DIRTY HARRY - Greatest Screen Villains - SCORPIO UNSCRIPTED
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- Опубликовано: 9 сен 2024
- How actor Andy Robinson brought nuance and complexity to a character who was scripted to be one dimensional. DIRTY HARRY film analysis by Rob Ager.
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You could say " el Scorpio is reeeeady"
Where is it at please? I've looked in the GSV section and done a page search... NADA. Or I'm going blind... 😁Cheers.
@@sickgrin88 Sounds like your page search function is going blind. It's listed under D for Dirty Harry and G for Greatest Screen Villains. Folks are def finding as I've sold lots of them already. Are you actually on the right page? www.collativelearning.com/FILMS%20reviews%20BY%20ROB%20AGER.html Also it could be if you are looking at a browser cache of the page it won't include the latest page updates, in which case hit that refresh button :)
@@robag555 lol twas the the browser cache bit.... Got it now. Ta.
Andrew Robinson quote "Jesus wept" one of many famous quotes from 1987 hellraiser in that film he played Larry Cotton & Frank wearing Larry face plus skin b4 gravity defying magical hooks plus chains got him a 2nd time. He was super as Garak in star trek deep space 9 plus in 1st dirty harry film the wailing music makes you think he has schizophrenia mental illness problems
The zoom out shot of Harry with his foot on his leg at the stadium is like something from horror, the 70’s has such eerie cinematic moments
Yeah, the two competing characters fighting out their gladiator battle with their cycles of aggression, the shot making their battle fading as insignificance on the grander scale of society and nature...
Yeah and I love how the scene disappears in the fog. I lived in San Francisco for a couple years and that city is always foggy.
In the whole context of the story, I’ve never had a problem with that scene. I agree, it is eerie with the panning out and the suspect screaming. But, by this point you just have to start rooting for the bad guy to start getting his fair share of punishment.
@@starwarsroo2448 I don’t think he’s saying you did, but that’s one of the scenes that was criticized for being fascist in general - since the movie was first in theaters, basically.
Reminded me of the opening scene from Halloween 1978
Andy Robinson nailed it. He created a villain that was unlike any other in movie history.
He was scary, that´s for sure. He did not play the role of "Scorpio", he was Scorpio. Well done by Mr. Andrew Robinson.
@@larsnilsson3438 A truly fine actor. Probably the most underrated actor in movie history.
Robinson is LOATHSOME. His psychopathy is apparent to even the most casual viewer. Most actors attempt to inject some level of humanity into their characters, but not Robinson. It's impossible not to hate him. One of the best screen villains ever.
I'd say it's Robinson's movie character that's loathsome. He seems like quite a nice man.
@@KutWrite Yes, of course. I'm referring to Robinson's Scorpio. As you say, from what I can tell he's a nice guy.
I met him. He's a real nice guy!
Agree completely!
I met Andy at a horror con a few years back. One of the nicest, sweetest people I’ve encountered.
I met him at a convention as well. I said Scorpio could kick Hannibal Lecter's ass, and he burst out laughing!
I like the duality of how Scorpio terrorizes the city but Callahan terrorizes him. That look of shock and terror on his face when he sees Callahan standing on the bridge...
The scene in the bus is next level funny! 😆🤣😆 .. _"row row row your boat .. "_
Yeah, Harry looked kind of ... *inevitable* there. Fate personified.
That scene is timeless.
The scream…when Harry stabs Scorpio….hilarious and amazing
True indeed😂That expression was classic...His eyes when he got stabbed 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Andrew Robison was great in Dirty Harry and his performance always impressed me. A shame he was type-cast after this role. He was great in Deep Space Nine as Garak as well.
Garak was ledge
Holy shit, I did not know that! Rob's comments on his unique eyes and his nonverbal expressiveness explain a lot of Garaks positive qualities.
GARAK
@@VorpalDerringer Yeah, he came up with the Garak characterisation and background info for the DS9 writers. He also wrote, "A Stitch in Time", a Star Trek novel that delves into the life of Garak from when he went to military school to joining the Obsidian Order and working with his old man, Enabram Tain. Cracking novel by the way and would recommend 100% if you like ST novels.
@@JamesBrewerDJ Fascinating, I did not know that, thank you!
