Every which way you turn with horror films, there is a mountain of scumbags just waiting there, dying to confront you. The word scumbag is associated with a certain amount of sleaze and diabolical doings. Jason from the Friday 13th franchise may kill lots of people but I wouldn't necessarily call him a scum bag - he is more of a psychopathic mad man. Ditto Michael Myers from the Halloween franchise. Scumbags are perverted, they thrive on filth and diabolical deeds, they will use people for their own corrupt agendas and they have blatant disregard for anyone who crosses their path. Charming one moment and sadistic the next, they slowly but surely get under our skin by their wicked ways. I have singled out nine particular slime-balls to raise your heckles. Chime in below with your own choice scumbags...
9. Frenzy (1972) - Robert Rusk
"Mr Rusk, you're not wearing your tie" A serial killer is on the loose in London. We know it is fruit and veg salesman Robert Rusk but circumstantial evidence is building around his friend Richard Blaney. Blaney's ex wife ran a dating agency that Rusk used to use until he got kicked out for roughing up his dates. Rusk goes to see her and in a fit of pique, rapes her and strangles her. But suspicion is on Blaney as he was seen threatening his ex on the street. Rusk's next diabolical deed is to kill Blaney's girlfriend Babs. In the film's most famous scene, Rusk realises his tie pin is in Babs' hand - she pulled it off in the struggle. He has stashed her corpse on a lorry carrying potatoes and there is a very tense scene as he tries to retrieve the pin from Babs' hand. Rigor Mortis has set in and he has to break her fingers to get the pin. Blaney gets jailed but a detective has his suspicions about Rusk. Blaney escapes jail and goes to Rusk's place where he finds a strangled, female victim of Rusk's. The detective arrives and Blaney protests his innocence. They see Rusk coming down the stairs with a large trunk to hide his victim in. Frenzy has a particular black humour about it and we wonder how Robert Rusk gets away with his heinous deeds. He is a vicious misogynist killer who thinks he is too clever for the law and becomes ever more flagrant in his deeds. Rusk is brutal and obnoxious. Some complain about the vicious murder and rape of Babs at the beginning of the movie but this is necessary to show the viewer how psychopathic and what a scumbag Rusk is. Hitchcock is chilling as he paints the character of Rusk - one of his all time top bad guys.