Stanley Kubrick

Stanley Kubrick

Born: July 26, 1928
Died: March 7, 1999
in New York City, New York, USA
Stanley Kubrick (July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career. Kubrick was noted for the scrupulous care with which he chose his subjects, his slow method of working, the variety of genres he worked in, his technical perfectionism, and his reclusiveness about his films and personal life. He maintained almost complete artistic control, making movies according to his own whims and time constraints, but with the rare advantage of big-studio financial support for all his endeavors. Kubrick's films are characterized by a formal visual style and meticulous attention to detail—his later films often have elements of surrealism and expressionism that eschews structured linear narrative. His films are repeatedly described as slow and methodical, and are often perceived as a reflection of his obsessive and perfectionist nature. A recurring theme in his films is man's inhumanity to man. While often viewed as expressing an ironic pessimism, a few critics feel his films contain a cautious optimism when viewed more carefully.

The film that first brought him attention to many critics was Paths of Glory (1957), the first of three films of his about the dehumanizing effects of war. Many of his films at first got a lukewarm reception, only to be years later acclaimed as masterpieces that had a seminal influence on many later generations of film-makers. Considered especially groundbreaking was 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) noted for being both one of the most scientifically realistic and visually innovative science-fiction films ever made while maintaining an enigmatic non-linear storyline. He voluntarily withdrew his film A Clockwork Orange (1971) from England, after it was accused of inspiring copycat crimes which in turn resulted in threats against Kubrick's family. His films were largely successful at the box-office, although Barry Lyndon (1975) performed poorly in the United States. Living authors Anthony Burgess and Stephen King were both unhappy with Kubrick's adaptations of their novels A Clockwork Orange and The Shining (1980) respectively, and both authors were engaged with subsequent adaptations. All of Kubrick's films from the mid-1950s to his death except for The Shining were nominated for Oscars, Golden Globes, or BAFTAs. Although he was nominated for an Academy Award as a screenwriter and director on several occasions, his only personal win was for the special effects in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Even though all of his films, apart from the first two, were adapted from novels or short stories, his works have been described by Jason Ankeny and others as "original and visionary". Although some critics, notably Andrew Sarris and Pauline Kael, frequently disparaged Kubrick's work, Ankeny describes Kubrick as one of the most "universally acclaimed and influential directors of the postwar era" with a "standing unique among the filmmakers of his day."

Movies for Stanley Kubrick...

