Regular Price $24.98

Starring: Malcolm McDowell,  Patrick Magee,  Michael Bates,  Warren Clarke,  John Clive, 
Directed By: Stanley Kubrick, 
Rated: R (Restricted)
Release Date: 1972-02-02
Studio: Warner Home Video
Format: Closed-captioned,  Color,  Dolby,  DVD-Video,  Letterboxed,  NTSC, 

Editorial Reviews and DVD Information about A Clockwork Orange

Amazon.com essential video
Stanley Kubrick's striking visual interpretation of Anthony Burgess's famous novel is a masterpiece. Malcolm McDowell delivers a clever, tongue-in-cheek performance as Alex, the leader of a quartet of droogs, a vicious group of young hoodlums who spend their nights stealing cars, fighting rival gangs, breaking into people's homes, and raping women. While other directors would simply exploit the violent elements of such a film without subtext, Kubrick maintains Burgess's dark, satirical social commentary. We watch Alex transform from a free-roaming miscreant into a convict used in a government experiment that attempts to reform criminals through an unorthodox new medical treatment. The catch, of course, is that this therapy may be nothing better than a quick cure-all for a society plagued by rampant crime. A Clockwork Orange works on many levels--visual, social, political, and sexual--and is one of the few films that hold up under repeated viewings. Kubrick not only presents colorfully arresting images, he also stylizes the film by utilizing classical music (and Wendy Carlos's electronic classical work) to underscore the violent scenes, which even today are disturbing in their display of sheer nihilism. Ironically, many fans of the film have missed that point, sadly being entertained by its brutality rather than being repulsed by it. --Bryan Reesman

Amazon.com
Stanley Kubrick's striking visual interpretation of Anthony Burgess's famous novel is a masterpiece. Malcolm McDowell delivers a clever, tongue-in-cheek performance as Alex, the leader of a quartet of droogs, a vicious group of young hoodlums who spend their nights stealing cars, fighting rival gangs, breaking into people's homes, and raping women. While other directors would simply exploit the violent elements of such a film without subtext, Kubrick maintains Burgess's dark, satirical social commentary. We watch Alex transform from a free-roaming miscreant into a convict used in a government experiment that attempts to reform criminals through an unorthodox new medical treatment. The catch, of course, is that this therapy may be nothing better than a quick cure-all for a society plagued by rampant crime. A Clockwork Orange works on many levels--visual, social, political, and sexual--and is one of the few films that hold up under repeated viewings. Kubrick not only presents colorfully arresting images, he also stylizes the film by utilizing classical music (and Wendy Carlos's electronic classical work) to underscore the violent scenes, which even today are disturbing in their display of sheer nihilism. Ironically, many fans of the film have missed that point, sadly being entertained by its brutality rather than being repulsed by it. --Bryan Reesman

Customer Reviews for A Clockwork Orange

A dazzling masterpiece!

In the near future of the UK, a gang called the Droogs lead by young 15 year old Alex (Malcom Mcdowell) as the future has no proper law where they have their own bit of fun every know and they have their own version of fun which means drugs, sex, rape, robbing and the bit of the ol' ultraviolence. Alex always skips school and always been a troublemaker from the start, but during one night when he invades the home of a rich woman as he attacked and killed her, he is confined for a 14 year life sentence in Prison. But two years later the Government decides to make a program that can reabiliate crooks through special programming that can make them nice and normal citizens without commiting any crime as Alex is the first person to go through this program but can he remain sane and rational or will his horrible past haunt him?

A brilliant and unique Sci-fi drama from Stanley Kubrick is one of his greatest movies ever! this is based on a book by Anthony Burgess and has became one of the most influential movies ever. The performances by the cast including Star Wars's David Prowse as one of Alex's Droogs is superb especially McDowell. The film tells about society in the future gone terribly mad that uses memorable images, disturbing subject matter and an unforgettable electronic music score by Wendy Carlos. This is one trippy and wild motion picture no film fantatic should miss, it's a once-in-a-lifetime cult classic that has been acclaimed by critics everywhere and even caused controversy in it's time.

This Blu-Ray features spectacular picture and sound with some cool extras like audio commentary, two documentaries, Career Profile on Malcom Mcdowell and Trailer.A Clockwork Orange

Eh, I was hoping for more.
I heard this movie was originally rated X, so of course being the rebel I am, I decided to go and watch it. Man, was I disappointed or what! I was expecting a risque movie. Instead it was an "artistic" movie with only about ten sex scenes. I was expecting hot stuff! I was robbed, I tell you. This movie is overrated cal. You guys only like it because you feel smart trying to translate the funny language they use. Stanley Kubrick is lame, watch some Uwe Boll instead.A Clockwork Orange

Classic Movie! Must Have!
Such a classic movie, this is an absolute MUST have movie for anyone who enjoys Stanley Kubric movies. Outstanding!!
The Blu-Ray is even better with the remastering, as well as the special features. Great buy!A Clockwork Orange

Pretty Good Set, Gorgeous Transfer.
I'm assuming that if you want this product, you've already seen the movie, so I'm just going to talk about the DVD rather than the film itself.
The packaging is very nice, I love the black-and-orange color scheme rather than the "classic" white and orange. The DVDs themselves look nice too: the main disc features the same artwork as the cover, and the bonus disc has the "clockwork eye" pop art poster image from the re-release. The menus are fairly well-done and simple, not too fancy or annoying. As for special features, the documentaries are pretty interesting, especially the making-of. Don't expect too much, this is an older film and there's not a ton of bonus material. However, if you are a big Clockwork Orange/Malcom McDowell/Kubrick fan, the few extras make the set worth buying. The best feature of the set is by far the Malcolm Mcdowell commentary, which is entertaining and informative. It really makes this a must-buy for fans of the film.
I owned the older DVD of this film beforehand, which had a pretty cruddy transfer with not-so-great colors and NO special features. On the other hand...this new edition has a GORGEOUS transfer, the same one used for the HD-DVD and Blu-ray. I really noticed the brightness of the colors this time, especially in Alex's house. The image is crisp and free of scratches/dust/deterioration. It looks absolutely stunning. I noticed many things I'd never noticed before in the older print, and the gaudy colors really enhance the experience of the film.A Clockwork Orange

A Brightly Painted Hooker
Fete of Death
"A Clockwork Orange" is one of the most lyrically beautiful, ritualistically brutal films ever made. The violence can be so off-putting that you feel compelled to turn away from the screen, but the sheer beauty of Kubrick's stylized barbarism makes it impossible to look away.

The visual poetry of the film is entrancing. The premise is fascinating: that a quasi-Hobbesian futuristic society attempts to cure a nihilistic cutthroat thug (Alex) by treating him like a Pavlov dog. The rights of the individual are subjugated to the rights of the state. The film presents us with the horns of a dilemma: do we sympathize with a bloodthirsty punk like Alex, or with a cold-blooded omnipotent state that employs the methods of stimulus-response behaviorism to brainwash its individuals to conform in the name of the group?

All in all, "A Clockwork Orange" comes off as emotionally bankrupt (like the society it lampoons), and therefore, emotionally uninvolving and devoid of passion, all gussied up like a brightly painted hooker, like Alex himself, for that matter, tricked out in his meritricious, eye-catching costumes.
--Bryan Cassiday, author of "Fete of Death"
A Clockwork Orange