Andy Robinson invented the "my, that's a big one" line when Harry relinquishes his 44 magnum
Andy Robinson made Scorpio creepily memorable. The character was written as a generic pastiche of the Zodiac, but Andy made this character his own, and that's my favorite thing about Dirty Harry
Andrew Robinson is always great at being creepy even in films like Child's Play 3. And here he gives us another memorable Zodiac type villain.
I think he just has a creepy face. The only other movie I actually remember seeing him in is Hellraiser and even when he's just playing the loving husband and father he's kinda creepy.
Brilliant as Garak in DS9 too
@@coinraker6497: Check him out in 1973's "Charley Varrick" with an even scarier Joe Don Baker.
Coinraker, his brother wears his skin, so he still becomes creepy by default.
He's Dirty Harry's boss in one of the films.
Thats not too type cast
Rob you've outdone yourself with this one!!!! I saw Dirty Harry in the theatre with my dad when it came out and as I got older I always thought how bad it was that the industry typecast him and for years I believe it was hard for him to get work, Andy was so outstanding and really should have received an award for that role. Thanks for this one!
That's a problem for anyone who is too memorable as an actor. Hayden and Edward furlong both had those problems too
Excellent analysis. I've always thought Heath Ledger's Joker was based partly on Robinson's Scorpio.
I think he would have been much better. Phoenix is overrated in that role.
Yeah, the role seems to have inspired something in Harry Enfield's Yorkshireman, Frank Miller's Robin in DKSA, and Chris Nolan's Joker character. Very separate interpretations.
@@robag555 Phoenix or Ledger?
@@yvesmachiels1076 Phoenix was overrated. Ledger was about the only good thing in Dark Knight imo.
He was influenced by McDowell's A Clockwork Orange but crazy both characters do have a strange sadistic attitude.
From a purely written perspective, The Scorpio Killer is a very generic, almost one-dimensional character. His personality, motivations, appearance, actions and dialogue are all very basic, containing very little uniqueness, originality or anything that makes him stick out like The Joker or Hannibal Lecter.
This is what makes Andy Robinson’s performance truly incredible. Through the inflections in his line delivery, the emotion in his facial expressions, and the mannerisms and demeanour he portrays the character with, he gives The Scorpio Killer an extreme sense of credibility. You don’t question the character’s lack of depth or identity, you just accept the fact he is a sadist who causes death and destruction because it pleases him. This makes watching The Scorpio Killer onscreen feel, in my opinion, absolutely terrifying. He immerses you in the character’s role in the film and keeps you immersed until the character’s role has been fully fulfilled.
The Scorpio Killer is one of, if not, the best example of an actor taking an otherwise very simple role and making it into such a memorable, downright iconic character. One of the best villains in cinematic history and one of the most underrated actors to ever live!
Robinson played this roll so well that he received actual death threats after the movie was released! Shit was pretty crazy back in the 70's!!
Great analysis. The whining voice is always an indicator of maladjustment or immaturity of some kind. A similar character appears in the Jodie Foster movie _Panic Room:_ the character of Raoul wears a mask for most of the movie, squeels like a trapped animal when his fingers get chopped in the door, and has an eerily petite face and small stature, but is entirely ruthless and has a chip on his shoulder.
That was super interesting. Is anyone else thinking that actor would've made a great Joker?
@John Mateus I think Eastwood gets his power from not being a complete 'goodie' or a complete 'baddie'. His character in The Unforgiven was certainly not somebody whom you'd describe as being a goodie. In his most recent film he was an elderly drug smuggler. There's even a Clint Eastwood movie where he outright rapes some random woman in a barn. Some of the script from Dirty Harry would be considered an outrage from the perspective of the Woke. Personally speaking, I like that about his characters. This whole idea of walking the line and blurring the division between good guy and bad guy is something that Shakespeare was a master of. That's why smart people like Clint Eastwood.
Better than Jack Nicholson, no doubt
@@timyo6288 no way, Nicholson had great humor which was perfect for that movie. As far as the later more serious versions, sure, Andrew Robinson would have been great.
@@davidconnelly I imagine the rape scene you're talking about is from High Plains Drifter. She wasn't just some random woman he grabbed off the street. Clint had originally spurned her advances so to get back at him she made a point of following him around taunting him. No, I'm not justifying the rape, just clarifying. And that movie is a great example of what your're talking about, Clint's character is both good and bad.
I was just about to say that. Great underrated actor. Should have had a bigger break off Dirty Harry.
The knife in the leg rolling down a hill was savage
Always makes me cringe.
