Killing a Show Tune

Rating: 7/10 (4 February 2020)

A Clockwork Orange (1971)
If you read the book, be patient. Learn Nadsat. After a third of the book, you'll forget there's a glossary in the back. Also, there are two versions of the book. The British and the American. As I remember, the American version has a prettified ending, or something akin to that.
As far as the movie is concerned, in many ways, ACO hasn't aged well. It looks like a 1971 universe masquerading as 2017. Yet there are elements that are surreal that they translate effortlessly to any time.
I remember watching it for the first time at The Magic Lantern in Spokane. I felt icky and exhilarated afterward. I saw it again in a film class at Spokane Falls Community College. A third time in the early 80s.
The last time was within the last ten years. I turned off the DVD player and thought, this is how I felt when I saw Pulp Fiction--amazed at the technical expertise and disgusted by the crimson pornography Pauline Kael wrote about in the New Yorker and mentioned in the Atlantic piece by Adam Chandler.
With all that said, my takeaway from ACO is never really liking Singin' in the Rain anymore. Also, Malcolm MacDowell was so effortlessly perfect as Alex, that when I watched him play a Scientology-style leader in The Mentalist, I started humming the show tune.
My wife gave me a look.