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$28.82
1. Stanley Kubrick: A Narrative and
$14.42
2. Stanley Kubrick, Director: A Visual
$4.41
3. Stanley Kubrick: A Biography
$13.60
4. Stanley Kubrick: Interviews (Conversations
$6.11
5. Stanley Kubrick: Visual Poet 1928-1999
$34.98
6. A.I. Artificial Intelligence:
$39.95
7. Stanley Kubrick: Drama & Shadows
$18.94
8. On Kubrick
$9.85
9. Kubrick, New and Expanded Edition:
$265.00
10. The Stanley Kubrick Archives
$31.50
11. Stanley Kubrick and the Art of
$35.95
12. Stanley Kubrick: Essays on His
 
$23.00
13. Eyes Wide Shut: A Screenplay
$13.84
14. A Clockwork Orange
$10.50
15. The Philosophy of Stanley Kubrick
$155.46
16. Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures
$64.34
17. Stanley Kubrick (German Edition)
$35.20
18. Kubrick's Hope: Discovering Optimism
$9.95
19. Stanley Kubrick (Masters of Cinema)
$19.01
20. The Encyclopedia of Stanley Kubrick

1. Stanley Kubrick: A Narrative and Stylistic Analysis Second Edition
by Mario Falsetto
Paperback: 248 Pages (2001-07-30)
list price: US$34.95 -- used & new: US$28.82
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0275972917
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
The second edition of Mario Falsetto's extensive analysis of Kubrick's films carefully examines the filmmaker's oeuvre in its entirety--from smaller, early films (The Killing) through mid-career masterpieces (Dr. Strangelove; 2001: A Space Odyssey; A Clockwork Orange), later films such as Full Metal Jacket, and his final work, 1999's Eyes Wide Shut. The author, offering close readings supported by precise shot descriptions, shows us how Kubrick's body of work represents a stylistically and thematically consistent cinematic vision, one that merges formal experimentation with great philosophical complexity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

4-0 out of 5 stars Good Resource
In depth and interesting.It overthinks several of the points it discusses, but is otherwise informative and a good resource for Kubrick fans.

5-0 out of 5 stars Somewhere Beyond The Infinate, Stanley Kubrick is Smiling...
Falsetto's guide to Kubrick is as Dante's to the Inferno: that is, DIVINE. Never mind the price, this book is worth it! Easy to read, scene breakdowns ( sometimes shot-by-shot ), and narrative patterns. Read another review for what they're like, I won't waste time trying to recite something too perfect to recite:
This is the DEFINATIVE Kubrick book. It offers descriptions from The Killing to Eyes Wide Shut, and it does a good job.Thank you God for Stanley Kubrick, and thank you God for Mario Falsetto
for telling about him!

5-0 out of 5 stars Fresh look at Kubrick's masterpieces
Falsetto blends thoughtful, intellectual critques of Kubrick's work focusing on his editing choices and the tension between subjective and objective storytelling.It is by far the first comprehensive analysis of Eyes Wide Shut to be included in a book on Kubrick's style.Falsetto's discourse illuminates previous themes that never occurred to me such as the fact that the narrator in Barry Lyndon probably represents the eighteenth century aristocratic viewpoint, and therefore is not really an objective storyteller at all.Falsetto's articulate analysis of Kubrick's narrative themes are completely engrossing and fascinating without ever getting lost in technical jargon.His analysis is particularly right on when discussing such an underappreciated work such as Full Metal Jacket.He argues that Kubrick was aiming for hyperrealism, and that many of the scenes seem very surreal thus penetrating the heart of what war is about.I highly recommend this thoughtful and well thought out book to anyone interested in a fresh look at one of the greatest filmmakers who ever lived.

5-0 out of 5 stars Much more than an hommage.
Falsetto really takes us inside the creative process of the Stanley Kubrick with his book STANLEY KUBRICK: A NARRATIVE AND STYLISTIC ANALYSIS. It is more than just an hommage to the late film master (there are plentyof those out there already), rather, it is a clever and insightfulexcursion into what makes Kubrick one of the great film artist of all time.The author is tracing the stylistic development of Kubrick's career,through carefully selected examples from some of his powerful films (THEKILLING, PATHS OF GLORY, LOLITA, 2001, A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, BARRY LYNDONamong others). At the same time, he brillantly analyzes the way Kubrick istelling us story with images and sound, his method for organizing thematerial into a structured and conceptual cinematic "whole".STANLEY KUBRICK: A NARRATIVE AND STYLISTIC ANALYSIS should be seen as aserious (but nevertheless entertaining) investigation into the heart ofKubrick's work, and I strongly recommend it to anyone who appreciate goodcomprehensive writing about the master.

5-0 out of 5 stars One of the best looks at Kubrick's work.
An in-depth review of the narrative and style (hence the title!) of Stan the Man.This book covers several Kubrick films(The Killing, Lolita, Barry Lyndon, etc), and it focuses on and is arranged by topic (eg filmicnarration, patterns of organization, etc) rather than by individual film. An excellent study that should be on your bookshelf. ... Read more


2. Stanley Kubrick, Director: A Visual Analysis
by Ulrich Ruchti, Sybil Taylor, Alexander Walker
Paperback: 384 Pages (2000-09)
list price: US$25.00 -- used & new: US$14.42
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0393321193
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
Alexander Walker's Stanley Kubrick, Director is the only book ever written with Kubrick's cooperation. This new edition, revised and expanded to discuss all of Kubrick's films--including Eyes Wide Shut--again received the approval of the reclusive director, who before his death allowed the use of illustrations taken directly from his films' frames. The result is a frame-by-frame examination of the inimitable style that infuses every Kubrick movie, from the pitch-perfect hilarity of Lolita to the icy supremacy of 2001: A Space Odyssey to the baroque horror of The Shining. The book's beautiful design and dynamic arrangement of photographic stills offer a frame-by-frame understanding of how Kubrick constructed a film. What emerges is a deeply human study of one remarkable artist's nature and obsessions, and how these changed and shifted in his four decades as a filmmaker. Black-and-white illustrations throughout, 8 pages of color. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

4-0 out of 5 stars Stanley Kubrick, A Visual Analysis
The book was in excellent condition. I bought the book for my Son, he had to have it for college class.I am very pleased with the book.

4-0 out of 5 stars Great book on a complex genius
"Stanley Kubrick, Director" is probably the best book I have read yet on this great, but often debated about, filmmaker (I have yet to read Ciment's book, though, which I hear is much better) Kubrick was known for making controversial movies being "harsh" to his actors. The films examined in this book are his most well known and cover his various themes about humanity: "Fail Safe" machines going haywire (Dr. Strangelove), the dehumanization of men into machines and vice versa (2001, A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket) and man in collision with destiny and the past (Barry Lyndon, The Shining).

To date, this is the only major book made with the cooperation of Kubrick himself. The photographs in each chapter are taken from still frames from the actual films. The author provides brief summaries for each photograph, showing its use of lighting, camera placement or relation to another Kubrick film (Slow Motion shots, light used is from the light source one would expect at the actual location).

According to the author, anything in Kubrick's movies has symbolism or some meaning to it, and this is where the book's only flaw is. Camera angles, lighting, set design and decoration even phrases numbers and placements of objects can be interpreted to have some meaning. He also has interesting ideas about the movies (One of my favorites is his belief that the soldiers in Full Metal Jacket's boot camp are lab mice being experimented and reconditioned on). However, this can also be very, very helpful to understand the films more. The author shows that each Kubrick film can have more depth than meets the eye (If you still think "2001" is only about boredom, you need this book). Just make sure you have seen the movies before reading for there are major plot spoilers.

4-0 out of 5 stars Not definitive but still intriguing
This is an interesting book, with a huge number of photographs detailing most of Kubrick's films. (The only ones not examined in depth are 'Fear and Desire,' 'Killer's Kiss,' 'The Killing,' 'Spartacus,' and 'Lolita.') The book is organized chronologically, with a small section in the middle of the book about Kubrick's use of color and an epilogue detailing Walker's personal encounters with Kubrick at the end. It is fun to read about Walker's stories about Kubrick, which shed some all-too-needed light on the personal life and motivations of the reclusive filmmaker.
On the whole, Walker's analyses of Kubrick's films are good, not great: I think he is really off-base in praising Tom Cruise's acting in 'Eyes Wide Shut' and in denigrating Kubrick's use of the occult in 'The Shining.' However, his analyses of 'Barry Lyndon' and 'Full Metal Jacket' were astute, and he successfully links certain themes and motifs throughout all of Kubrick's films.
Finally, although normally I don't like a huge amount of pictures in a book because of how they always jack up the price, here the pictures are well-chosen and either help jog your memory about the films or help you understand them if you haven't seen them. I will say that some of the pictures were much larger than they needed to be - I didn't need a full two-page spread of the atomic bomb exploding in 'Dr. Strangelove' - but that's a minor criticism.
All in all, a generally fun book.

4-0 out of 5 stars Full Paper Jacket
This may be, as the notes above claim, the "most
comprehensive" book yet written on Kubrick. And it's clear the
author's personal relationship with him enhances understanding of his
films. But it's also obvious that the book was rushed onto the shelves
to capitalize on the publicity surrounding Kubrick's last film and the
director's death -- unless, of course, the typos and printer errors
are an artistic statement about mankind's pointless quest for
perfection...

The strongest part of the book is in finding subtle
similarities among the films, both in style and content, and in
tracing the evolution of the director's ability to put his ideas
onscreen.

But the writing is occasionally overblown, presenting
obvious points as if they were major revelations. The section on
'Kubrick's Use of Color' is almost laughable, looking like a
four-color decoy for the rest of the book's cheaply done b/w. its
analysis pretty much boils down to 'He used a lot of red.'

An
editorial description above refers to 'frame-by-frame' analysis, but
that's pretty misleading. There is some detailed technical insight,
but not for every film. And in sections that discuss particular
sequences, the accompanying photos are often on different pages. The
section on EWS is pretty splapdash.

But there is also some really
interesting stuff here. It's just too bad they didn't spend a little
more time sealing the cracks.

