‘I’ll Go On for As Long as I’m Having Fun’

The face of Malcolm McDowell has been written into the cultural lexicon and seared into the minds of cinephiles everywhere thanks to the eyes-wide-open torture scene of A Clockwork Orange, the utter debauchery of Caligula, the boarding school revolution in If…, and many more classic films. Once the mascot of the rebellious counterculture, McDowell remains a unique and prolific figure more than half a century after gaining international stardom.

At 80 years old, the actor is still appearing in multiple films a year. When we spoke with him about the new film Cellphone, he was resolute that he’s still having fun and isn’t retiring anytime soon. The nearly dozen films he has in various stages of production is a testament to that, and he continues to shine in the delightful sitcom, Son of a Critch. He may only appear as a voice over the phone in the supernatural drama Cellphone, but he certainly makes an impression. That’s hardly the only film you’ll see him in this year.

“I did another couple of movies this year. The one that I really love was, well, there’s two,” said McDowell, looking at the 2024 films he stars in aside from Cellphone. “There’s a Western I did [Last Train to Fortune], but I don’t think that’ll be seen yet. But there was a movie that went to Sundance called Thelma with a wonderful actress, June Squibb, who was 92 I think when we filmed it, and she was the lead in the film. I mean, I just watched it the other day and I thought, ‘Wow, no complaints from me about age.'”

This had us wondering, will McDowell go the June Squibb route and still be acting in his 90s?

“I’m doing another one, I’ve shot about half of it,” continued McDowell. “It’s a vampire movie about Lord George Byron, which is really wonderfully written. It’s an interesting script called Vampyre: Blood and Ink. It’s really cool.”

Related: Malcolm McDowell Says ‘I’m Not a Method Actor, I Couldn’t Care Less’

Malcolm McDowell Stars in the Indie Film Cellphone

Cellphone

3/5

Release Date

February 13, 2024

Director

Luke Sommer

Cast

Whitney Rose Pynn , Justin Malik Jackson , Jared Noble , Isaac Versaw , Malcolm McDowell

Runtime

88 Minutes

Writers

Rachel Sommer

Studio(s)

Whisperstone

Cellphone stars McDowell (who only communicates via the titular device, and only appears as a face on the phone in Caller ID) as a mysterious man paying a young, grief-stricken woman to housesit for him. It’s an unpredictable and small film that uses the horror framework of a haunted phone driving a traumatized woman to madness as a way to explore guilt, trauma, and self-forgiveness. You can watch the first 10 minutes of Cellphone here. As he often does, McDowell blessed the small indie production with his presence.

“Well, they asked me to do it,” explained McDowell, “and they’re neighbors. And I figured, well, if you can’t do it for your neighbors… it’s a very good reason to do it. Besides the fact I thought they were really talented, and kind of a little off the ball and a little different, and I really liked their enthusiasm.” He continued:

“And it reminded me of years and years ago and people that started with me, we were all young, very eager to get going and do something really interesting. It was so sweet, and it was just enjoyable to be around them, they’re really talented. I mean, I didn’t know whether the movie would ever be seen. I think I told them that and I said, ‘Making it is only half the problem. Selling it is the hardest part.’ And I’ve fallen into that trap many times. You’ve finally made the movie, and then you forget — you’ve got to sell it.”

Well, with McDowell’s help, people are buying. From Gravitas Ventures, Cellphone is available to rent on demand and digital platforms, such as Prime Video below:

Watch Cellphone