We automatically associate maniacal laughter with on-screen villains (and Chris Cooper, thanks to his eternally amusing role in last year’s The Muppets). But as this new viral video teaches us, even good guys get the opportunity to cackle like stark-raving fools for the benefit of a memorable moment. James Chapman has compiled the 100 Greatest Maniacal Movie Laughs. Check it out below:
The reel starts very strong with the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz. (Well, OK, it starts with Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Mr. Freeze, but we’ve been trained to ignore anything that has to do with Joel Schumacher’s dreadful Batman & Robin, so why break from programming now?) My favorites, after that, have to be Hugo Weaving’s disturbingly artificial laugh as Agent Smith from one of the Matrix movies, Dennis Hopper’s Super Mario Bros. laugh, or Wallace Shawn’s boastful bray from Rob Reiner’s The Princess Bride. There’s a steady stream of animated villains yukking it up in the clip. Cartoon laughter seems to cut the deepest. And, of course, there’s a whole segment of the clip dedicated to the maniacal laughter of Nic Cage. Because why not?
Now, who’s missing from the reel? Lord Voldemort gets in on the joke here, as does possessed Reagan from The Exorcist. Jabba the Hut’s featured. So is Tom Hanks’ wheezing laugh from The Money Pit. All three on-screen Jokers are showcased. Gary Oldman’s best laughs are celebrated. David Bowie makes the cut, as well. This is a pretty thorough compilation. Can you think of anyone else who deserved to be on the clip? Share it below.