4-0 out of 5 stars Uma Análise Visual
O melhor livro sobre Kubrick se você pretende ter uma visão mais acurada das imagens e intenções de seus filmes. Bem mais gratificante do que ler a biografia feita por LoBruto. Walker analisa o trabalho de Kubrick paraesplicar o autor e não o contrário, como o acima citado autor. Só naanálise das cores nos filmes é que o livro é um tanto rasteiro, pedindo poruma ampliação. Mesmo assim, é melhor do que nada, visto a escassez dessetipo de discussão em outros livros sobre o autor. ... Read more


3. Stanley Kubrick: A Biography
by Vincent Lobrutto
Paperback: 606 Pages (1999-05-07)
list price: US$22.50 -- used & new: US$4.41
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0306809060
Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description

Stanley Kubrick, director of the acclaimed filmsPath of Glory, Spartacus, Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, 2001: Space Odyssey. A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, and Full Metal Jacket, is arguably one of the greatest American filmmakers. Yet, despite being hailed as “a giant” by Orson Welles, little is known about the reclusive director. Stanley Kubrick—the first full-length study of his life—is based on assiduous archival research as well as new interviews with friends, family, and colleagues.Film scholar Vincent LoBRutto provides a comprehensive portrait of the director, from his high school days, in the Bronx and his stint as a photographer for Look magazine, through the creation of his wide-ranging movies, including the long-awaited Eyes Wide Shut. The author provides behind-the-scenes details about writing, filming, financing, and reception of the director’s entire output, paying close attention to the technical innovations and to his often contentious relationships with actors. This fascinating biography exposes the enigma that is Stanley Kubrick while placing him in context of film history.
Amazon.com Review
In 1962, an MGM trailer teased its audience by asking "How Did They Ever Make a Movie Out of Lolita?" Readers of this book, which recounts the life of Lolita's director, might ask, "How Did They Ever Write a Biography of Stanley Kubrick?" Kubrick is the most reclusive of celebrities, a man who seems mysterious even to those who have known and worked with him. Vincent Lobrutto's engrossing and beautifully researched biography succeeds in tracing this meticulous and brilliant visionary from his childhood and early career as a photographer for Look magazine to his creation of masterpieces such as Dr. Strangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, and Full Metal Jacket. Lobrutto concludes his book by discussing projects that have not yet been realized: Eyes Wide Shut, a film about sexual obsession, the Holocaust drama Aryan Papers, and the most eagerly awaited of Kubrick's prospective movies, the science fiction film A. I. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

4-0 out of 5 stars The best Kubrick Bio (that i've read, so far)
Upfront: I'm not an expert, but I've been a fan of Kubrick and his films for decades.

Stanley Kubrick is a remarkable subject but I hate the biographies that fawn over him as some perfect god-like wunderkind.

What's the truth about Stanley kubrick?

Lobrutto does a good job here relying on interviews from people who worked with or knew Kubrick personally, that are mined from a variety of sources, and overall provide the most detailed and best documented personal history I've read to date.
A clearer portrait emerges of who Stanley Kubrick was and how he accomplished some of his filmmaking art. I believe Lobrutto shoots strait most of the time - and even includes some of the dark side of Kubrick's obsessive work ethic, but his bias is more often: jaw dropping awe over Stanley Kubrick the superman.

In any event this is a must read for any serious student of Stanley Kubrick. It contains so much amazing stuff that I felt compelled to buy and own it - so I could use it as a reference work - and savor some of the more fascinating pieces of the Kubrick puzzle.
I wish there were several more good books on Kubrick but I can only recommend one: Kubrick by Michael Herr.
Maybe some day...

5-0 out of 5 stars Great Info on great director
Definitely helped my research project on Dr. Strangelove. Would reccomend to anyone studying or researching Kubrick's films

4-0 out of 5 stars A filmography more than a biography
Published in 1999, prior to the release of "Eyes Wide Shut" and the death of his subject, Stanley Kubrick, Vincent LoBrutto's biography arrived, however unfairly, at the wrong time.Since Kubrick did not grant LoBrutto the kind of access a strong biography needs, he had to do the nasty gruntwork that makes biographical writing, particularly of the deceased, such a demanding, but ultimately rewarding adventure.We can only speculate, but now that Kubrick has been dead for nearly eight years, that perhaps Christiane Kubrick and their daughters would grant access into the secretive, obsessive world that made Kubrick such a mythic filmmaking figure.

Instead, we have a text that owes to LoBrutto's extensive knowledge of cinema more than it does to the insight of Stanley Kubrick.The book starts off poorly, reading like a catalog of events and dates, lacking any real musical sensibility for his use of the English language.LoBrutto hits his stride when describing the making of Kubrick's breakthrough film "The Killing."From there, LoBrutto's research into the depths of Kubrick's approach to filmmaking is rewarding.We learn about Kubrick's use of specific movie cameras, lenses, his approach to scoring films, "needle-dropping," his approach to lighting and his encyclopedic absorption of the subject matter pertaining to the films he made.

However, as a "biography," a study in human character, LoBrutto's book is thin.We learn little about Kubrick's attitudes towards his Jewish heritage.His first two marriages are passed over without any real depth.His obsessive nature and the creation of his own closed-off world, akin a filmmaker's Xanadu, are provided little to no psychological depth or inquiry.Kubrick comes across in LoBrutto's text as a reserved, calm guy who really didn't antagonize anybody.This overly consistent portrayal of his subject leads me to believe that, since Kubrick was still living at the time the author was writing this book, that LoBrutto was fearful of getting sued or blacklisted if he wrote anything too critical of the director.For these reasons, the book does not receive my overwhelming recommendation.But for aspiring directors, this books is a marvel, providing wonderful glimpses into the habits, approaches and skillsets of America's greatest film director.

4-0 out of 5 stars Forensic Biography
Even though, as others have correctly observed below, this biography was written some time before Stanley Kubrick's death, Lobrutto is about as well equipped to write definitively about this one-of-a-kind filmmaker as anyone would be.

Kubrick died just after completing "Eyes Wide Shut," and those who were critically unkind to that effort would conclude that he'd about run out of steam.

It's understandable.The more we learn about Kubrick's personal life here, the less we understand his art.He was and remained an extremely private and elusive man, and simply pursued his various compulsions as they occasioned.The results are what we see on the screen, of course.

Lobrutto's a good writer;you'll enjoy the effort a great deal.

4-0 out of 5 stars Excellent Introduction to Kubrick, but written before Eyes Wide Shut and his death.
I got this book in 1998 to read a bit about the man before he was to pass away a few years later. For this reason the book is probably a bit dated now and does not cover his Eyes Wide Shut production. However in terms of insight I remember this is a great guide for introducing us into the life and times of the man. It covers his youth and upbringing and how he got into the film making scene. There are many references to Kirk Douglas and film financing, including Kubrick's interaction with Hollywood. In terms of a historical reference, this book was very interesting and I would recommend it in terms of being able to give us an account of the ins and outs of this man's life. The photograph section is quite well detailed with lots of early stuff. However the one downside to the book is that it never touches on Kubrick's motives. Anyway Kubrick was an illusive character. I have seen maybe two very small 1 minute interviews with the man in my life. If you are looking for insider information then you may want to read something like, Eyes Wide Open : A Memoir of Stanley Kubrick (Paperback)
by Frederic Raphael, although this book was denounced by Kubrick's family, and to be taken with a pinch of salt, it is still interesting none the less. ... Read more


4. Stanley Kubrick: Interviews (Conversations With Filmmakers Series)
Paperback: 234 Pages (2001-01-08)
list price: US$22.00 -- used & new: US$13.60
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1578062977
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description

From his first feature film, Fear and Desire (1953), to his final, posthumously released Eyes Wide Shut (1999), Stanley Kubrick excelled at probing the dark corners of human consciousness. In doing so, he adapted such popular novels as The Killing, Lolita, A Clockwork Orange, and The Shining and selected a wide variety of genres for his films -- black comedy (Dr. Strangelove), science fiction (2001: A Space Odyssey), and war (Paths of Glory and Full Metal Jacket). Because he was peerless in unveiling the intimate mysteries of human nature, no new film by Kubrick ever failed to spark debate or to be deeply pondered.

Kubrick (1928-1999) has remained as elusive as the subjects of his films. Unlike many other filmmakers he was not inclined to grant interviews, instead preferring to let his movies speak for themselves. By allowing both critics and moviegoers to see the inner workings of this reclusive filmmaker, this first comprehensive collection of his relatively few interviews is invaluable. Ranging from 1959 to 1987 and including Kubrick's conversations with Gene Siskel, Jeremy Bernstein, Gene D. Phillips, and others, this book reveals Kubrick's diverse interests -- nuclear energy and its consequences, space exploration, science fiction, literature, religion, psychoanalysis, the effects of violence, and even chess -- and discloses how each affects his films. He enthusiastically speaks of how advances in camera and sound technology made his films more effective.

Kubrick details his hands-on approach to filmmaking as he discusses why he supervises nearly every aspect of production. "All the hand-held camerawork is mine," he says in a 1972 interview about A Clockwork Orange. "In addition to the fun of doing the shooting myself, I find it virtually impossible to explain what I want in a hand-held shot to even the most talented and sensitive camera operator. "

Neither guarded nor evasive, the Kubrick who emerges from these interviews is candid, opinionated, confident, and articulate. His incredible memory and his gift for organization come to light as he quotes verbatim sections of reviews, books, and articles. Despite his reputation as a recluse, the Kubrick of these interviews is approachable, witty, full of anecdotes, and eager to share a fascinating story.

Gene D. Phillips, S.J., is a professor of English at Loyola University in Chicago, where he teaches fiction and the history of film. He is the author of many notable books on film and is a founding member of the editorial board of both Literature/Film Quarterly and The Tennessee Williams Journal. He was acquainted with Stanley Kubrick for twenty-five years. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

5-0 out of 5 stars Profound, cathartic musings from the futurist
I enjoyed this not for the explanation of his films but for his philosophical musings which there is considerably more of.

5-0 out of 5 stars A really good book.
This is an awesome book about Kubrick's movies. Just like all the "Interviews" series, it has a lot of information that are really useful.

5-0 out of 5 stars One Awesome Book!
For fans of Kubrick's work, this book is essential. The man only did a few interviews in his existence and semed to despise every minute of them but this book provides some essential information and opinion from one of the greatest filmmakers ever. Hearing his philosophies alone completely blew me away! By the end of the book I was wishing there were more interviews. Get it.

4-0 out of 5 stars The "Seinfeld" of Celebrity Interview Books
You've heard many times that "Seinfeld" was "a show about nothing."That's pretty much what you get here...

Kubrick loathed publicity and hated doing interviews even more.Since he himself had been a photojournalist, of sorts, before starting his career making movies, this is a little paradoxical, but understandable.

