DEATH/CORNER 181 x JUDGE MOVIES 06 – A Clockwork Orange

On the record store scene: the part of Beethoven’s 9th that’s playing is the Turkish March interlude from the 4th movement. This is significant, as the 4th movement is seen as the definitive start of musical romanticism. The overarching themes of universal human brotherhood in the movement can be drawn from the Schiller poem which is the text setting for the finale. In my view, the perception that the finale of B9 is a declaration of universal brotherhood and a significant point of progress for culture crumbles under the inclusion of the Turkish March. When you hear it in context, it sounds like a meta joke. It is the most significant installment of the long Viennese tradition of Turkish exoticism because of its place in the cultural zeitgeist. The placement of it after the declaration of brotherhood in the first choral “ode to joy” section only for it to be violently disrupted by a double fugue on the “ode to joy theme. The fugue as a formal structure would have been seen in Beethoven’s time and after him as the pinnacle of Viennese contrapuntal excellence. When the Janissary (Ottoman military band) instrumentation returns in the coda, it is presented in synthesis with the ode theme in a glorious declaration of universal brotherhood. In essence, the savage other has been mocked, stripped of dignity, defeated by European might & finally assimilated into Western order (or whatever you call the precursor to neoliberalism/3rd + 4th Reich). Kubrick using this segment in the record shop & in the treatment scenes becomes even more significant, as it is the perfect musical distillation of the neoliberal mentality of violent expansion at any cost. Not only is the record store exemplary of aesthetics & consumerism, the music that is played throughout is the best example of neoliberal progress being intrinsically tied to violence. Additionally, you could argue that the fact that the March is played fully on a synth is indicative of the degradation of the fascistic idea of “western culture” caused by its own governance. What was a piece which required a full orchestra in a concert hall with a live audience is now something that can be programmed into a machine and spat out as a mono-timbral & a-dynamic cyberpunk slurry. Which in-turn is a truer presentation of the heart of Beethoven & Schiller’s ideas of what constitutes universal human brotherhood/progress. Side noteI love synths & the music they can make. The score is amazing, purely talking about this as a signifier. I hope this has been insightful & not completely silly. Also, sorry I’m late to the party here, but I thought this was still worth adding.

MM in 9p a z

It needs to be said is that, Burgess when he wanted to get the book published in the US by W.W.Norton Company, was absolutely broke and the publisher did not like the final chapter (chapter 21 - get it? Coming of age) where Alex finds redemption and changes his ways. Due to his financial needs Burgess had to reluctantly accept the offer, I believe Kubrick was also in on this decision leading to kubrick’s production of a totally different story to the one Burgess penned. For the book and the film to be popular in the US the whole point of the book had to be removed - says a lot about the US.

I notice in a lot of British police dramas that in the backdrop, there is this decay of the social welfare system, at least the good ones. Prime Suspect, Errors of Judgement is a great (or bad) example of how the neoliberal state depicts the failures of the welfare state. Other British police dramas that implicate crime as a result of the welfare state are The Tower and Trigger Point, but there are so many others. To a degree, I am being reductive, as these shows are very well written and very entertaining.

Just watched this again for the first time in at least 10 years, probably more. When the purple-haired psychiatrist says "It's all part of the recovery process", Alex's reply of "Ah!" made me laugh so hard I had to go outside and walk around the block.

I strongly recommend Walerian Borowczyk's 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Miss Osbourne' as an important piece of the Patrick Magee As A Deranged Authoritarian Pervert canon

Question: (I promise this is not another query about the the episode numeration gag; I know the lacuna in the early episodes is a Delillo reference). I do however seem to be unable to see episodes #170-180. Do they exist? This piggy needs his slops!

Could have easily listened to several more hours of this, you two are both gems (please do more eps together)

I did two years in a mental heath facility as a deal to get out of jail for a crime I didn't commit (and was later exonerated for) in my 20s, fuck this movie is so hard to think about or watch. Between this my name being 'Dave' my father bein a lush, and I was on my high school rifle team (I shot at an Olympic level!/I do not like guns) during the Bush years. My life has basically been Kubrick's dark imagination become reality. So thanks for doin this guys- it was actually alot of fun to listen to- despite it being difficult

Barnes doesn’t just stare at his cock while he asked if he was a homosexual after he looks in his ass as soon as Alex steps away he moves forward and puts his nose where Alex’s asshole just was

For anyone who doesn't fancy clicking on a random PDF the article the artice states that Adrenochrome was mentioned in Huxley's 'The Doors Of Perception (1954). It was studied by Abram Hoffer and Humphry Osmond who were researching a biological basis for schizophrenia. Osmond was recruited to MK Ultra by Allan Dulles in 1952. The article then goes on to say Burgess reused the drug Vellocet in his novel 'Tremor Of Intent' where it was a euphoria based truth serum. So something like MDMA rather than speed. The article then provides quotes from a 1955 MK Ultra sub project which aimed to produce a drug similar to the one Burgess described in the 60s. The article makes a strong case that Burgess was an intelligence insider. I think it's likely that Kubrick chose Nabokov, Arthur C Clarke and Burgess as collaborators because they were insiders and had information Kubrick wanted. I've suggested this already but there is a great episode for you guys to do on Lolita but it requires a very close reading of the text in relation to Quilty and especially the chapter featuring the character Rita.

Great episode. Two brothers working together often produces speical results. On the issue of where Kubrick heard of Adrenochrome the answer is pretty simple that it's in the novel. This is a very interesting PDF of a Lobster magazine article about Burgess, drugs and counter intelligence. https://pdf4pro.com/amp/view/a-key-for-a-clockwork-orange-winter-2016-lobster-4073d4.html

This was great! You guys should definitely do more episodes together!

It struck me having listened to #180 directly after this episode, one movie I keep remembering that features both parapolitics and its fascist enforcers and something akin to a surrealist coup is Kill List directed by Ben Wheatley. Definitely a slow, vibe based rec.

One thing I failed to mention about Godard, but that I've meant to bring up for some time, is that, in 1971, he was involved in a motorcycle accident in Paris (collided with a van). He survived but was badly injured. Hard not to think of your GR episode talking about Richard Fariña and Bob Dylan....

This was great, I really admire you two fellas.

I smoked weed while listening to this so I would make sure I really understand

Not enough likes to smash on this one, Bros!

This series fucking rules. Even better with two Judges.

Really wish you guys had extended families with the last names Jury and Executioner

Kind of wanted to hear you two fight

Roger Corman also made a De Sade movie in 1969 (nice), I haven't seen it but I'm guessing it's both titillating and "groovy". (The credited director is Cy Endfield, an American who was blacklisted and moved to England, rather like Joseph Losey. Endfield's masterpiece is a 1950 noir about mob violence called TRY AND GET ME! His 1964 epic ZULU, about the Battle of Rorke's Drift, is also fantastic.) But check this out. You want to know who plays De Sade? Keir Dullea.

You 2 sustain me 🙏🏼🤙🏼🖖🏼

So I googled Jean-Pierre Lafitte (sp?) and someone who uses that as a ring name is apparently a contemporary pro wrestler (SEO sabotage?). Is that the correct spelling of the name of the Statler Hotel doorman? Trying to find more reading material on the doorman but Google is not inclined to help me out on this topic… any articles or books to rec? Is this from Wormwood?

The Moloko + drencrom thing comes straight out of the (1962) by Anthony Burgess, right? It did not spring forth from the head of Kubrick.

LET THEM COOK!