Malcolm McDowell Says He Did Trekkies A Favor When He Killed Captain Kirk
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Malcolm McDowell is a legendary actor in the sci-fi genre. His portrayal of Alex in Stanley Kubrick’s dystopian world set in the near future, A Clockwork Orange, as been categorized as iconic, memorable and haunting. In a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times during their Hero Complex Film Festival, McDowell talked about working with the genre defining and changing director, Stanley Kubrick, and his role in Star Trek: Generations and the death of Captain Kirk.
A quick guide to the key points in the below video interview:
01:23 – Working with Stanley Kubrick and the vision of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
08:46 – Star Trek: Generations and the death of Captain James Tiberius Kirk.
McDowell was mainly at the film festival for a special screening of A Clockwork Orange where he talked about his relationship before, during and after the production with Stanley Kubrick. The only film he saw from Kubrick before he worked with him was his 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey. McDowell felt that this movie was mesmerizing and a work of genius, a true masterpiece and completely changed the genre of science fiction forever. Even in 2012, movies like The Avengers owes a bit of gratitude to Stanley Kubrick and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
On Star Trek: Generations, McDowell talks about how at the time of the film’s release, 1994, Trekkies would come up to him and give him grief over his character, Soran, killing the beloved Captain Kirk (William Shatner). McDowell continued to say that now, they must realize he did them a favor because of Captain Kirk’s death; it started a sequence of events that led to J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek. The Star Trek films have gotten better now that they didn’t have to rely on the old crew. He gave the series new energy. It could now be fresh and exciting. Says McDowell, “now JJ Abrams has gone and made some actually good movies.”
Is McDowell serious or joking? It’s hard to tell. Maybe a little of both. Let us know what you think in the comments below.
