godzilla

I love this poster for the American release of 1961's Mothra. In the first appearance of Toho's second most-recognizable monster after Godzilla, the exploitation of an uncharted island's people by greedy Japanese opportunists leads to the wrath of the island's sole protector -- a giant, irradiated moth. Mothra went on to appear in ten more Toho films, often as Godzilla's co-star. They're the Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan of destroying Tokyo.

We've been trucking along with our new Sci-Fi Movie Club every week, and I've been thinking a lot about the eventual moment when it comes around to my turn to "host" the film. One choice that keeps popping up in my head is Godzilla: Final Wars from director Ryuhei Kitamura (Midnight Meat Train). It's loud, dumb fun with more monster mayhem than any film in the Godzilla series. (It even features a delightful cameo by Roland Emmerich's American Godzilla, whereupon the lame CG abomination has the holy crap smacked out of him by the original Godzilla's tail.)

Right now, it's free to watch on Crackle as part of their "Attack! Attack!" series, which includes nine recent Godzilla films (and Starship Troopers, which isn't short on its own brand of rampaging creatures -- giant bugs). Along with Final Wars, they're offering Godzilla Vs. Destoroyah, Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah, Godzilla Vs. MechaGodzilla II, Godzilla Vs. Megaguirus, Godzilla Vs. Mothra, Godzilla Vs. SpaceGodzilla, Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., and Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack.

That's hours worth of panic and destruction right at your fingertips!

When I closed my eyes and pictured the greatest villain costumes in sci-fi movies, I was surprised how often hair -- and headpieces -- come into play. That makes sense for those of us who are not costume purists because we're thinking of the character as a whole, and in movies we're very often looking at close-ups of villains. We want to get up close and personal, to study the sneer, to examine the evil eyes, to absorb the dismissive scowl, to observe the raised eyebrows.

Isn't it the whole package that sells a character as a villain? The actor makes all the difference in the world, no matter if he's buried under a ton of makeup or becomes nearly unrecognizable, but the costume plays an important role. In honor of all those who will sally forth this weekend in costumes that are good, bad, and ugly, we salute the designers of the top ten (plus a couple of bonus selections) greatest villain costumes in sci-fi movies, and the actors who wear them.

The Emperor Ming (Flash Gordon)

It takes a truly evil villain to pull off this particular outfit. Arrayed in varying shades of deep red and gold, Ming (the always game Max von Sydow) threatens to steal the show when those eyebrows are raised. Somehow Ming looks both sartorially forward-thinking -- what is that raised cowl doing back there except to frame his bald head -- and ridiculously, gloriously silly.

Yes, it's a long way from the far reaches of outer space to Bora Bora, but you just know that if you managed to get away with your girlfriend for a few days of rest and relaxation, something's going to screw it up. That's what happens to four romantic pairs in Couples Retreat, which was filmed in Bora Bora and opens tomorrow. In the movie, the couples think they'll be able to enjoy of fun and sun in Bora Bora, but instead are forced to undergo couples counseling.

None of the therapists quite rises up to the level of "villain" -- though Jean Reno comes close -- but, as a science fiction fan, I thought it would fun to imagine the sci-fi villains you'd least like to see on an island retreat. It would be impossible to get romantic with these guys around.

1. Jabba the Hut

Talk about a buzz kill! You don't want to head down to the dining room and see this monstrosity sitting next to your table. First, he's make you lose your appetite. Which is a good thing, since he'd eat all the food on the island anyway. Of course, your girlfriend would probably already be wearing a bikini like Princess Leia's in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, but she wouldn't take kindly to enforced slavery. And he'd force you to compete in a real-life battle to the death, which is no way to enjoy your holiday. The only plus: he'd probably eat all the insects in your vicinity.