Rate Stanley Kubrick Films!

I'm just finishing watching my Kubrick box set (one of the best $120 that I ever spent) and so far I haven't seen Barry Lyndon and (ouside the boxset) Paths of Glory and Killer. So I'm not yet rating the movies though so far Full Metal Jacket comes as the worst one and Clockwork Orange/Dr.Strangelove lead as the best ones. Anyway it will take me a weekend to have my Kubrick studies complete so I would love to know YOUR ratings of Stanley's stuff from Killer to Eyes Wide Shut.

 

most older movies although can be great are still somewhat dated.Paths of Glory is not one of those.It will always be current.In my opinion the best movie about war ever made.Something every side of a war should see.Gives you a lot to think about.

 

Stanley Kubrick is one of my favorite directors, probably my favorite. There is not one time where I watch a film of his and not feel like I am watching it for the first time. Each viewing reaps it's own benefits and he leaves his vision so open to interpretation that the films are tireless. I believe that Steven Spielberg once said that Kubrick's films seemed to have a built-in fail-safe switch...It is impossible to stop watching a film of his once you've started.

Of all his films, I feel very close to 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, A CLOCKWORK ORANGE and THE SHINING, in particular. Probably because I've seen them the most. FULL METAL JACKET seems oddly narrow for someone like Kubrick. It doesn't have quite the 'stamp' that his other pictures have so distinctly. I love it anyway, though...

That's the thing with Kubrick. I, for one, would rather watch him stumble (ie. BARRY LYNDON, EYES WIDE SHUT [good as they both are]) than watch some other director's best film. Don't know what it is about him...

 

I've thought about this before, and it took some time before I picked Dr. Strangelove as my favorite. After that, it'd be:

Paths of Glory
A Clockwork Orange
2001: A Space Odyssey
The Shining
Barry Lyndon
The Killers
Killer's Kiss
Full Metal Jacket
Lolita
Spartacus
Eyes Wide Shut

 

I like all of his movies except Eyes wide shut, I was very disappointed with this one.

 

2001 is my favorite film of all time! I remember seeing it in Cinerama at my beloved Uptown theater here in DC and just being mesmerized back in 1968. I wish all of you could see it as it was meant to be seen! I have the Criterion laser disc and it is wonderful, but just not the same as it was back then. Heck, I still go see the 70mm version when it comes to the Uptown, but the awe inspiring curve of Cinerama....wow!

I loved Paths of Glory the first time I saw it, but it seems to diminish in my eyes the more I watch it. The movie that really moves me though is "The Killing"! The greatest caper film ever made! When you see modern dreck such as Ocean's 12 & The Italian Job, you really appreciate the time and craft Kubrick put into The Killing. Sterling Hayden's look at the end really says it all ( great precursor to Bob Hoskin's snarl at the end of the underseen "The Long Good Friday").

Full Metal Jacket really underwhelmed me at first viewing (aside from the intense training camp ending), but later viewings fully revealed how wonderful this film is. The whole ironic dimension of all of these tough, trained soldiers being picked off by a teenage female sniper. As is Kubrick's way, he says so much without telling you directly...you get it all, but you have to work at it.

I loved Anthony Burgess's novel "A Clockwork Orange", but I still haven't warmed to the film.
I need to see it again though...

Dr. Strangelove is so good in so many ways! Kubrick's very somber tone is offset by the hilarity of the actors. Has George C Scott every been better (ok...maybe Patton!)? Peter Sellers is zany and perfect as Strangelove (precursor to Henry the K?!?!?!)! Don't forget the young Darth Vader as the co-pilot!

Killer's Kiss is strange but fun to see. The sets make the movie. The characters are a bit wack, and the ending can hardly be called happy, but it works.

Lolita is superb. James Mason gives us that urbane charm so essential to the role, lest we think Humboldt is a total wretch (well, maybe we do anyway). Sue Lyons is kitty perfect.

And lastly, Eyes Wide Shut....it is interesting, mildly titilating. I think there is a lot more than meets the eye, but I have to explore it more. Kubrick's closeups really slay me in this one.

One of the greatest director's ever...all of his films warrant viewing, and they offer vast rewards to the well read film fan.

 

If I had to pick only one as the very best, then I'd chose "Dr Strangelove", with "A Clockwork Orange" and "2001" close behind. But all Kubrick is worth seeing. His works almost demand repeat viewings, as such films as "The Shining", "Full Metal jacket" , "Barry Lyndon" and "Eyes Wide Shut" all improve and reveal new nuances after seeing them several times.
And of his earlier works , "Paths of Glory" and "The Killing" are excellent films and "Spartucus", while being a work-for-hire and not a personal project, is much better than most films about ancient times such as "The 10 Commandemnts" (not to mention "Gladiator" !)

 

2001: A Space Odyssey: Saw it when it came out in Cinerama and multi-channel sound. Mammoth influence on my interest in music and audio. How else was I ever going to hear Ligeti?

