Violence makes violence

A Clockwork Orange (1971) – A Review

Director ~ Stanley Kubrick

Producer ~ Stanley Kubrick

Writer ~ Stanley Kubrick (screenplay), Anthony Burgess (novel)

Starring ~ Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Adrienne Corri, Miriam Karlin

Stanley Kubrick is considered by many to be one of the greatest directing talents in the film industry. ‘A Clockwork Orange’ was one of his most controversial films, so much so that it was withdrawn from the British market shortly after its release. It was equally acclaimed and bashed by critics and has become a cult favourite. Set in a future dystopian London; it is a gruesomely violent and graphic film and also an incredibly provocative social commentary on government control, psychotherapy, youth violence and the contradictions of morality in society.   Kubrick creates a chillingly convincing adaption of Anthony Burgess’ novel that stays with you long after you finish watching it.

The protagonist, Alex, is the leader of his gang of ‘droogs’ who spend their evenings drinking and indulging in ‘ultra – violence’ by assaulting their chosen victims physically, psychologically and sexually. He is sociopathic criminal who eventually gets arrested for murder and subjected to aversion therapy to ‘cure’ him of his violent behaviour by using conditional psychology. He then returns to society as a reformed man, but this goodness is involuntary and he becomes the ‘clockwork orange’ – natural on the outside, mechanical on the inside.

It is a disturbing watch at times, but moreover intensely fascinating and captivating. The soundtrack comprises of classical music (mostly Beethoven) and electronic synthetic music adding to the eerie atmosphere of the film and the visuals are sharp and bold. Some consider ‘A Clockwork Orange’ an offensive mess but I think that it is a thought-provoking masterpiece and a rightful cult cinema classic.

Favourite Quotes ~

Alex: We were all feeling a bit shagged and fagged and fashed, it being a night of no small expenditure.

Alex: No time for the old in-out, love, I've just come to read the meter.

Alex: I was cured, all right!

Prison Chaplain: Goodness is something to be chosen. When a man cannot choose he ceases to be a man.

Alex: It's funny how the colors of the real world only seem really real when you viddy them on the screen.

Minister: Public opinion has a way of changing.

Chief Guard Barnes: Violence makes violence.

Lebowski: not a man, a way of life

The Big Lebowski (1998) – A Review

Directors ~ Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Producers ~ Joel Coen, Ethan Coen, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner

Writers ~ Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Starring ~ Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, David Huddleston, John Turturro

A modern cult phenomenon, ‘The Big Lebowski’ is a hilarious pastiche of film genres, namely film noir, 70s stoner films and the great Hollywood western. Said to be loosely based on the 1946 noir classic, ‘The Big Sleep’, it is a visually stunning comedy with memorable dialogue. It disappointed at the box office, which was a surprising result for the film making duo that brought us ‘Raising Arizona’, ‘Barton Fink’ and ‘Fargo’. It also received mixed reviews when initially released but has steadily grown into a cult classic. The entire cast do an excellent job and Jeff Bridges’ performance as the flawed hero, ‘The Dude’, has become iconic.

The Dude, whose real name is Lebowski, gets mistaken for a local millionaire by a group of German nihilists who beat him up in demand for money owed by (The Big) Lebowski’s wife. After this event The Dude seeks compensation for his spoilt rug, which he is denied but then is later contacted by Big Lebowski and asked to act as a courier for a ransom held for Big Lebowski’s kidnapped wife. As the movie continues, the plot becomes increasingly complicated and ultimately meaningless to the film’s purpose. It is absurd most of the time, cutting the storyline up with intersecting dream sequences and conversations held in The Dude’s local bowling alley with his buddies, Walter and Donny.

‘The Big Lebowski’ is a classic Coen Brothers film, and is one of the most funniest films I have ever seen. The soundtrack is brilliant giving the film a retro Sixties and Seventies vibe, and the script is endlessly quotable. It is a winning combination of originality and homage to cinema, appealing to both an older and younger audience.

Favourite Quotes ~

Maude Lebowski: What do you do for recreation?

The Dude: Oh, the usual. I bowl. Drive around. The occasional acid flashback.

