to be able to get a double dose of Star Wars this year with The Clone Wars movie coming to theaters August 15, 2008 and The Cone Wars TV Show coming out this October.

Both new and old Jedis and Siths abound, lots of droids and great CGI!

Batman & Joker Speed Drawings - Getting Excited about the Dark Knight Moviut

Getting ready for the Dark Knight Movie coming on this Friday, July 18, 2008!



This Batman and Joker drawings are the latest YouTube release from one of my favorite You Tube video makers, he is super talented and totally worth the wait to see the end result and each step along the way! The wonders of Photoshop!



Batman and Joker costumes from the new Dark Knight movie will be available this Halloween in both child and adult sizes.

Heath Ledger's Joker Makes the List of Top Movie Villains of All Time

The Top 25 Movie Villains of All Time

Holy $%&#, Batman. Ledger's Joker will go down in history.

They're the men and women we love to hate. And really, what would a good guy be without a baddie to threaten virtue, menace the innocent and foil the best-laid plans? So here's to the black hats, our list of the 25 hissable heavies who are the ultimate bad seeds.
-- By Tom Johnson

#25. Agent Smith, 'The Matrix' (1999)
Played by: Hugo Weaving
Agent Smith, voice dripping with disdain, eyes covered with his trademark shades, is the "muscle" of the Matrix and Neo's (Keanu Reeves) indefatigable foe. Intent on erasing Neo and obliterating the Zion warriors, Smith can replicate himself into the hundreds and thousands -- a virtual army with superhuman martial arts skills to boot.

#24 Kahn Nonnien Singh, 'Star Trek: The Wrath of Kahn' (1982)
Played by: Ricardo Montalban
A vestige of Earth's late 20th-century eugenics wars, superman Khan has a super ego to match. Banished to a deserted planet in an episode of the 'Star Trek' TV series, Khan seeks revenge on the man who imprisoned him, his nemesis: Capt. James T. Kirk.
#23 Frank Booth, 'Blue Velvet' (1986)
Played by: Dennis Hopper
Crime kingpin of Lumberton, N.C., Booth never met a form of depravity that he didn't like. His kinky sexual affinities include huffing gas, erotic asphyxiation, sadomasochism ... and those are just the ones we can print. Throw in mutilation, kidnapping and murder and you've got one well-rounded (if not well-grounded) sociopath.

#22 Cruella de Vil, '101 Dalmations (1961)
Voiced by: Betty Lou Gerson
Her name (an amalgam of cruel and devil) sums up this crazed old bag who steals puppies with an eye to weaving their fur into ... gulp! ... coats. A monstrous fashionista, Cruella looms large in the pantheon of animated villains. As the song goes: "Cruella De Vil, Cruella De Vil, if she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will."

#21 Alonzo Harris, 'Training Day' (2001)
Voiced by: Betty Lou Gerson
Her name (an amalgam of cruel and devil) sums up this crazed old bag who steals puppies with an eye to weaving their fur into ... gulp! ... coats. A monstrous fashionista, Cruella looms large in the pantheon of animated villains. As the song goes: "Cruella De Vil, Cruella De Vil, if she doesn't scare you, no evil thing will."

#20 Lex Luthor, 'Superman' (1978)
Played by: Gene Hackman
"Greatest Criminal Mind of Our Time" Luthor plans an uber real-estate swindle when he purchases thousands of miles of worthless Nevada desert intending to detonate a nuke in California's San Andreas Fault and voila! ... instant invaluable "coastline." Hackman's peevish, droll turn as the ultimate robber baron is hilarious.

#19 Joan Crawford, 'Mommie Dearest' (1981)
Played by: Faye Dunaway
Dunaway chews more scenery than Secretariat ("No. More. Wire. Hangers!" ring a bell?) and keeps daughter Christina in such a state of abject terror in this camp classic that it's hard to believe the angelic child ever had the strength, years later, to write a dishy, tell-all memoir. Talk about payback.

#18 T-1000, 'Terminator 2' (1991)
Played by: Robert Patrick
Ah-nuld's original Terminator gets all the glory, but it's Patrick's T-1000, a prototype model made of shape-shifting liquid metal, that truly terrorizes. This homicidal robot is the ultimate hit man who won't stop until his mission (to kill resistance leader John Connor) is completed or he ends up on the scrap heap -- whichever comes first.

#17 Dr. Christian Szell, 'Marathon Man' (1976)
Played by: Laurence Olivier
Ex-Nazi concentration camp dentist Szell (in a role inspired by the infamous Dr. Mengele) uses a variety of drills, probes and picks to get to the, um, root of the matter when torturing Dustin Hoffman on whether "it's safe" to retrieve his horde of diamonds at a Manhattan bank. Pass the Novocaine, please.