It’s definitely the basis for psychopaths in movies, it’s particularly enhanced when he does that delirious insane voice “ I have the right to a lawyer”
His portrayal of Garak was 1 class above all other cast of DS9.
"Physically scruffy" was the norm for the period. As a matter of fact, Scorpio looks quite conservative for the time, with shorter hair than a lot of males.
I absolutely love the character of Scorpio. He's just an uncontrolled embodiment of chaos that takes absolute glee in what he does, and he does it because he can.
The animated evil sadistic excitement, _"I've changed my mind!......I'm going to let her die anyway.....I just wanted you to know that before I kill you too!!"_ and _"No No No No No don't pass out on me now you rotten oinker!!!"_ 😅
@@SirAntoniousBlock yeah he's such a well written and performed character.
Apparently he was a really nice guy in real life and struggled during the scenes where he had to be violent to the kids.
Apparently Robinson had to attend firearms training as well because he didnt like guns. Couldve fooled me.
@@chuckselvage3157 Seems he was a kind and gentle person blessed with a psycho’s face.
@@nicedog1 My brother is a Star trek fan and he met Andy said hes a great bloke.
Wow,it’s sad that he suffered so much as a result of his portrayal of Scorpio.
@@BarryHart-xo1oy That's acting for you.
in the original trailer for dirty harry the narration opens with : " this is about a movie about a couple of killers : harry callahan and a homicidal maniac. the one with the badge is harry.'
I always thought the school bus scene was an example of a man who was bullied lashing out. But now he finally gets the chance to reverse roles and he was not letting that chance slip through his fingers. The joy he is feeling in that moment was was easy to see but it looks as if he believes the opportunity is owed to him.and oh boy is he happy to finally collect on what he is owed.
i think of your comment as a lot of projecting from the target audience of that "joker" movie.
As a few people have said... he really uses the eyes when he plays Garak. Rob, if you’re not deeply into Star Trek as a TV Series watch a Season 6 episode of DS9 called In The Pale Moonlight. Probably the best ever episode of Trek with Robinson as a main character.
Brilliant as always Rob. I’ve only just noticed similarly between Robinson and Malcolm McDowell’s Alex in A Clockwork Orange, in terms of appearance? Might just be me?
Very interesting your point on the appearance of actors. I always felt Kurtwood Smith as Clarence Boddicker was great because his appearance is so unexpected for a crime boss figure.
I think both movies came out in the same month in 1971 so similarities will not have been intended. Interesting that two such controversial, ultra-violent movies with off the wall villains got released at the same time.
Did think of that as well, especially when he has the nose bandage on.
Good point. That sick slick grin definitely looks similar.
Bodicker's an interesting one. Unusual villain, but convincingly sinister. Kurtwood Smith delivered the goods.
The Andrew Robinson who played Scorpio in Dirty Harry was the Andrew Robinson who played Garak in Deep Space 9! I never noticed that!
I know im late Rob..but this performance has aleays been something that stuck with me for years. Andy was incredible and on that bus an Oscar should have been presented but with such dark subject matter would never happen. Meeting and speaking with him decades later at a Con he was the total opposite and after spending 20 minutes speaking with him he did indeed tell me how future roles offered were just as dark. Im delighted hes still with us...many of my character actor heros have passed on. Nobody could take that performance from the history books. Thank you for your analysis
The whole atmosphere of the early 70's. Churches, hippies, long hair and funky music. Background hahaing of female singers...You on the roof!!!
Robinson did a fine job in this film. I'm glad he had the leeway to add bits from his own tool chest.
He was just as good as a menacing henchman in 1973's "Charley Varrick" with Walter Matthau and an even scarier Joe Don Baker.
Andrew Robinson did great job as Garak on my favorite TV show Deep Space 9.
Scorpio seems to never get a haircut, but seems to shave daily. It's common in the military to shave daily but only go for regulation haircuts. So, Scorpio may have kept the first habit, but is under no disciplinary pressure to continue or even remember the second.
There's also fashion. Young men having unruly mop haircuts but also being clean-shaven was fairly popular in the 70's. Keep in mind that even as recently as the 90's most twenty-something guys didn't have beards. A few had goatees but that was about it.
@@ryanjacobson2508 Were beards not in fashion for young men in the 90's?
I always loved the Scorpio character and his acting so much. I wish he could have been in more films. Dudes a legend!
