This is discussion archived from a time before the current discussion method was installed.
Po8: Seems to me there are two distinct tropes here. A Torture Technician / Scientist is into torture for the technology, as the name implies. They want to effect maximum pain and suffering, or perhaps even to inflict precisely the necessary amount of pain and suffering to achieve a secondary goal, by some technical means. They need not enjoy torturing, and often will not.
A Torture Technician / Sadist, on the other hand, doesn't really use technical methods or work to improve their skills or knowledge, and they don't really care about the *how* of reaching their torture goal. They are just sadistic and really good at hurting people.
Both of these subtypes are represented on this page, but I think they're pretty distinct. For example, a Bella Le Strange is quite different from a Count Rungen in personality, methods, and attitude.
I'd like to see the page split, so that the Torture Scientists get their due.
lolwut: Removed Marsellus Wallace: "What now? Let me tell you what now. I'ma call a coupla hard, pipe-hittin' niggers, who'll go to work on the homes here with a pair of pliers and a blow torch. You hear me talkin', hillbilly boy? I ain't through with you by a damn sight. I'ma get medieval on your ass." because, even disregarding the fact that the pliers and blowtorch are to stop identification (removing teeth and removing fingerprints, respectively), Mr Wallace isn't even implied to be the one who'll be doing the torturing.
What about Babylon 5? G'Kar is tortured by a hired assassin. Later on Sheridan gets captured and tortured by Earth Gov. Both torturer's use "pain givers" and appear to be entirely dispassionate. The Earth Gov employee even starts by asking if Sheridan has a heart problem he should know about. I haven't seen Brazil, but I've got a feeling that this Brazil also does this, and it was JMS's way of paying homage.