I don't doubt that just about every documented Kubrick interview ever done is, in some way, represented in this book - but it still ends up a mighty slim volume.Students of Kubrick will not learn much here that has not already been cited, in secondary source, in the great number of other Kubrick "biographies" and critical treatises.

And you cannot help believing that this is exactly what Kubrick wanted.Over and over again, in this book itself, he insists that the movies he made were to stand on their own merits.Talking about movies meant nothing to him - making them was everything.

4-0 out of 5 stars Great source for Kubrick fans, but repetitive
There is a huge amount of Kubrick in this one. Parhaps the most complete collection of things he has uttered to the press throughout his career. It covers all his fascinations, all obsessions and great visions for the modern mankind - and it unveils the gradual loss of hope, dienchantement with how the modern world develops.
But, being a collection of interviews, it is also slightly repetitive and many topics are discussed several times, so for non-scholars this can be increasingly boring while they advance. ... Read more


5. Stanley Kubrick: Visual Poet 1928-1999 (Basic Film)
by Paul Duncan
Paperback: 96 Pages (2008-01-01)
list price: US$9.99 -- used & new: US$6.11
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 3822831158
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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Editorial Review

Product Description
One of the most esteemed filmmakers of all time, Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999) was also one of the most enigmatic. He broke into the film scene at the age of 26 with the ambitious, independently produced "Killer's Kiss" and within a few years was working with the likes of Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, and Peter Sellers on such seminal films as Lolita and Spartacus. Having gained the support of the actors, producers, and movie studios with his early efforts, Kubrick garnered the creative control he needed to produce uncompromising masterpieces such as "2001: A Space Odyssey", "Clockwork Orange", and "Barry Lyndon". Polishing off 1999's "Eyes Wide Shut", just before his untimely death, Kubrick left behind a puzzling and positively brilliant body of work.Every book in "Taschen's Basic Film" series features: an introduction to the director and coverage of every film he or she directed; over 100 scenes from the movies, shots of the director at work, and film posters, with explanatory captions; rare images from around the world; informative text by acknowledged experts; and, a chronology, filmography, and bibliography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

5-0 out of 5 stars Great Starter Book
There are certainly more comprehensive books this one by Paul Duncan, but if you're looking for a quick introduction to Kubrick, this book is a great place to begin. Well written and concise, you learn about Kubrick's auspicious beginnings with photography and his tenaciousness that results in him becoming a brilliant filmmaker. You also learn about his many false starts and mis-steps with his early films. There are quotes from Kubrick and his associates that give a lot of insight into his process as well as some of his more cryptic films. Also, Duncan's backstory into the films I haven't seen are a great primer and have actually prompted me to add these films to my Netflix Queue. Now that I have read this book (In nearly one sitting) the other Kubrick books, that are ten times the length of this one, don't seem so overwhelming. ... Read more


6. A.I. Artificial Intelligence: From Stanley Kubrick to Steven Spielberg: The Vision Behind the Film
Hardcover: 160 Pages (2009-11-03)
list price: US$60.00 -- used & new: US$34.98
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0500514895
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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Product Description
Reveals how the project originated and how it was brought to fruition through the efforts of two great movie directors.Film is the medium of the modern age, and in this spectacular, large-format publication, one of the pinnacles of contemporary moviemaking is celebrated. A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) was a collaboration between two cinematic giants: Stanley Kubrick and Steven Spielberg. Here, the directors’ combined visions and sensibilities are presented along with the work of their remarkably talented colleagues—above all, Chris Baker, the film’s conceptual artist.

At the heart of the book are Baker’s drawings, many never before seen. Commissioned by Kubrick and used in Spielberg’s eventual production designs, the drawings display Baker’s imagination and rare technical skill. Accompanying the drawings are extracts from Kubrick’s notebooks, stills from the finished film, and photographs of behind-the-scenes action, highlighting the use of pioneering special effects, animatronic work, and the “virtual studio.” 300 color, 100 b&w illustrations ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

4-0 out of 5 stars A.I. Artificial Intelligence: From Stanley Kubrick.
A.I. Artificial Intelligence: From Stanley Kubrick.
Wonderful colored pictures and great information on the feature film.
One draw back not enough behind the scenes on the miniatures from ILM.

Very nice book overall!

5-0 out of 5 stars Great and amzing book............but
Why not include the DVD of the movie or some special features as a Tie in to aid the cause

5-0 out of 5 stars Finally...
A great and beautifully produced book about an enigmatic and mysterious film. The large format reproductions of Chris Baker's artwork are gorgeous. Stanley Kubrick's notes, annotations from Brian Aldiss, Ian Watson and Spielberg are gold. The editorials by Jan Harlan and Jane Struthers are fascinating and insightful, and at times quite moving -- especially Mr. Harlan's comment in the introduction, remarking on Stanley Kubrick's philosophy of filmmaking: 'First love it, and then worry about how to do it.'

For full disclosure, "A.I." was somewhat of a personal obsession, which haunted me from first reports that began appearing in the early days of the Internet rumor mill. Around the time of the film's release, I had the privilege to interview many of the filmmakers for an article about the film for Cinefex magazine, which I'm honored to see included in the 'recommended reading' notes of this book. One thing that my article lacked was Stanley Kubrick's voice. This book gives you that, in the annotations accompanying Chris's artwork and the observations of his colleagues. Bravo to Chris and to Thames & Hudson for pulling this material together; and to Messrs. Harlan and Spielberg, thank you for allowing this book to happen. It's long overdue, and it is a treasure.

Highly recommended.

Joe Fordham
Cinefex, associate editor

5-0 out of 5 stars Very well researched and in depth
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3DZKVVD4Q7UAQ I was a bit surprised when I saw this book, published eight years after A.I. Artificial Intelligence was released. Time seems to stretch out with everything with this movie.

This book looks in depth at the production and also analyses the whole film thoroughly. If you don't already know, the film is inspired by a short story called "Super-Toys Last All Summer Long" written by Brian Aldiss in 1969. In 1976, Stanley Kubrick approached Brian Aldiss, and later with Steven Spielberg in 1984. With authorization from Kubrick before he passed away in 1999, Spielberg manages to finish the film in 2001. What happens during within all those time is all in the book. It's incredibly well researched and put together.

Besides production, there's also an extensive analysis of the film, act by act, with interviews from staff. It explores the philosophy, science and social-biology issues with robotics in the future. There's even an essay written by the director from the Personal Robots Group from MIT Media Lab.

This is one huge book measuring almost 20 inches diagonal, if go you by tv/monitor sizes. The pages are so big that the short story from Brian Aldiss are scanned and reproduced with handwritten notes.

Also included are storyboards and concept sketches from Chris Baker, as well as many photos from the set. It's interesting to see how the concept art evolved into actual sets and the discarded ideas. I didn't know that Rouge City, the one with lots of bright lights, is actually a miniature set. And Teddy, the bear, has more articulation joints than T-Rex from Jurassic Park. There are also extracts from Kubrick's notebooks but his handwriting is difficult to read.

This is a nice super-sized book looking at the art and making of the film. Recommended for fans of the movie.

(More pictures are available on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.) ... Read more


7. Stanley Kubrick: Drama & Shadows
by Rainer Crone
Hardcover: 240 Pages (2005-12-01)
list price: US$75.00 -- used & new: US$39.95
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0714844381
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Born in New York City in 1928, Stanley Kubrick began taking photographs when in high school. At sixteen, he sent a photograph he took of a newsstand after President Roosevelt’s death to Look Magazine. The publication of the photograph marked the beginning of Kubrick’s work for the magazine, which lasted until 1950, when Kubrick made his first 16mm documentary film. During those five years Kubrick completed dozens of photographic reportage assignments in New York City as well as abroad. The resulting thousands of negatives have remained in the archives of Look Magazine ever since.

Kubrick’s photographs vary in subject, but people are the central focus of attention, as is his commitment to narration. Whether capturing the meditative state of passengers in a series of portraits made in the New York subway, following famous boxer Rocky Graziano on the ring and in intimate moments, portraying the coming of age of socialite Betsy Von Fürstenberg, or narrating the tale of a shoe-shine boy in the streets of New York City, Kubrick draws psychological portraits that combine drama, irony, and often mystery, anticipating his trademark cinematic style.

If Kubrick’s photographs are fascinating accounts of life in the late 1940s, they are also a major contribution to American photography of that era. At nineteen, Kubrick already had an immense talent in constructing complex compositions in which camera positioning and lighting played a crucial role.

The book is introduced by an essay by Rainer Crone, who also edited the selection of photographs for this book. Crone is an expert on Kubrick’s photographic work, and has already published a catalogue on this subject (see Related Titles below). An art historian, he gives context and examines Kubrick’s photographs in relation to not only his later films but also the history of twentieth-century art and photography. Crone also wrote short introductions to most stories in the book.

An invaluable contribution to the history of photography, this book explores how one of the most influential and successful film directors of our time used photography to master visual techniques and cultivate his signature style. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

5-0 out of 5 stars Phenomenal compilation of regrettably forgotten works...
These are masterpieces of insightful timing & guerrila portraiture. Avedon said photography was mostly lies - photographs only captured an instant in time & usually the wrong instant. Kubrick almost always managed to get the right instant. That's great photography!

3-0 out of 5 stars Sheds some light on Kubrick but does not stand alone as photography
The editors of this book were wise in prominently placing the photo that you see here on the cover. It is the most distinct and mysterious image in a book of otherwise indistinct work. Most of the photos are commercial and are interesting in so far as they reveal little hints of Kubrick's budding genius for mis-en-scene. But as photos the work doesn't stand alone very well, nor was it intended to.

5-0 out of 5 stars Great photographs
The photographs in this book are worth the price of it.If you're a Kubrick fan, you can't do without it.The photographs teach more about film than a dozen histories. ... Read more


8. On Kubrick
by James Naremore
Paperback: 272 Pages (2007-08-07)
list price: US$27.50 -- used & new: US$18.94
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 1844571424
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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This book is a critical study of Stanley Kubrick's career, beginning with his earliest feature, Fear and Desire (1953), and ending with his posthumous production of A.I., Artificial Intelligence (2001). This book argues that in several respects Kubrick was one of the cinema's last modernists.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

5-0 out of 5 stars An Intensive Look at His Films, Not a Biography
Although you do learn quite a bit of biographical information, by the way.