His one-liner in Hellraiser literally inspired the creation of my channel.
He's such an underappreciated villain. Better than Joker from The Dark Knight.
Much better.
Top analysis, I've watched this film hundreds of times all the little bits that Rob mentioned Andy put in were burned into my memory, the slide down the handrail the shiny army boots with the grotty clothes.
One thing that wasn't mentioned was the excellent creepy psychedelic hippy music score.
What's crazy is how shockingly similar Scorpio character is to Alex A Clockwork Orange.
I know right? Hell, Andy Robinson and Malcolm McDowell even look alike
@@antmanatthemoment7233 very true did both guys ever meet each other I wonder?🤔
@@Thespeedrap it would be something if they did
Scorpio is Alex DeLarge's American cousin.
Not only was Andrew Robinson very skilled in Dirty Harry he was also very likable.
Eastwood was right. At that time Robinson had an angel face.
2 great actors.
Another classic Lalo Schifrin soundtrack. The female vocals in Scorpio's cues were meant to be the sound of the voices in his head.
One of my favourite films, glad you covered this character. Don't see him talked about that much
One of mine as well.
Garek: you tell Mollie not to lie and yet you ask her to lie...isn't that confusing for her? Miles 'O Brien: um...yes! What do you teach children on Cardassia? Garek: we teach our children to always to tell the truth even when they are lying
This brilliant piece has all the depth and fantastic attention to detail that the film's detractors emphatically lack. Proof that all art is incomplete until the right eyes are there to meet it.
He reminds me of a more “serious” version of Alex from A Clockwork Orange. Both even have some similar facial features. And both have that sadistic youth quality about them.
There's an interesting bit in the movie "ZODIAC" where the detectives working on that case attend a showing of the film "Dirty Harry" and contrast what real policing is like as opposed to the fictional portrayal in a wish-fulfillment film, where the Bad Guy gets his come-uppance. You gotta wonder what the real Zodiac Killer -- whoever he was -- thought of "Dirty Harry" when it came out. It's surprising that Clint Eastwood never got a mysterious letter in the mail from a 'fan' saying, "You got me!" or something like that.
Maybe the Zodiac Killer was a chaos agent, working for the deep state. The knowledge of cryptograms and military tactics stinks of CIA.
@@Emulous79 The identity of the Zodiac Killer has been proven, to my satisfaction, by Gary L. Stewart, in his book "THE MOST DANGEROUS ANIMAL OF ALL: Searching For My Father . . . The Zodiac Killer" (2014). Gary's biological father -- named Earl Van Best Jr. (and known as 'Van') -- encoded his real name in one of the Zodiac's cipher documents (see page 326 of Gary's book). I recommend that book, finding it totally convincing.
@@patricktilton5377 the movie makes a good case that it would have been Arthur Leigh Allen
@@wizard_of_poz4413 The movie was excellent, and after seeing it I read Robert Graysmith's book making the case for ALA, but Gary Stewart's book came out afterward and the information in that book sealed the deal for me. Read both books, as well as any others you might care to, and judge for yourself which suspect better fits the facts. If Earl Van Best Jr. had been on the radar of the SFPD for violent crimes, he would have been a suspect, that's for sure. He had an antagonistic relationship with the guy RDJ played in the film, following the crime he had committed of hitching up with an underaged girl -- who became the natural mother of Gary Stewart. After being ridiculed in the newspapers for that crime, he later terrorized the reporter during his murderous Zodiac Killer phase. Again: read Stewart's book. I think you'll see it had to have been him. As I indicated before, his name was encoded in one of the Zodiac's famous cipher letters.
I always thought Scorpio looked a lot like Malcolm McDowell in A Clockwork Orange.
If I had to choose anyone else to play Scorpio it would be Brad Dourif
Rob you are the Greatest! I’ve learned so much from you. And your insights further fuel my love for cinema. Another awesome video!
I thoroughly enjoyed how you had the background to effectivly analise this twisted, criminal character. Having studied personality disorders for years i believe, were this character to be real that youd have him profiled reasonably accurate. Great job.God Bless
Great video Rob. I love Scorpio character. Soundtrack for this movie was magnificent. Aside from the "row row row your boat" scene with the kids, the fact he went underground to get beat up by was wicked and pretty indicative of the 70s. I wonder how that sort of scene would play out now in the 2020s?