Walter Sobchak: You want a toe? I can get you a toe, believe me. There are ways, Dude. You don't wanna know about it, believe me.

The Dude: Yeah, but Walter...

Walter Sobchak: Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o'clock this afternoon... with nail polish. These fucking amateurs...

Walter Sobchak: Nihilists! Fuck me. I mean, say what you like about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, at least it's an ethos.

The Dude: Where's the fucking money Lebowski?

The Dude: That rug really tied the room together.

Walter Sobchak: Shut the fuck up, Donny.

The Dude: And, you know, he's got emotional problems, man.

Walter Sobchak: You mean... beyond pacifism?

The Stranger: I guess that's the way the whole durned human comedy keeps perpetuatin' itself.

The 'Brat Pack’ & Co

If you're similar to me and love coming-of-age stories then you should look no further than the 80s. John Hughes mastered the genre with a constant stream of successful films, which usually featured one or more of the core members from the ‘Brat Pack’.

This was the name given to a collection of actors/actresses from teen movies in the 1980s, predominantly those who appear in ‘The Breakfast Club’ and/or ‘St. Elmo’s Fire’. Molly Ringwald is one of the most definitive teen actresses from this period, alongside Anthony Michael Hall and Emilio Estevez. Aside from John Hughes, directors/writers like Joel Schumacher and Cameron Crowe were also known for producing some of the classic 80s high school films.

Whether or not these films can really be considered ‘cult’ is debatable. They were hugely successful commercially and critically in their time, which would usually exclude them. However, recent midnight showings of these films have resulted in a surge of fanatical popularity pushing them into the 'cult' subgroup. This is a prime example of how nostalgic our generation has become, even if none of us actually lived through the 80s! This throwback to the 1980s, in fashion tastes, music and cinema, has made these films 'cult' just due to massive fan followings and revived cinema screenings.

My reason for including this collection of high school films is because, quite simply, I love the 80s. I love the cheesy lines, music montages’ and ridiculous clothes. John Hughes, in particular, perfectly captured the misunderstood, rebellious feeling that all teenagers encounter.  The romances are sweet and naïve and the stereotypes are so well played out. These films just have these amazing scenes in them that you want to play over and over again. Below is one of my personal favourites. 

This scene from 'Pretty in Pink' is so brilliant, and makes every girl question why Andie didn't pick the loveable Duckie at the end of the film. Jon Cryer is hilarious - cannot believe he went on to star in Two and a Half Men after this. 

Aside from John Cusack in 'Say Anything', the other 80s male lead I fell in love with was Matthew Broderick in 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off'. Something about his uncaring confidence made him irresistible to me when I was 14. Especially when he sings...

These films have some great music and dance numbers, that keep the tone uplifting and fun. The 80s were all about having a blast, and thats what makes them awesome. There are too many teen 80s films for me to do a post on each separately so instead I've just comprised a list of my favourites from the era. 

The 80's (High School) Films You Should See (in my opinion) 

The Breakfast Club (duh..)

Sixteen Candles

Pretty in Pink

Weird Science

Some Kind of Wonderful (more unknown, still great)

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

Say Anything.. (potentially one of my favourite films of all time!)

Fast Times at Ridgemont High

Back To The Future (even though this one isn't really a 'high school' film as such - its still awesome)

And with that, I'll just leave you with a clip of one of the most famous 80s dance scenes of all time. Enjoy! 

The (Drag) Queen of Cult

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) – A Review

Director ~ Jim Sharman

Producer ~ Michael White

Writers ~ Richard O’Brian (original screenplay), Jim Sharman (adapted)

Starring ~ Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Richard O’Brian, Patricia Quinn, Nell Campbell, Jonathan Adams, Peter Hinwood, Meat loaf

This is probably the quintessential cult film; flopped at the box office, insanely devoted fan following, bizarre story and outrageous characters. Based on the musical by Richard O’ Brian, it is one of the strangest films I have ever seen and I loved every minute of it.

