Legendary Actor Malcolm McDowell Narrates Salem Promotional YouTube Campaign

SALEM, MA — Legendary actor Malcolm McDowell is the voice of a new series of short, promotional videos showcasing Salem to tourists both locally and abroad.

Cinema Salem is releasing the videos on its YouTube channel, with the first three now available.

McDowell's credits include over 170 feature films, including "A Clockwork Orange," "Time After Time," and "Star Trek Generations."

Each spot ends with McDowell's line from his new movie, "Salem, It's Always Halloween."

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The videos were conceived and shot by Marc Tarczali, founder of Cozy Forest Films, alongside Elizabeth Aurora Petersen and M.P. Murdock. They feature local performers as well as Yumpo, the central character from Tarczali's horror feature "Clownspiracy," which premiered at Cinema Salem in June 2026.

Tarczali described the thinking behind the campaign in a statement released with the videos.

"Halloween is the one time of year people can be whoever they want to be," Tarczali said. "That's a large part of why Salem draws the crowds it does, and it's worth showing people before they arrive."

McDowell said the Halloween hook and the meshing between the city's spooky history and its businesses sold him on doing the narration.

"I've spent a fair amount of my career in and around Halloween," McDowell said. "When Marc explained that this was a town's businesses banding together rather than a studio campaign, that struck me as worth an afternoon in a recording booth."

Cinema Salem co-owner Marshall Strauss said the effort is meant to introduce visitors to the people and places that make up the city.

"We want people who visit Salem to recognize that hundreds of businesses and organizations and thousands of employees and volunteers are here to welcome them," Strauss said. "These videos seek to convey some of what makes Salem a special destination."

Cinema Salem said Salem businesses and organizations interested in joining future installments can contact the theater at info@cinemasalem.com.

According to information provided by the theater, Cinema Salem is owned by Elaine Gerdine and Marshall Strauss. The four-screen theater in historic Salem plays more than 200 new releases and repertory titles each year, hosts festivals including the Salem Film Fest, and stages live theater and musical performances.