futuristic satire: A CLOCKWORK ORANGE sequel

Hello, readers, I have scripted professional comic-books in the past, and am now turning my attention to movie scenarios.

I've spent almost my whole life thinking up silly ideas and if this effort shows no promise, I will just try out some other idea instead.

I accept that my entry isn't comedy, it's more sci-fi, however the original 1971 film is be seen by some as a black comedy in some respects; I certainly do.

But if the Moderators wish to remove my outline on the grounds of 'it isn't strictly comedy', then go ahead by all means.

After helping an amigo out with an all-original sci-fi script [120 pages long] I have been looking for other properties and I am quite attracted to the themes from A CLOCKWORK ORANGE.

Now, this movie is a clear cult favourite for many, and I agree it's one of the all-time don't- bother- remaking -this! contenders---however I'm more intruiged with the concept of a sequel, following what happens to protagonist Alex in 'real time', a full 40-odd years after the events depicted in the 1971 movie [which was set in the then- future of-course].

Ideally, I'd like to see Malcolm Mc Dowell back as Alex----now quite elderly of course [I think Malcolm is in his 70s]

I've only been doing this a few days [on top of working as a cartoonist] but the ideas are flowing thick-and-fast: whether they are any good----time will tell.

Some knowledge of the original film will certainly help clarify matters here.

Here we go:

OPENING SHOT:

Mc Dowell as Alex, now an old man and dishevelled-looking, in extreme close-up, gazing direct to camera-------a pullback shot reveals he is lying on a concrete ground, and worse for drink-----he has urinated himself. From a more distant POV from the same birds-eye view, four bowler-hatted thugs enter the frame, and proceed to beat Alex with clubs and chains. They depart, mocking his misery.

Alex is helped home by local do-gooder middle-class women who look out for the victims of this future age------he has to pass a gauntlet of lethal thugs on the way, who are out to severely punish him even further. Luckily, the local riot cops appear and disperse the louts----Alex is told by the cops to beat it off home in case the thugs return.

The elderly Alex's flatblock home is reinforced with iron bars and steel-lined doors, as he looks down from his bleak hi-rise flat, the modern droogs taunt him with nooses, threatening to 'snuff him out'. Alex takes his mind off his plight in his flat [which is decked in tasteless porno-tat and sadistic 'art' ] by watching '3-D Holofilm' of wartime atrocities, which comfort him---however, the thugs outside repeatedly bombard his flat with missiles [as they do to everyone else].

Alex makes a widescreen videocall to his former droogs, to see if they can assist his plight-------

the elderly DIM is now cooped up in a padded psycho-cube, with strait-jacket. He is clearly unable to be of any assistance to Alex.

GEORGIE is now the local police chief, if a corrupt officer-----he offers to despatch a group of corrupt cops to beat up the young thugs with clubs, which Alex turns down---he wants no help from the cops, even corrupt ones.

PETE is now a rich and successful businessman, with a beautiful young wife, sunning on a Carribean island, and is unable to assist his former droog-leader.

One night, Alex gets a desperate intercom vid-call at his flat, from a weepy young devotchka, pleading him for assistance---she states has been stripped naked by a gang of thugs, and needs help. Opening his steel door, it is revealed as a deception: a lethal gang of bizarrely-dressed thugs violate Alexs' flat, beat him severely, and systematically smash up his home with sledgehammers and axes. Mocking his tame tastes in video nasties as 'kids' stuff', they torch his home with a petrol-bolt fired from a crossbow, leaving Alexs' home as a burnt-out shell.

Alex tries to get emergency help from the local authorities, but a quick compu-scan reveals his past crimes, which means he is still blacklisted from Government help. The uncaring system means he is cast out into the freezing winter streets.

Seeking solace in the backstreet slums of boxes and dumpsters, Alex sleeps inside styroboxes in bleak alleys. One night, his sleep is disturbed by a gang of young female droogs, who dress in bowlers and white outfits. The girls order Alex to strip at knifepoint and they proceed to slash and whip him, as well as destroy his pitiful box-home.

The now desperate Alex finally snaps at his inhuman treatment, and rallies a group of other elderly victims who he discovers heating over a brazier-fire. He proclaims himself leader of a new gang of older droogs. A large box of theatrical costumes is found dumped outside a store, and Alexs' new gang dress up in shiney top-hats, tails, spats and army boots. Now energized by their defiance against the young thugs, they break into a local museum and steal an arsenal of especially lethal medieval weapons.

Now fully armed and primed, Alex and his new gang declare all-out war on the juvenile gangs, and determine to mete out summary 'justice' against the young wrong-doers.

This is as far as I have got: if there is any interest I will continue.

My first thought is can you get the rights to this?

I know Stephen Spielberg tried to make a sequel but couldn't get McDowell cast and it eventually fell through.

Then, everyone hates a sequel unless they didn't know there was an original, like Carpenter's The Thing or Pacino in Scar face - two great sequels or reboots if you like.

Then, I took issue with bowler hats and spats. Fashion changes but human behaviour is the constant. Would they still adopt the same garb?

Would Pensioner Shaft still wear flares?

Then, there are hundreds of fan fiction stories about Alex in a futuristic / Alan Moore inspired Britain, a quick Google will bring up most.

And finally you've listed a few set pieces (good ones, emotionally charged) but how are you going to write these in format? Where's the script?

My advice, don't rely on the source material, use it as an inspiration. Steal as much as you need. Alan Moore wrote Watchmen about Batman and Superman etc but wasn't allowed their likeness so veiled the characters, thinly as his own.

If this drives you, write it, the more you write the more it will become yours but don't hinge it on a need for continuity with Clockwork.

Thanks for your welcome input, some-yolk.

Yes, I agree that most sequels fall flat, they only really work if taken off in a new direction which has to stand up on it's own [Bride of Frankenstein and Aliens are two good examples].

I had no idea that Spielberg considered another Clockwork film, but I believe you-----Kubrick also stated that without Mc Dowell, the original film would never have got made.

Regarding my idea for a sequel, I though setting it 40 years after the events of the original was distance enough------here's another scene I was going to add:

The elderly Alex passes the now-derelict Korova Milkbar in broad daylight: a tear wells in his eye as he witnesses the female nude mannikins being carted out by indifferent labourers, and the fiberglass dummies are dumped in a garbage truck.

Regarding the bizarre dress of the futuristic thugs [both Alex and the younger droogs] I would keep some semblance of the '71 film, here I have added top-hats and tails for Alex and his 'elderly thugs'. Would old-timers actually bother to dress like this? In all liklihood, no, but I'm trying to portray a warped, bizarre world, that has disturbing differences from the real world we actually know.

I know how to set out a 'proper' script ['Ext', etc] but first I would like to set this out in a short-story format to gauge response----it's so time-consuming to write out a script properly, and as you say, without obtaining the rights [Burgess sold them for a pittance, but it won't be like that now] it's maybe not worth pursuing.

I have actually written a full, 120-page full script of a sci-fi film, 'properly' presented----this has all-original characters and setpieces. It's not easy to even get an agent to read this, though......even if I posted all 120 pages on here, I doubt if anyone would take the time to read all that---not that I don't think it's any good, it just takes a lot of commitment for a detached reader to even consider properly reading a full film script.I aim to write a low-budget UK comedy [partly auto-biographical] ---a CLOCKWORK sequel is but one of my fancies.

But thanks for your interest once again.