Banned: Ireland, UK, Singapore, Malaysia, Spain, South Korea This adaptation of Anthony Burgess novel (which wasnt warmly received by the establishment itself) was directed by Stanley Kubrick and despite its blighted past and censorship history, it is recognised today as a true cinema classic. Many people believe the film was banned by the BBFC in Britain. In fact, it was taken out of circulation by Kubrick himself to protect his family against death threats and also due to fears that there were copycat attacks and murders happening in the UK. Kubrick delivered a blinder of a film the violence is wonderfully choreographed (which is probably what got it into trouble), the Beethoven-led soundtrack is magnificent and the acting is of a very high calibre, particularly from Malcolm McDowell in the central role of Alex. The film is, however, exceptionally brutal and remains quite shocking in the present day. A homeless drunk gets kicked about. An elderly writer gets severely beaten and his wife raped. A woman is killed by a sculpture of a giant penis by Alex. And at the end of it all, Alexs reprogramming and reintegration into society is shown to be unnatural and against the laws of personality change. A Clockwork Orange was very successful upon its release. It had a budget of $2.2 million and recouped $25 million at the American box office. The film went on to be released in 2001 after Kubricks death in 1999 and it is a very well regarded film by both the BFI and AFI who have each given it several accolades. It is about a million miles away from bottom feeders like Cannibal Ferox but it goes to prove that even serious art can be banned as well, even if it was a self imposed ban in the UK.
My first film watched was Carrie aged 2 on my dad's knee. Educated at The University of St Andrews and Trinity College Dublin. Fan of Arthouse, Exploitation, Horror, Euro Trash, Giallo, New French Extremism. Weaned at the bosom of a Russ Meyer starlet. The bleaker, artier or sleazier the better!
