1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- Eyes Wide Shut

#1002- Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
Starring: Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Sydney Pollack
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick


Plot Summary: Dr. Bill and Alice Hartford are a young married couple living in New York. While attending a Christmas party, an older gentleman begins to hit on Alice while Bill is away flirting with two young women. The next evening, after smoking some marijuana, Alice asks Bill if he ever gets jealous. Bill reassures her that he is not jealous because he thinks women are more faithful than men and that he won't be unfaithful like other men because he loves his wife. In an act of spite, Alice tells Bill of a recent fantasy she had about a naval officer, which clearly gets Bill upset. After receiving a call to tend to a patient, Bill goes to work, but strays from coming home and instead walks around the city looking for his own way to pursue a fantasy.


As we come to the end of my Stanley Kubrick, retrospective, I find myself very perplexed by his final film Eyes Wide Shut. Described as an erotic thriller, there was one word I had on my mind that left me very skeptical about this film: pornography. Yes, I was absolutely terrified that the last film Kubrick would grace us with before his death was nothing more than a married couple's sex tape. While the film still is full of perverse imagery, the film couldn't be further from my original perception. At the time, the film's two main lead were one of Hollywood's biggest "it" couples, yet they share very little screen time together, and there is a much bigger theme that is presented of the concept of fantasy vs. reality. Masked behind some beautiful production design (you'll soon see what I did there) and a provocative narrative, the final question I have for this film was whether or not Kubrick left the world on a high note.

Eyes Wide Shut stars Tom Cruise as Dr. Bill Hartford. I will say this about Tom Cruise: the man has charisma. Regardless of what some people may think nowadays about him, it can't be denied that in the '90s, there was arguably no actor with more charisma than Tom Cruise. However, that doesn't translate out to a diverse acting range. Only a handful of times has he really transformed himself in a role, and most times you still see Tom Cruise on the screen. Is that bad? Depends on how you like your actors. For me, I can look at Cruise and swap out the ability to be a chameleon actor for someone who has all the tools it takes to be a megastar of the silver screen. Bill is also a pair of eyes for the audience to some very bizarre and dare I say kinky activities that some may not be aware of. As Bill's interest grows, so does the curiosity of the audience. That's a very powerful and effective strategy when crafting your main protagonist that I believe works really well considering how messed up some of it can get.

Nicole Kidman plays Bill's wife Alice. There's not much to say about Alice as a character since the film doesn't really follow her. While Bill is off having his adventures, Alice is at home, not really doing anything for the narrative. However, she is a VERY crucial element for getting the plot started. Thanks to an argument they have, Alice puts an idea in Bill's head to intentionally make him jealous at the idea that she could be with another man. The idea haunts Bill's thoughts and no matter how much he tries to shake them, they remain in his head. It can then be said that because of this, she triggers his desires to seek out a taboo fantasy in order to have that same feeling. After this, Alice kind of becomes a means to an end. She becomes this element that is always within Bill's mind during all this to remind him of where his reality should stand: at home with his wife. But it's hard to say that she does much else after the 30 minute mark, which is really disappointing knowing the star power Kidman had at the time. Also, I'm sure many male moviegoers remember Kidman's performance based on the amount of time she's naked, but probably not much else. Is it possible to say that Kubrick didn't win over the feminists with this film?

The biggest amount of respect I can give to this film is that it knew how to utilize its production design in order to create some vivid, captivating, and even frightening imagery. Through the use of Venetian style masks, the film looks at this secret society and is able to give each member a different, yet memorable face to look at. The film also has a very eerie main theme that accompanies the suspenseful and tense scenes, highlighted by its use as Bill looks around the room to see all these different types of beautiful and scary masks staring him in the face. Remember what I have said about Kubrick being able to get so much out of so little? That's present here specifically, as he was able to make so many extras stand out in a crowd through the use of a simple costume consisting of a black cloak with a hood and a Venetian mask.

One thing that may surprise a lot of viewers their first time watching it is the Christmas atmosphere that surrounds this movie. Now don't worry, I'm not going to fight for this movie as a Christmas classic as I would with a film like Die Hard. I know which battles to pick. Anyways, nearly every scene in the movie has some form of Christmas decoration in it, lit up with strings of lights or having a tree in the corner. The entire film is very fluorescent and vibrantly colored thanks to the lights. It reminds me of his lighting approach in Barry Lyndon, but more up to date since this movie takes place in a modern day New York. Even more beautiful to look at is when a character enters a dark room only lit up by the Christmas lights, really bringing about a combination of a dark and colorful dreamlike environment.

