POLL: MALCOLM McDOWELL

He's great in his cameo in The Player

you've been to AFA

I've never seen any of these films. You should've included Our Friends In The North.

Entourage!

You have almost 2 weeks to rent the new Criterion edition of If...

Without Tank Girl, Caligula wins by default.

you've been to AFA

hah, i saw all 3 in one go

(britannia hospital = awesome)

I just rented BH today, the only one of the Anderson trilogy I've never seen.

The Criterion of If... is out?! Oh my goodness I need to see it. I have only seen this film on an AWFUL television with a shit VHS copy and even then I loved it. Like, one of my favourite movies.

This is a really hard poll because

a) I like so many of these movies
b) no "Heroes" no credibility

i'm giving it to If... but Caligula gets a close second. I saw it at a repertory theatre a night or two before it closed FOREVER. A guy threw up near the end (more due to the liquor I think he was drinking). It was fucking surreal, he was just SPEWING like crazy, and everyone near him got out of their seats and watched the last 20 minutes from the aisles.

the repertory theater opened again recently. Since it came back I saw Short Bus (meh) and Exterminating Angels (ugh) and those are the only three movies i've seen there and oh my god I look like a pervert now. NONE OF THESE MOVIES WERE MY IDEA I SWEAR TO GOD. I'M A NORMAL BOY

I've never seen Caligula; Mal hates it.

A friend assures me he's totally hot in Richard Lester's Royal Flash.

Exterminating Angels is the French thing and not Bunuel, right?

no joke: he does an incredible job on the audio book of ken follet/rene l. maurice's "UNDER THE STREETS OF NICE" (non-fic crime-drama about Albert Spagiarri, one of the greatest bank heists of all time).

love it. used to listen to it with my grandma on cross country trips.

Yeah @ French thing. Don't see it. It's pretty awful.

should I rent Gangtsa No. 1 on my next trip to the vid store?

Caligula! yes

Wow, I can't believe how... not panned Exterminating Angels got. Not to waste all of my time talking about a non-Malcolm McDowell movie on his thread, but Jesus. That movie was SO bad in SO many ways. And "lauded" critics are giving it thumbs up?! UUURRGHH this is part of why I can't love movies.

you can love SOME

"Hello. I'm a British Person."

The three films with Lindsay Anderson "If . .", "O Lucky Man" and "Brittania Hospital" are amazing. I have to see "If . ." again. McDowell apparently got "Clockwork Orange" on the strength of his work in "If . ."

"If..." is out? I've fallen so far off the criterion wagon, it saddens me.

I found the extended cut of Caligula disturbing as a teen.

No Heroes, No Entourage, No credibility indeed.

I'm going with a Clockwork Orange, because I'm worried that nobody will vote for it because they're too cool (or Morb) to do it.

Been waiting a long time for this.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/If-including-screenplay-exclusive-Amazon-co-uk/dp/B000NJLYV2/ref=sr_1_9/202-9618481-0937411?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1182556287&sr=8-9

Gangster No. 1 is great, but mostly because of Paul Bettany, not Malcolm McDowell.

clockwork orange is the classic, tho if...is interstin

I love If..., but O Lucky Man! is a much more effective political indictment of capitalist/conformist indoctrination than If...
Malcolm did get Clockwork Orange because Kubrick had seen If...
If... is one of Lindsay Anderson's 10 favorite films of all time.
I voted for O Lucky Man! because he's just so wide-eyed and open to experience in the film; and because it's a great adaptation of Candide; and because the idea for O Lucky Man! was Malcolm McDowell's in the first place (you heard me).

PS If... has the best sex scene on the list <b>by far</b>.

it would be worrisome if you thought Clockwork Orange did.

I really need to see If...

Everyone needs to see If.. then 'O Lucky Man', which is perhaps a bit sprawling, but contains loads of fantastic WTF moments. "Try not to die like a dog" - should be a tattoo, might still be.

Didn't know it McDowell's concept - that makes him even cooler.

Haven't seen "Caligula" yet, and I'm a big fan of Tinto Brass, though the film was taken away from him and he disowns it.

"Oh Lucky Man" for being so full of craziness. I'd say If... is better, but he's a lot funnier in OLM.

"If...." without a second's thought. Lots of good films on the list. "Britannia Hospital" seemed to be underrated/off the map for years - is it getting some attention at last?

