Britannia Hospital

Director: Lindsay Anderson
Year Released: 1982
Rating: 2.0

I think I know what Anderson's getting at - future looks cynical, hospitals becoming irrelevant, machines (represented by a very Metroid-looking "Mother Brain") taking over, revolution too messy, media worthless and quickly eliminated (as evidenced by Malcolm McDowell's graphic dismemberment and comical rejuvenation) - but the film literally goes overboard in taking down a good deal of England's established models and customs in two hours: he might as well have tried leveling the trees in Sherwood Forest with a pen knife. I'm not even sure this is a 'movie' in the strictest terms, since there doesn't appear to be much of a story arc, just a series of sketches and messages leading up to the final speech, where the film's sour tone reduces human foibles and folly to a simple negative response. It certainly keeps you on your toes, and is often witty (and one scene startling in its unexpected carnage), but since it's just a showcase of Anderson's pessimism it missed its mark.