Alex Kirschenbaum lists at Ranker - the ultimate source for lists and rankings in all categories

Alex Kirschenbaum - Lists at Ranker

Firsthand Accounts

It&#39;s tough to be the first actor through the door playing an iconic character. But, if that first actor is any good,&nbsp;it&#39;s even tougher being the second.

Today, we take a look at several performers&#39; firsthand quotes and anecdotes concerning their feelings when it came time to assume the mantle of&nbsp;already established starring&nbsp;franchise roles. You&#39;ll find a great number of actors who made the most of their opportunity to take their famous characters in new directions.

Vote up your favorite stories and vote down your least favorite!

12 Actors Talk About What It Was Like To Take Over Iconic Movie Roles

Actor

Actors Talk About What It Was Like To Take Over Huge Franchise Roles

Alex Kirschenbaum

Entertainment Franchises

For every Terminator or&nbsp;RoboCop, there is a Howard the Duck. The 1980s were a big decade for the Hollywood special-effects blockbuster. But not every high-concept adventure picture was met with the kind of commercial or critical plaudits that warranted studio bigwigs writing checks for future installments. Presenting, for your sadistic reading pleasure, a collection of pictures that were supposed to spawn sequels, but failed to launch.From disappointing box-office performances to behind-the-scenes conflicts, these flicks were grounded quicker than their makers had anticipated. Back in the days when film studios were willing to explore some truly wacky original concepts, this was a routine risk. A similarly robust slate of franchise whiffs hit screens in <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/90s-movies-that-were-supposed-to-have-sequels/tyler-mitchell">the next decade, too</a>.What are your favorite failed franchise movies from the '80s? Vote up the flops you love to love -&nbsp;or love to hate, whichever - from the list below.

14 '80s Movies That Tried (But Failed) To Launch Franchises

Film

Underrated

Dearest&nbsp;lovers of schadenfreude, we&#39;re unpacking the movies wherein a main character&#39;s life begins to wholly fall apart. They must hit rock bottom, and they (usually) do manage to&nbsp;claw their way back into the light. We have included exceptions to that plot rule, wherein they don&#39;t quite bounce back. In the moment, these descents can prove to be fairly stressful and anxiety-invoking to an audience. Sometimes, that extends to our heroes inadvertently being perceived within their own worlds as <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-wrongfully-accused-movies/mike-mcgranaghan" target="_blank">their stories&#39; villains</a>.

Pick your favorite and least favorite movies where someone gets put through the wringer below!

14 Underrated Movies Where Someone Gets Put Through The Wringer

Underrated Movies Where Someone's Life Completely Falls Apart

Unforgettable Film Characters

Entertainment

Everyone loves to love a good cinematic love/hate dynamic. From the sports-comedy tandem of Chazz Michael Michaels and Jimmy MacElroy, to the unforgettable stepsibling duo of Brennan Huff and Dale Doback, to other pairs of characters that don&#39;t include Will Ferrell, movies are littered with &quot;frenemy&quot; pairings of two characters with&nbsp;genuine conflict but also, at some point in their relationship,&nbsp;legitimate respect or affection for each other.

Vote for your favorite and least favorite movie frenemies in the list below!

Movie Frenemies With Chemistry We Could Watch Forever

General

Pop Culture

Curious about how the Farrelly brothers cooked up the grisliest scene in the gross-out comedy classic There&#39;s Something About Mary? Want to know which <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/movies-made-before-cgi/anncasano" target="_blank">effects</a> genius&nbsp;used a particularly disgusting prop&nbsp;to decorate his office? Have any questions about what was left on the cutting room floor from one of the grossest scenes in one of the biggest smashes of 2011? Those and many other questions you didn&#39;t know you had will be answered below!

This list takes stock of a litany of&nbsp;firsthand behind-the-scenes anecdotes detailing the way unforgettable flicks filmed their most famously gross sequences, including revelatory notes from stars and crew&nbsp;alike.

Vote for your favorite (and least favorite) stories behind your favorite (and least favorite) disgusting movie moments below!

