Of his four decades on screen, Malcolm McDowell's most notorious performance was inarguably that of the twisted, disturbingly jubilant sociopath at the center of Stanley Kubrick's surreal satire, "A Clockwork Orange" (1971). When the popularity of pointed, edgy British filmmaking faded, the young spokesman of a generation was unconcerned with parlaying his acclaim into mainstream movie stardom. McDowell's habit of fielding offers both good and bad led him to rival only countryman Michael Caine in sheer amount of screen time. His "Clockwork" breakout led to career-long castings as bad guys in many lesser artistic achievements, ranging from John Badham's actioner "Blue Thunder" (1983) to a high profile role as "the man who killed Captain Kirk" in "Star Trek: Generations" (1994). With his low voice and early head of snow white hair, McDowell was cast as professors, military men, doctors, and megalomaniacs, generally favoring offbeat projects like Paul Schrader's unsettling "Cat People" (1982) and the post-apocalyptic "Tank Girl" (1995). With the exception of his leading role in the rock-n-roll comedy "Get Crazy" (1983) and a hilarious run on the short-lived CBS sitcom "Pearl" (1996-97), McDowell was under appreciated for his sharp comic skills, and into his senior years the actor's high profile roles in Rob Zombie's "Halloween" films (2007, 2009) and a stint as a manipulative Hollywood player on the HBO drama "Entourage" ensured that a new generation of audiences also came also to associate him with the villainous and sinister.
ABOUT MALCOLM McDOWELL'S NEW FILM FREE FALL, ON BLU-RAY AND DVD OCTOBER 28th
Just like people, corporations can hold secrets. And for those who uncover them, silence is not only golden, but sometimes it is the difference between life and death. On October 28th, Anchor Bay Entertainment will present the intense suspense thriller Free Fall on Blu-rayT and DVD. The feature directorial debut of Malek Akkad (producer of the Halloween franchise), Free Fall is a nail-biting journey through the ruthless and potentially deadly corporate jungle. Boasting a stellar cast which includes D.B. Sweeney (Taken 2, Fire in the Sky, the upcoming “To Appomattox” miniseries), Sarah Butler (I Spit On Your Grave, The Demented, Treachery), Ian Gomez (“Cougar Town,” My Big Fat Greek Wedding), Jayson Blair (“The Hard Times of RJ Berger,” “The New Normal”) and screen legend Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange, The Artist), Free Fall will do for elevators what Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho did for showers. The SRP is $26.99 for Blu Ray ™, $22.98 for DVD.
A top executive is killed in an apparent suicide leap from the skyscraper headquarters of Gault Capital. But when the dead man’s loyal protégé Jane Porter (Butler) uncovers some startling criminal evidence, the corporation calls in their “crisis manager” Frank (Sweeney) to silence her forever. Eluding her pursuer, Jane soon finds herself trapped in an elevator between floors on a holiday weekend in a very empty building.
With their cat and mouse game seemingly at check-mate, Jane must summon all her courage and wits to escape. But she soon discovers that surviving a cold-blooded killer may mean a very long drop to the ground floor.
Bonus features on Free Fall Blu-ray™ and DVD includes a behind-the-scenes featurette