Bad guys are smoking in the Movies
It seems like smoking cigarettes is movie code for Villain Ahead. Why do the bad guys light up so much? It’s terrible for our lungs/longevity, but we’ve been brought up by the media to see smoking as cool and somewhat sexy (like a femme fatale), or miserably low-class (as in Danny Zuko from Grease). Of course, the good guys haven’t been smokers regularly since olden times (like those old cowboy flicks – think the Marlboro Man, and Clint Eastwood).
Villains who smoke
Here are some specific examples for villains who smoke, and it’s not just films using a Smoking = Evil trope. TV does it too: in Buffy The Vampire Slayer, when Angel loses his soul and becomes Angelus, the first thing he does is suck the blood of a woman who’s smoking. Then he leans back and blows smoke. (Video below.)
The World’s Most Indispensable Movie App
The RunPee app tells you the best times to
run & pee during a movie
so you don't miss the best scenes.
Download the RunPee app.
100% free (donation supported)
Basically, Angelus (bad guys) smokes, but Angel (good guy) doesn’t. The same goes for Spike, who generally only smokes when he’s bad — although there’s a little wiggle room on that one because Spike is always just a little bit bad. 🙂
In the recent update of BattleStar Galactica (and actually in the original BSG too), Starbuck smokes cigars. She’s one of those characters who’s sort of a hero, but often a bad girl who beats people up, drinks too much, and throws things around when she’s angry. She fits the Maverick trope. Dr. Gaius Baltar also loves his cigars, and he’s a character who’s firmly in the Lawful Neutral camp, if not an outright villain (this is infinitely debatable). The new Baltar’s painted in many shades of grey. Damn, I miss that show.
Many times a flick will have an ambiguously good or bad character, but if you pay enough attention, read between the lines and you’ll figure out what’s coming. In Fight Club, it’s not obvious who/what Tyler Durden is, but seeing him light up constantly makes a lot of narrative sense in hindsight.
Angelina Jolie’s charismatic bad girl character likes her smokes in Girl, Interrupted, which is almost a girl version of Fight Club, if you think about it.
Smoking as plot code for character transition
In Peanut Butter Falcon, Shia LaBouf’s character only smokes in the beginning when we (and he) are unclear if he’s the bad guy. They literally talk about whether he and Zack are bad guys. It’s a really great moment that sums up the entire film in one economical scene.
Back to using our Spike example from Buffy:
What people are saying
about the RunPee app.
This is a great app. I wish more people would support it
This app provides info about movies, reviews, ratings from people who have seen it before and after viewing. It has links to info about the movies. It let’s you know when there will be a lull in the action and how long it will last. If you want to know what happens during that time, you can check the brief synopsis (you have to click a link, so no accidental spoilers). It has a timer you can set (silent) to alert you to a break. It also tells you whether there is anything extra during or after the credits. It’s really a wonderful app. I’ve subscribed for a couple of years to support the developers, but I noticed some of the links to provide feedback didn’t seem to work today. They also made it free, with voluntary donations to see the pee-times. If you haven’t tried it, I encourage you to do so, and subscribe if you like it. I really hope the app is supported so it can continue to be maintained!
Developers note: RunPee doesn’t make much money but it supports itself nicely. Donations are appreciated, but not required. We’ll add as many movies to the database as we can until there are no more movie theaters.
View all reviews
Apple App Store | Google Play Store
Download RunPee app
BUFFY SPOILER
It’s telling that after Spike gets his chip out and soul in, he’s super uncharacteristically mopey for half a season. Then after Principal Wood jolts him out of that in the infamous scene with the shack full of crosses, Spike throws his duster back on, snarls at Wood, and then lights up (he got his mojo back).
Then of course Buffy tells Wood she will kill him if he tries that shit again. 😉
You’ve probably seen more villains smoking in movies than you’ve realized, but you’ll always notice it now.
Can you think of more characters using smoking as a character-building shortcut in film and TV?
The political subplot in Knives Out that tells the real plot
Don’t miss your favorite movie moments because you have to pee or need a snack. Use the RunPee app (Androidor iPhone) when you go to the movies. We have Peetimes for all wide release films every week, including Wicked, Gladiator II, Red One, The Wild Robot and coming soon Moana 2, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, Kraven the Hunter, Mufasa: The Lion King and many others. We have literally thousands of Peetimes—from classic movies through today’s blockbusters. You can also keep up with movie news and reviews on our blog, or by following us on Twitter @RunPee. If there’s a new film out there, we’ve got your bladder covered.
Leave a Reply