Time hasn’t been good to the Predator. The creature-villain from the 1987 classic that bares his name starred in two bad sequels, one where he fought the Alien and one where he attacked the guy from That 70′s Show. This duo of duds proves that what made the original Predator so awesome wasn’t the dread-locked extra terrestrial, but the posse of commandos that stumbled into his lair. Future California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger led the crew as Major Dutch Schaefer, but his teammates were no slouches themselves. Carl Weathers, who played Apollo Creed in the Rocky movies added muscle as the corrupt CIA agent, but it was former Navy frogman and professional wrestler Jesse “The Body” Ventura who stole the show. When he wasn’t mowing down jungle with his mini-gun, he was stuffing tobacco into his cleft-chinned jaw and bragging how it turned him into a “god damned sexual tyrannosaur.” Eleven years later, he would become the governor of Minnesota, proving also that if you run with the right posse, you can reach unexpected places.
There’s nothing like a crime gone awry to uncover the true colors of your cohorts, right? In Reservoir Dogs, director Quentin Tarantino makes his debut with the story of a group of miscreants who band together to perform a major jewelry heist that goes terribly wrong. While the viewer never sees the robbery take place, you don’t have to. This movie isn’t about the crime — it’s about the groups chaotic unraveling as they turn against one another to avoid getting busted. In Tarantino’s signature cinematic style, the film starts with a look into the ensemble’s bond pre-robbery, as they carelessly chat while eating breakfast at a nondescript restaurant. But by the end, the crew’s friendship has literally devolved into a violent bloodbath, as they kill each other one-by-one while trying to determine who double-crossed them. While Reservoir Dogs may not be the most heartwarming show of bromance, one thing is sure: That’s one heck of a bad day.
As we prepare for the Game of Thrones finale, we recognize Joffrey and nine other baddies who showed us that terrible, horrible things can come in small packages