#16 Annie Wilkes, 'Misery' (1990)
Played by: Laurence Olivier
Ex-Nazi concentration camp dentist Szell (in a role inspired by the infamous Dr. Mengele) uses a variety of drills, probes and picks to get to the, um, root of the matter when torturing Dustin Hoffman on whether "it's safe" to retrieve his horde of diamonds at a Manhattan bank. Pass the Novocaine, please.

#15 Tom Powers, 'Public Enemy' (1931)
Played by: James Cagney
Presaging Pacino's Scarface by about six decades, Cagney, as a Prohibition-era hoodlum, rises fast in the gangland ranks by being more ruthless than any of his rivals. When he's not slamming half a grapefruit into girlfriend Mae Clarke's face, he's grabbing all he can get in this granddaddy of all gangster movies.

#14 Mrs. Iselin, 'Manchurian Candidate' (1962)
Played by: Angela Lansbury
Mrs. Iselin would make Lady MacBeth squeamish as the Machiavellian political wife of a U.S. Senator who aspires to the presidency. She's not above using her son (Laurence Harvey) as a brainwashed guinea pig in a Chinese-Communist plot to assassinate the current leading presidential candidate.

#13 Freddy Kruger, 'Nightmare on Elm Street' (1984)
Played by: Robert Englund
Child murderer Krueger was burned alive by vengeful parents when he was sprung from prison on a technicality. Years later he returns to haunt local teens in their dreams (and kill in the "real world"). With razor-sharp knives for fingers, he's a malicious Edward Scissorhands.
#12 Michael Myers, 'Halloween' (1978)
Played by: Tony Moran
Donning a latex mask (modeled on William Shatner's likeness), man of no words Michael Myers returns to Haddonfield after a 20-year layover in a mental institution for slicing and dicing his sister. Trouble is, this immutable berserker isn't exactly cured. So begins a rampage that spawned a franchise as big as its body count.

#11 Harry Powell, 'Night of the Hunter' (1955)
Played by: Robert Mitchum
A psychotic preacher with the words "love" and "hate" tattooed on his knuckles pursues a couple of kids who hold the key to some stolen bank loot. When not spouting Bible verse, Mitchum menaces with a cool detachment that gets more ominous as the film (which influenced the Coen Brothers and Martin Scorsese) progresses.

#10 Queen, 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' (1937)
Voiced by: Lucille La Verne
In Disney's first full-length animated 'toon, the narcissistic queen covets the title of "fairest in the land," held by her virginal stepdaughter, Snow White. She'll go to any length -- to remove Snow from the competition, becoming the iconic evil stepmother in the process.

#9 Max Cady, 'Cape Fear' (1991)
Played by: Robert De Niro
De Niro's take on a redneck illiterate who swears vengeance on his attorney (Nick Nolte) is an homage to Robert Mitchum's version in the '62 original but beats him in badness by sheer physicality -- his Cady is an amped-up, tattooed terror who brutalizes Nolte's legal clerk (Illeana Douglas) ... and likes it.

#8 Hans Gruber, 'Die Hard' (1988)
Played by: Alan Rickman
Terrorist Gruber and his money-grubing, er ... grubbing, henchmen seize the Nakatomi Tower in downtown L.A. and take hostages. It's all part of an elaborate feint to swipe millions in negotiable bearer bonds. Hardly a driven ideologue, Gruber's prosaic American dream is to cash in and be "on a beach earning 20 percent."

#7 Chigurgh, 'No Country for Old Men' (2007)
Played by: Javier Bardem
A hit man with an unpronounceable name and a pageboy hairdo doesn't seem much of a threat, but this homicidal Moe Howard is nobody's stooge -- victims live or die on his coin toss. Bardem won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar as a mercenary who follows his own inscrutable code; woe betide anyone who gets in his way.
#6 Goldfinger, 'Goldfinger' (1964)
Played by: Gert Frobe
Don't let his roly-poly look fool you: Goldfinger is a stone-cold killer with just one thought in mind -- to pull off the greatest bank caper in history by irradiating the U.S. gold reserve so that his own gold cache will skyrocket in value. All that stands between him and cashing in is James Bond, who is neither shaken nor stirred at the prospect.

#5 Joker, 'The Dark Knight' (2008)
Played by: Heath Ledger
Less cartoonish than 'Batman' villains past, Ledger's Joker is the darkest element of 'The Dark Knight.' He says he's the "better class of criminal" Gotham deserves -- and the caked-on clown makeup and disheveled appearance only add to Ledger's brilliantly disturbing portrayal ... sadly, the last role he completed before his untimely death.

#4 Hannibal Lecter, 'Silence of the Lambs (1991) Played by: Anthony Hopkins
Not the guy you want to invite to dinner, Hannibal "The Cannibal" has a gruesome definitation of haute cuisine. 'Silence' won five Oscars, including a Best Actor nod for Hopkins as the cagy psychopath who, though in stir, always seems to be one step ahead of the Feds.

