Hollywood Studio Magazine (February 1972)

PAT ROWAN PRIVATE LESSONS on fast draw and juggling with 6 guns. P. 0. BOX 451 North Hollywood 91601 469-1691 * 24 HOUR SERVICE 1 J JACK ONG ON FILM ■ A CLOCKWORK ORANGE - It's another mind-bender from Stanley Kubrick, translating Anthony Burgess' Novel of a very-near-future England in which violence and drugs are the regular order of the day, youth is in control with its own terms and jargon, art and music hang in the balance, and no one's particularly sure of himself. With this follow-up to 2001 , Kubrick re-establishes himself as one of our top contemporary moviemakers. In "Clockwork", he has gotten a splendid performance out of Malcolm McDowell, the fine English actor in "If..." and "Long Ago Tomorrow". McDowell portrays a young thug who roams the streets in a continuous rape, then settles back to Beethoven in what little spare time he has. In prison for murder, our anti-hero is selected by a medical team as the subject for its new total cure. If you're still in your seats by this time (there's been plenty of graphic violence in the first third), you're hooked. Kubrick commences to use every known camera lens and angle to great advantage as he turns out his story of the young hood, "cured" into an ambivalent vegetable, making his way back into the world. It's strong stuff, it's well done, and "Clockwork" (like "2001") is the movie everyone will be talking about for some time. ■ THE BOY FRIEND-Viewing Ken Russell's adaptation of the stage show, you suddenly remember that you never did like the stage show and the movie's even more tedious! It's like a poor man's "Star!"...and Twiggy, while she's certainly an engaging enough new screen personality, is definitely no Julie Andrews (who, of course, got her first big break as the herione in "Boy Friend"). In a hilarious cameo, Glenda Jackson nearly steals the show; however, it would be stretching things to say this movie's worth seeing just for her bit. ■ STRAW DOGS — Sam Peckinpah's back with another tale of cowardice, bravery and violence. Thankfully, he's exercised considerably more restraint than he did in "Wild Bunch". Dustin Hoffman and Susan George are excellent as a timid mathematician and his new bride,harboring.a mental retard in their Cornish home. Refusing to give up the quarry to an irate group of bloodthirsty villagers, the husband riles up all the hatred and destruction that he has run from all his life. The climactic scene of Hoffman defending his home to the death is a Peckinpah masterpiece. And Hoffman, in an introverted role, gives us yet another face to his remarkable finesse. ■ $ ("DOLLARS") - The great escapism! Warren Beatty, Goldie Hawn and Gert Frobe have lots of fun in this take-the-money-and-run film, shot on location but mostly in a bank vault. There's the usual amount of glib dialogue, enough bad guys to build the suspense, too many of goldie's old "Laugh-In" expressions, and one heck of a chase scene. $ is a bright statement on greed that lectures without boring you. ON STAGE ■ SLEUTH - Anthony Quayle and Donal Donnelly keep up the suspense work. Through the 19th at the Ahmanson. ■ HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES — Continuing comedy. Through the 12th at the Huntington Hartford. ■ HERE ARE LADIES and THE WORKS OF BECKETT - Drama Desk Award winners Siobhan McKenna and Jack MacGowran rotate in repertory, Miss McKenna presenting ladies out of Irish literature, MacGowran doing Samuel Beckett. "Ladies" will be on stage Feb. 1, 3, 7-9, 11-13, 17; with matinees Feb. 5, 6, 19 and 20. "Beckett" is scheduled Feb. 2, 4, 5, 6, 10, 14-16, 18, 19 and 20; matinees on the 12th and 13th. At the Mark Taper Forum.