I'll be the lone nostalgia vote for "Time After Time," which ran incessantly on HBO when I was in junior high school and may have been my first exposure to McDowell.

Although admittedly in "Cat People" he tears off Ed Begley Jr.'s arm while in cat form.

No Tank Girl?!! I'm gonna boycott this poll.

If you wanted to include only "good" films, why put Time After Time on the list?

"What you got back home, little sister, to play your fuzzy warbles on? I bet you got, say, pitiful, portable picnic players. Come with uncle and hear all proper! Hear angels' trumpets and devils' trombones. You are invited!"

"Oh bliss! Bliss and heaven! Oh, it was gorgeousness and gorgeousity made flesh. It was like a bird of rarest-spun heaven metal or like silvery wine flowing in a spaceship, gravity all nonsense now. As I slooshied, I knew such lovely pictures!"

xpost

RONG

http://greenzombie.no.sapo.pt/hot%20alex.jpg

http://www.vanderzande.com/1971/clockwork.jpg

Malcolm did get Clockwork Orange because Kubrick had seen If...

Well, that and the fact that Malcolm could burp on cue. Kubrick was seriously considering Mick Jagger for the role. IIRC, Andrew Loog Oldham and/or Allen Klein were the first to option the novel as a vehicle for the Stones. Of course, their version was never made, but Jagger was still somewhat attached to the project. Kubrick ended up picking McDowell because (A)a screening of If... and the burp thing, and (B) Jagger gave up film acting (for about 20 years) after the failure of Ned Kelly and the botched release of Performance.

"If...." without a second's thought

"if ..." with a couple of seconds' thought, because:

- "a clockwork orange" might be my favourite film of all time, but

- "if ..." was a watershed in my life.

.

oh shit Morbs figured out how to create polls

If you wanted to include only "good" films, why put Time After Time on the list?

I've never seen that one either.

Britannia has its moments -- the last scene is the best -- but by far the weakest of the 3 Anderson films.

Caligula is some next level horseshit.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

i had to vote for clockwork because i've not seen any of the others in years. but i'm getting if... on DVD, loved it a long time ago and probably still will.

Brittannia Hospital has the same ending (sort of) as Withnail and I!

Gangster No. 1 is great, but mostly because of Paul Bettany, not Malcolm McDowell.

-- John Justen, Saturday, June 23, 2007 12:54 AM (1 week ago) Bookmark Link

mcdowell is actively bad in it, but the film has its points.

he is good in 'entourage', way to go morbs.

i'm voting 'clockwork orange'. i don't enjoy the film but he is great in it.

he wasn't really a working-class angry young man.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

yarbles.

No-one voted Brit Hosp, after all that?

Well, it's certainly not MM's best perf, he's only onscreen for maybe 20 minutes.

fair point.

the MM poll that counts.

Just keep rubbing it in, Morbs.

This seriously lacks Hidalgo.

Oh, hey, you STARTED this one! Boasty.

O Lucky Man! R1 DVD in October!

http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/protectedimage.php?image=DaveFoster/oluckyman_r1se.jpg_07082007

Holy crap! I can't wait to hear the McDowell commentary track on that.

(ps it's if.... , not If...)

i wanted to get the bfi to bundle it w.the criterion dvd but they are not very on the ball :(

My wonderful dream has been made flesh.

I added a . upthead for everyone missing out

i wanted to get the bfi to bundle it w.the criterion dvd but they are not very on the ball :(

At least Amazon gives you the bundling option.

amazon are bundling the screenplay :(

Where was Class Of 1999?

Where was Class Of 1999?

Where was Class Of 1999?

Where was Class Of 1999?

Where was Class Of 1999?

Where was Class Of 1999?

If.... holds up nicely, esp all the touches of fantasy and fleeting subsidiary moments. Interesting to hear McDowell discuss Anderdon's crusesh on all his leading actors (over the final scene).

i've still got this crappy, tiny torrented "if..." on my desktop here. but fuck it. the fact it's out on DVD is sheer joy.

Mark, I will have to read that once I finish my inept review.

