On October 25, the ultimate rogue's gallery takes center stage when Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) releases the new full-length documentary Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics.
Christopher Lee, who has played the villain more times than almost any other actor, will provide his unique voice as narrator. The villains' infamous tales will be told by directors Richard Donner (Superman), Guillermo del Toro (Pacific Rim) and Zack Snyder (Man of Steel) as well as Geoff Johns (best-selling author and DCE's Chief Creative Officer) and other storytellers, creators and those who have crafted the personalities and profiles of the most nefarious baddies in DC Comics history.
"I am delighted to be participating in this documentary which really gets to the heart of what villains are," notes Lee. "Even though I've played the hero more times than the bad guy (few know this!), people remember me for the latter, perhaps because villains are more interesting and more complex. But they're still people. Tony Hopkins was right when he said, 'I don't play villains, I play people.' Each of these characters has a different personality and their reasons for being or becoming evil are not the same."
"The villain is not always born that way; it's society and events in that person (or creature's) life that influences their mind. Sometimes good or bad can be a state of mind and depends on what side you're on. And you can be very cruel or charming, amusing or dangerous. But one of the most important things to get over to the audience is that some of these people are doing things they can't really help."
Christopher Lee's roles in more than 200 films include star turns in several Hammer Horror Classics as Frankenstein's monster in The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Count Dracula in Dracula (1958) and the Mummy in The Mummy (1959). Most recently known as Saruman in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy,The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) and upcoming film The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013).
"The Joker! Black Adam! Lex Luthor! Sinestro! DC Comics has the best Super-Villains in the world - and in Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics, creators in film, television, animation, video games and comic books talk about why and how they've helped build them into worldwide favorites," stated DC Entertainment Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns.
Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics explores the thin line between right and wrong, the nature of evil and how super-villains can reflect society's dark side as well as our own personal fears. It also attempts to uncover the reasons why comic book fans are so fascinated by the very characters they hope to see defeated.
The film focuses on DC Comics' most terrifying villains, including The Joker, Lex Luthor, Bane, Black Adam, Black Manta, Catwoman, Darkseid, Deathstroke, Doomsday, General Zod, Sinestro, the Suicide Squad, and more.
Also included are interviews from over forty subjects, including: DC comic book writers, artists, executives, filmmakers, comic experts, critics, historians and celebrities.
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