A Clockwork Orange [Blu-ray]

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Stupid, 2010-07-25
For the life of me, I can't figure out why this movie gets such ratings. I'm an avid movie watcher without particular tastes. Will watch just about anything even if I've read the book not judge according to original stories. This movie just plain sucks, but because it was written by someone of notable existence in '72 I think, he must have been ahead of his time, right? ~ NOT! It sucked when I tried to watch it 25 years ago when I walked out of the theater it sucked even more when I watched it as an adult nearly a decade ago now.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

One of a kind film from the master of cinema Stanely Kubrik., 2010-07-18
A Clockwork Orange is a revolutionary motion picture. It was surely a very controversial piece of work back in the seventies and I can see how it would still be just as chilling if released today. I have not read the novel, but the film is extremely powerful and stands, to this day, as one of the best motion pictures of all time. Stanley Kubrick is an amazing director and, with a capable cast and some Beethoven tunes, he effectively turns A Clockwork Orange into a timeless work of art. The film is not watered down, nor is it for everyone. For those who can appreciate it though, A Clockwork Orange is a true masterpiece that does not disappoint. While Kubrik's previous film 2001 A Space Odyssey presented a central character rendered inert by his surroundings, here the viewer is given Alex (great performance by Malcolm McDowell), a dynamic, intelligent and often witty psychopath who performs any antisocial action dictated by his whims - beatings, robbery, rape and murder. The protagonist Alex, an adolescent man who along with his three "droogs" (cronies) spends nights at a bizarrely-decorated bar drinking mixes of milk and drugs. This prepares the four pals for their favorite nightly pastimes: "ultra-violence" and rape. The actions of the group are depicted in detail and glorified with cinematography, art design, and classical music selections. The first act of the film seems designed to shock and trigger a subconscious taste in viewers for vicarious violence. It culminates with Alex, having recently reinforced his status as gang leader, accidentally murdering a frightened "cat lady" with a giant ornamental phallus sculpture and single-handedly taking the blame. After the process of being sent to prison, Alex grows to learn to tell officers and guards what they like to hear. He reads the bible, is never involved with any major fights or complications, and almost volunteers for a new kind of experiment. An experiment so probationary it is still being tested and held under wraps. What it does, though a series of "sessions," is cure a violent individual from his sickness; he will feel terrible pain if involved in any sort of violence after the medicine takes place. The film's extremely potent streak of humor also belongs to Alex and reinforces the message that a twisted member of society is not so far removed from normality as is so often assumed it also shows us a very dark and psychedelic vision of the future (although some of the sets do look abit outdated, especially at the record store). On a more superficial level, A Clockwork Orange is also a supremely well crafted piece of entertainment, slickly acted and performed and often disturbing. Stanley Kubrick's direction to "A Clockwork Orange" also forces us to investigate deep down in ourselves and chew on the idea of us being in the character's shoes. There is a brilliant and memorable scene in this movie that forces two parents to make a decision of a lifetime. After receiving the treatments he volunteered for, Alex returns to his household only to discover that the only mom and dad he's ever known have rented his old room out to some strange college kid, who is said to have been there for them during many hard times, like a real son. His parents must make a choice: to throw their only son, who has suffered for years in turn for making others suffer, out of the house for good, or allow him to return with open arms trusting that he is "cured". At this point you don't know whether to despise this character or feel pity for him cause he's misunderstood, this is great stuff from Kubrik. `A Clockwork Orange' was a film that was so far ahead of it's time in 1971, it is also highly dramatic, extremely graphic, compelling and provoking... It is frightening and intriguing masterpiece with a powerful message about the reality of human nature. Highly recommended.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

A terrifying prediction of the arrival of the New Age movement, 2010-07-13
Stanley Kubrick and the rest of the world were mostly unaware of the concept of the arrival of a future movement of centrists who would try to convince people of creating a society without fear and crime where everybody would be a slave to a democratic dictatorship run by the presence of political power both visible and invisible. Stanley Kubrick had heard rumours that the federal government was planning to take violence in it's own hands rather than keeping it operating at a public level , to the point that he decided to make a movie about it and base it on the famous classic novel Clockwork Orange. The result becomes a very sinister prediction of what society would be like under the influence of inactivists - those who believe that human nature can be broken down and that people are not to act against it by any means whatsoever. Because there is no concept of New Age thought throughout the whole book or the whole movie , we often get to hear names like 'Droogs', which is the title of those who rebelled against nature being dishonoured in the film. Led by a fanatical fan of Beethoven's 9th symphony , the Droogs tried to make right wrong by creating as much violence as possible - with almost no chaos , which turns out to be a bitter disappointment for them. Even so they continue until the leader of the Droogs decides to explain his reasons for doing what he did. He is then put off the rehab plan as the federal government decides to put him into a position of authority to judge anything he so desires on the concept of violence. The film also puts the practice of the superstition known once as 'clinical psychiatry'into an existential angst type of perspective which makes total idiots out of the psychiatrists who thought they were helping the main character of the movie. Understandeably , Kubrick got visited by a political figure who warned him of the consequences of attempting to make another movie like A Clockwork Orange again which would attempt to present violence on the screen for what it really is. Not listening , Kubrick made The Shining. When it was the third time , with Eyes Wide Shut , he was appearently killed or to put it in the words of the political figure in Clockwork Orange 'put away'. When the predicted New Age movement finally arrived , it was used as a front to keep people in line with the wishes of imaginary friends at the expense of common sense. The politically incorrect , bad for big government and big bussiness explanation for violence as portrayed in this film , is that it is ineviteable. It is part of every intelligent being's existence no matter where. Thank goodness the New Age movement is now collapsing or at the very least being withdrawn - I was part of it for some time and when I saw it for the crap it was , I thanked goodness that I had not gone further. Thank you , Stanley , and thank you , author of the novel by the same name on which this book is based!!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

Awesome Blu Ray Transfer - Great extras, 2010-06-23
As with most older movies transferred to blu-ray, I'm pretty sure that most people who would be buying this have already seen this great film, and have their own opinions of it. br / br /So, this review is strictly about the quality and extras of the BLU-RAY. br / br /Hands down, this is one of the best transfers I have seen of a movie this old. Most blu-rays seem of older movies seem to be patchy as far as quality goes, but this one is consistently great all the way through. br / br /The extras are what really sets this apart though. Commentary by Malcom McDowell, A documentary about the film, and a making of! br / br /A solid buy for fans of the movie - this is a significant upgrade over past DVD's, and for the first time I don't feel ripped off by a repurchase/upgrade. br / br /On a side note, Come on Amazon! - Start filtering the product reviews for blu-rays. What is the point of listing ALL of the DVD reviews for the same title? Seems like it could be an easy fix - maybe they'll actually do it someday...

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

Kubrick at his best., 2010-06-05
I love all of Stanley Kubrick's films, but this one takes the cake. It was so inventive and shocking for its time; as great today as it was upon its release. A visionary and skillful adaptation of Burgess's novel. Stunning.