I've read quite a few books on Stanley Kubrick since his death ten years ago just before the release of his final film, EYES WIDE SHUT.There wasn't much to read before!The intensely-private filmmaker had left only some interviews and his body of work up to that point--but what a body of work it was: while traveling through Europe in 2007, I kept seeing a Kubrick film playing wherever I went.LOLITA was on a marquee in Vienna and I watched EYES WIDE SHUT dubbed in German in Berlin to see the European version (without the CGI inserts during the orgy scene).

While in Santa Monica last month, I saw this book and bought it for my Stanley Kubrick shelf at home.It's very well-written and illuminating even for me, a lifelong Kubrick fan.Details about the creation of the films, how they were filmed, and related materials give a full study to each one.The author also discusses different drafts and endings that Kubrick considered on each film.

If I had any quibbles, it would only be disagreements about a few things.I think THE SHINING was a weak horror film, too slowly paced for a modern horror audience and too ineffectual since Kubrick didn't believe in an afterlife(!).I also thought that Tom Cruise wasn't quite right for EYES WIDE SHUT (he can do fighter pilots, secret agents and just about any action hero, but a New York doctor on a dark sexual odyssey was just beyond his abilities).Also, the author makes an excellent point about Kubrick's obsession with "grotesques" but misquotes a line from FULL METAL JACKET: Sgt. Hartmann asks Private Pyle if his parents had any children that lived and Pyle replies, "Sir, yes, sir!"Hartmann actually says, "Well, I'll bet they regret that!" (NOT "I'll bet they're grotesque!").

But these are very minor notes.If you enjoyed Kubrick's films or have a curiosity about them, this is an excellent study of them.Check it out.

(And if you're a huge Kubrick fan, be sure to check out THE STANLEY KUBRICK ARCHIVES.I got the original printing of that monster volume that included a strip of 70mm from 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY and enjoyed it so much that I bought a copy to give to Joe Turkel, who played in PATHS OF GLORY and was Lloyd the ghostly bartender in THE SHINING when I got to meet him.)

5-0 out of 5 stars Best Book on Kubrick
When I read James Naremore was doing a book on Kubrick, and it was being published for the BFI no less, I knew this book would be excellent.

I've previously read work's by James Naremore including his Magic of Orson Welles book and have heard is excellent commentary on Mr. Arkadin. This book goes into great, great detail about all the layers of a Kubrick film. I was already in loce with Kubrick by the point I read this book, but this truly peeled off all the layers of the film, everything from his obsession with faces to his obesession of scatalogical situations in Full Metal Jacket.

I don't know if any schools have a class dedicated to the films of Stanley Kubrick, but if there were, this should be the text book. He spends so much time on all films, and especially on my personal favorite, Barry Lyndon. He compares themes and ideas that have been in his films since Killer's, and doesn't waste any words in descirbing the films.

This one is on the top of my desert island cinema books.

3-0 out of 5 stars Table of Contents
Preface and Acknowledgments vii
Prologue
The Last Modernist 1
Silence, Exile, and Cunning 9
Grotesque Aesthetics 24
Early Kubrick
No Other Country but the Mind 45
Dream City 52
Kubrick, Harris, Douglas
The Criminal and the Artist 67
Ant Hill 80
Dolores, Lady of Pain 97
Stanley Kubrick Presents
Wargasm 119
Beyond the Stars 137
A Professional Piece of Sinny 153
Duellist 170
Horrorshow 187
Late Kubrick
Warriors 209
Lovers 222
Epilogue
Afterthoughts 245
Love and Death in A. I. Artificial Intelligence 248
Filmography 269
Select Bibliography 281
Index 287 ... Read more


9. Kubrick, New and Expanded Edition: Inside a Film Artist's Maze
by Thomas Allen Nelson
Paperback: 352 Pages (2000-06-01)
list price: US$17.95 -- used & new: US$9.85
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0253213908
Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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Stanley Kubrick ranks among the most important American film makers of his generation, but his work is often misunderstood because it is widely diverse in subject matter and seems to lack thematic and tonal consistency. Thomas Nelson's perceptive and comprehensive study of Kubrick rescues him from the hostility of auteurist critics and discovers the roots of a Kubrickian aesthetic, which Nelson defines as the "aesthetics of contingency."

After analyzing how this aesthetic develops and manifests itself in the early works, Nelson devotes individual chapters to Lolita, Dr. Stangelove, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, and The Shining.

For this expanded edition, Nelson has added chapters on Full Metal Jacket and Eyes Wide Shut, and, in the wake of the director's death, reconsidered his body of work as a whole. By placing Kubrick in a historical and theoretical context, this study is a reliable guide into -- and out of -- Stanley Kubrick's cinematic maze.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

2-0 out of 5 stars Speculative, at best
I first read this book on its publication; I was 13, utterly obsessed with Kubrick, yearning for any info possible on the then-cryptic bugger, yet it all made little sense to me then. I've just re-read it, and it made even less sense, until Nelson's cardinal error declared itself. Like so many 'critics' of the creative work of others, Nelson seems unwilling (or unable?)to distinguish his own projections from the intent, conscious or otherwise, of the creator of the works in question. It is untenable, particularly in the case of an artist as obsessively controlling as Kubrick, to assert that x alludes to y, whether or not Kubrick 'was aware of it'. It is equally untenable, rediculous and surely futile to discern 'patterns' of association in mis-en-scene between films merely on the basis of superficial similarity (red curtain here, zig-zag carpet there, etc). Indeed, the only 'unintended' and consistantly reliable leit-motif in Kubrick's work, aside from his facination with death, is his striking misogeny.
Unfortunately, Nelson's analysis does not actually enrich the experience of Kubrick's cinema at all; it doesn't enrich it because he invests Kubrick's certainly striking but ultimately meaningless stylistic traits with a philosophical gravity they do not have, beyond Nelson's own fancy. Kubrick's films are very beautiful to see, and positively mesmerising when his images and the music that surrounds them coalese in that, well, unique Kubrickian way. The aesthetics, however, are the pure pre-19th century-style aesthetics of effect, not of meaning, beyond superficial allusion (Alex as the risen ape, phalluses, etc). Leave it at that.

1-0 out of 5 stars Just awful
I love film theory and I love Kubrick's films.So I bought the book on an impulse at the book store.Many PhD's have this thing where they take weird observations and dress them up in words with many syllables all the while going in nonsensical circles in remarkably hubristic ways.This book is a perfect example of that type of writing.I tried starting in different places but they all made me cringe.Were Kubrick alive I think he would be quite amused by this stuff, and you know, in the bad way.The book is in the running for worst book of my life.There are many wonderful books on Kubrick and his films, and chances are ANY one of them you can find is better than this.Sorry!

3-0 out of 5 stars A fairly good complement to Ciment & Baxter
The book is satisfying, if you are looking for detailed, meticulously documented accounts of K.'s seminal films, but not at all indispensable from a theoretical standpoint if you have read the foundational Ciment, especially in its latest, modernized incarnations (the last of which, I believe, is the Definitive Edition, 2003). I also recommend John Baxter's biography, for those who crave a portrait of Kubrick the (enigmatic) man.

However, I believe that a compelling study on Kubrick's oeuvre has yet to be crafted (his genius would at least deserve as impressive an amount of intellectual verve as that lavished on David Lynch's work by McGowan's splendid book [the Impossible David Lynch], or by Michel Ciment and, passim, Slavoj Zizek).

On a different note, I feel one criticism needs to be articulated here in relation to this page. I find it unacceptable that the "editorial review" spot be reserved for the imbecilic remarks of a blatantly ignorant (and proud to be) scribbler. Kubrick "hadn't made a film that was worth a damn in the 30 years leading up to his death"? While I doubt that even a crash course in Cinema 101 would benefit someone so shamelessly bent on revealing his intellectual vacuity, the Amazon management, on the other hand, should relieve us of the discomfort of having to read the likes of him, and really strive to choose its representatives with more discernment.

4-0 out of 5 stars What's up with that awful blurb?
I was a little surprised to surf to Amazon and read that Kubrick hadn't made a film worth a damn in the last 30 years of his life, so naturally I had to click on the link and see what was going on. I actually read this book several years ago when I was at the height of my fascination with Kubrick, and remember it being quite good if perhaps a little dense at times. The latter may have more to do with my own reading level at that point than any fault of Nelson's (it was around the end of middle school or start of high school for me). It's still on my shelf so I may give it another look sometime.

To say that Eyes Wide Shut was anything less than a stellar film, indeed one of Kubrick's very best, will be laughable in a few more years. The critical reappraisal continues, Kubrick's films always were late bloomers...

1-0 out of 5 stars Only if you are a true Kubrick fan
I was so so offended by the slackness and cheekiness of this book that I absolutely had to write a review... The writing style is so bad it will make your head spin like a top.The sentences run on forever, and Professor Nelson can't seem to keep to a point at all.He spends most of his time impressing himself instead of trying to communicate with readers. Don't bother with this one unless you are a true Kubrick diehard. ... Read more


10. The Stanley Kubrick Archives
by Alison Castle
Hardcover: 544 Pages (2008-10-01)
list price: US$70.00 -- used & new: US$265.00
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 3836508893
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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The first book to explore Stanley Kubrick's archives and the most comprehensive study of the filmmaker to date, divided into 2 parts.

Part 1: The films
In 1968, when Stanley Kubrick was asked to comment on the metaphysical significance of 2001: A Space Odyssey, he replied: It s not a message I ever intended to convey in words. 2001 is a nonverbal experience.... I tried to create a visual experience, one that bypasses verbalized pigeonholing and directly penetrates the subconscious with an emotional and philosophic content. The philosophy behind Part 1 borrows from this line of thinking: from the opening sequence of Killer s Kiss to the final frames of Eyes Wide Shut, Kubrick s complete films will be presented chronologically and wordlessly via frame enlargements. A completely nonverbal experience.

Part 2: The Creative Process
Divided into chapters chronologically by film, Part 2 brings to life the creative process of Kubrick s filmmaking by presenting a remarkable collection of material from his archives, including photographs, props, posters, artwork, set designs, sketches, correspondence, documents, screenplays, drafts, notes, and shooting schedules. Accompanying the visual material are essays by noted Kubrick scholars, articles written by and about Kubrick, and a selection of Kubrick s best interviews.

Special features

Part 1 features 800 film stills scanned directly from the original prints and interpositives
Part 2 presents about 800 items from the archives, most of which have never been published before
essays by Kubrick scholars Gene D. Phillips, Michel Ciment, and Rodney Hill
selected articles and essays, including interviews with and essays by Stanley Kubrick
illustrated Kubrick chronology ... Read more

Customer Reviews (48)

5-0 out of 5 stars Love it.
As a big fan of Kubrick, I love this book. It's large, beautiful and give you great insight into the mind and process of Kubrick. Has some great examples of how he worked and thoughts on paper. A must for any Kubrick fan.

