7. Louie De Palma Taxi
I love this. A duel of wits between unarmed opponents. A thoroughly loathsome character. Hes debauched, deranged and in delirium whenever confronted with the unfortunate lot of another human being. And yet none of this seems as sharply abhorrent as it should be. Perhaps its for the simple fact of Danny Devitos diminutive size but theres so much more to it than that. Its the performance. Its the flashing whites of his eyes which abound with devious skulduggery. Its his megalomaniacal march around the garage ordering drivers and mechanics to debase themselves beyond belief, before skipping up the steps to his wire-meshed birds nest to start again over a tannoy.
I hope a passenger slams a door on your nose so when you sneeze your head explodes. Devitos character, though perhaps a little dated in the lack of swearing wed expect from him today, is seminal. There are flashes of brilliance and moments of kindness over an undercurrent of Capitalistic dastardliness, the likes of which only Alexei Sale could perceive in his minds eye. Most importantly, for our purpose today at least, Louie De Palma exudes one truly Wise Ass mainstay which all should have: he should make you never want to involve him in anything, hell have nothing helpful or comforting to add.