In conclusion to Kubrick's career, I gotta ask whether or not Eyes Wide Shut was the proper way for him to go out, or more accurately "Did Kubrick go out on top?" While I may not think it was my favorite of his movies, I have to admit that it is at least an interesting film to watch. The critical side to it is only half anyways, as one of the toughest critics of Kubrick's work was Kubrick himself. So, does it change my opinion to know that Kubrick considered this his greatest contribution to film? Not for me personally. I respect his opinion to value some of his films more than I do (he made them for crying out loud), but if I was looking at his greatest contributions to film, I'd go more along the lines of A Clockwork Orange and The Shining (heck, even 2001: A Space Odyssey for the visuals). I will say, if he was basing his pick for greatest contribution to film on the amount of controversy surrounding it, then I'll say Eyes Wide Shut has a strong chance of taking the crown since it had many people buzzing about the heavy use of sexual content. Still, the movie had me talking about it after I saw it, which is something I can say about every Kubrick film I watched these last two months (both in good and bad ways), so I do understand why he is such a fan favorite director with movie buffs. I may not have liked every film I saw of his, but I at least appreciate what he did on this earth as a filmmaker. And that's quite the compliment if I do say so myself.


Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

There are a lot of artsy themes and imagery in Eyes Wide Shut, but I found the use of mainstream stars like Cruise and Kidman to be a bit distracting, so I'm a little disappointed this was his final contribution to film. But if you're a big fan of Kubrick, I'm sure you'll appreciate it, so give it a rental. Just don't watch it with your parents.

Eyes Wide Shut and movie images are copyrighted by Warner Bros.

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- Full Metal Jacket

#793- Full Metal Jacket (1987)
Starring: Matthew Modine, Vincent D'Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick


Plot Summary: During the Vietnam War, new recruits arrive to train for the U.S. Marine Corps. After arriving, they meet their drill instructor Sgt. Hartman, who begins to interrogate and harass the trainees in order to give them nicknames. Two that really stand out are Private James Davis, who earned the name "Joker" with his humorous tendencies, and Private Leonard Lawrence, who earned the name "Gomer Pyle" for his bumbling and clumsy behavior. After getting the recruits in trouble multiple times for his foolishness, Hartman assigns Joker to train Pyle into becoming a weapon of warfare. But is there a price for being trained into being a soldier, born to kill anything and everything on the opposing side of war?


I've started to notice as we get to the tail end of Stanley Kubrick's career, we venture into the movies I wanted to review the most. Already, I have gone way up in my ratings scale for films like A Clockwork Orange and The Shining, declaring them as instant favorites. So when it was time to sit down and watch Full Metal Jacket, I was really looking forward to it. Combining his string of success in the modern world of film and mixing it with the anti-war themes present in his earlier classics like Paths of Glory and Dr. Strangelove, I knew I was in for something great. And I wasn't wrong, well, at least not entirely. Full Metal Jacket was a terrific movie that I couldn't take my eyes off of, but I also acknowledged that it felt like two mini-movies put in one, which instantly created the debate on if the two movies fit together as a whole, or if there was one half that stood out more than the other. Well, considering that I had already split it into two halves, you should be able to figure that answer out.

I'm sure if you've heard of this movie, there are two characters I'm sure most of you think about, yet our main character is probably not one of them. Matthew Modine stars as Private Joker. Joker knows how to follow that line between cracking jokes and taking things seriously. He certainly has a mentality that allows him to fit in during training, which includes him being promoted and being considered a team leader and trainer. One of the things I found most interesting with Joker is that he claims he was born to kill (it even says so on his helmet), yet when it's time to get stationed in the war, he requests to be a journalist and even sports a peace button on his vest, which of course sends tons of mixed signals and themes that are open for interpretation. Honestly, I really liked Joker as a character, but of course it's difficult for him to stand out when he has to go against two VERY iconic side characters.

I'm sure a lot of people when they think of this movie think of R. Lee Ermey yelling at the top of his lungs as Sgt. Hartman, and it's really easy to understand why. Ermey, an actual former drill instructor in the Vietnam War, was said to be too soft by Kubrick to bring the grittiness of Hartman to the big screen. Feeling challenged, Ermey decided to ad lib insults in a method for auditioning for the part. Safe to say Kubrick was impressed, and proceeded to cast Ermey as one of the most iconic characters Kubrick has ever brought to film. This man spouts out insults and swear words on a legendary status, and whenever I think of the phrase "drill instructor," the first thing I think of is Hartman yelling in my face.....now there's some nightmare fuel for a while.