Behind-The-Scenes Stories About The Making Of Extremely Gross Movie Scenes

Actors Talk About What Filming Gross Movie Scenes Was Actually Like

Behind The Scenes

Sure, we can list oodles of action movies where actors look like they really know how to handle their weapons. But what went into the actors&#39; training process? What was the thinking that informed their choices, and who guided them to move as if they were seasoned professionals?

It will shock probably no one to discover that stars like Linda Hamilton,&nbsp;Keanu Reeves, and Mark Hamill trained for months upon months to nail the expert, lethal skill sets of their various iconic action roles. What could stun you, though, is how little time one star actually spent training to kick butt and take names before cameras rolled...

Vote for your favorite behind-the-scenes weapons training anecdotes from the list below!

Actors Talk About What Learning To Use Weapons Was Really Like

Actors Talk About Their Weapons Training For Movies

1980s

It&#39;s time to dig deep, past the Rambo movies, Lethal Weapon, 48 Hours,&nbsp;The Terminator, and Die Hard. Let&#39;s delve into the nitty-gritty and examine some of the less-heralded action cinema bonanzas of the 1980s, possibly the best decade in the history of movies.&nbsp;

Unsurprisingly, there are a&nbsp;ton&nbsp;of <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-all-time-arnold-schwarzenegger-movies?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Arnold Schwarzenegger movies</a> on this list (and, no, Raw Deal is definitely not one of them). Vote up your favorite underrated action flicks to see which ones rise to the top!

The Most Underrated Action Movies Of The 1980s

Actors' firsthand accounts of their work and personal lives as described in press junkets, talk shows, the red carpet, and their own personal media.

In Their Own Words

You know that you feel some kind of way when a certain character perishes -&nbsp;typically in dramatic fashion -&nbsp;on the big screen. But how do the actors behind those performances&nbsp;deal with their characters&#39; passings? And what were the creative decisions that went into killing those characters off? Below, check out these ruminations on some iconic cinematic deaths from the actors behind them, covering both actors&#39; feelings in the moment and, in some instances, several decades later.

Choose your favorite and least favorite reactions below and rank accordingly!

Still hunkering for even more movie death rankings? Check out our sister list of the saddest-ever movie deaths&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/saddest-death-scenes-in-movies/ranker-film" target="_blank">here</a>.

Actors Talk About How They Felt When Their Movie Characters Died

Actors Talk About The Deaths Of Their Famous Movie Characters

Action

Today, we strive to prove just how much more cinematically impressive the foot can be than&nbsp;your standard-issue tire. Granted, there have been entire multi-billion-dollar franchises developed around drag racing, but these 14 exhilarating foot (or partial foot) chase scenes pack just as much of a wallop as a James Bond or Jason Bourne car chase. On occasion, the listed races are a bit &quot;mixed media,&quot; featuring one party on foot and another using another means of conveyance.

Actually, James Bond and Jason Bourne both make the list, proving their versatility to chase down bad guys across a wide variety of transit options!

Pick your favorite (and least-favorite) sequences from the list below. And then, we don&#39;t know, go for a jog or something to work through all this pent-up energy.

14 Foot Chase Scenes That Are More Exciting Than Any Car Chase

When was the last time you were watching an action flick and saw someone jump or fall from a very, very high distance and somehow, improbably, survive thanks to either a genuinely hard landing that somehow doesn&rsquo;t kill them, or a &ldquo;soft&rdquo; landing that supposedly cushions their fall enough to save them? If you&#39;re anything like us, you probably said to yourself, &quot;There&#39;s absolutely no way they would&#39;ve made it.&quot;&nbsp;

Of course, movie fans are no stranger to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/times-action-heroes-shouldnt-have-survived/jessica-bedewi" target="_blank">miraculous cinematic survivals</a>&nbsp;more broadly, but for now, let&#39;s&nbsp;just (ahem) dive into the falls (also the jumps, and in one case the tumble).

Vote for&nbsp;the most and least probable survivals below.

