stlkev70
10-31-05, 12:07 AM
http://re2.mm-c1.yimg.com/image/1439569843
William Zabka
http://www.hotbadguys.com/images/zabka.jpg Frankly, there aren't many 80's movie villains more ubiquitous than William "Billy" Zabka. He appeared in a number of the seminal movies of the era, always making an appearance as Rich, Annoying, Kid Villain. In 1986, he appeared in Back to School (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0090685/) as Rich, Annoying, Kid Villain Chas, who gets off on making Rodney Dangerfield's (http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0001098/) kid miserable, whether through keeping him off the school diving team, by throwing a diving match to make Kid look bad, blaming his inability to dive on a "really bad cramp," or by dating the girl Kid's in love with, played by Star Trek Deep Space Nine's (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0106145/) Terry Farrell (http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0000395/). (You know, the one with the symbiant in her chest cavity. In Star Trek. Not Back to School.) Anyway, that same year, in Just One of the Guys (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0089393/) (and dear Lord, if there's a more inane movie than this one, I can't name it), The Zabka plays Greg Tolan a, you guessed it, Rich, Annoying, Kid Villain, this time one who enjoys beating on the innocent. (Check the first fan site for a discussion of homoerotic overtones in Just One of the Guys.)
Perhaps however, the leap of cinematic genius that propelled The Zabka to the heights of Movie Villainy was his appearance as Johnny Lawrence, leader of the evil Cobra Kai karate students, in The Karate Kid (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0087538/). Now, it helps a lot that The Zabka got to beat on Ralph Macchio (http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0001494/), one of the more annoying leading men of all time. And yes, I am using the word "men" in the loosest possible sense. It also helps that his Halloween costume in the film was that of a skeleton. But it was immortal lines like "I'll decide when he's had enough, man," when some of his compadres attempted to stop Ralph's beating, that really made him a Villain for the Ages.
The Zabka was, alas, like most movie villains, defeated when it came right down to it, in this case during the finals of the All-Valley Karate Tournament, much to the chagrin of his evil sensei (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0468379/), and even though he had a much snazzier outfit than the insipid Daniel-San. And getting his ass kicked by an eighty-year-old Mr. Miyagi (http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0001552/) who was fighting six-on-one odds doesn't help his case much. However, The Zabka is a True Hot Bad Guy. Er, Hot Bad Teen. Er, Whatever. And where has The Zabka been lately? Well, he continues to act in a series of movies that, honestly, I've never heard of before. The Hot Bad Goddesses would like to plead for Hollywood to take another look at this Once Great Movie Villain.
If you'd like to read another view of The Zabka, please check out this article (http://espn.go.com/page2/movies/s/simmons/020830.html) by ESPN Page 2's Bill Simmons.
William Zabka
http://www.hotbadguys.com/images/zabka.jpg Frankly, there aren't many 80's movie villains more ubiquitous than William "Billy" Zabka. He appeared in a number of the seminal movies of the era, always making an appearance as Rich, Annoying, Kid Villain. In 1986, he appeared in Back to School (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0090685/) as Rich, Annoying, Kid Villain Chas, who gets off on making Rodney Dangerfield's (http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0001098/) kid miserable, whether through keeping him off the school diving team, by throwing a diving match to make Kid look bad, blaming his inability to dive on a "really bad cramp," or by dating the girl Kid's in love with, played by Star Trek Deep Space Nine's (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0106145/) Terry Farrell (http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0000395/). (You know, the one with the symbiant in her chest cavity. In Star Trek. Not Back to School.) Anyway, that same year, in Just One of the Guys (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0089393/) (and dear Lord, if there's a more inane movie than this one, I can't name it), The Zabka plays Greg Tolan a, you guessed it, Rich, Annoying, Kid Villain, this time one who enjoys beating on the innocent. (Check the first fan site for a discussion of homoerotic overtones in Just One of the Guys.)
Perhaps however, the leap of cinematic genius that propelled The Zabka to the heights of Movie Villainy was his appearance as Johnny Lawrence, leader of the evil Cobra Kai karate students, in The Karate Kid (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0087538/). Now, it helps a lot that The Zabka got to beat on Ralph Macchio (http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0001494/), one of the more annoying leading men of all time. And yes, I am using the word "men" in the loosest possible sense. It also helps that his Halloween costume in the film was that of a skeleton. But it was immortal lines like "I'll decide when he's had enough, man," when some of his compadres attempted to stop Ralph's beating, that really made him a Villain for the Ages.
The Zabka was, alas, like most movie villains, defeated when it came right down to it, in this case during the finals of the All-Valley Karate Tournament, much to the chagrin of his evil sensei (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0468379/), and even though he had a much snazzier outfit than the insipid Daniel-San. And getting his ass kicked by an eighty-year-old Mr. Miyagi (http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0001552/) who was fighting six-on-one odds doesn't help his case much. However, The Zabka is a True Hot Bad Guy. Er, Hot Bad Teen. Er, Whatever. And where has The Zabka been lately? Well, he continues to act in a series of movies that, honestly, I've never heard of before. The Hot Bad Goddesses would like to plead for Hollywood to take another look at this Once Great Movie Villain.
If you'd like to read another view of The Zabka, please check out this article (http://espn.go.com/page2/movies/s/simmons/020830.html) by ESPN Page 2's Bill Simmons.