Hartman's biggest (no pun intended) punching bag in the movie is Private Pyle, played by Vincent D'Onofrio. You wanna talk about dedication to a role? In order to play Pyle, D'Onofrio had to gain 70 pounds. I really believe he is one of the most sympathetic characters I've seen in a Kubrick movie. He's sort of that window for the audience to see what training for the Marines is like. You can tell he wants to be there, serve his country, be recognized for something great, but he lacks the skills like strength, stamina, and intelligence to do so. You can really feel for someone like that. Of course, if you were in there with him and being punished for his mistakes, you wouldn't feel the same way. Then, when he starts to become better, he slowly begins to lose his sanity and humanity, which causes the viewer to feel even worse for him. Sure, he becomes a weapon of war, but at what cost? And that's why Pyle is such a compelling character: he starts as a person viewers would live through and feel sorry for, and then becomes a symbol for one of the movie's greatest themes.

The first half of the movie looks at the Marine training. This includes the great scenes with Hartman and Pyle, but other than that, there is some great camera work (broken record much?) that lets the rooms they're in stretch out and creates a very surreal room-stretching perspective for the viewer. Add to the fact that Joker is the main character caught up in all this chaos, and you have a recipe for a very great first half of the movie. In fact, had the movie ended at this point, and only been a 40 to 50 minute short film of JUST THIS PART, it could have been my favorite film from Kubrick. Oh yeah, it's THAT good. It reminded me a lot of how much I enjoyed Whiplash (which by the way, if you haven't seen Whiplash yet, GO FREAKING WATCH IT!), which was another film with a short-film narrative but made the most of the space it had and capitalized on the raw and powerful performances of its main characters. If it had ended here, I wouldn't have had a problem with that decision at all, but since the story continues, the second half has quite the act to follow...

The second half of the movie isn't bad. In fact, it's very visually stunning for Kubrick (are you tired of hearing that yet?), and definitely soaks up the atmosphere of what it would look like to be in the Vietnam War, so why did I like it less? Honestly, part of it probably had to do with the fact that we were thrust into an environment with Joker and all new characters. There are certainly a few that stand out, but a lot of them are bland, and considering the first half was highlighted by Hartman and Pyle, it's easy to see why many would consider the second half inferior by comparison. Still, the second half is Joker's part of the movie, and the anti-war themes are present, but I think Kubrick's direction is most effective when he takes so little and makes the most of it. The grander his scale gets in trying to create an epic movie, the less interested I am (see Spartacus, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Barry Lyndon), and the second half of Full Metal Jacket tread a very fine line. If that first half hadn't been as effective as it was, I probably wouldn't have liked this film as much as I did. In that respect, I'm willing to combine the two parts into one complete narrative that gave me a film I thoroughly enjoyed.


Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Both halves of Full Metal Jacket are really well done, but if I had to say one side I enjoyed more than the other it would obviously be the first half thanks to the performances from Ermey and D'Onofrio. The language and anti-war themes may be a little tough to stomach for the casual moviegoer, but movie buffs everywhere should enjoy checking this one out, so I recommend adding this Kubrick classic to your collection.

Full Metal Jacket and movie images are copyrighted by Warner Bros.

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- The Shining

#688- The Shining (1980)
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick


Plot Summary: Jack Torrance is a writer who applies to be the winter caretaker of the Overlook Hotel from the months of November to May, which he plans to use as a time of solitude to work on his writing. At his interview, he is told the story of Charles Grady, a previous caretaker who murdered his family at the hotel. Jack gets the job and brings his wife Wendy and his son Danny to stay with him. It is there at the hotel where Danny meets Dick Hallorann, a chef who informs Danny that they share a telepathic gift which he calls the "shining." Strange things start to occur at the hotel for all three members of the Torrance family, and with Jack continuing to struggle with his writings, he eventually begins to get hallucinations and descends into madness, ultimately arriving at only one conclusion: to murder his family.

Here we come to arguably Stanley Kubrick's most well-known film among casual moviegoers: The Shining. Based on a Stephen King novel (although, King hated this adaptation), most people know this Kubrick film thanks to so many iconic moments and quotes that have been preserved in the horror genre. This wasn't my first time watching it, however, as I had planned to review it when I did my first Horror month in 2013, but changed my mind in favor of a Kubrick retrospective. When I first watched it, I was very confused and bewildered, and my overall thoughts on the movie were that it was "ok." Now that I've seen it again (one of the only Kubrick movies I've watched twice besides 2001: A Space Odyssey), I'm still confused and bewildered, but I don't mind it, in fact I embrace it. Why? Because I really enjoyed watching this film again. And since I'm a big horror movie buff, I'd go as far as to say this horror film is creeping its way up my list of favorite horror movies (not the top, but still within a respectable spot). So let's carve into this one with an ax and break apart all the aspects of what made The Shining so memorable for me.