#3 Wicked Witch of the West, 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939) Played by: Margaret Hamilton
As Dorothy Gale's (Judy Garland) arch enemy, the Wicked Witch was evil incarnate and gave generations of American kids nightmares. From her army of flying monkeys to her wickedly gleeful cackle, this is still the scariest character you'll find in a "family-friendly" film

#2 Darth Vader, 'Star Wars' series (197 7 - 2005) Played by: James Earl Jones, Hayden Christensen
Vader succumbed to the allure of the Dark Side and became the face of evil in a galaxy far, far away. Jones' stentorian baritone adds gravitas to Vader's prodigious lightsaber skills, which he used to lop off his son's hand. Christensen's younger version isn't as iconic, but he did slaughter a houseful of future Jedis.

and drum roll please. . .

#1 Lord Voldemort, 'Harry Potter' series (2005- 2007) Played by: Ralph Fiennes
He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is the most powerful dark wizard to ever wave a wand, and he schemes to enslave the whole muggle world. His slithering presence has been minimal in the films so far, but we've all read the books, so we know how much more evil he'll become.



Now, its not my list! Admittedly, I haven't read the last two Harry Potter books yet, (yes, scold me, I am behind on my reading) but, worst movie villain of all time?
I love the Harry Potter stories, but I think not!

What's your opinion?

Have a Safe and Happy 4th of July Weekend!

The Extreme Halloween Family wishes you and your family a wonderful holiday and a Happy Independence Day!

Our offices and warehouses will be closed on Friday, July 4th so that our staff can take the time to celebrate with their family and frends. We will re-open on Monday, July 7th at 9am.

Packages are not picked up or delivered on July 4th. Regular shipping will resume on Monday.

Please feel free to send us any photos you have celebrating Independence day in wacky costumes!

Christmas in July Sale & Holiday Fun!

Visit SantaSuits.com for some great deals to get stocked up for this Christmas. Beat the heat with our FREE ground shipping sale going on for the entire month of July. And our special Christmas in July gift to our blog readers is a little tip that the coupon code will work on any of our websites, not just SantaSuits.com.


Elf Dog Costume

A great way to cool off this summer is to think about Christmas! Check out some of our new costumes that have come in already this year. Its also a good time to start your Christmas gift list!



And, believe it or not, you should take some time to check on your Christmas decorations and Santa Suit, wherever you store them! Every year, we get calls from panicked customers at the last minute because they open up the bag or box containing their Santa Suit to find out it has some damage. So a quick check can prevent the damage or alert you to a problem with plenty of time to fix it and, if necessary replace it now and get FREE Shipping.



Besides Christmas costume shopping, we have some great interactive Christmas holiday activities to keep you cool this July!

You can have some fun playing our interactive Santa Dress Up Game.



Second Lifers can visit our virtual Christmas Village, take a spin on the ice skating rink, check up on Santa and the Elves at Santa's Workshop and stock up on Christmas costumes for your Second Life avatar!



So break out your fluffy Christmas sweaters, turn up the air conditioning and have some Winter Wonderland fun!

Summer Parties and Summer Costumes too!

Get ready for the Fourth of July holiday weekend and don't forget some great costumes to put you in the summer party mood!

Whether it is just a hat or a mask or a complete patriotic costume, it will get everyone in the holiday mood and ready to celebrate the Fourth of July!


There is still time to order your 4th of July costumes, hats and accessories and have them delivered before the holiday. Make sure to order express delivery to arrive on Thursday, July 3rd since there will be no deliveries on Friday July 4th.

Order Monday by 3pm EST select 3rd day delivery
Order Tuesday by 3pm EST select 2nd day delivery
Order Wednesday by 3pm EST select Next Business Day delivery.

Don't let the fun stop after celebrating the 4th! Luau themed parties are a great idea for summer fun! What better excuse to dress in less for the hot weather?

Here are some quick and easy ways to add a luau theme to your backyard BBQ or pool party:

Request that guests arrive in luau themed costumes. But relax, a luau costume theme can be stress free:

Guys: wear a Hawaiian shirt

Ladies: a grass skirt over your bathing suit, or a beautiful floral sarong.

Add a funny hat or accessory.

Or, the most simple trick, is a flower lei for all your guests. It is easy and fun and inexpensive and instantly transforms everyone's look and mood as well!


We have a whole website dedicated to Luau Costumes and luau parties: www.LuauCostumes.com
Get the whole family involved!


Now that you know what to wear and where to get some Luau games and Luau party supplies:

Play some Jimmy Buffet, Bob Marley or maybe even a Hawaiian luau themed CD!


You can decide to have a whole luau menu, or maybe just add some pineapple, a tropical fruit salad, and some umbrellas in everyone's drink!

Maybe some pineapple or mango salsa added to your hot dogs and hamburgers!

Little touches can really add to the theme and enhance everyone's luau party experience!

Ok, now after writing this post, I am off to definitely order something fruity and tropical for lunch! I can't wait to throw a BBQ luau party this weekend! : )

Cheers, have fun and stay safe!