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb: My ninth grade Debate/English teacher rolled out this huge Sony reel-to-reel video tape recorder back in 1970 to show me this. Hilarious, shocking and brilliant. A fierce, relentless and unapologetic take on the potential for nuclear holocaust.

The Shining: Those tracking shots! Like it or not, it's iconic. Jack Nicholson clearly is having a ball. Shelly Duvall clearly is not.

Eyes Wide Shut; I really regret not seeing this in a theater. the color compositions here are exquisite, better than 2001. Weird, static and very Pynchonian.

The Killing: Need to see this again. It's got that cutting/timing thing down like Dr. Strangelove.

Full Metal Jacket: The drill Sargent opening is great. Afterwards, acting is a little off.

Barry Lyndon. Visually awesome but a bit slow. I have problems with Ryan O'Neal's performance. Introduced me (and everybody else) to the Chieftains.

Lolita: Never saw this all the way through. Made me squirm.

Paths of Glory, Spartacus, Killer's Kiss: Haven't seen enough of these to make an informed opinion.

A Clockwork Orange: Kubrick misrepresented a book that concerned itself with the miracle of grace. Anyway, that's what Anthony Burgess said. Having read "Clockwork Orange" lots of times, I agree with the author. What Kubrick did to "Clockwork Orange" damages the reputation of a rather good book and completely undermines the author's intentions. And it's ugly and hard to watch. Good soundtrack.

 

I haven't seen them all - in fact, only about half. With the exception of
Spartacus, I'd like to think I've seen his "important" works (if one could
say Kubrick has minor works). As he polarizes critics, I'm polarized, film-
by-film:

A Clockwork Orange
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Paths of Glory
Full Metal Jacket
---- (huge division line)
Eyes Wide Shut
---- (another division line, but not as severe)
2001: A Space Odyssey
The Shining

For the record, I found "The Killers" for $5 but have yet to watch it. I
once came into the middle of "Barry Lyndon" and it was visually great,
but not too sure if it'd hold my interest (I'll give it a fair shot one day).
Lolita's on my Netflix queue.

I've actually seen the bottom two on the list at least three times each.
Maybe I'd feel different about "2001" on 70mm, but I've never gotten
into it. I only saw "Eyes Wide Shut" during its theatrical run and didn't
have a high opinion of it - I'm thinking I'll wait until I'm older and at a
different point in life to watch it again. Last time I watched "Full Metal
Jacket" I enjoyed it much more and realized the second half has to be a
mess for the movie to work.

Bordering on a threadcrap, I'm one of the few to enjoy "A.I." If the robots
at the end didn't look deceptively like Speilberg's "Close Encounters" aliens
I would have enjoyed far more. But the drawn-out coda which led to much
criticism, according to both Steven and Stanley's estate, was insisted by
Kubrick.

Mark

 

In the original version of 2001, the starchild snuffs out the earth with his thumb. Kubrick's obsession with eschatology reaches its zenith in A.I. That film give me the chills. I think it's a great, much misunderstood film about the end of all things.

 

My rankings, from best to worst:

-Clockwork Orange
-Paths of Glory
-Lolita
-2001
-Barry Lyndon
-The Killing
-Spartacus
-The Shining
-Dr. Strangelove
-Eyes Wide Shut
-Killer's Kiss
-Full Metal Jacket

I think that's all of them...

 

Of those I've seen:

Spartacus - not REALLY a Kubrick film. but I love it.
Full Metal Jacket - magnificent. 1st half is Kubrick's greatest achievement
A Clockwork Orange - much DARKER than the novel
The Shining - grows on me with each viewing
Paths of Glory - excellent early film
2001: A Space Odyssey - awe-inspiring in 70mm, boring on TV unless you've already SEEN it in 70mm
Eyes Wide Shut - not terrible, but not all that great

Not worth the celluloid dept.:
Dr. Strangelove - just doesn't do it for me at all

 

My favorite is "2001: A Space Odyssey". This was the film that introduced me to multi-channel theatre sound. I remember seeing it in 70mm at the Crosstown Theatre in Memphis. The first time Hal spoke, his voice came from directly behind the auditorium. Of course, to my embarrassment, I turned and looked.

 