15 Movie Characters Who Fell Really, Really, Really Far - And Survived

Fictional Character

15 Movie Characters Who Survived Extremely Long Falls

Lists about the most memorable fictional characters in film, TV, and literature that will stick in our minds forever.

Characters We'll Never Forget

A lot of terrifying violence is made cinematically digestible through humor. That certainly extends to all of the villains below. This list spotlights a murderers&#39;&nbsp;row of violent villains who are nevertheless frequently funny, even through their dastardly dealings.

These movie (and TV) maniacs&#39; predilection for&nbsp;bloodshed as a less-than-constructive means of problem-solving is often weirdly, hypnotically chuckle-inducing, thanks to their gallows humor. For further reading along these lines, check out our lists of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/funny-villains-in-serious-movies/jacob-shelton" target="_blank">funny villains in serious movies</a> and the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/funniest-movie-villain-kills/alex-kirschenbaum" target="_blank">funniest movie villain&nbsp;kills</a>.

15 Extremely Violent Characters Who Are Low-Key Comedic Geniuses

Have you ever been watching a nice,&nbsp;calm dialogue scene in an awesome action flick&nbsp;when all of a sudden, the movie breaks out in an&nbsp;epic firefight?

This list presents a compendium of sudden, intense, shocking, and/or quickly escalating action movie fight scenes - stand-out cinematic&nbsp;moments that make the audience go, &quot;Oh, snap.&quot; Vote up the moments that surprised you most.

Heart-Pounding Action Movie Scenes That Went From Zero To 100

Most Intense Action Movie Scenes

Have you ever watched a character just completely lose it on-screen and thought, &quot;I FEEL SEEN?&quot; Of course you have. You&#39;re only human, after all. You can&#39;t help having feelings. Unless you&#39;re a robot reading this list, in which case, there are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/saddest-robot-movie-moments/alex-kirschenbaum/" target="_blank">other lists</a> for you to peruse. What follows is a compendium of movie characters who finally snap, typically during a climactic movie moment.

Anyway, there are innumerable instances in which someone flips out in cinematic lore. These are just a small sample of moments wherein someone loses their temper, composure and/or mind, melting down in a way that you weirdly appreciate, even if you may not ever have gone quite as insane as they do. Vote for your favorite among the listed moments! And yes, one character does appear twice on this list, because he flips out in every movie.

Vote for your favorite (and least favorite) relatable movie meltdowns below!

14 Movie Meltdown Scenes That Are Strangely Relatable

14 Times Movie Characters Have A Total Meltdown That's Genuinely Relatable

Lists about the robots, androids, cyborgs, and artificial intelligence that will soon rise up against humanity and take charge of the universe. Will you welcome them?

Our Robot Overlords

If you&#39;re looking to sob over some hardware today, might we recommend this handy compendium cataloging some of the best&nbsp;sad robot movie moments? Sometimes (oftentimes), we see a robot character dying, sacrificing itself for the greater good of humanity, a species which it cannot quite understand. Sometimes, in these final moments, the dying character gets as close as it will ever be able to achieving something close to humanity. Occasionally, it&#39;s a villain dying, but that doesn&#39;t make the moment any less affecting, as we&#39;ll discuss. Sometimes, it&#39;s an inter-species breakup that gets the tears going, or an appreciation of human mortality. Movie robots are really quite multifaceted and&nbsp;resourceful when it comes to opening up human audience tear ducts.

Vote on your favorite (or least favorite) moments below!

12 Times Movie Robots Were Touchingly Human

The 12 Saddest 'Human' Moments Of Movie Robots

Watchworthy

What we have for your ranking pleasure today, dear friends, is a votable collection of cinematic villains whose character names are derived from&nbsp;real people.&nbsp;This compendium also includes characters who, at the very least, are not fully flattering references to their namesakes, if not necessarily outright villains.