The Shining tells the story of the psychotic development in the mind of Jack Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson. First of all, it's Jack FREAKING Nicholson! You know when he goes psychotic it is going to be over the top and loads fun to watch, and he is. He absolutely hams it up as he goes crazy and you can tell he is going all out with the role. Having said that, there is one BIG problem with Nicholson's casting, and I believe King actually hit the nail on the head when speaking about his dislike for the film. Nicholson was fresh off One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (and would play the Joker at the end of the decade), so he was known for existing psychotic roles. Had a more "everyman" kind of actor (King suggested the likes of Jon Voight and Christopher Reeve) played Jack, his deterioration would have been more shocking, tragic, and empathetic. With Nicholson, he already looks scary and crazy and even in the beginning of the film when he's supposed to play the "normal" version of Jack, he comes off as creepy in his delivery. He should be a more warm and loving character at the beginning of the film (especially since he gave up alcohol and was trying to be a better father and husband). But instead, you're kinda freaked out by Nicholson 24/7 in this film. It's a minor gripe though, because at the end of the day, this is one of Nicholson's career defining roles. Look at that picture. When you think of Jack Nicholson, odds are a LOT of you thought about that very moment. 'Nuff said.

Jack's wife Wendy is played by Shelley Duvall. When most people criticize or analyze this film, a lot of fingers point at the Duvall's portrayal of Wendy and all the drama that surrounded her on the set during production of The Shining. It's well documented that she and Kubrick did NOT get along at all (then why would he cast her? C'mon Kubrick...) and that she was under so much pressure and stress to do well that she lost some of her hair and she became physically ill (DANG!!! Now that's some pressure). Whether or not either of them were more in the wrong (although in Duvall's defense, Kubrick does have a history of clashing with some of his actors), I don't think that should impact how we look at her character. As far as her character is concerned, I think she's very empathetic. Hearing all that that family has gone through, she's the glue that's trying to hold it together. It's very easy to see how she could lose her composure, and I feel bad for her character the most. Maybe I'm missing something, so feel free to let me know in the comments why you think she's so hated.

Their son Danny is played by Danny Lloyd. Danny is the character who has the shining, which translates out to having telepathic powers. Danny's biggest development is with the hotel's chef Dick Hallorann, played by Scattman Crothers, with whom he shares the psychic connection with. Other than that, Danny has 3 types of scenes he's in: reacting to scary stuff that happens in the hotel, talking with his finger to his imaginary friend Tony, and saying the phrase "redrum" in one of the most annoying ways possible. Danny is also involved in some of Kubrick's greatest camera work, as he is followed in many scenes riding his tricycle via a low Steadicam that was developed for this film. It's thanks to those shots we got one of the most iconic moments in the film, but I'll get to that soon.

From here, let's discuss what The Shining has to offer on a visual scale. With Kubrick, I begin to sound like a broken record when I say he had a talent for creating films with a grand scale and epic visuals, but this film may be my favorite of his. He takes a contained environment like a hotel and is still able to make it spectacle to behold. From the hallways, to the kitchen area, to the garden maze, every room soaks up the atmosphere and you can't help but look around as the characters are talking. Mix that in with Kubrick's lengthy camera shots, and you've got a combination to create some masterful cinematography that is sure to leave quite the impression with the audience.

Despite King's thoughts on the movie, it cannot be denied that The Shining is one of the most well-known horror movies in history and it's easy to see why. Just pick an iconic scene: *SPOILERS* Jack chopping down the door with the ax to say "Here's Johnny," Danny on the tricycle running into the twins, Jack chasing Danny in the snowy maze, the elevator raining down a river of blood, the naked woman rotting into a corpse, and that's just to name a few. The whole film has this eerie vibe to it, which if that's what Kubrick wanted to accomplish, I have to give him credit and say he did a darn good job with this one. Seriously, if you consider yourself a horror fan and haven't seen this movie yet, what on earth are you waiting for?


Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

The Shining has so many iconic moments and images that are sure to please any horror fan out there. And it retains Kubrick's unique camera work and grand scale while also diving into the deteriorating psyche of a main character played by the great Jack Nicholson. It is an absolute recommendation for all movie fans to own in their collections.

Comment below to share your thoughts on the movie or to discuss a topic that I left out of my review

The Shining and movie images are copyrighted by Warner Bros.