5-0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Book for Cinemaphile and Collector
The Stanley Kubrick Archives (now out of print) is a truly great addition to the rather small number of books on the great director's work. The printing is superb even in the smaller 2nd edition, and the photos, some never before printed in book form, are exquisite. This book is a must for Kubrick's true fans, collectors of books on the cinema, and especially those who wish to study his work in detail.

5-0 out of 5 stars Wasnt this like $250 when it came out?
Barnes & Noble HAD copies for $19.99!
a 70mm film cell with a variety of scenes from 2001 was included in the Taschen EU printing
Some are trying to sell them for $1000 (!)
glad I waited- the unexpected joys of remainders

When he passed on, it seemed as if yet one more pillar of a sane, CIVILIZED world went missing
ifin a down mood, putting on DR STRANGELOVE usually sets things straight:
--------
"My boys!-they must have surrendered-they let me down, Mandrake..." [as a dejected Ripper kicks a lampshade and sits down with hisbelt loaded semi- automaticmachine gun-and as orders from the President to break into Rippers sealed off AF base are successful and become obvious]
"Not a bit of it! Im sure they all died thinking of you, Jack-every man jack-last one of them....uh....Jack...."
-[Col Lionel Mandrake HMRAF,toGen Jack D Ripper USAFjust a few minutes before the likely starting of WWIII]

Peter Sellers kept cracking up the film crew with his jokes and impressions to the point that that many scenes had to be shot over and over because the crew couldnt hold it in
If you look closely at the Russian Ambasador, Premier Kissov, as Sellers uncontrollable R arm keeps attemptinga Nazi salute -and he keeps pummeling it back into submission-you will notice a smile where it appears the actor almost looses it-but heldon
-
When George C Scott stumbles flat on the floor,(in the War Room) while walking backwards, Kubrick decided to leave this unplanned shot in the film-as it seemed in keeping for the character and the moment...

5-0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous
This is another monster Taschen book, like their earlier SOME LIKE IT HOT jumbo-sized volume. Both redefine the concept of a coffee-table book is. They are end-table, or dinette table items. Huge, weighty things that take up a lot of space and are best stored flat rather than uprightlike normal books, lest the binding collapse.

The actual content is made up of pictures galore, vivid, dramatic stills from the works of Stanley Kubrick, spreading over the massive pages in all their glory. The first half of the tome is all visual snippets from each of the major works, laid out with impeccable taste. Then it starts over with essays about each of the movie's synopses, production details and critical reception.Really good, not just the superficial studio-approved hype that often appears in these things, but worthwhile information, like the best quality dvd commentary. Accompanying this are more incredible photos.

There's even coverage on that very early item, FEAR AND DESIRE, his1953 allegorical war film/first feature, and several shorts he did in the very early fifties.. The stills are sparse for that particular title, but there's more info about it than has been available, probably since it was new. And since it was a prehistoric example of the independent film, there probably wasn't much coverage, then. Kubrick himself washed his hands of it an eon ago. And, I just saw this Golden Fleece-type rare item. last summer; he was probably very wise to ignore it. But, anyway, this book more than adequately covers it.

Also, there's a lot of biographical material with a lot of personal photos.

For Kubrick fans, this is nirvana, the best of the several books that try to encompass the director's appeal.

It is another gorgeous entry in the Taschen lineup, like their elegant MOVIES OF 20s, 30s - onto 90s volumes, and the wonderful series ofALL AMERICAN ADS for each decade from the teens to the 80s, and even the more modest, but still spectacular, directors series. All were originally very pricey, but are remaindered in a very short order because the audience for these things is not exactly huge. Most bookstores don't even stock them as remainders, let alone when they are new and full-priced.There is apparently a new jumbo book about Ingmar Bergman. The mind boggles what it'll look like.

This is the ultimate movie book. If you collect them, this is a must... and a half. Maybe three or four 'musts.'

5-0 out of 5 stars Mr Kubrick... I know him well... now...
Amazing book. Every picture says a thousand words, there are true gems in here, hillarious, beautiful, awe inspiring pictures, testaments of Stanley's genius... I'm going to ger the one for Bergman too.... ... Read more


11. Stanley Kubrick and the Art of Adaptation: Three Novels, Three Films
by Greg Jenkins
Paperback: 181 Pages (2007-04-11)
list price: US$35.00 -- used & new: US$31.50
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0786430974
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Paring a novel into a two-hour film is an arduous task for even the best screenwriters and directors. Often the resulting movies are far removed from the novel, sometimes to the point of being unrecognizable. Stanley Kubrick's adaptations have consistently been among the best Hollywood has to offer.

Kubrick's film adaptations of three novels--Lolita, The Shining and Full Metal Jacket--are analyzed in this work. The primary focus is on the alterations in the characters and narrative structure, with additional attention to style, scope, pace, mood and meaning. Kubrick's adaptations simplify, impose a new visuality, reduce violence, and render the moral slant more conventional. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

4-0 out of 5 stars Valuable Book - But Why Only 3 Films?
I was particularly interested to read this slim volume because unlike most film books I read, which are full of information on films I've never seen, I had actually seen all 3 films, and read all 3 books.I plodded through a rather tedious introduction where he lays down the matrix for which he examines each film/book (I've found that most academic introductions can be skipped) and this is by far the weakest part of the book. In short, he examines the differences and similarites between the respective novels and films.You really don't need to know any more than that.

While well-written for the most part, I kept wondering, why only three films?I don't remember (even in the introduction) why these three were selected?They are not chronological - Lolita comes at the beginning of his film career and the others were the most recent films he had produced.Nor do they have any stylistic or thematic similarities (either the books or the films), so why these three and not all of Kubrick's work? (99% of which has been adapted from novels or short stories).

It could also be argued that the author chose three "lesser" Kubrick films (although, as a huge Kubrick fan, I love all three).Why not Clockwork Orange?Why not Dr. Strangelove?Why not Paths of Glory?All three are considered by most critics and fans to be three superior films to the ones discussed.

That's one question, but the most important is: Why not all of his film adaptations?At 173 pages this is a rather slim volume and when you deduct notes, introduction and space for a few photos, it makes one wonder why more films were not discussed.

Another flaw is that he seems to miss the basic point of Kubrick's adaptations.Kubrick was never trying to make a great adaptation of a novel.He was trying to make a great films.He took what fit his obsessions (as well as the spine of the film) and discarded the rest.In some cases he drastically altered the story, its focus, and its meaning, to meet his ends. In every case for me but the Shining, the one thing Kubrick did achieve is prompting me to read the original work (I had read the Shining a year before the film, but in all other cases, I sought out the book after seeing his film). To me this is the true test of a successful film adaptation, as opposed to what changes are made in the attempt.I've read more books than I can count because I loved the film version.That is the true power of film adaptation.

In the end I can't say that this out of print volume is worth paying the price you'll have to fork out, but for academic Kubrick fans its certainly worth seeking out at your local library.

5-0 out of 5 stars An excellent look at a much neglected subject.
Jenkins writes a book that needed to be written for the longest time: an in-depth examination of the process by which Kubrick has created his various masterpieces.Save for his films made prior to "TheKilling", Kubrick has only worked from adaptation.And he has chosenmaterial that has stumped filmmakers, material that in some cases wasconsidered unfilmable.An outstanding, well written, researched, andthought out book.Highly recommended for writers, students of film, anddevotees of Kubrick. ... Read more


12. Stanley Kubrick: Essays on His Films and Legacy
by Gary Don Rhodes
Paperback: 264 Pages (2007-12-13)
list price: US$39.95 -- used & new: US$35.95
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0786432977
Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
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Seventeen essays examine the career and films of director Stanley Kubrick from a variety of perspectives. Part I focuses on his early career, including his first newsreels, his photography for Look magazine, and his earliest films (Fear and Desire, Killer's Kiss). Part II examines his major or most popular films (Paths of Glory, The Shining, 2001: A Space Odyssey). Part III provides a thorough case study of Eyes Wide Shut, with four very different essays focusing on the film's use of sound, its representation of gender, its carnivalesque qualities, and its phenomenological nature. Finally, Part IV discusses Kubrick's ongoing legacy and his impact on contemporary filmmakers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

5-0 out of 5 stars Table of Contents
Introduction by Gary D. Rhodes

Part I. Early Works

1. Stanley Kubrick and Look Magazine -- Philippe Mather
2. Kubrick's Early Non-Fiction Work -- Marina Burke
3. The Art of War (Films): Fear and Desire and Paths of Glory -- Charles Bane
4. The Dream Landscape of Killer's Kiss -- Tony Williams
5. One Watches Cells: Kubrick's Films Noirs in Context -- Hugh S. Manon

Part II. Major Works

6. Patterns of Space, Sound, and Movement in Paths of Glory -- Eric Eaton
7. Spartacus: The Spectre of Politics and the Politics of Spectacle -- Reynold Humphries
8. Believing Is Seeing: Surveillance and 2001: A Space Odyssey -- Gary D. Rhodes
9. Value, Violence, and Music Recognized: A Clockwork Orange as Musicology -- Kate McQuiston
10. The Sadness of the Gaze: Barry Lyndon -- Homay King
11. Reconsidering Fidelity and Considering Genre in (and with) The Shining -- Jarrell D. Wright

Part III. Eyes Wide Shut (1999): A Case Study

12. The Mask that Conceals Nothing: Marital Fidelity and the Lo-Fi Soundscape in Eyes Wide Shut -- Randolph Jordan
13. Eyes Wide Shut: Kubrick and the Representation of Gender -- Lindiwe Dovey
14. Carnivalesque and Grotesque Bodies in Eyes Wide Shut -- Miriam Jordan and Julian Jason Haladyn
15. The Phenomenological Quest of Stanley Kubrick: Eyes Wide Shut -- Phillip Sipiora

Part IV. Kubrick's Legacy

16. Mechanical Humanity, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Android: The Posthuman Subject in 2001: A Space Odyssey and Artificial Intelligence: A.I. -- Scott Loren
17. Whose Stanley Kubrick? The Myth, Legacy, and Ownership of the Kubrick Image -- Robert J.E. Simpson

5-0 out of 5 stars Kubrick
Kubrick - Film-makers Series
Great book on a great director
Product well-packaged and arrived on time ... Read more


13. Eyes Wide Shut: A Screenplay
by Stanley Kubrick, Frederic Raphael, Arthur Schnitzler
 Paperback: 281 Pages (1999-08-09)
list price: US$12.99 -- used & new: US$23.00
(price subject to change: see help)
Asin: 0446676322
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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Product Description
Dream Story...is a sensual tale that explores the subconscious, forbidden desires of a husband and wife, in both their dreams and fantasies and their increasingly daring sexual adventures. Ahead of its time and marked by the deep influence of the author's contemporary, Sigmund Freud, Schnitzler's novel has become a modernist classic. In this volume the original story's themes of depravity and the elusive ambiguity of dream and reality can be compared to Kubrick's own transforming vision -- in the film that has become the culminating achievement of his career... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

4-0 out of 5 stars As usual, the book is better.
Even if I hadn't read the novella first, which I liked quit a bit, I'd have been annoyed by the film's pat explanation to morally rescue the hero and allow a happy ending.I liked the film, Hollywoodized as it seems, but I wish Stanley Kubrick had stuck closer to the book.

