A Clockwork Orangeis 40 years old this year, of course.

How do you think its held up over the years?

They love this film they cant get enough of it.

Its young kids who go to college who find the movie and start a whole new generation ofClockwork Orangeenthusiasts.

So Im delighted to say that they do find it and they love it.

They love it for different reasons, perhaps, now.

Now, audiences just laugh all the way through.

I always thought we were making a black comedy.

The look and everything else the language, whatever.

Now, as I say, its very different.

Audiences have caught up with it, becauseClockwork Orangedid change a lot of things.

It was very influential with young film directors and writers, and especially musicians.

It sort of spawned the whole punk movement, I think it sort of came out of that.

Socially, it was responsible for quite a lot more than just being a movie.

Its really a kind of social document, as well, in a way.

I know, I know.

The rest of it, we found locations around London.

The futuristic home was actually in Oxfordshire it was a prize-winning architect-designed home.

The interiors could be anywhere, really.

The Thamesmead, I think, is looking decidedly rough now.

I kicked it, and it went straight into the marina.

[Laughs] It was in South London somewhere.

I think it was Crystal Palace or somewhere like that Im not sure.

And then we shot the interior at a new library, which was a nice building.

Its now contemporary of course back then it was very futuristic.

Whats your enduring memory of making the film, and working with Kubrick?

Well, he was very pleasant to be around, to be honest.

He was a very intelligent man, who knew something about pretty much everything.

So I used to pull his leg a lot, and wed play ping-pong a lot.

Ping-pong is one game Im really good at, and I used to thrash him a lot.

But I did decline to play chess with him, because I knew that he was a grand master.

[Laughs]

You made something like 14 appearances in TV, films and games last year.

How do you keep up the pace?

Ive got three young children, and theyve all got to be educated.

[Laughs] To be honest with you, I enjoy working.

Thats the bottom line.

If I didnt, I wouldnt do so much stuff.

I think Ive got eight movies to come out that are still in editing or whatever.

But I just enjoy it.

So he was a serial killer as well.

They asked him why he did it, and he said, Because its so easy.

Its fascinating character film, and it definitely has a line back to Alex inA Clockwork Orange.

So what attracts you to those kinds of characters?

Theyre so different from anything I come in contact with, and theyre just incredible parts.

Theyre charismatic, charming, interesting people whove just taken the wrong turn.

I always find these flaws extremely interesting to play, because theyre very, very multi-layered characters.

you could peel away and peel away its like an onion.

Youll never get to the core of it.

And theyre fun to play, they really are.

One of the most famous villainous characters youve played was Soran inStar Trek: Generations…

The Trekkies hate and love me for that!

That was going to be my question you infamously killed Captain Kirk.

Do you get a lot of fan abuse for that?

I did at the time.

I got death threats on the Internet, which was in its infancy at the time.

It was my nephew that informed me of this because I didnt read the damn thing.

He asked, Well, whos going to cheer?

I said, Well, the poor people whove had you up to here for 35 years!

He burst out laughing at that.

Does it matter that you play villains so often?

Do you worry about becoming typecast?

Not at all, because theyre usually the best parts.

A movie is only as good as its villain, isnt it?

But the great parts are usually the villainous ones.

Is it a villainous character that you play inSilent Hill: Revelation?

I wouldnt call him villainous, no.

The poor man has been imprisoned all his life, and hes blind.

Of course, hes a little bit weird.

Hes a little bit like [Treasure Islands] Blind Pew, you remember?

That character was as scary as hell.

This ones the same.

Hes got chains all over him, and hes never been out.

He looks like an albino hes never seen the light of day.

Its actually quite a nice part, but I wouldnt call him particularly villainous.

Malcolm McDowell, thank you very much.