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- Barry Lyndon

#613- Barry Lyndon (1975)
Starring: Ryan O'Neal, Marisa Berenson, Patrick Magee
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick


Plot Summary: As a teenager, young Redmond Barry becomes fond of his cousin Nora, who has chosen to be with English Captain John Quin. In a fit of jealousy, Barry engages in a duel and shoots Quin. Thinking he has killed the Captain, Barry is advised to run away. On his journey, he is robbed of all the money he has left and enlists in the British Army. During the Battle of Minden, Barry flees the army and enlists in the Prussian Army. During his times after the war, he becomes close friends with the Chevalier de Balibari, is accused of being a spy, and encounters the Countess of Lyndon. After the death of her husband, Barry marries her, takes the last name of Lyndon, and plans to enjoy his wealth and settle in England.


Pardon me if my review of Barry Lyndon is short, but honestly, this one was REALLY hard to do. Much like how I felt about Spartacus and 2001: A Space Odyssey, I couldn't stomach the lengthy epics Stanley Kubrick tries to make. I prefer his artsy films to be somewhere around 2 hours. With a 3 HOUR LENGTH, there is only so long I can sit through this kind of movie. If it wasn't for the Plot Summary paragraph, I couldn't tell you what this movie was about. I had to try 3 DIFFERENT TIMES to sit through this, but I knew if I made it through this one I could get to 3 I really wanted to see. I'm sure I'm gonna have to watch this one again in life to appreciate its value, but it is not this day...

Ryan O'Neal stars as the titular character of Barry Lyndon (formerly Redmond Barry). Barry isn't a bad character, and O'Neal doesn't do a bad job at portraying him, but I never felt like he stood out as an iconic character in Kubrick's filmography. He's no Colonel Dax or Alex. He's just sort of this bland character that you expect to do everything he does. You get to see so much of his life, but you never see any twists or turns that really shock you (well, maybe one thing), but he also moves so casually at a pace where you are never allowed to empathize with him. With 3 hours, they cram so many life events, but it goes by rapid fire. If you're gonna have a 3 hour movie, at least do it with a steady narrative for the main protagonist.

I will give one REALLY big piece of credit to the film. It looks absolutely stunning. Every shot in this film looks like something out of a portrait. It's beautiful and that can't be denied. Now, I'm sure many are wondering if I have the same feelings for this type of artsy filmmaking as I do for movies that are all about special effects. The answer is no. Kubrick is an artsy director, and his films are art projects. That's what you get. You want a film that has picturesque scenery? Here it is. I can't even fault that.

Another thing that works in the movie's favor is the music. The score includes music by Vivaldi, Mozart, and Bach, and set's the perfect tone for the time period. Apart from that and the scenery, there was not much else I really liked about this film.

Like I said, for 3 hours, this film REALLY drags. I understand there is a large amount of scope for the scenery and the extras used, but DANG! I didn't expect it to take me multiple attempts to watch this flick, but it did. I was THAT bored. Out of my mind. I felt like I was watching one of those bad PBS adaptations of a British novel (you know what I'm talking about). Have you ever read a novel from this era? Something like Johnny Tremain or The Scarlet Letter? Ok, this film was like having someone read a book to me on screen for three hours. And yes, I get it's a book to film adaptation, but it still shouldn't be this drab.

Am I being too harsh? Possibly. I'm sure in time I can grow an appreciation for it. Heck, even Kubrick didn't think it was a good movie until late in his life, and he DIRECTED the thing. This one will probably need reassessment later on in life, but for now, I gotta call it like I see it. Barry Lyndon, for me, was a boring movie to sit through, but it had a grand scope and beautiful scenery, and a musically pleasing score.


Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

It's really tough for me to recommend Barry Lyndon to the casual moviegoer. It really, REALLY is. There are more iconic Kubrick movies out there that offer his unique visual style at a much more appropriate runtime. If you are a die-hard movie buff, keep this as a one-time rental, that's probably as much as you can handle it.

Barry Lyndon and movie images are copyrighted by Warner Bros.

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- A Clockwork Orange

#542- A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Starring: Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Michael Bates
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick


Plot Summary: Alex DeLarge is the leader of a group of "droogs" in London. Alex enjoys listening to Beethoven, drinking milk plus, and spreading anarchy and chaos all over the city. On a night where he tries to invade the home of a crazy cat-lady, his droogs beat and abandon him for the police to pick up. Alex is sentenced to 14 years in prison for the crimes he has committed, but is given an early way out after 2 years when he volunteers for an experimental therapy that will rehabilitate him in 2 weeks. When one of the films he is shown contains the music of Beethoven, the treatment not only affects him by eliminating his perversions for sex and ultra-violence, but it also makes him incapable of hearing Beethoven's "Ninth Symphony" without getting ill.