What's interesting about the Criterion supplements is they contain contradictory testimony re 1) the reason for the B&W sequences -- but I think I have a handle on that as being an economic necessity in the chapel scenes, but an intuitive Brechtian change otherwise; and 2) whether or not the wearing of long coats and starched collars was a public-school anachronism in the late '60s.

i talked abt (1) a bit but (2) not at all

my guess at an LA-style argt in re 2 wd be: it depends what you mean by anachronism! (superficial stylistic elements may indeed be dated, but still it's fair game to symbolise the whole with such dated elements, as the entire system is also dated, anachronistic, an absurd leftover, blah blah)

also (off top of head): it suits mcdowell's radical ultra-dandyism NOT to be dressing down -- public schools are mainly tudor foundations, and Sumptuary Laws still existed in tudor times, esp.in relationship to dress -- so the rebels can be MORE lawless by dressing up than dressing down... they are very rival rebel aristocrats not the risen proles

imean, they are very MUCH rival rebel aristocrats

not the risen proles

Yeah, I got that...
'cept McDowell *sounds* like a risen prole, no?

I had forgotten that great Graham Crowden scene in the history class.

that's my favourite scene! i even read a book by j.h.plumb to research it!

mmm i think mcdowell's accent is fairly solidly posh, for then as for now --- having said that, there may be posher folk than me who can tell he's an oik (= so am i if so)

"Do you have a VIEW?"

I commend kenan for registering enough puppet accounts to vote for Caligula 9 times.

Double-disc set of O Lucky Man! out now.

Wow, if... is pretty great! So does this film explain the lol brit zing crew, or do they just wish it explained them?

Gangster No. 1 is great, but mostly because of Paul Bettany, not Malcolm McDowell.

― John Justen, Friday, June 22, 2007 7:54 PM (1 year ago) Bookmark

OTMFM

i've wanted to see 'O Lucky Man' for a long time...has anyone seen him in 'I'll sleep when I'm dead'? he rapes johnathon rhys meyers in it!

does he have massive alimony payments or something?

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000532/

busy for a 67-year-old film star

Mind's Eye (pre-production)
Mr. Simms

2012 Judge Ice (pre-production)
Judge Ice (rumored)

2011 The Spider (pre-production)
Von Wessel

2011 First Platoon (pre-production)
Rex Necro

2011 Vampires of Hollywood (pre-production)
Art Wood

2011 Lords of Magic (pre-production)
Lord Greyhall - 70 yrs

2012 Silent Hill: Revelation 3D (filming)
Leonard Wolf (rumored)

2012 Death Method (post-production)
Mr. Wells

2011 Franklin & Bash (TV series) (post-production)
Stanton Infeld
– Pilot (2011) … Stanton Infeld

2011 Mischief Night (post-production)
Mr. Smiles

2011 Vamps (completed)
Vlad

2011 L.A., I Hate You (completed)
Harold Weintraub

2011 Suing the Devil
Satan

2011 LA Phil Live (TV series)
Prospero
– Dudamel Conducts Tchaikovsky (2011) … Prospero

2011 Killzone 3 (Video Game)
Jorhan Brimve Stahl (voice)

lol at the caligula voters here.

'if....' and 'o lucky man' are two of my all-time favs. 'if....' in particular i could probably watch every month and never get sick of.

Ten years later, I finally watched the 2-disc O Lucky Man! Last saw it in a Linc Ctr retro with McDowell in attendance, circa 2002?

McDowell's performance is ... recessive, I think. He doesn't remotely go out of his way to ingratiate himself to the audience.

I'd forgotten Rachel Roberts' devastating scene as the working-class mother preparing to commit suicide. And everything Ralph Richardson does as Sir James is perfect.

obviously his cameo appearance voice acting on the Star Wars cartoon is the peak performance here

What's it going to be then, eh?

Caligula was produced by Bob Guccione

When do we live? That's what I want to know.

he's good in if and that's it SITO (2nd edn of my book due out later in the year, this topic not explored)

the new cut of caligula is watchable and silly tho really it needed jarman directing, MM plays caligula as a kind of hornt-up elon-DOGE figure, which is to say insufferable, an affect that may well have historical sanction lol (tho id call the performance more annoying than good)

wondering a bit why morbs considered MM working class? his ppl were hoteliers and pub owners and he's only ever spoken posh (not always a good guide it's true, until the mid-60s actors were mostly encouraged to disguise all trace of a regional accent)

oh wait i see morbs and i discussed this in the thread a little

enjoyable in TV series 'the mentalist' as the leader of a cult that in no way shape or form was meant to be scientology.