3-0 out of 5 stars Soomewhat interesting read for those who liked the movie
I found it particularly interesting that Kubrick's very adult final movie was based on a short story written back in 1926.Kubrick fans know his movies are full of interesting camera angles and great characters, but underlying all his movies are a combination of temptation and agony.He was a master of titillating the senses and arousing curiousity but not quite giving you what you wanted to see.I was a little surprised, then, when his final movie seemed to leave little to the imagination.

I was surprised by the other reviews on this site that claimed the original story was overly risque.While the story was similar in concept, I found it rather tame compared to the movie.One reviewer said the main character had an infatuation with underage minors.Were we reading the same story here?

I enjoyed the movie but critics complain the movie was too focused on overt sexuality and shock value.Perhaps that's true.It's unlike his previous works which left more to interpretation of the viewer.I do agree that Kubrick attempted to solve the mysteries that were left unanswered in the story.I believe the movie would've received higher acclaim if he remained focused on the tension regarding the affairs of the heart.

One final note, as another reviewer noted, the screenplay differs from the final work.As he/she correctly pointed out, many of Kubrick's works were written "on the fly" as additional ideas and modifications to the original script were incorporated during production.

5-0 out of 5 stars Surely a collector's item.
An excellent story combined with an equally excellent screenplay. Arthur Schnitzler must have been one of the finer writers of his time and the late Stanley Kubrick immortalizes the latter's genius through his screen adaptation.Although some says the movie version was overrated, I still believe that the production gave justice to what the story wants to tell -- the inner struggle of a husband and wife and their quest to test their fidelity to each other.

2-0 out of 5 stars TOO WEIRD
The interesting thing about reading the screenplay and the story it was based on was seeing how Kubrick took the story and translated it intomodern times and a different locale.

The story itself, in both itsscreenplay and original short-novel form, isn't that good.It's too weird,and too shallow, and the conclusion doesn't make any sense.

Perhaps itwas Kubrick's legendary film-making that overcame those flaws.Having notseen the movie, I don't know.Readers, in my opinion, would be just aswell to give this book a pass.

3-0 out of 5 stars Good Script, Terrible Book
While the screenplay by Stanley Kubrick and Frederic Raphael seems to take us from Point A to Point B, it's very interesting and is a good, read. As it was Kubrick's final film, it was a good move of Warner Brothers topublish the script of it.

The source novel of the film, "DreamStory" by Arthur Schnizler, has a lengthy, tedious and confusingnarrative. It's almost unreadable and it's amazing how Kubrick enhanced thestory and made it into one of the best films of the 20th Century.

Seethe movie and purchase this book. It's well worth it if you're a fan ofexcellent, quality films and the good screenwriting that makes it. ... Read more


14. A Clockwork Orange
by stanley kubrick
Paperback: Pages (1972)
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Asin: B003V76BRA
Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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5-0 out of 5 stars A Clockwork Orange
Alex leads a pack of degenerate young hooligans through the streets of England on an ultra-violent rampage of rape and murder. After being betrayed by his friends, Alex is caught by the police and incarcerated in a state prison, where he volunteers for an experimental new treatment in order to earn himself an early release. Here at the Ludovico Institute, he is subjected to hours of brainwashing images and conditioning that force a negative association with violence in his mind that is accompanied by a wrenching pain in his gut. Now free, he is a truly a changed man, but he re-enters a bitter society that is still riddled with violence, where he is beaten to the brink of death by those he had harmed in the past.

Master craftsman Stanley Kubrick brings his own unique vision to the classic Anthony Burgess novel about free will and governmental control. This dystopian tale uses Alex and his droogs as extreme examples of youth in revolt, living without rule in an ambivalent society where teachers and family have all but given up on enforcing the law. A CLOCKWORK ORANGE paints the governing authorities in a mocking and contemptuous light, demonstrating their inadequacies through their dogmatic practices, failed social experiment, and loose hiring techniques.

While the great Malcolm McDowell would go on to star in many other excellent films, it would be his role as Alex that would prove to be his most memorable and lasting performance. He plays beside an equally talented cast that each manage to extract the biting cynicism of the script and bring it to life on-screen. Kubrick's extraordinary use of color and expert filming techniques immediately juxtapose the graphic subject matter and violence, a trend that is heightened even further by the Classical music score that is intrinsically linked to Alex's character progression. The culmination of these various elements can be seen early on, when Alex and his gang terrorize an older couple in their home to the gleeful tune of "Singin' in the Rain."

Nominated for no less than four Oscars® (including Best Script and Best Director) and winner of countless other awards, Stanley Kubrick's A CLOCKWORK ORANGE is in a class all unto itself. It is a defining piece of cinematic history, and an important watch for any film fan.

-Carl Manes
I Like Horror Movies

5-0 out of 5 stars Outstanding!
Hard to believe it was used. It's almost in perfect looking condition. Works amazingly well too!

5-0 out of 5 stars Clockwork Orange
I received this movie way ahead of the scheduled delivery date and it was package well.I remember watching this movie as a kid, watching it again as an adult brought back many memories..... Defininetly a CLASSIC!!!

5-0 out of 5 stars Viddy Good Show!
The movie is a classic and great.Stanley Kubrick created an amazing movie from a great book.Malcolm McDowell became well known for this role and a movie about futuristic street gangs had a resounding effect on Great Britain where Stanley Kubrick had the movie withdrawn after death threats.Malcolm McDowell portrays a psychopathic hoodlum who rapes, beats and eventually murders vulnerable citizens.After 2 years in prison, he agrees to a scientific study intended to steer him from violent tendencies and make him a productive citizen.Instead it causes him to become a helpless victim of violence himself.The story is never as momentous as the quality of the filmmaking and direction.This film is truly Stanley Kubrick.

5-0 out of 5 stars Wow!
This was a very good movie! I really enjoyed it. Although, there were those scenes that were hard to watch. The rape scene made me feel like I wasn't going to breathe. I really enjoyed this movie, because of the whole story of Alex. I cannot tell you about the whole movie. You're just going to have to watch it yourself. This is not a kid movie at all. Be sure you send your kids to bed, then watch it alone, or with someone like a friend. ... Read more


15. The Philosophy of Stanley Kubrick (The Philosophy of Popular Culture)
Paperback: 288 Pages (2009-02-13)
list price: US$19.95 -- used & new: US$10.50
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Asin: 081319220X
Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars
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In the course of fifty years, director Stanley Kubrick produced some of the most haunting and indelible images on film. His films touch on a wide range of topics rife with questions about human life, behavior, and emotions: love and sex, war, crime, madness, social conditioning, and technology. Within this great variety of subject matter, Kubrick examines different sides of reality and unifies them into a rich philosophical vision that is similar to existentialism. Perhaps more than any other philosophical concept, existentialism -- the belief that philosophical truth has meaning only if it is chosen by the individual -- has come down from the ivory tower to influence popular culture at large. In virtually all of Kubrick's films, the protagonist finds himself or herself in opposition to a hard and uncaring world, whether the conflict arises in the natural world or in human institutions. Kubrick's war films (Fear and Desire, Paths of Glory, Dr. Strangelove, and Full Metal Jacket) examine how humans deal with their worst fears -- especially the fear of death -- when facing the absurdity of war. Full Metal Jacket portrays a world of physical and moral change, with an environment in continual flux in which attempting to impose order can be dangerous. The film explores the tragic consequences of an unbending moral code in a constantly changing universe. Essays in the volume examine Kubrick's interest in morality and fate, revealing a Stoic philosophy at the center of many of his films. Several of the contributors find his oeuvre to be characterized by skepticism, irony, and unfettered hedonism. In such films as A Clockwork Orange and 2001: A Space Odyssey, Kubrick confronts the notion that we will struggle against our own scientific and technological innovations. Kubrick's films about the future posit that an active form of nihilism will allow humans to accept the emptiness of the world and push beyond it to form a free and creative view of humanity. Taken together, the essays in The Philosophy of Stanley Kubrick are an engaging look at the director's stark vision of a constantly changing moral and physical universe. They promise to add depth and complexity to the interpretation of Kubrick's signature films.

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Customer Reviews (1)

1-0 out of 5 stars Watch the Movies Instead!
This is a book that should never have been published.It is evident that the "professor" who edited the volume and wrote two of its essays has NOT viewed the films he talks about in quite some time - if at all!One illustration should suffice.In discussing "Lolita", Professor Abrams writes that Peter Sellers' character of Clare Quilty is shot by Humbert Humbert as "he crawls behind a life-sized painting of Lolita herself, which Humbert drills with bullets, killing Quilty behind it."Anyone who has seen this film knows perfectly well that it is NOT a painting of "Lolita herself" - anyone, that is, except for Professor Abrams who had NO business helming this book.It is filled with many a lame philosophical analysis of the maestro's works - and laden with factual errors.Skip this book - and watch the movies! ... Read more


16. Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures
by Steven Spielberg, Christiane Kubrick
Hardcover: 192 Pages (2002-09-30)
list price: US$40.00 -- used & new: US$155.46
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Asin: B000IOEQH6
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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'Stanley Kubrick was the grandmaster of film making', says Steven Spielberg in his Foreword to this lavishly illustrated celebration of the legendary film director. 'He copied no one while all of us were scrambling to imitate him' The variety of his work - a mere 13 features since 1953 - is astonishing; the powerful Great War movie PATHS OF GLORY; the multistar epic SPARTACUS; the black humour of LOLITA; the nightmarish satire of DR STRANGELOVE; the serene visual beauty of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY; the violent expression of A CLOCKWORK ORANGE; Jack Nicholson in THE SHINING; FULL METAL JACKET (where an East London gasworks was used as a set for the Vietnam War); EYES WIDE SHUT with Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in 1999; and finally the posthumous production of A.I (Artificial Intelligence) directed by Spielberg in 2001. Kubrick's monument is his movies, and this book is a vibrant equivalent to them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

4-0 out of 5 stars Personal side to Stanley
This is a great book for fans of Stanley's movies.It shows the human side of someone who avoided the spotlight and was thus seen as crazy.

