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Ghost Canyon

A Clockwork Orange: 4K Ultra HD [2-Disc]
(Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Adrienne Corri, Miriam Karlin, Michael Bates, et al / 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital / R / 2021 / Warner Bros.)

Overview: In an England of the future, Alex (Malcolm McDowell) and his Droogs spend their nights getting high at the Korova Milkbar before embarking on a little of the old ultraviolence, while jauntily warbling Singing in the Rain.

After he is jailed for bludgeoning the Cat Lady to death, Alex submits to a behavior modification technique to earn his freedom; he is conditioned to abhor violence. Returned to the world defenseless, Alex becomes the victim of his prior victims.

4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Verdict: Warner Bros. is expanding their 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray catalog offerings this month with the release of the cinematically wild A Clockwork Orange coming to 4K Ultra HD video format this September 21st, 2021.

For my money, this A Clockwork Orange: 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital combo packs sharpness takes a fairly large step forward from others in their 4K Ultra HD catalog and even comes with HDR (High Dynamic Range) for the complete 4K Ultra HD experience, of course.

So, what we have is A Clockwork Orange presented to us as a two-disc combo pack with a sheet for a Digital HD Copy. Other stand out points you should know are: Codec: HEVC / H.265, Resolution: Native 4K (2160p), HDR: HDR10, Aspect ratio: 1.66:1 and Original aspect ratio: 1.66:1.

Featuring Dolby Vision and HDR10 for brighter, deeper, and way more lifelike colors, as with most all 4K UHDs, everything that we watch features these qualities - but somehow, this film gloriously shines within them all.

Noticeably crisper with the overall clarity receiving an obvious boost here on this release, what is more is that it is enjoyably noticeable. In fact, for me, one of the biggest beneficiaries of this is the now infamous Singing in the Rain (Gene Kelly) scene where the men have invaded the house and are setting plans in motion for the night.

Whilst one carries a woman - wearing a bright red dress - over his shoulder past the camera, behind him Alex (McDowell) is cheesily singing the song, whilst dancing and still finding time to kick the husband (being held down on the floor) in the stomach over and over!

I mean, in general, there is something exceedingly sick about watching a grown man do something as depraved as licking another person’s boot. And director Stanley Kubrick’s masterful camera angles just make this other notable scene sting even more (as we watch as Alex, who can no longer control himself, has to basically clean off some guy’s leather. Yuck!)

As for the audio, well we are given the following: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit).

As for the story itself, well, A Clockwork Orange was easily one of the 70’s most controversial movies and easily one of the most disturbed movies of all time; so much so that Kubrick actually withdrew the film from circulation in the UK until he passed away in 1999.

That rarely happens to any film, especially to the type of film that the modern world would consider to be an astronomically important cinema-classic.

A Clockwork Orange is like the forbidden fruit of British-American cinema: it’s risky beyond belief but the temptation is insatiable until you take the first bite.

Risky, horrific, and psychologically demented yet absolutely beautiful in its depiction of a futuristic dystopia.

Although the film, like Anthony Burgess’s novel from which it is adapted, is cast as futurist fiction, it is much more a satire on contemporary society than are most futurist works, all of which, if they are worth anything, are meaningful only in terms of the society that bred them.

It may even be a mistake to describe the movie A Clockwork Orange as futurist in any respect, since its made-up teenage language, its décor, its civil idiocies, its social chaos, or their equivalents, are already at hand, although it’s still possible for most of the people to ignore a lot of them.

It seems to me that by describing horror with such elegance and beauty, Kubrick has created a very disorienting but human comedy, not warm and lovable, but a terrible sum- up of where the world is at.

With all of man’s potential for divinity through love, through his art and his music, this is what it has somehow boiled down to: a civil population terrorized by hoodlums, disconnected porno art, quick solutions to social problems, with the only hope for the future in the vicious Alex.

In my opinion, Kubrick has made a movie that exploits only the mystery and variety of human conduct. And because it refuses to use the emotions conventionally, demanding instead that we keep a constant, intellectual grip on things, it’s a most unusual and disorienting movie experience.

Amongst the following Special Features is the revealing Commentary by Malcolm McDowell and Nick Redman, where we learn facts such as: before Kubrick decided to adapt A Clockwork Orange into a film, a number of filmmakers tried to get adaptations off the ground.

One version was intended as a vehicle for the Rolling Stones, in which the band would’ve played Alex and his droogs.

Also, David Hemmings was set to play Alex in a film version written by Terry Southern, while Oliver Reed was set to play Alex in a film directed by Ken Russell.

Another great fact is the original costume for Alex DeLarge didn’t involve a jockstrap over his pants. This element came when Malcolm McDowell showed up to a costume fitting after a cricket game and Stanley Kubrick liked the look of his cricket gear!

As noted, one of the most memorable, and disturbing, scenes in A Clockwork Orange sees Alex singing Singing in the Rain while he and his droogs terrorize the writer and his wife.

The song wasn’t originally scripted. On the set, Stanley Kubrick found the scene to be too conventional and asked Malcolm McDowell to spruce it up with some improv.

McDowell started singing the song and Kubrick liked it so much that he instantly got on the phone to secure the rights to use it. Gene Kelly would later tell McDowell at a party that he was very upset with how his song had been used in A Clockwork Orange!

Special Features:
• Commentary by Malcolm McDowell and Nick Redman
• Still Tickin’: The Return of Clockwork Orange [2000 Channel 4 Documentary]
• Great Bolshy Yarblockos! Making A Clockwork Orange
• Turning Like Clockwork
• Malcolm McDowell Looks Back
• O Lucky Malcolm!

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced today that A Clockwork Orange, Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 classic dystopian film, will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray and Digital on September 21st, 2021.

Adapted from Anthony Burgess’s 1962 decline-of-civilization novel, A Clockwork Orange received four Academy Award® nominations; Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay (Based on Material from Another Medium) and Best Film Editing.

Directed, written and produced by Kubrick, the film stars Malcolm McDowell as Alex DeLarge, Warren Clarke, James Marcus and Michael Tarn as his droogs, Patrick Magee and Michael Bates.

In 2020, the United States Library of Congress selected A Clockwork Orange for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.

The 4K restoration was conducted by Warner Bros.’ Motion Picture Imaging (MPI). Kubrick’s former right-hand man Leon Vitali and the Kubrick Estate worked closely with the team at Warner Bros. during the mastering process.

Ultra HD* showcases 4K resolution with High Dynamic Range (HDR) and a wider color spectrum, offering consumers brighter, deeper, more lifelike colors for a home entertainment viewing experience like never before.

A Clockwork Orange will be available on Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack for $24.99 ERP and includes an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc with the feature film in 4K with HDR and a Blu-ray disc with the feature film and special features.

Fans can also own A Clockwork Orange in 4K Ultra HD via purchase from select digital retailers beginning September 21st, 2021.

A Clockwork Orange | Official Trailer

www.WarnerBros.com





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