Its 4 am and here I am watching Rob’s great film analysis
Wow, I just realized that Scorpio is Frank's brother. from Hellraiser :)
I think what he scribbled out in his random note is “doll-“ … I think he started to write “one hundred dollars“ then realized the mistake.
In addition to other “veteran” clues, Scorpio’s boots are laced in a military “ladder lace” method.
12:50, it’s hard to see normally and actually easier to notice in the edited for TV version (which removes the crosshairs) but there is a sign next to the swimming pool that says “swim at your own risk.” Also the scene where he robs the liquor store is one of Robinson’s best performances, pretending to be a squeaky unassuming dope, and snapping when the owners guard is down. Aspects of this movie are dated sure, but details like this along with your breakdown of Scorpio reaffirm that this was such a well made film. Great video
I like that they didn't show us his past, no sympathy
It'd probably be similar to Jim Jones from The Guyana Tragedy
He uses his eyes brilliantly under heavy make-up in Star Trek Deep Space Nine. He was also great in the crime movie Charlie Varrick from the early 70s.
"I never admit or deny anything. It makes things more interesting." Mr Garak
The Beguiled has a great villainous Clint Eastwood performance
Good point. Not a classic villain though being that the women in the film are as bad as him. Marvelous movie though.
@@robag555 Agreed. Too bad that the terrible remake has garnered way more analysis than the original.
@@JalekokRespawn I might be taking steps to address that. Haven't even watched the remake. I'll bet it's terrrible.
Clint's very best acting performance, defo. Whole cast is great too
Eastwood was a villian in "The Beguiled", a weird little drama/horror film from 1971. Great movie, very unique, and he was excellent as a womanizing villian!!
Not a traditional villain, he said… Beguiled is just a character drama, depicting them as people and not good/bad guys..
melt the ice away
@@alexmartin3143 He killed a little girl's pet turtle and kissed her. She was way underage, like 10 years old. Sounds like a villian to me. And yes it was the 1860s but still that is way too young.
@@kevinrhea7332 You have excellent taste in rock music, sir.
🏴 RIP Burke Shelley
"Scorpio" was a rip-off of the mythical Zodiac Killer who was front page news and active in the Bay Area at the time of this film. It played on people's fears at the time as the Zodiac wrote a taunting letter to police threatening to shoot "kiddies" as they "bounced out of the school bus". It is a good film and Robinson gave a first rate performance.
I wouldn't use the term "rip-off". It's not like that killer had a copyright on psycho letter writing lol. He's a mixture of different criminal traits from different sources ... among other things.
@@robag555 I would certainly say "Scorpio" was patterned primarily from Zodiac. Zodiac was THE news at the time, and no other killer I am aware of threatened to shoot kids coming off school buses.
To go off on a tangent - have you ever read "Gates of Janus" by Ian Brady?
@@robag555 Indeed 😆 if it ain't Aesop it ain't a fable, everything "is a rip off of something".
Surely Zodiac was not mythical, he was very real... Scorpio was just an at extension of Zodiac, like The Gemini Killer from The Exorcist III... They all took liberties with it... All based on Zodiac.
The word is "inspired" not rip-off. I suppose you could say Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs was a rip-off of Jerry Brudos, who dressed up in his victims' clothing and kept their shoes, or even Ed Gein, who fashioned trophies and keepsakes from the bones and skin of corpses? Or Hannibal Lecter was a rip-off of Alfredo Ballí Treviño.
Robinson also improvised the line "My, that's a big one..."
You mentioned how you wished Clint Eastwood had played a bad guy, the movie "Wrath of Man" his son Scott plays a menacing ex-soldier turned murderously fueled armored car robber and that same look in his eyes is played up to epic effect in that movie. I would give it a watch.
Brilliant analysis from Rob as always (especially the in-depth look at the ransom note). I just simply expect brilliance from Rob these days-let’s not take it for granted!
In my opinion, Scorpio is the quintessential example of the “deranged psychopath” archetype. The way he’s written is rather plain and simple, but his portrayal by the Oscar-worthy Andrew Robinson is absolutely terrifying.
This is because he plays Scorpio like a real-life serial killer, not an exaggerated supervillain of caricature. His mannerisms, attitude and overall demeanour all help you believe an extremely horrid personality like Scorpio can actually exist in the real world, which is something very few actors manage to pull off. In fact, the only other actor I can think who has accomplished this is Bruno Ganz’ portrayal of Adolf Hitler in Downfall, and he was actually given a rather complex and intricate script to work with, while Robinson had to basically create Scorpio all on his own.
