Still Tickin': The Return of A Clockwork Orange

Still Tickin': The Return of A Clockwork Orange (2000)

*** (out of 4)

Malcolm McDowell, directors Sam Mendes and Mary Harron are joined by writers like Mark Kermode, Alexander Walker, Blake Morrison as well as British Board of Film Classification member Ken Penry among others as they discuss the controversial nature of Stanley Kubrick's A CLOCKWORK ORANGE.

This British documentary basically takes a look at the issues the film had in the U.K. including it originally being released uncut and how Stanley Kubrick withdrew the film from viewing. The most fascinating aspect of this documentary deals with why Kubrick removed it from Britain and yet let it appear everywhere else in the world. The word had always been he was worried about his families safety but the documentary makes you wonder if it was something else. The nature of the rape scenes in the movie are debated as is what impact the movie will have once it is re-released in the U.K..

The interviews are quite good and there's no doubt that the subject is a fascinating one. If you're a fan of the film then you'll certainly want to watch this as it gives you another view of the film and the damage that it might or might not cause.

I don't normally review what essentially is a DVD extra, but I know that this documentary about the legacy of "A Clockwork Orange" was on Channel Four originally, so I thought I'd put down a few words. I watched it on the UK release BluRay of the film.

Having been withdrawn by Stanley Kubrick from release in the UK, his death in 1999 allowed for the return of the film to public viewing. The withdrawal, following a storm of media articles and fears for his safety, only increased the films notoriety and copies became illicit items, sent for abroad or dished out under the counter. Despite the controversy around the film, it passed the censors uncut, which led some politicians to call into question their validity as an organisation.

Ironically, looking at this documentary in 2023, one of the most striking aspects is how "of its time" it is. Recorded around 1999, it's standard-definition video recording really stands out now when you are used to seeing all forms of TV in HD. The interview subjects are interesting. Mary Harron is clearly on the rounds for the similarly controversial "American Psycho" that came out around that time. Sam Mendes talks about the film, though he actually only saw it a couple of years prior. Mark Kermode, still at this point the enfant terrible film reviewer has better stories about his relationship the film and the book, whilst Alexander Walker gives us the historical context. Speaking of enfant terrible, for some reason they interview Damien Hirst too who talks about ... himself mostly.

Generally though, this is pretty interesting stuff, utilising old interviews with Anthony Burgess and Malcolm McDowell alongside the new ones to talk about many aspects of the film, the book, the history and the legacy of the film.