The 1980s gave viewers a litany of classics. From horror entries such as Friday the 13th to dramas such as Broadcast News, it's one of the best (and most experimental) decades in cinema history. Filmmakers used art to combat the suffocation caused by Reaganomics, and this resulted in some pieces that couldn't exist in any other time period by any other artist.

So what makes something hold onto its popularity after four decades? A number of factors, but perhaps the most important is the combination of a strong protagonist and a strong antagonist. The 1980s excelled in this regard, particularly when it comes to the antagonist. Looking at the Marvel movies of late, it's obvious that memorable villains are becoming fewer and farther between. But, if a film fan ever needs a re-up on true, cackling evil, they can always pick up an '80s classic.

10 Lord Humungus in The Road Warrior

The Mad Max franchise is probably one of cinema's greatest mixed bags. The original Mad Max is more indie drama than a hardcore action film, and there's even something about the title character that just seems...off. The third film, Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, is a little too silly for its own good, but at least has a few memorable set pieces. The apex comes in one of two forms: The Road Warrior and the much later Mad Max: Fury Road.

Both films favor practical effects over any computer trickery (though that technique would be less likely when The Road Warrior hit the big screen) and both films have a dynamite villain. And, like the later Immortan Joe, The Road Warrior's Humungus is a leader, he's just "slightly" more ripped physically and a lot more combat-ready.

9 Tony Montana in Scarface

In Brian de Palma's shoot-out-laden Scarface, Al Pacino's Cuban drug lord, Tony Montana, is the protagonist of the story. He's also the villain, a man who seldom makes a decent decision and never makes a good one for anybody but himself. And his sister, but he blows that sibling dynamic to Hell five minutes after she 'Says Yes.'

Scarface is one of the most quotable films of all time, if not the most quotable. This is due as much to Pacino's work as it is to the strength of the script. "Say hello to my little friend" is repeated ad nauseum (and then some) because it's Pacino's guttural delivery that makes it work. The actor truly makes the audience believe that Tony Montana is so rage-fueled he'd pick up a machine gun before having a conversation for peace (which, admittedly, wasn't on Montana's list of options by that point).

8 Biff Tannen in Back to the Future

Thomas F. Wilson is so wonderful in Robert Zemeckis' Back to the Future trilogy that it's only in his hands that Biff Tannen is over-the-top fun and not over-the-top mean. Even his consistent comeuppance is over-the-top, as Tannen always finds himself under a massive falling pile of feces. The film wouldn't work nearly as well without Wilson, nor would the sequels.

This is especially true of Back to the Future Part II, where Biff has become the successful talk of the town. The actor gets a chance to show what happens when a stupid, narcissistic, power-hungry teen grows into an even dumber, more conceited, power-obsessed adult. Of course, Biff isn't worthy of an ounce of power, much less the whole enchilada.

7 Betelgeuse in Beetlejuice

One of the 1980s' most memorable villains, Betelgeuse is Tim Burton's ultimate brainchild. But he wouldn't be as unforgettable as he is without Michael Keaton's surging energy fueling each and every too-brief scene in which the character is featured.

At his rotted core, Betelgeuse is nothing more than an undead huckster. He cares about no one save himself and takes every opportunity to exploit those in trouble, like the film's recently-deceased couple. As a whole, Beetlejuice is a wonderfully inventive classic, and it would begin a successful working dynamic between the director and star that would carry through in a major way the following year.

6 Joker in Batman

There have been so many comic films made since Tim Burton's Batman absolutely owned 1989's cinematic landscape. Many of them have had a significantly larger scope, but there's still just something about Burton's debut of The Dark Knight that feels like an event.

Mostly, this is because of Jack Nicholson. First billed over even the title character's performer (Michael Keaton), it's pretty obvious that Batman is really tailored to the Joker. Considering it was Burton at the helm, that shouldn't be too surprising. And, thankfully, it works like a charm front to back. Nicholson notoriously took a ridiculous payday for the film, but he proves with each scene that he was worth the cash, and there's even an argument to be made that were the actor not as incredible as he is in the role, Batman wouldn't have been half the success it ended up being.

5 Freddy Krueger in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors

A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors was a definitive shift in tone from both Wes Craven's original film and the oddball (but similar at least in terms of cinematography) A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge. Freddy started developing a real personality, but his sadism was still in place.

One might call Freddy slicing off his own finger to scare Tina Gray in the original film to be a bit over-the-top. But how does that compare to Freddy taking the form of a 20-something nurse to seduce a teen? Or using another as a human puppet? Much less turning his fingers into drug-filled needles with the line "Let's get high." Pure '80s excess and Krueger was the king of it.

4 Brad Wesley in Road House

Road House has its fan group, and that umbrella needs to get a lot larger. At the very least it features a ridiculously compelling antagonistic performance from the late Ben Gazzara as Brad Wesley.

Wesley is the talk of the small town where Patrick Swayze's Dalton now finds himself. Dalton's a rambler, a traveler, and a free spirit, and those are all things that don't gel with either small-town life or Wesley's personality. Essentially, Wesley is an extortionist and dealer, and god forbid someone comes into his small town and tries to upset things. Even if it is a soft-spoken bouncer like Dalton.

3 Jack Torrance in The Shining

Nine years before he was putting on the Joker makeup, Jack Nicholson was yelling "Here's Johnny!" for Stanley Kubrick. Almost certainly the best Stephen King adaptation that ever has or ever will hit the screen, The Shining is an atmospheric masterwork.

Every frame of the film has a way of sticking in the back of the viewer's mind. The landscape shots are eerie, beautiful, and compelling, but the real draw is Nicholson's Jack Torrance. While not as complex a character as he was in King's novel, Torrance is a whirlwind of drooling antipathy, unbearable frustration, and contempt for his own lot in life. And that includes his wife and child. The fact that Kubrick had a second choice for Torrance is surprising, as there's only one Nicholson.

2 Emperor Palpatine in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

To be the weakest installment of the original Star Wars trilogy is still to be a pretty great film, apparently. Return of the Jedi expanded the scope of the universe just as much as The Empire Strikes Back did, but not all of its additions to the lore were smooth sailing.

For one, Return of the Jedi is nothing if not a tonal mess. The first act is darker than anything seen in Star Wars up to that point or ever since, but by the third act, there are little bears throwing spears. The movie's third act also often cuts away from the Ewoks to the souring conversation between Emperor Sheev Palpatine, Darth Vader, and Luke Skywalker. The former has the power in the room, and he knows it, mostly because he's used to that being the dynamic. But Palpatine is a monster, through and through, and he's overcome by the fact that his mentor, Vader, isn't.

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1 Ivan Drago in Rocky IV

A massive box office success and a quotable pop culture juggernaut more than an actually solid film, Rocky IV is still bolstered by Dolph Lundgren's stoic performance as Ivan Drago. A Russian titan with a sledgehammer for an arm, he's a man who feels he must impress the hell out of his country, even if it requires killing a man.

And the man he kills is none other than Apollo Creed, the only Rocky villain as memorable as Drago. But, whereas Creed's over-the-top nature came in the form of boisterous talk and self-confidence, Drago is just ice. But when he speaks, it's not just about winning a fight, it's a threat to "break" his opponent. That's pretty over-the-top in and of itself.