Scorpio is one of the best depictions of a deranged psychopath to ever be presented in popular media. If there was a model for how a believably sadistic character should be portrayed, it would be Andrew Robinson’s performance in Dirty Harry. In my opinion, he is the gold standard.
I knew a monster EXACTLY like scorpio, even had the same hairdo, his name was Jereth...
3:08 In DS9, Enabran Tain remarks on how Garak once interrogated a man simply by staring at him for hours, afterward the prisoner just kept saying, "his eyes, his eyes..."
True! So normal looking, and yet such powerful eyes!
No mentioning of the Zodiac Killer? Scorpio seems like an interpretation of the real life killer, and the film's purpose is basically to cash in on that matter and give the scared and angry audience a well deserved revenge fantasy.
Bingo!!!
He is also cast at the beginning of Shoot To Kill where you don't know yet who is the killer in a group of men. Brilliant casting there.
That evil, twisted smile or smirk makes Scorpio the perfect villain.
I think Robinson himself said that Scorpio is supposed to be a Vietnam veteran with PTSD and also is a psychopath
THANK YOU! One of my favorite movies, I'm so glad you covered it. I would also add there is another component to this film, maturity vs immaturity being contrasted.
With the hippy movement in full swing at the time in San Francisco, American society began to see the beginnings of the selfish celebration of immaturity; this movie was an answer to that. Scorpio is immature, emotional and sexually frustrated, whereas Detective Harry Callahan is exactly the opposite. But, where men like Callahan were often seen by the younger generation as the problem in society for being emotionally distant, hard, and cruel, we see that Harry Callahan does what he does BECAUSE he cares. Callahan is the only man at the SFPD willing to do the hard work and make the difficult decisions no one else is willing to make.
I know the gun is often seen as a phallic metaphor in film, but in this case the 44 Magnum represents awesome power wielded by someone who is responsible. The ending sequence where Callahan tosses his badge away is pertinent because it represents that Callahan was willing to make these strong decisions as a responsible man, and NOT as a representative of the law -- he had too much respect for the law to sully it by killing the killer. The law was powerless in stopping Scorpio.
And, I can't overlook the conundrum Callahan asks..."Do I feel lucky?" I also think this is powerful because men like Callahan make their own luck...and children play games involving luck and believe they can live the same way.
In spite of the enormous amount of nonsense one often finds, your analysis proves that RUclips is worthwhile. This is a really excellent analysis and I sincerely thank you very much for sharing it.
I would love to see a version of Dirty Harry where Scorpio is Woody Allen! Also, at 10:40, I'm pretty sure the first scratched word is dollars, not thousand. He was originally going to demand 100 dollars.
I have a signed framed photo of Andy as Scorpio...It's my absolute favourite pic.
I am more or less convinced Joaquin Phoenix's Joker borrowed heavily from Robinson's Scorpio, down to his posture, energy and movement.
Scorpio reminded me of a Batman villain, in the sense that he wasn't your typical run-of-the-mill criminal. He was eccentric, countercultural, and crafty with a unique personality all his own. Much like the Joker
OMG I cannot believe that is young Garak and I didn't realize that all these years.
Woo!
He did a great acting. He deserves an Oscar.
It was the movie and character that ended my innocence as a child. Later, as an adult my interest in the movie was Scorpio and Robinson. I think your analysis is brilliant.
“ The tall granite faced Clint Eastwood “
That made me laugh 🤣
Great video Rob
Didn't he also say something about sneering and teeth showing describing Eastwood? 🤣
@@coinraker6497 🤣🤣🤣
I'd really love to see that James Woods Scorpio now that you mentioned it.
Wow, Rob Ager. You actually sound like a psychologist, it is true that early childhood can influence one's conduct for good or for worse. Sigmund Freud expands this concept further in his books, looking movies with this perspective really changes the entire scope of the film. Thanks for your insightful videos, Rob.
What an actor , brilliant . Great video Rob
He was not a nice guy in "The Beguiled". You could argue he was a villain in that movie.