To be clear, this list is&nbsp;not&nbsp;a collection of movie villains whose personalities are based on real people. We already gave you <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/movie-villains-based-on-real-people/stephanroget" target="_blank">that list</a>. It also isn&#39;t television antagonists who are based on real people, as we also supplied <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/tv-villains-based-on-real-people/stephanroget" target="_blank">that list</a>, too.

12 Movie Antagonists Who Were Not-So-Secretly Named After Real People

Movie Villains Who Were Actually Named After Real People

Looking at the plans & plots of bad guys & gals.

Dastardly Deeds

Some of the most satisfying movies ever are the ones that wholly subvert our expectations during the final reel. There&#39;s perhaps no better way to do that than by revealing that our nominal hero was actually the villain of their own story, an objectively amoral person whose true nature finally becomes undeniable. This is not a list of protagonists who, viewed in different framings, could be <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/movie-heroes-who-are-actually-villains/anncasano" target="_blank">seen as the antagonist</a> of their narratives. Rather, this is a compendium of objectively bad people&nbsp;masquerading as good ones.

Vote for your favorite (and least&nbsp;favorite) covert movie villains below!

12 Movies Where The Protagonist Winds Up Being The Villain

Want to feel smart, but don't want to read an actual book? Check out these lists of movies, TV shows, and other forms of entertainment that will get your mind wheels spinning.

Really Makes You Think

Have you ever watched an ensemble&nbsp;movie where its emotional currency was made by leveraging clever character deceits into <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/tv-shows-that-dont-explain-major-plot-points/zack-howe?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">major plot points</a>? Well, here are a number of memorable examples for your ranking pleasure. These are ensemble movies -&nbsp;&nbsp;mostly comedies and/or mysteries, oftentimes espionage or con artist adventures - in which allegiances shift as characters discover they may not have as clear a grasp on who exactly their friends and enemies are as they had&nbsp;hoped.Almost everyone in these movies could be a villain or a hero, and every single movie features a variety of double-crosses (and, in the case of the only best picture Oscar-winner represented,&nbsp;one triple-cross). Rank the movies you most (and least) trust to leave you wanting more!

16 Movies Where No One Can Be Trusted

16 Great Movies Where No One Can Be Trusted

Young Adult

Dystopic young adult <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-dystopian-and-near-future-sci-fi-flicks" target="_blank">worlds in film</a> and literature are full of rich textural&nbsp;mysteries. Some sharped-eyed&nbsp;Reddit fans have noticed several intriguing potential Easter eggs sprinkled throughout classic books and their movie adaptations, including The Hunger Games, Maze Runner, and Divergent <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/2010s-young-adult-dystopias/kelly-patrick" target="_blank">franchises</a>.&nbsp;These Easter eggs may be actual nuances or wacky fan theories. We&#39;ll let you decide.

Dystopian YA Fan Theories That Actually Make A Lot Of Sense

YA Dystopian Fan Theories That Actually Make A Lot Of Sense

The original The Terminator (1984) remains a monumental achievement in science-fiction moviemaking. All these years later, the movie that kicked off a decades-spanning franchise remains a towering cinematic experience, a masterful technical marvel that also benefits from a fantastic screenplay and world-class performances. But its long-term vindication was never guaranteed. The project, from an FX&nbsp;man&nbsp;turned&nbsp;B-movie&nbsp;director and a relatively&nbsp;unproven B-movie producer, relied on tactical cost-cutting ventures, its filmmakers&#39; chutzpah, and some unproven performers to create one of the greatest movies ever.&nbsp;

What are some of your favorite casting what-ifs? Favorite tales of surprising behind-the-scenes moments? Vote up your favorites below!

Behind-The-Scenes Stories From The Making Of ‘The Terminator’ - The One That Started It All

Behind-The-Scenes Stories From The Making Of 'The Terminator'

Film Trivia

Hilarious comedies are frequently not just funny to the&nbsp;devoted viewers who watch them, but also to the people who make&nbsp;them! As these&nbsp;anecdotes reveal, film and television productions were fraught with actors who struggled to get through their scenes thanks to the shenanigans of their funny co-stars. What follows is a votable list of stories about scenes being filmed wherein the actors kept cracking up.