In order the Films came out:
- Day of the Fight (Documentary 1951)
An excellent early documentary about a boxer before a fight. Its about 30 minutes long. Find it if you can
-Fear and Desire
The first film he made was financed by his dad who took out a morgage. It is a really bad film. Paul Mazursky is one of the actors in it
-Killer's Kiss
A great early film Noir film and Kubrick's 1st film in theaters. Very underrated in my opinion
-The Killing
One of the great early Film Noir films. Look fast for a 40 year old Rodney Dangerfiled at the bar at the racetrack way at the end.
-Paths of Glory
A great film about the insanity of war. The last shot with the female singing at the bar would later become Kubrick's wife
-Sparticus
I don't like this film and I do not consider this a Kubrick film. He was a hired hand in the middle of the shoot. Its not a typical film he would make, so I disregard it.
-Lolita
A good film. For him, its probably his second worst after Eyes Wide shut
-Dr. Strangelove
A great film. A little too silly. Maybe one of his best. Just not my favorite
-2001
This starts out slow. The second half is far better than the first. An amazing ending. So ambiguous. A unique film.
Clockwork Orange
-My favorite film of his. One of my favorite period. It made me move out to Hollywood and try to become a film director (I'm still trying) A movie that makes you think. The type of film that makes me love cinema
-Barry Lyndon
Very slow. However, I always found it absorbing. Ryan O'Neil's best film. It requires patience to view it
-Shining
A scary film. But the ending is kind of a mess. The scenes where Scatman comes back seem to be a waste
-Full Metal Jacket
A great first half. An average second half. It takes several viewings to understand the second half. But it falls under the weight of the first half. The first half maybe Kubrick finest filmaking
-Eyes Wide Shut
Let me start by saying get either Region 2 or 4 (I have 4) of this dvd.
The infamous orgy scene is not blocked out by famous shadow people. And honestly, blocking out the orgy really hurts that key scene in the film. Unaltered, you see what Tom Cruise's Character is seeing and its a shocker. This aint softcore porn
As for the film, I truly think Kubrick would have made more changes before the film's release. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman make for an uninteresting couple. I always felt Alex Baldwin and Kim Bassenger would have made a much better couple for this film.
This has to be Kubrick's worst. Yet its still fascinating. Amazing photography. The movie puts you into stange moods. But the ending is a stinker.

And AI is a Spielberg film. And a waste of 3 hrs of my life

Stanley Kubrick is one of the top 3 directors of all time. Until his death, he never got the respect he fully deserved. EW ranked him 30th on the best list of directors of all time. Then again, they had Tim Burton and Spike lee on the list without even including F.W Murnau. Go Figure.
Hope this helps.

 

I think I heard Billy Wilder turn in his grave.

You mean these last lines:
********Spoilers**









Alice Harford: I do love you and you know there is something very important we need to do as soon as possible.
Dr. Bill Harford: What's that?
Alice Harford: ****.
******************************************************


Since you liked it. What does it mean to you?
It means to me that the whole movie was about their subversed sex life. A married couple whose minds wanders and what the consequences are when they act on those thoughts.
And I say, so what. It left me cold.

 

From best to not quite as good:

Dr. Strangelove
2001: A Space Odyssey
A Clockwork Orange
Lolita
Full Metal Jacket
The Shining
The Killing
Eyes Wide Shut
Barry Lyndon
Paths of Glory
Spartacus
Killer's Kiss

BTW, I also really like A.I.

 

Best at the top.

Dr. Strangelove
The Killing
2001: A Space Odyssey
Clockwork Orange
Paths of Glory
Lolita
The Shining
Spartacus
Barry Lyndon
Full Metal Jacket

 

You guys are breaking my heart not rating Barry Lyndon any higher...I kind of see that one as a companion leap into the past to 2001's leap into the future. Those candlelit scenes are beautiful, and the battle scenes, on a big theatrical screen, are magnificent. As a matter of fact, my high estimation of the film probably stems from being fortunate enough to see it in a theatre. Ryan O'Neal's performance is no deal-breaker for me; I thought it was fine.

I don't know if I can get through the whole oeuvre...I run out of steam making those fine distinctions with Kubrick about halfway through. Let's see -

2001: A Space Odyssey
Barry Lyndon
Dr. Strangelove
Paths of Glory
A Clockwork Orange
Full Metal Jacket/The Shining (can I have a tie?)
Lolita

After that, I dunno...at any rate, the first four are the real standouts, IMO. I agree that Eyes Wide Shut seemed unfinished, somehow -- just a hunch, it didn't have that air-tight polish that most of his other stuff does. I bet he might have massaged the soundtrack a little. But what do I know?

I have a friend who saw an early screening of 2001 (including a couple of scenes that were later edited out) and he described to me how the rowdy "New York sci-fi crowd" were stunned into silence.

I was struck reading that Kubrick considered The Godfather to be the greatest film ever made, and that he thought Blade Runner was the most "visually perfect" (I think that's the quote) film he'd ever seen. I agree that anything with his name on it is worth looking at, and I respect his body of work more all the time.

 

Is it true that the first few screenings of 2001 in '68 contained some 20 minutes of scenes that Kubrick cut after he read a review that said the film dragged? Have these scenes been seen since? Do they still exist? Have they been accurately described or do all we have to go buy is the recollections of people that saw 2001 shortly after it's premier.

 

My friend says he remembers the scene of Gary Lockwood in the spacecraft being longer, and I read somewhere that the Dawn of Man sequence was cut, too. How accurate all that is and whether or not we'll ever see any of it...who knows?

 

Barry Lyndon is my all time favourite film period. For me, that's what's gonna make High Def DVD worthwhile.