The 10 worst bosses from film and TV

Darth Vader I could live with. At least you knew where you stood with him. Not Jabba. One minute you're a trusted member of the gang, the next minute he flips a switch and you're down in the pit with a blood-thirsty Rancor. I had a CEO who was just like that.

Granted, I've never actually had to sell my soul to the devil to keep my job, but I did have a boss from hell who was a raving lunatic, threw temper tantrums like a deranged child and routinely kicked holes in the walls.

A dysfunctional, childish, petulant, distrustful misanthrope who treats his employees like pawns, and that's on a good day. He's also a problem-solving genius, so it's impossible to outthink or outmaneuver his cruel manipulations. That describes about half the founders in Silicon Valley.

Yes, I had a real-life boss who was every bit as abusive and cruel as this guy was: "You are nothing! If you were in my toilet I wouldn't bother flushing it." He used to berate us just like that. Did I ever imagine kidnapping and torturing him like in the movie? Nah.

Your typical sadistic billionaire CEO, except this one actually does keep a Rancor around, just for laughs. Not quite as evil as Montgomery Burns from the Simpson's, but could you imagine having to work for your insufferable father-in-law? I'd rather take my chances with the Rancor.

No, I've never had a boss who expected me to kidnap a child or commit suicide while reciting Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven." But I was forced to work with lawyers, venture capitalists and Wall Street investment bankers. Does that count?

If you've never had to work weekends and holidays for a cantankerous, cold-hearted boss who thinks your life should revolve around him and his company, you don't know what you're missing. Now I work for myself -- and I still don't have a life. Go figure

Sometimes it seems like doctors were actually put on earth to torture us -- just like bosses. Besides caring much more about profits than patients, Kelso (right) has the emotional intelligence of cardboard, or about average for a Fortune 500 CEO. Favorite quote: "It's not my job to care"

Ammer's a slimy boss who treats Michael Newman (Adam Sandler) like his personal slave. When Newman farts in his boss's face, it reminded me of a CEO who used to let 'em rip all the time in the boardroom. No, I'm not kidding. I wish I had that magic remote control back then

I had a greedy, power-hungry boss who threw employees under the bus without a second thought. Sometimes I have nightmares where I'm strapped to a table, about to be cut in two by a laser. Terrified, I say, "Do you expect me to work?" With his hand on the laser control, my boss sneers, "No, Mr. Tobak, I expect you to die!"

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Jabba the Hutt, 'Star Wars: Return of the Jedi'

John Milton, 'The Devil's Advocate'

Gregory House, 'House'

Buddy Ackerman, 'Swimming with Sharks'

Carter Pewterschmidt, 'Family Guy'

Joe Carroll, 'The Following'

Frank Cross, 'Scrooged'

Bob Kelso, 'Scrubs'

John Ammer, 'Click'

Auric Goldfinger, 'Goldfinger'

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Editor's note: Steve Tobak is a Silicon Valley-based management consultant, executive coach and former senior executive of the technology industry. Follow him on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

(CNN) -- Every so often I'll see a movie or a TV show where a boss is over-the-top bad, and it's supposed to be hilarious or terrifying.

But I've had bosses who did some of the same things in real life. Perhaps the echoes of reality is what makes these fictitious bosses stand out.

Come to think of it, I wasn't always such a great boss myself, so maybe it was just karma.

Here are some of the ones that reminded me of horrible bosses I had in real life. I know -- I probably deserved it.

Who gets your vote for the worst bosses from film and TV? Let us know in the comments, below.