A Forbidden Orange
Title: A Forbidden Orange
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: October 23, 2021
Type: Movie
Spain, 1970s. A Clockwork Orange, a film considered by critics and audiences as one of the best works in the history of cinema, directed by Stanley Kubrick and released in 1971, was banned by the strict Franco government. However, the film was finally premiered, without going through censorship, during the 20th edition of the Seminci, the Valladolid Film Festival, on April 24, 1975. How was this possible?
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Kubrick by Kubrick
Title: Kubrick by Kubrick
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: October 22, 2020
Type: Movie
A rare and transcendent journey into the life and films of the legendary Stanley Kubrick like we've never seen before, featuring a treasure trove of unearthed interview recordings from the master himself.
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Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound
Title: Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: October 25, 2019
Type: Movie
The history of cinematic sound, told by legendary sound designers and visionary filmmakers.
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Secrets of British Animation
Title: Secrets of British Animation
Character: Self (archive Footage)
Released: November 19, 2018
Type: Movie
BBC Four’s new documentary takes us on a journey through more than a century of animation. It examines the creative and technical inventiveness of some of the great animation pioneers who have worked in Britain – trailblazing talents such as Len Lye, John Halas and Joy Batchelor, Joanna Quinn, and Bristol’s world-conquering Aardman Animations.
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Trumbull Land
Title: Trumbull Land
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: October 15, 2018
Type: Movie
Everyone has seen a Trumbull sequence in Stanley Kubrick's "2001 A Space Odyssey", Ridley Scott's "Blade Runner" or Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". Recognized and respected SFX maestro, he has also directed two full-length films which left their mark on sci-fi cinema: "Silent Running" and "Brainstorm". Today, at over 70, Trumbull-the-pioneer continues his quest for innovation and still dreams of a cinema which places spectators into the film. "Trumbull Land" is an immersive portrait of Douglas Trumbull in his studios and a diving headfirst in his cinema.
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Filmworker
Title: Filmworker
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: May 11, 2018
Type: Movie
The story of Leon Vitali, who surrendered his promising acting career to become Stanley Kubrick's devoted right-hand man.
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S Is for Stanley
Title: S Is for Stanley
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: May 30, 2016
Type: Movie
The incredible story of the Italian Emilio D'Alessandro, personal driver of the great director Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999), who met Emilio by chance in London in 1971 and hired him, thus establishing a deep friendship that lasted thirty years and helped create four masterpieces of cinema. A moving tale about two seemingly opposing people who found their ideal travel companion far away from home…
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Kubrick Remembered
Title: Kubrick Remembered
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: November 4, 2014
Type: Movie
An 83-minute candid look into the life of Kubrick, including interviews with his widow, family, coworkers and actors, and featuring a tour of the Archive in London and an inside look into Kubrick's home.
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Once Upon a Time… A Clockwork Orange
Title: Once Upon a Time… A Clockwork Orange
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: December 1, 2012
Type: Movie
A dystopian crime film adapted, produced, and directed by Stanley Kubrick, based on Anthony Burgess's novel A Clockwork Orange. Where a sadistic gang leader is imprisoned and volunteers for a conduct-aversion experiment, but it doesn't go as planned.
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'2001: A Space Odyssey' – What Is Out There?
Title: '2001: A Space Odyssey' – What Is Out There?
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: October 23, 2007
Type: Movie
Keir Dullea, interspersed with archive clips of Arthur C. Clarke, discusses the probability of extraterrestrial life.
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Edge of Outside
Title: Edge of Outside
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: June 11, 2006
Type: Movie
An hour-long documentary designed to celebrate the spirit of the independent filmmaker from D.W. Griffith to Quentin Tarantino. Interview footage and film clips are blended together to form a chronological approach to the subject matter.
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Dark Side of the Moon
Title: Dark Side of the Moon
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: October 16, 2002
Type: Movie
A French documentary or, one might say more accurately, a mockumentary, by director William Karel which originally aired on Arte in 2002 with the title Opération Lune. The basic premise for the film is the theory that the television footage from the Apollo 11 Moon landing was faked and actually recorded in a studio by the CIA with help from director Stanley Kubrick.
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The Day It Happened
Title: The Day It Happened
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: March 11, 2002
Type: Movie
A 25 year old film maker is trying his absolute hardest to get his big break through into the industry and works part time as a bartender. One night while working he meets a man named Todd, who might be able to help him.
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Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures
Title: Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures
Character: Self (archive footage)
Released: May 2, 2001
Type: Movie
With commentary from Hollywood stars, outtakes from his movies and footage from his youth, this documentary looks at Stanley Kubrick's life and films. Director Jan Harlan, Kubrick's brother-in-law and sometime collaborator, interviews heavyweights like Jack Nicholson, Woody Allen and Sydney Pollack, who explain the influence of Kubrick classics like "Dr. Strangelove" and "2001: A Space Odyssey," and how he absorbed visual clues from disposable culture such as television commercials.
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Eyes Wide Shut
Title: Eyes Wide Shut
Character: Man at Café Sonata (uncredited)
Released: July 16, 1999
Type: Movie
After Dr. Bill Harford's wife, Alice, admits to having sexual fantasies about a man she met, Bill becomes obsessed with having a sexual encounter. He discovers an underground sexual group and attends one of their meetings -- and quickly discovers that he is in over his head.
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Full Metal Jacket
Title: Full Metal Jacket
Character: Murphy (voice) (uncredited)
Released: June 26, 1987
Type: Movie
A pragmatic U.S. Marine observes the dehumanizing effects the U.S.-Vietnam War has on his fellow recruits from their brutal boot camp training to the bloody street fighting in Hue.
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James Mason: The Star They Loved to Hate
Title: James Mason: The Star They Loved to Hate
Character: Self - 'Lolita' premiere (archive footage) (uncredited)
Released: January 1, 1984
Type: Movie
Retrospective of the life and movie work of British actor James Mason. The documentary presents interview footage interspersed with some movie excerpts, mainly from his pre-hollywood period.
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Making 'The Shining'
Title: Making 'The Shining'
Character: Self
Released: October 4, 1980
Type: Movie
Directed and edited by Stanley Kubrick's daughter Vivian Kubrick, this film offers a look behind the scenes during the making of The Shining.
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Title: Spécial cinéma
Character: Self
Released: September 25, 1974
Type: TV
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2001: A Space Odyssey
Title: 2001: A Space Odyssey
Character: (voice) (uncredited)
Released: April 2, 1968
Type: Movie
Humanity finds a mysterious object buried beneath the lunar surface and sets off to find its origins with the help of HAL 9000, the world's most advanced super computer.
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'2001: A Space Odyssey' – A Look Behind the Future
Title: '2001: A Space Odyssey' – A Look Behind the Future
Character: Self
Released: January 1, 1966
Type: Movie
A short documentary about the making of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey and its impact on the '60s view of the future.
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Day of the Fight
Title: Day of the Fight
Character: Self (man at ringside with camera) (uncredited)
Released: April 26, 1951
Type: Movie
'Day of the Fight' shows Irish-American middleweight boxer Walter Cartier during the height of his career, on the day of a fight with black middleweight Bobby James, which took place on April 17, 1950.
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Dreams That Money Can Buy
Title: Dreams That Money Can Buy
Character: Theatre Extra (uncredited)
Released: September 1, 1947
Type: Movie
An attempt to bring the work of surrealist artists to a wider public. The plot is that of an average Joe who can conjure up dreams that will improve his customer's lives. This frame story serves as a link between several avant-garde sequences created by leading visual artists of their day, most of whom were emigres to the US during WWII.