Obviously, live television is a different animal, and the evidence is much easier to catch - so we had to include a few perfunctory Saturday Night Live sketches where cast members&nbsp;&quot;broke&quot; during especially over-the-top performances.

13 Behind-The-Scenes Stories About Scenes Where The Actors Couldn't Stop Laughing

13 Stories About Scenes Where Actors Could Not Stop Laughing

Rankings, theories, behind-the-scenes stories, and fun facts about the adventures of Indiana Jones, the archaeologist who can find anything—except the inner-strength to conquer his own fear of snakes.

X Never, Ever Marks the Spot

Indiana Jones

Dr. Henry &quot;Indiana&quot; Jones Jr., born on July 1, 1899, led a colorful life&nbsp;full of action, adventure, romance, intrepid archaeological reconnaissance, and perhaps most importantly, avoiding nuclear explosions in refrigerators. The irascible Jones fought in both world wars, battled Nazis,&nbsp;aliens, snakes, rats, and cults, and playfully bickered with every member of his family and friend circle.&nbsp;

It&#39;s time to break down all the highlights&nbsp;of this one-of-a-kind adventurer&#39;s explorations across his films and TV series, taking him from childhood to old age.

The Complete Timeline Of Indiana Jones And His Adventures Through History

Performers have to suffer for their art in a variety of ways. When it comes to some of the actors listed here - wearers of a variety of iconic motion-picture outfits spanning serial killers, superheroes, robots, and extraterrestrials -&nbsp;many wore outfits that impeded their hearing, vision, and ability to use the facilities. Many attended mime classes to convey their performances through sheer physicality. And one even&nbsp;had to walk around the set covered in lubricant!

Behold, a list compiling several behind-the-scenes anecdotes from&nbsp;the actors behind many of the coolest-looking&nbsp;characters and creatures of cinematic legend. Vote for your favorite (and least favorite) making-of tales below.

Actors Talk About What It Was Like To Wear Famous Movie Costumes

The most devastating, shocking, satisfying, and unforgettable death scenes we've ever seen.

The Rest Is Silence

There are perhaps hundreds of memorable major character deaths on-screen, granted. But how many big demises transpire off-screen? Let&#39;s unpack a handful of memorable off-screen demises (frequently between franchise installments) and leave it up to you to assess just how powerful they are upon rewatching.

Vote up your favorite off-screen cinematic deaths below!

14 Off-Screen Deaths That Still Pack A Major Punch

Total Nerd

How many times have you watched a movie where the villain has a perfectly obvious&nbsp;opportunity to kill the hero (or one of the heroes) and enact their evil plan but, for whatever confounding reason, they&nbsp;leave them alive, either by letting them dangle too long and figure out an escape&nbsp;or simply by not officially resolving or confirming the death? Eventually, of course, the hero is able to strike back, and the villain is brought to justice.

Well, by one conservative count, there are at least 14 such cinematic occasions worthy of further inspection. Vote up the most memorable times a villain let the hero get away - and paid the price for it.

14 Villains Who Fail To Kill The Hero, Ranked By How Much It Comes Back To Bite Them

14 Times Movie Villains Fail To Kill The Hero And Pay The Price

Celebrating actresses of every type, shape, size, and color, including leading ladies, femme fatales, ingénues, manic pixie dream girls, scream queens, bombshells, girls next door, alpha HBICs, virginal princesses, & sassy best friends.

Women Who Act

Actresses

Even in the most male-dominated comedy spaces, there are almost always the actresses&nbsp;and comediennes who serve&nbsp;as the &quot;secret ingredient,&quot; the stealth scene-stealers among generally male-driven comedic movies and troupes (e.g., the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/whoa-sctv-cast-facts/jason-f-collins" target="_blank">original SCTV</a> and <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/snl-audition-stories/jim-rowley" target="_blank">SNL cast</a> rosters). These are women who, though soundly outnumbered by men, manage to equal or even outshine their colleagues during their time on-screen, and prove to actually be covertly&nbsp;essential to the success of the listed movies and television shows, even if they aren&#39;t quite as well known as the male leads.