One of the main reasons I wanted to look at Stanley Kubrick's career on here was because I REALLY wanted to watch A Clockwork Orange. I'm a lover of all things scary and creepy (as long as there's the right level of quality or cheesiness involved), and when I hear people say this is one of the creepiest movies Kubrick ever made I'm all on board. Not to mention how iconic a lot of the visuals for this movie are. You have a general impression of how the aesthetics look if you've ever seen a retrospective on the film, or the decade, or the horror genre, or Kubrick's legacy. Now, after seeing it, I can honestly say that I had NO idea what this movie was really about. There was so much more complexity to it than what I was originally expecting, that I can honestly say if someone wanted to present the claim of how much of a visionary and genius director Kubrick was, they should show someone A Clockwork Orange, because this movie will mess with their minds for weeks on end. It will stay engraved in their minds and have them questioning morality and sanity all at once.

Malcolm McDowell stars as Alex DeLarge. Initially, I thought this film was about Alex and his three droogs. I later discovered as the film progressed that it was Alex's film, which is such a great way to summarize this film's legacy and also the legacy for Malcolm McDowell: A Clockwork Orange IS Alex's movie. McDowell takes full control of the character and runs a slew of emotions that makes the audience afraid of Alex, empathize with Alex, pity Alex, and even in some regards maybe envy Alex. There is this insatiable charisma in his delivery that you can't help but be captivated by the brilliance of this young character (and in turn the young actor portraying him). A lot of the movies themes are also present in the narrative of Alex's character, so I think it would be best to discuss those and how it paints this picture of a great cinematic character like Alex.

One of the biggest themes in the film is through the idea of spreading anarchy and chaos. Most of what you see from Alex and his droogs are some of the most disturbing scenes you will ever see on film. The most notable is the rape scene set to "Singin' in the Rain," which McDowell improvised and I can only imagine didn't make Gene Kelly very happy. These scenes are absolutely horrific and have definitely left a mark on film history, with many still citing it as one of the most gruesome mainstream movies to ever hit theaters. The opening thirty minutes of the film is completely saturated with scenes of debauchery, violence, and perversion. With the idea of teenage rebellion always on the minds of the world, it fits that guys like Alex and the droogs could lead to a dystopian future where teenagers rule the world and leave adults quaking in their boots.

Music is one of the biggest features on the thin shred of class Alex has. He really loves Beethoven's "Ninth Symphony," but the imagery he adds to the piece really shows how twisted and demented his mind really is. Especially when he finds those images to be beautiful along with the music. This musical piece also becomes his Achilles' Heel as it is the sole ingredient to reforming and curing him of his perversions. It then becomes something he can't stomach. An element like this shows some of the ethics debated about the therapy sessions. Sure Alex was a little monster of a man, but he still had some culture to him, and when you cured him of his perversions, you took away part of his soul that put him at peace. Who would've known a piece of musical accompaniment could have such a big effect on the movie's plot and themes. Kubrick...that's who.

The scenery and costumes create so much atmosphere in the film, particularly within the first hour of the film. Once you see the Korova Milk Bar, Alex and his droogs in their outfits, all the naked pictures on the walls of the homes of EVERY character, the haunting tunnel on the London streets, the weird penis statue, the room where the experiments are conducted on Alex, and the home where Alex and his droogs do the whole "Singin' in the Rain" bit, they are forever left in your mind. Even if you try to shake them out of your memory, they find their ways back. They are THAT iconic. In fact, the whole atmosphere is so decadently dreary that it really made me think of Rob Zombie. Only makes sense since the music video to his song "Never Gonna Stop" pays homage to A Clockwork Orange. Now there's a devilishly good mix right there....Kubrick's films to Zombie's tunes. I can get on behind that.

The main question I had when I finished A Clockwork Orange was: "What did this movie do to me?" In no way should I ever be entertained by more than half the things I saw on this film, yet it was filmed and executed in such a way that you couldn't help but marvel at it. The scenery is captivating, the theologies on morality and sanity are poignant and keeps the audience thinking, McDowell delivers a chilling and charismatic performance as Alex, and I have finally been able to see great examples on Kubrick's famous cinematography. For those who are unaware, Kubrick liked to keep the camera on the scene with little to no cuts during a performance. Many have said it creates uneasiness with the viewer as they watch. Heck, this entire film creates uneasiness with me, but here I am saying that I actually found it to be an enjoyable experience. Maybe I need to be cured...


Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

The wait was well worth it for this one. A Clockwork Orange kept me always guessing on what was going to happen next and completely warped my perceptions on what was going on with the characters and their moralities and theologies. It runs a gamut on the logistics of controlling chaos and spreading anarchy and is truly one of Kubrick's best movies. If you can stomach a lot of the shock value imagery, I absolutely recommend putting it in your collection, especially if you call yourself a movie buff.

A Clockwork Orange and movie images are copyrighted by Warner Bros.

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- 2001: A Space Odyssey

#506- 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Starring: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, Douglas Rain
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick


Plot Summary: The U.S. spacecraft Discovery One is bound on a mission to Jupiter, a mission that is being kept under wraps by everyone including the crew members. While three of the explorers are in cryogenic sleep, Dr. David Bowman and Dr. Frank Poole explore space with their ship's computer HAL 9000. HAL has artificial intelligence that leaves him incapable of error. But when he starts to show some signs of potential error, Bowman and Poole discuss the possibilities of disconnecting HAL. Little do they know that HAL is listening in on their conversation, and plans to get rid of the members of the Discover One.


I'll be honest here, when I said I wanted to do a retrospective on Stanley Kubrick's career, I was excited to cover pretty much every film except for 2001: A Space Odyssey. I had seen this film only one other time and it was a year ago for my Studies in Film course. The first time I watched it, I did not understand it at all and had difficulty finding why so many moviegoers love this film and consider it one of Kubrick's best. After watching it a second time, I have a slightly different approach to it. I believe that it is a great film for the moviegoer to look at, but if visual effects are not your thing then you will be bored out of your mind. This film is 2 1/2 hours of mostly silence and music with little to no dialogue, some of the most groundbreaking special effects you will ever see, and has a beginning and ending that will have audiences asking themselves "What the heck did I just see?" So let's talk about some of the good and bad qualities of 2001: A Space Odyssey and see if it's a must watch or a skip.

Some might believe it's weird for me to bring up the visual effects first, but believe me Kubrick knows he's putting his best foot forward in this department. There are WAY too many groundbreaking effects to list. Just look at that one spaceship. That's a practical effect ladies and gentlemen. And also factor in that this is nearly 10 years before Star Wars. Kubrick's efforts were well rewarded with an Academy Award for best Visual Effects, which was the only Oscar Kubrick ever won in his lifetime (which may be one of the biggest travesties on the part of the Academy). Needless to say, these effects still hold up to this day, and if he was going to walk away with an Academy Award, this one is more than well deserved.

Music also plays a crucial part in this film. There are three in particular I wanted to focus on. The film opens and closes to "Also sprach Zarathustra" by Richard Strauss. To have this song bookend the film adds a bit of gravitas to the already epic scope of the movie, and plus I love the song already cause it's the theme song for Ric Flair (WOOOO!). Another iconic piece of music attached is "The Blue Danube" by Johann Strauss II, which really sets the mood for a grand space opera. It's a fun little tune to include in your film's score because it is not only known by arguably every music lover in the world, but it also fits appropriately for the setting. "Lux Aterna" by György Ligeti on the other hand may not be universally recognized, but it definitely adds a lot to the film's eerie tone. It adds so much atmosphere and creates such an uneasiness in the viewer that it perfectly foreshadows some of the mystery and suspense to come.

Douglas Rain voices the iconic HAL 9000 computer program. Everyone in the world knows how this story is supposed to work. HAL has artificial intelligence, programmed to simulate human emotions and not falter to error. When he is accused of having an error he gets emotional and retaliates in defense by trying to kill everything in his path. WOW. Ultron eat your heart out, you need an army, and he needs to have just one eye to accomplish all this. His style is so sleek and functional that it looks like a realistic futuristic piece of technology, and that voice is so soothing, yet so terrifying that it really immortalized himself as one of the scariest film characters in history.

This is a space movie right? So where are the astronauts? They are presented in two generic characters known as Dr. David Bowman and Dr. Frank Poole, played by Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood respectively. It might be unfair to call these two generic, but that's because the visuals are so appealing, and HAL is so complex of a character, that the humans all feel like an afterthought. Of the two, Bowman is the one we spend the most time, so he gets developed only a tad more. We see him act courageous, but we still don't know much about who he is and why we should care about him getting out of there alive. That's a bit of a problem with your main protagonist in a 2 1/2 hour runtime. We want to be able to root for Dave and Frank, and that's not to say we end up rooting for HAL, but your victims need to be as serviceable as your antagonist. HAL is memorable, the astronauts are not.