The plot follows a young, engaged couple, Brad and Janet, who knock on the door of Frank-N-Furter’s castle when their car breaks down in the pouring rain. They get quickly sucked into the crazed madness of Transylvania, losing their naïve innocence along the way. The film plays homage to old sci-fi and horror B-movies, and is a celebration of the ‘unconventional conventionalists’ of the world. The plot is a jumble most of the time and the acting is over the top but there is something hypnotic in its lack of boundaries and gaudy trashiness. The film’s messages about acceptance, through its very liberal views on sexuality, praises people’s differences in an unpretentious, joyous way and is one reason why this film has such a huge fan base. Tim Curry’s role as Frank-N-Furter has become iconic, and many of its songs, such as ‘Time Warp’ have stood the test of time.

The main reason that this film achieved such a large following was because of the decision to screen it at midnight during the 70s after it had performed so badly upon its initial release. Audience members began dressing up, talking back at the screen and throwing things during performances turning the film into a phenomenon. After years of wanting to go to a live viewing, I finally got the chance for my friend, Tom’s, birthday. Me, him and his boyfriend, Josh, got all dressed up and we took ourselves down to Leicester Square to finally get the full 'Rocky Horror' experience. We went to the Prince Charles Cinema, joining a host of eccentrically clad fanatics to watch the film. 

And it was incredible. The yelling, the singing along, the crazy, crazy costumes, the sheer unadulterated fun, all made it a night that I will never forget. I recommend it to anyone, as whether you are a fan of the film or not, I dare you not to have an amazing time. 

Favourite Quotes ~

Magenta: I'm lucky, he's lucky, we're all lucky! 

Frank: A mental mind fuck can be nice.

Magenta: I ask for nothing! 
Frank: And you shall receive it, IN ABUNDANCE! 

Frank: So come up to the lab and see what's on the slab. I see you shiver with antici...pation. 

Frank: It's not easy having a good time! Even smiling makes my face ache!

Dr. Everett Scott: This sonic transducer, it is I suppose some kind of audio-vibratory-physio-molecular transport device? 

Who do you blame when it all goes wrong?

Reservoir Dogs (1992) – A Review

Director ~ Quentin Tarantino

Producer ~ Lawrence Bender

Writer ~ Quentin Tarantino

Starring ~ Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, Michael Madsen

Quentin Tarantino is considered by some to be a great cult director, but Reservoir Dogs is probably the only one of his films that actually qualifies as ‘cult’. It was Tarantino’s independent debut as both a writer and director, and is a brilliant low budget display of how great a filmmaker he is, even when you take away the opulence of his later work.

The film focuses around the events leading up to a jewelry heist and after it all goes horribly wrong. The team, each named after a colour to conceal their identities, try to figure out who was the ‘rat’ amongst them that alerted the police. The narrative jumps between the events before and after the robbery in a non-linear fashion intersected with unrelated scenes where they discuss Madonna and appropriate tipping etiquette.

Tarantino’s script is funny, in a very blunt way, and contrasts brilliantly with the lavish violence. The violent scenes in the film are also cleverly filmed, as the anticipation is built up and then usually the camera cuts away before the really gruesome acts are performed. The balance between the tension that is built up in these scenes and the snappy dialogue keeps your eyes peeled to the screen. It is a rapid, stylistic, gangster inspired piece of cinema and rightly established Tarantino as an upcoming writer/director to watch.

Favourite Quotes ~

Joe: You don't need proof when you have instinct. 

Mr. Blonde: Torture you? That's a good idea. I like that.

Mr. Pink: You kill anybody? 
Mr. White: A few cops. 
Mr. Pink: No real people? 
Mr. White: Just cops. 

Joe: Cough up a buck you cheap bastard. 

Mr. Pink: Do you know what this is? It's the world's smallest violin playing just for the waitresses.

Joe: Mr. Brown, Mr. White, Mr. Blonde, Mr. Blue, Mr. Orange, and Mr. Pink. 
Mr. Pink: Why am I Mr. Pink? 
Joe: Because you're a faggot, alright? 

Mr. Blonde: You kids shouldn't play so rough. Somebody's gonna start cryin'.