Remember to vote up the women who consistently - and hilariously - stole the spotlight in classic comedies.

15 Scene-Stealing Actresses From Classic Comedies

15 Scene-Stealing Actress From Classic Male-Driven Comedies

80s Movies

Many moments in the lighthearted movies of yesteryear&nbsp;would not be approved by the MPAA in 2021. Join us as we examine several inappropriate moments in family movies&nbsp;(elements of extreme violence, overt sexuality, or otherwise serious&nbsp;themes)&nbsp;that are rated G, PG, or PG-13.&nbsp;

The next time you stumble upon these R-rated moments in PG movies&nbsp;on a casual Saturday,&nbsp;make sure you don&#39;t forget these more risque items. Some of these scenes (primarily&nbsp;the merciless or morbid ones) represent&nbsp;the most affecting highlights of their respective films, precisely because they push the envelope beyond what&#39;s comfortable. Other scenes (primarily&nbsp;the &quot;intimate&quot; ones) represent creative choices that would perhaps be reconsidered for modern tastes if made today.

14 R-Rated Moments In Family-Friendly '80s Movies

Inappropriate & R-Rated Moments In Family-Friendly ‘80s Movies

Fun facts, wild true stories, and cringey ego-driven tea-spilling from behind the scenes of some of history's most beloved and infamous comedy movies.

Just Doing Comedy!

Blazing Saddles

Making Blazing Saddles (and then convincing Warner Bros. executives to actually let people see it) was not nearly as effortless and joyful an experience as one might&nbsp;expect after watching it. The production and post-production processes were not always smooth, but&nbsp;as you&#39;ll hopefully conclude for yourselves from this compendium of interesting&nbsp;and surprising behind-the-scenes anecdotes, it was a resounding success as a collaboration between several very funny people that has yielded one of the all-time classic comedies.

Writer/director/co-star Mel Brooks, of course, is <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/mel-brooks-movies-behind-the-scenes-v1/armani-barron?ref=" target="_blank">naturally front-and-center</a> in most of these stories. This is not the first time we have talked about some of Brooks&#39;s behind-the-scenes adventures - check out this recent piece&nbsp;for more fun <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/mel-brooks-movies-behind-the-scenes-v1/armani-barron?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Mel Brooks stories</a>.

What are your favorite and least favorite Blazing Saddles behind-the-scenes stories? Vote below!

13 Behind-The-Scenes Stories From The Making Of 'Blazing Saddles'

Behind-The-Scenes Stories From The Making Of 'Blazing Saddles'

Fictional Relationships

Romantic treachery is, unfortunately, a pretty regular hazard in the real world. On screen, however, those betrayals occasionally have dangerous&nbsp;stakes. Legions of movie femme fatales and duplicitous significant others populate this list, a compilation of&nbsp;moments when our heroes were duped by evil love interests who frequently conspired against them with the goal of achieving immoral ends.

Who among these lovers turned baddies contributed to the worst movie betrayals in cinematic history?

12 Times Heroes Were Completely Duped By Their Love Interests

12 Times Heroes Got Betrayed By The Ones They Loved

"Revenge is the act of passion; vengeance of justice." -Samuel Johnson

A Dish Best Served Cold

We all know about the motivation for John Wick&#39;s initial retaliatory vengeance. Ditto for Paul Kersey and Bryan Mills, of course. But there is a wide variety of less-heralded revenge pictures, both contemporary and classic, worthy of some time and attention. The films listed below detail one heroic character&#39;s trajectory from grappling with tragedy to <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/most-elaborate-revenge-schemes-in-movies/ryan-izay" target="_blank">enacting bloody retributive vengeance</a>.

Be warned: A&nbsp;lot of the tragedies being avenged are fairly disturbing. Cumulative body counts (accounting for all deaths, not just those racked up by our avenging hero), when available (as sourced online, because memories occasionally fail), have been included.

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