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August 2, 2006 Newsletter
Contents1. Malcolm McDowell Named Fest's Guest.
Remembered more than three decades for his searing portrayal as the gang leader of futuristic tough guys in the 1971 film, "A Clockwork Orange," British-born actor Malcolm McDowell has been named the 2006 Port Townsend Film Festival special guest.
The seventh annual event will be held September 15-17.
Each year the festival honors a film actor whose career has had a lasting impact on films. Previous guests have included Tony Curtis, Shirley Knight, Patricia Neal, Jane Powell, Eva Marie Saint, and Debra Winger.
As special guest, McDowell will participate in a number of festival events that are still being programmed, according to festival director Peter Simpson. "Several of our guests have spoken to high school drama students or participated in other community events," Simpson said, recounting the year that Oscar®-winning actress Patricia Neal spoke to a group of 200 local stroke victims about her own battle with a stroke at age 39.
McDowell's schedule has yet to be affirmed, but two of his best-known films will be presented: "A Clockwork Orange," directed by Stanley Kubrick, has been set for the Friday midnight movie, and "If . . ., " directed by Lindsay Anderson, will play Saturday night and will feature an interview following the screening.
His performance in "A Clockwork Orange" so imprinted casting directors that he has played a number of villainous roles in his canon of 147 films, none more notorious than the title character in the controversial "Caligula," Bob Guccione's lascivious treatment of the Roman emperor. While playing characters fom the dark side, McDowell neveretheless gained critical attention for his involvement with O Lucky Man! Voyage of the Damned, Time After Time, The Player, The Company, and I'll Sleep When I'm Dead.
McDowell is well known among "Star Trek" fans who remember him as "the man who killed Captain James T. Kirk" in the film Star Trek: Generations. He is currently playing a vicious agency owner in the HBO series, "Entourage."
Information about attending the film festival can be found at www.ptfilmfest.com
2. 41 Correctly Guess Identity of Guest.
Desiree McGowan of Port Townsend and Gregory R. Rivett of Snohomish were named winners of the 2006 Port Townsend Film Festival Guess-the-Guest contest.
Both correctly identified Malcolm McDowell as the festival's special guest. Their names were randomly drawn from among 39 other contestants who correctly identified McDowell. The British-born actor, noted for his performances in such films as "If...," "A Clockwork Orange," and "O Lucky Man!" will appear at the seventh annual event, September 15-17.
The contest was held during July with clues to McDowell's identity issued each week. The first clues were worded in such a way as to discourage use of internet search engines to find the answer. For instance,
- the first clue – Howard Schultz (owner and ceo of Starbucks Coffee) has nothing on our guest, referred to the fact that McDowell was once a coffee salesman.
- the second clue – Another kind of tailor. – references McDowell's legal name: Malcolm John Taylor.
- in the third clue – ..., not when – contestants were expected to complete the phrase: If, not when. "If..." is the title of one of McDowell's most regarded highly films.
To this point no one had correctly guessed McDowell's identity. Then came the fourth and final clue: Our guest appeared in two films in Entertainment Weekly's list of 25 "most controversial" films.
"Finding that list on Google is easy," according to Peter Simpson, director of the film festival. "Then all they had to do was search through the list to find two films in which a single performer had appeared. That's a little harder." McDowell's two films were "A Clockwork Orange" (ranked No. 2 on the list) and "Caligula" (No. 24).
And for all that work, what do the winning contestants get? McGowan and Rivett will meet McDowell at a private reception during the festival and have their pictures taken with him.
A total of 91 entries were made in this year's contest.
"The number has dropped since we started writing tougher clues," Simpson said, noting that more than 200 entries have been offered in previous years.
"In the year that we had the highest number of entries, the second entry was a correct guess," he said. "That's when I got wise to the Internet."
Fourteen additional finalists reside in Port Townsend: Richard Conway, Cathy Kain, Rachel Katz, Tamiko Little, Arthur McGowan, Dean Austin Murphy, Jennifer Nielsen, Mary Renaldi, Marion Rideout, Lee Rowe, Trish Stornetta, Pam and Juli Talino. Maudeen Wachsmith, Mark Welch, all of Port Townsend
Three Port Hadlock residents came up with the right answer: Dori Lee and Stuart Dunkle and Lisa Ferenz.
Karen Grooms of Poulsbo, Joe Rotuno of Sequim, and James Trekas and Joanne Eagen of Port Angeles were the only other persons from the Peninsula to offer a correct guess.
A number of correct identifications came from the I-5 corridor. They included: Andy Mikancic of Bellevue, Linda Bovee of Bothell, Steve Walser of Everett, Cheryl Brass of Seattle,, Joyce Kalivas-Griffin and Wendy Ward, both of Tacoma
Five correct entries were received from out of state: Diane Trasher and Barbara Judson of California; Sharon Miller, Linda Rhodes and Greg Blackmer of Florida; and Nancy Christenson of Hawaii.
Six successful entrants gave no address. They include: Megan Cate, Sarah Hulett, Brian Jones, Tony Morse, Charlie Petersen, and DD Wigley.
And one successful entrant gave only her (or his) email name: jrbandisb.
All those making correct guesses will receive this year's festival poster.
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