10 Scumbag Horror Movie Protagonists We STILL Rooted For
2. Dr. Dan Challis - Halloween III: Season of the Witch
Dr. Dan Challis (Tom Atkins), the protagonist of Halloween III: Season of the Witch, is the sort of sandpaper-rough hero we don't see much of nowadays.
He's an alcoholic who has a strained relationship with his ex-wife and two kids, drinks on the job, and is an unrepentant horndog who sexually harasses his female colleagues and even beds a woman 20 years his junior, Ellie (Stacey Nelkin), the day after her father is murdered.
Oh, and he only thinks to check that Ellie's not underage after hooking up with her. Nice.
Challis' behaviour would make him a totally unworkable protagonist in a modern horror movie, but there is something to be said for the infectious charisma of Tom Atkins which makes Challis tough to actually hate.
He is at least believably flawed for a man from his era, and gets really damn close to stopping the villains from winning, even if he's ultimately too late.
He's a dirtbag, but also tries to do the right thing when it matters most.