4-0 out of 5 stars Great photo history, but has some errors
I enjoyed looking at this photo history of Stanley Kubrick at work.Included are seldom seen pictures, with interesting and well-written captions.The filmography is extensive (much of it is transcribed from film credits).There are omissions in the filmography, such as the narrators on some films.There are errors in the photo captions.Jamie Smith ("Killer's Kiss") is misidentified as Vince Edwards ("The Killing") in two photos.Photo 177 refers to Billyboy ("A Clockwork Orange") as Georgie.The list of Harris-Kubrick films is incorrect.Several of the photos originated in color, so their presentation in black & white is a loss.Many of the photos are too small.All in all, a very nice collection.

Please allow me to comment on some of the other books about Kubrick.LoBrutto's biography is well written, with only a few errors that I could find.A few of the opinions are far-fetched (such as a conjecture that Kubrick's childhood friend throwing a pickle in the air foreshadowed the bone-spacecraft transition in 2001).Baxter's biography is rather unreliable, with errors and dubious speculations.Both biographies stop short of Eyes Wide Shut.Ciment's final version of his photo essay is wonderful.Great pictures and interviews.The organization is strange because he keeps adding to his versions, instead of restructuring.Kagan's book has many factual errors in the plotlines of the films; so the criticism is suspect.Falsetto's book has excellent criticism but also quite a few factual errors concerning details in the films.Narramore's criticism is one of the best (in-depth and insightful).He omits Spartacus.Sperb's book focuses on narration and narrators in the films; this is interesting but limited, and Sperb repeats himself a lot in this short book.Rice's book is an interesting analysis of the films from 2001 on.There is a lot to ponder here.Rasmussen's book is an analysis of seven films---the same ones Rice covers plus Dr. Strangelove.Rasmussen focuses entirely on plot, while Rice brings in literary sources, philosophy, other films, etc.Gelmis's book contains an interview with Kubrick when he hoped to film "Napoleon."Herr's memoir is thought-provoking and well written but very brief.Walker's book has excellent analysis and explanation of Kubrick's working methods, but it emphasizes pictures from the films and the pictures are small and don't show well.Nelson's book is advanced reading, explaining cinema theory in relation to Kubrick's films.Chion's book is somewhat fragmentary, with profound observations about mostly 2001.Castle's book has awesome photos from the films and insightful essays.Overall, my favorites are the books by Narramore, Ciment, LoBrutto, and Castle.

5-0 out of 5 stars A photo chronicle of one of the greatest filmakers of all time
Although Stanley Kubrick made many other movies with a powerful message, I will always associate him with "2001: A Space Odyssey." The power of the movie overwhelmed me the first time I saw it and it still does each time I view it again. The music seems to penetrate your entire being and each time I watch it a new thought about the human condition pops into my mind. It is one of the few movies that you never seem to be able to completely talk out. I always wished that Kubrick had continued making films out of the additional novels by Arthur Clarke such as "2010." Kubrick's other films also have the quality of overwhelming you, viewing "Dr. Strangelove" is a life altering event, it points out the absurdity of a rational discussion concerning a nuclear war.
This book is not about the films that Kubrick made, but a chronicle of his life in photographs. Few of them are personal; almost all show him executing some act in the making of a movie. Generally, he is on the set of his films, we see stills from "Lolita", "Spartacus", "Full Metal Jacket", "Dr. Strangelove", "2001", "A Clockwork Orange", and "Eyes Wide Shut." The photos show him doing everything from examining a script to intensely watching a rehearsal to walking away at the end of the day. If you are a fan of Kubrick, and quite frankly I don't know how such a condition can be avoided, then this book will interest you. Showing him in the creation of his works, he was truly a man with vision, putting things down on film that stay with you long after the credits have disappeared.

4-0 out of 5 stars The Man Behind the Camera
"Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures" is more of a compendium to the documentary video released with the Kubrick Collection boxed set than a book of its own inspration. It's a trip through times past for both wife and author Christiane Kubrick as well as for the viewer who grew up with Kubrick's marvelous films. The book allows a deeper and more accessible view of the Man Behind the Camera.

Watching Kubrick's films, one gets the sense that something greater than a single man is directing these movies. Looking at these behind the scenes photos I hear the words "Dont' pay attention to the man behind the camera," as Kubrick plays the Almighty Oz in the production of his films.

The book is presented in a large hardback volume with glossy pages; all of the photos are black and white. We see Stanley from an infant all the way through to his work on "Eyes Wide Shut." The final pages also offer some pre-production sketches for "Artificial Intelligence." It is less of a book to read than a book to look through, although there are small captions to each picture that Christiane gives the reader the time and place and offers a little insight into Stanley's thinking.

With a foreward by Stephen Spielberg (the eventual director for "A.I."), "Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures" is designed for the Kubrick fan, but serves as a memoir for Mrs. Kubrick. As she mentions in the introduction, "The photographs will...correct the mistaken view of Stanley as some sort of isolationist misanthrope out of Dr. Mabuse by way of Howard Hughes."

4-0 out of 5 stars An insightful photographic odyssey.
'STANLEY KUBRICK: A Life In Pictures' (c. Oct 2002) by Mrs. Christiane Kubrick, is an insightful photographic odyssey of Stanley Kubrick, America's very original and probably only auteur director.

Mrs. Kubrick presented, in chronological order, rare family photographs of Stanley Kubrick from his childhood in the Bronx and through his teenage years in high school and working for LOOK magazine.This included his very first 1945 photograph of a newspaper vendor he sold for twenty-five dollars to that publication.

The chronology then continued as a mix of Stanley Kubrick in his various movie publicity stills and with candid photographs of the behind the scenes activity as Director Kubrick lined up his shots on movie cameras; interacted with his crew; conversed with his stars; "having a little game of chess"; or the very obvious serious discussions with cast and technicians. (The pictures of Stanley Kubrick cracking-up laughing on the set of '2001' are priceless; as are the touching photographs of him holding his young children.) The photographs continued until the filming of his last movie, 'Eyes Wide Shut', showing a mature and greying director.

And for those who follow the interesting lives of the actors in his films, 'STANLEY KUBRICK: A Life In Pictures' provided dozens of revealing off-camera images of his interactions with such noted personalities as: Marlon Brando; Kirk Douglas; Lawrence Olivier; James Mason; George C. Scott; and Sterling Hayden.Equally as interesting as his cinematographic technique was his managerial style as he presided over some of Hollywood's most powerful movie stars, dozens of cast and crew, and sometimes thousands of extras, which one can only infer from the objectivity of this black & white photographic collection.

This collection contained a touch of poignancy as photo #57 showed a publicity still of Stanley Kubrick, Sterling Hayden, and Kola Kwariani pouring over a chess game together in the chess club set of 'The Killing'.In this 1956 movie, Kola Kwariani played professional wrestler Maurice Oboukhoff, who instigated a very memoriable diversion for the race track robbery.In real life, Kola Kwarinani was a real wrestler and expert chess player who played in the same New York 'Chess & Checker Club' (alias The Flea House) as Stanley Kubrick.The neighborhood changed, and in February 1980 at age 77 while playing in 'The Flea House' Kola Kwariani was beaten to death by five black teenage hoodlums.

The book: 'STANLEY KUBRICK: A Life In Pictures' is neither biography nor history but simply an important collection of objective photography mutely capturing the working details, values, and personality of America's only world class movie director.

As a suggestion, first read the biography: 'STANLEY KUBRICK: A Biography' (c.1997) by Vincent LuBrutto, to fully appreciateMrs. Christiane Kubrick's impressive photographic compilation.Only then does the revealing photographs of her husband answer the many questions induced by all the incomplete written biographies on Stanley Kubrick. ... Read more


17. Stanley Kubrick (German Edition)
Paperback: 192 Pages (2005-04)
-- used & new: US$64.34
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Asin: 3822816736
Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars
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One of the most esteemed filmmakers of all time, Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999) was also one of the most enigmatic. He broke into the film scene at the age of 26 with the ambitious, independently produced Killer's Kiss and within a few years was working with the likes of Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, and Peter Sellers on such seminal films as Lolita and Spartacus. Having gained the support of the actors, producers, and movie studios with his early efforts, Kubrick garnered the creative control he needed to produce uncompromising masterpieces such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, Clockwork Orange, and Barry Lyndon. Polishing off 1999's Eyes Wide Shut just before his untimely death, Kubrick left behind a puzzling and positively brilliant body of work. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

4-0 out of 5 stars Nice piece of Information!
This book is not a very orthodox look at kubrick's work,but you will have a nice read about his career early stage as a photographer.
The author talks about how Kubrick made it all the way up to be one of the greatest (or the gratest?)filmakers ever,and also talks about each of his films with some interesting details and stories of the director,so give it a shot...you'll enjoy it!

4-0 out of 5 stars Kubrick's career, in pictures
This is a book-length essay on the films of Stanley Kubrick, accompanied by an enormous number of beautiful photographs. Most of the photos are stills from the films (as you might expect), but there are also quite a few shots of Kubrick at work. The examples of his work for Look magazine and stills from his first two movies are a nice touch.

The essay covers familiar ground for those who know his career: Growing up in New York playing chess and composing photographic essays, the early noir films, and then the classics: Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, 2001, The Shining, etc. The entire body of work is covered, including Eyes Wide Shut. The final pages feature promotional posters for half of the films and an extensive bibliography of books and articles for further reading.