To me, this villain is a world still trying to process Charles Manson. Given just a few years more and I think they would’ve acknowledged this character as a serial killer. Robinson’s voice is what really clinches it for me, without it I could see the character almost seeming unremarkable; but there’s something unnatural in his voice, like a child de-tuning and re-tuning a guitar string. I’m assuming it was dubbed in in pickups and is an excellent sound design in and of itself. It’s almost too bad they killed home off, he would’ve made a great recurring villain.
Has no one pointed out that they literally portrayed this guy as a NAZI? He kills blacks, priests (child molester stigma?), gays, and every single gun in this movie he used was a German weapon from WWII? The rifle was an Arisaka who was apart of the axis.
The character of Scorpio - and Andrew Robinson's menacing portrayal in particular - is what makes the first Dirty Harry outing stand hands and shoulders above the rest of the franchise! None of the subsequent films were THAT bad really; their real problem was that they sorely lacked the atmosphere, memorable performances, and other crucial elements that made the original one work so well as a standalone thriller.
I'm happy that Andy Robinson didn't become typecast. The few roles I've seen of him are iconic.
Happens to all actors who are "too good" in the role, Leonard Nemoy was typecast as Spock for years.
In the pale moonlight was voted the best episode of Star Trek. The Federation along with the Klingons are losing the Dominion war so Captain Sisko is going to get the Romulans into the war on the Federation side. So he turns to Andrew Robinson's Garek to help him...and help him Garek does by assassinating the Romulan senator Sisko invited to DS9
Don't forget that *Jacob's Ladder (1990)* is an American psychological horror film that is very hard to understand. Very scary. Very frightening. Many fan reviews call it 'disturbing'. Most the reviews explain they can't understand what is happening, but it's like they know it serious and very scare. You are fortunate enough to be able to watch and understand what is happening.
Weird thing is I didn't find Jacob's Ladder cryptic. For me the ending spelled everything out clearly.
It was hard to figure out when I first saw it at ten or eleven. But when I watched it as an adult it was obvious. It was intensely memorable as unsettling and disturbing, staying with me for decades.
Wtf does Jacob's Ladder have anything to do with this video
I'm willing to Bet that The Northman is gonna be criminally underrated film within 10 years from now
Linda Blair had the same issues as Robinson! Too convincing in their seminal roles
Andy Robinson even got death threats after playing this role, if you can imagine that.
AR went on to play one of the greatest TV characters. Garak!
Another thing to remember is that this film was made soon after, and partially inspired by, the real life Zodiac murders in California. Audiences at the time would no doubt project their own feelings around that killer onto this character while it was still fresh in the collective memory. Detective Dave Toschi, the real life inspiration for Harry who worked on the Zodiac case, saw the film but wasn't very impressed by it.
Personally, my theory of Scorpio's back story is that his parents were well-off middle class but they placed him for adoption at a young age when they recognised his psychotic tendencies - starting fires or hitting his sisters.
Hello Rob please can you watch 'Requiem for a dream' and do a video on it. You have to watch it after midnight though it is one of the hardest films to watch in my opinion.
Scorpio, like riddler in the batman, is a good interpretation of the zodiac killer in fiction, it's also worth noting that dirty harry was released during the time of the zodiac killings, it makes me wonder if zodiac ever saw the film, since police records say the killer was a movie buff, even one of his letters stated he said the exorcist was "the best satirical comedy" that hes ever seen
This is a good review - but I had to stop at 9:29 -- "Jesus wept...."
We are bombarded with "Dirty Harry" clips - I haven't seen the movie in awhile, although I watched, "The Enforcer," recently to see Tyne Daly again.
This morning, I wanted to know who the actor was playing the villain in, "Dirty Harry." I didn't even know the character claimed the persona, "Scorpio," let alone that the actor's name was Andy Robinson.
All I knew was that it was a chilling portrayal and I wondered why I'd never seen him again. This was a talented actor who was typecast. Sad.
Maybe I'll finish this video - but right now I'm a bit disturbed by his ad libbing choices that were accepted. Thank you.
Fantastic analysis, Rob, as usual. "Jesus wept" is shortest verse in the bible. I've heard it uttered in other movies as a curse, such as the the vastly underappreciated Aussie film Razorback. There's even a track on the soundtrack called Jesus Wept.
The other Dirty Harry movies have their moments, but none are as good as the first one. And it’s largely down to the villain. None of the other films provide Clint with an antagonist as memorable as Andy Robinson’s Scorpio.
The antagonists in Sudden Impact are some really hateable slimeballs, though. Worst villains? The dead pool.