They are everywhere. They lurk in the swamps of Naboo, the towers of Hogwarts and the mountains of Middle-Earth. Potentially great films are scarred forever because of some unfortunate additions - no matter how much Lucas-esque editing the directors shoehorn in for the DVD. Yes, if you haven't read the title, we're delving into those horrendous movie characters that were probably best left on the cutting-room floor... A character can be poorly acted by the wrong cast member, given the wrong direction, or might have simply been badly written to begin with. We've tried to be fair to all the films involved and not shoot for the main protagonists: we've gone for characters that could have been mercilessly severed from the film, leaving it a better experience for everyone involved. Without further ado, let's start with number 9, then...
9. Wendy Torrance - The Shining
Fair enough, Shelley Duvall's Wendy Torrance could not really be cut from the Shining; much of the drive of the plot was not only husband Jack's slow descent into madness, but that it created peril for Wendy and telepathic son Danny. Her unfortunate presence was a complete necessity. The problem of Wendy is not that she doesn't do a lot - she is supposed to feel helpless to stop her husband's downward spiral. The problem of Wendy is that she is a one-note character, and that note, unfortunately, is high-pitched. With a horrific nasal whine, she alternates between sobbing, pacing, nails-on-a-chalkboard screaming, or the final offence: cowering, screaming and crying all at once, while holding various useful weapons she could be using to make her escape. Imagine anyone having to live with that and not trying to kill her.