If you're a Kubrick fan, you'll enjoy this. You won't learn anything new, but that's okay. If you aren't a fan, this book will make you want to see Kubrick's films --- the photos from the 2001 soundstages, in particular, will make you want to rediscover that film. ... Read more


18. Kubrick's Hope: Discovering Optimism from 2001 to Eyes Wide Shut
by Julian Rice
Hardcover: 283 Pages (2008-09-29)
list price: US$44.00 -- used & new: US$35.20
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Asin: 0810862069
Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars
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There have been two common assumptions about Stanley Kubrick: that his films portray human beings who are driven exclusively by aggression and greed, and that he pessimistically rejected meaning in a contingent, postmodern world. However, as Kubrick himself remarked, "A work of art should be always exhilarating and never depressing, whatever its subject matter may be." In this new interpretation of Kubrick's films, Julian Rice suggests that the director's work had a more positive outlook than most people credit him. And while other studies have recounted Kubrick's life and production histories, few have offered lucid explanations of specific sources and their influence on his films. In Kubrick's Hope, Rice explains how the theories of Freud and Jung took cinematic form, and also considers the significant impression left on the director's last six films by Robert Ardrey, Bruno Bettelheim, and Joseph Campbell. In addition to providing useful contexts, Rice offers close readings of the films, inviting readers to note details they may have missed and to interpret them in their own way. By refreshing their experience of the films and discarding postmodern clichés, viewers may discover more optimistic themes in the director's works. Beginning with 2001: A Space Odyssey and continuing through A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, and Eyes Wide Shut, Rice illuminates Kubrick's thinking at the time he made each film. Throughout, Rice examines the compelling political, psychological, and spiritual issues the director raises. As this book contends, if these works are considered together and repeatedly re-viewed, Kubrick's films may help viewers to personally grow and collectively endure. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

3-0 out of 5 stars Good issues discussed but i want more.
I've read a lot about kubricks movies and i've seen a lot of things discussed that i had not considered much like lloyd the bartender in the shining and color use by kubrick and the meaning of the monolith ans so forth but i would like to see some discussion about the occult in the movies for example alluded to in the shining and in eyes wide shut. I think this is an area that has not been explored but that kubrick was suggesting involves the wealthy and powerful. Now more than ever would be a good time especially with all the exposures and discussions related to the new world order. I think this is an area that needs to be explored.

2-0 out of 5 stars Sleep inducing
Over intellectualized pretentious blather. The book hyper-analyzes things Kubrick probably never though about. For instance, Rice describes in detail the every movement and vocal inflection of Nicole Kidman in the Eyes Wide Shut bedroom scene as representative of something deep(I thought it was just bad acting). In 2001, the ape Moonwatcher momentarily becomes erect while smashing the bone weapon, author Rice thinks he is mimicking the monolith because he is black and upright. Lots of name-dropping references to classic literature and philospohy. zzzzzz

2-0 out of 5 stars Nope to KUBRICK'S HOPE
The cover is the best thing going for this book: an iconic photo from "2001" (Kubrick's greatest film in my humble opinion.)It is a still from the movie - but a masterful composition (a prime example of K's photographic origins and eye): Life, Death, Mystery, Beauty, Civilization - all captured in this one film frame.If Kubrick had been born before motion pictures came along, he would most certainly have been a master painter.

Anyway, apart from Devin Watson's wonderfully designed cover, Julian Rice's book is like many another collection of masturbatory meditations on the meanings of the Master's movies.I like film analysis, but grow distrustful of it when an agenda or grand synthesis or TOE (Theory of Everything) is pushed and crammed and jammed into the reader's mind ad infinitum, ad nauseum.As is the case in this book. The subtitle reveals this agenda quite clearly: "Discovering Optimism from 2001 to Eyes Wide Shut."Okay. Kubrick had Hope. But he had alot of other things going on in the films also. And to distill the films simply for these optimistic elements grows quite tedious, quite quickly. In this book, there are certain interesting insights, yes, but many avenues of thought are completely unexplored.(How could someone discuss "The Shining," for example, and completely ignore any discussion involving Lloyd the Bartender?Or make the mistake in believing that Delbert Grady and Charles Grady are "doubles" rather than script mistakes, as they more probably are.Yes, the Maestro made mistakes in his movies!Jack Torrance tears a page out of his typewriter in getting pissed at Wendy's intrusion, yet in the next cut the page is back in the roller.Going back to "Lolita", in the first scene of Humbert's entrance into Quilty's mansion - allegedly empty but for the blanket-hidden Quilty himself - we see a crewman rushing from the scene.Perhaps it is Kubrick himself. Despite the director's legendary perfectionism, he was not perfect: and the first name mix-up of Grady does not denote two separate individuals as Rice believes, but most likely a mistake in scripting.)Anyway - as to "2001" - Rice would have us believe that the monolith-inspired Moonwatcher and Bowman as an old man in a black bathrobe represent human monoliths themselves!It is a stretch.I believe it was more serendipitous than intentional on Kubrick's part, if you buy into the notion at all.

The book also goes way-too much into the color schemes of the films.Enough is enough!The descriptions of colors are especially irksome in the "Barry Lyndon" chapter.Yawn-inducing, actually. I felt like my head was spinning on a color wheel.Kubrick's colors are, of course, vitally important: but Rice gives undue emphasis to the color schemes at the expense of more fruitful insights.

There are really no startling discoveries in Rice's observations, nothing that a careful viewer of the films wouldn't discover for himself.I found the book to be ultimately boring - and made me want to watch the movies instead.And...I suppose that isn't a bad thing for a book on film to do.It just means that the films way outshine the book. ... Read more


19. Stanley Kubrick (Masters of Cinema)
by Bill Krohn
Paperback: 96 Pages (2010-11-10)
list price: US$9.95 -- used & new: US$9.95
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Asin: 2866425723
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Stanley Kubrick (USA, 1928-99) was a master who took the art of filmmaking further than any other contemporary director, a creative perfectionist whose work now fascinates new generations. He started out as a photographer before moving into film noir aged barely 25, after which the power and originality of his work soon brought him box-office success. In the 1960s, he lived and worked in London, away from the scandal caused by his adaptation of Lolita (1962) and from the major studios, from which, uniquely, he was able to wrest total control of his films. He made only a dozen features in 50 years, each of which displays an extraordinary degree of technical and aesthetic invention. From the sci-fi 2001: "A Space Odyssey" (1968) onwards, each of his masterpieces explores new genres and controversial topics, such as Vietnam ("Full Metal Jacket", 1987), violence ("A Clockwork Orange", 1971), horror ("The Shining", 1980) and sexuality ("Eyes Wide Shut", 1999). ... Read more


20. The Encyclopedia of Stanley Kubrick (Library of Great Filmmakers)
by Rodney Hill, Gene D. Phillips
Paperback: 422 Pages (2002-06)
list price: US$19.95 -- used & new: US$19.01
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Asin: 0816043892
Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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From anti-war dramas such as "Paths of Glory" to the complexity of his final film, "Eyes Wide Shut", controversial film director Stanley Kubrick always commanded his audience's attention. This encyclopaedia offers complete coverage of his life and the 13 feature films he directed, including "2001, A Space Odyssey", "A Clockwork Orange",and "The Shining". In-depth entries survey: the actors who performed in his films, the writers with whom he collaborated, key members of his crew, inspiration for his movies, music and composers for his films; and recurring themes and genres. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

3-0 out of 5 stars For the Kubrick fan
This is a book of Kubrick facts and trivia, arranged in easy-reference format. The authors are opinionated about their subject, which is good --- they clearly love writing about these movies and everything that went into them. For the non-fan, this book could be tedious. Entries on actors veer off into complete discussions of the Kubrick movie in which they starred, minor details are repeated, and a few entries seem to be too technical or industry-based to be worth mentioning.

(For example, Kubrick says that at the end of Lolita, Humbert realizes that he loves her --- he's not just feeling lust for her. Kubrick calls this the most poignant moment in the story. This particular quote is repeated in the book at least five times.)

If you've read every other book about Kubrick, get this one. If not, read the books by Ciment, Walker, Herr, LoBrutto, and Baxter first.

4-0 out of 5 stars Well, why not?
Bronx-born Stanley Kubrick spent much of his professional life in England where he made some of the most controversial and original films ever to grace the silver screen.This uneven but fascinating book is in a sense a tribute to the man and his work.This is not the first encyclopedic treatment of a top movie director published by Facts on File--they have also done Alfred Hitchcock and Orson Welles.Perhaps this format--an "encyclopedia"--will catch on.At any rate, it is fun to leaf through randomly or perhaps one could actually proceed alphabetically.

The entries of course all have some connection with Kubrick.Included are actors who played in his movies, and people related to him and his friends and other people he worked with.There are also entries on movie business phenomena like "antiwar themes" and "censorship."There is an interesting entry on Steven Spielberg's Artificial Intelligence (2001) in which I learned that the original conception came from Kubrick.There are a number of black and white photos spread throughout the text and some line drawings, mostly of Kubrick and the actors who played in his films.Often the photos are stills from the movies.It is interesting to see Kubrick at various stages of his career and how time changed his appearance.My favorite photo is of George C. Scott and Stanley Kubrick playing chess on the set of Dr. Strangelove underneath the "War Room" mock up.By the way, Scott is reported to have gained respect for the younger Kubrick when Kubrick beat him at chess.

There is rather a lot of repetition in the entries, some of it unavoidable of course because entries overlap in content.However the entry for Sue Lyon, for example, who was Kubrick's Lolita, contains a summary of the plot of Lolita to the exclusion of the rather sparse information about Lyon.Also the editing and proofreading of the entries is not first rate.The text was begun by Rodney Hill and then taken up by Gene D. Phillips, which may account for some of the avoidable repetition.Some of the entries were written by John C. Tibbetts and others tagged with initials and identified as "Contributors" near the back of the book.

Clearly the strength of the book is in the light it sheds on Stanley Kubrick and his life in film.The detail is fascinating and the writing, in spite of the repetitions, is engaging.There are nice pieces on George C. Scott, James Mason, Peter Sellers, Malcolm McDowell, Nicole Kidman, Shelley Winters, Arthur C. Clarke, etc. as well as essays on all of Kubrick movies.Included are behind the scenes information about what went on during the shooting of the films, how the films were conceived and how they progressed.I was intrigued to learn that Kubrick was able to get a fine performance from the otherwise undistinguished Sue Lyon partly because he sometimes allowed her to use her own vernacular instead of words from the script.Also interesting was the difficulties that Shelley Winters experienced (from her viewpoint!) in working with James Mason and Peter Sellers in Lolita (1962).The relationship between Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, who wrote the novel 2001: A Space Odyssey and worked with Kubrick on the screenplay for the film, is interesting to follow.One realizes again that at the base of Kubrick's film creations is an abiding interest in science and human psychology.

Bottom line: an irresistible companion to the films of Stanley Kubrick, one of cinema's greatest directors and one of my personal favorites. ... Read more


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