Stanley Kubrick is the prototypical master filmmaker. Everything about his process is just a step (or many) beyond what others are willing or able to replicate.
The consistent success of his films prior to “2001: A Space Odyssey” afforded him a larger budget and longer leash with each successive project. However, “2001” bewilderingly opened to middling reviews (the New York Times called it “immensely boring”) and a lackluster box office (actually losing money at the conclusion of its initial run).
As a result, Kubrick had to cut back on his spending and production for “A Clockwork Orange,” acting more like a guerrilla film crew. Part of this effort of getting back to basics was to simplify his shooting locations.
The directive: find futuristic filming locations all within a 90-minute drive from his home.
His scouting personnel delivered in spades, finding some of the most cinematic–and now iconic–locations used in film. As so exquisitely detailed in this video by CinemaTyler, the realism provided by these locations is beyond what can easily be constructed on a set, while saving both time and money, making those location scouts worth their weight in gold.