A casual complaint many moviegoers have for 2001: A Space Odyssey is that it is boring. And, after watching it with my 5 college suitemates, I can absolutely guarantee we were bored out of our minds. But at least it was pretty to look at. Also, there are a lot of confusing questions regarding the scenes. Without giving everything away, I will ask the biggest questions with word association. Cavemen? Monolith? Bone? Colorful screensaver? Old age? Giant baby? Wait...GIANT BABY?!?!?! WHAT THE CRAP!?!?! That's our response to this film in a nutshell. Had they shaved off an entire hour with the build up to space, and maybe the cavemen sequence and did a film about the main plotline with the astronauts and HAL. All I can say is at least the film is a technical and visual masterpiece, because the plot is a confusing and boring arrangement of scenes open to our own interpretations. That's all good and all, but even I'm not gonna tackle the debate on what the crap the giant baby is supposed to mean.


Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

I'm very conflicted on 2001: A Space Odyssey. On the one hand, I can absolutely see how it's a visual masterpiece and one of Kubrick's most beloved films. On the other hand, I can also agree that it is an absolute bore to sit through and not everyone is going to have the same level of appreciation. So then, I must go down the middle. If you're a casual movie fan, you can feel free to either skip this one entirely or rent it once and try to make it through without napping. If you are an absolute movie buff and fan of Kubrick, however, this one is should be included in your collection.

2001: A Space Odyssey and movie images are copyrighted by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die- Dr. Strangelove

#441- Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Starring: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick


Plot Summary: General Jack D. Ripper orders a bombing from the 843rd over the Soviet border. Ripper orders Group Captain Lionel Mandrake to alert the base, but Mandrake soon learns that Ripper has gone insane and there is no war order. When he tries to stop Ripper, he is locked inside his office as they combat the rouge soldiers trying to attack them on the base. At the Pentagon, President Merkin Muffley and General Buck Turgidson try to get Ripper's orders stopped, especially when they learn of a Doomsday device thanks to the President's mysterious advisor, Dr. Strangelove.


The further we go into this Stanley Kubrick retrospective, the more movies we get to that I've wanted to see. Dr. Strangelove was one of those films that I have heard so many good things about, and with great actors like Peter Sellers and George C. Scott, and an anti-Cold War social commentary attached, I for sure thought this would become an all-time favorite. And when I watched it, I definitely got a handful of chuckles out of it. But it wasn't that instant classic I was expecting. So what went wrong? Let's find out...

The film stars Peter Sellers as the titular character of Dr. Strangelove. Sellers plays a grand total of three roles in this film, and honestly, Strangelove is my LEAST favorite of his roles. He's in it the least and doesn't contribute as much as the other two roles in my opinion. Then again, he's got the name on the film's title and has at least one or two memorable lines and is probably the most iconic character when thinking about this film, so I guess that's gotta account for something. Oh and he gets the last word in a moment that absolutely proves how brilliant and insane Strangelove is.

Sellers also stars as Group Captain Lionel Mandrake. Mandrake has his quirks, but he is definitely more of a man of action than anything else. He takes things so seriously, yet handles things so with perfect comedic timing, that it's easy to see how he was able to immortalize himself as Inspector Clouseau from the Pink Panther movies.

My favorite role from Sellers in this film was actually as President Merkin Muffley. Seriously, every time I heard him talk was comedic gold. Without giving too much away, there is a running gag with him using the name Dimitri. After about a minute of delivery, every time he said that name got funnier and funnier throughout the entire film. Forget about Strangelove, in my opinion, President Muffley is his greatest contribution to this film. Just knowing how much he also cares more for his reputation than the safety of his citizens is both pathetic and hilarious.

One of the more dynamic characters in the film is General Buck Turgidson, played by George C. Scott. Not only is he a strong patriot, but he also tries to be a voice of reason, and an opportunistic strategist all at once. There's no real way of predicting what side Turgidson is going to go next. Scott's involvement in the film is actually a pretty interesting story on Kubrick's directing style. Wanting Scott to be more humorous, Kubrick told Scott to be more over the top during "practice" takes, then kept the cameras rolling and used those takes instead. When Scott saw the final product, he vowed to never work with Kubrick again. I personally think it worked in his favor, since Turgidson's facial responses are so goofy and hammy that you can't help but love this character.

The biggest legacy for Dr. Strangelove is in its anti-war commentaries on the Cold War. One of Kubrick's biggest requests for the film was for the round table in the Pentagon to be made of green felt, similar to that of a card or pool table. Ironically, it is at that same table where they are discussing the ethics of war like gambling with the lives of all the world's citizens. Very profound Kubrick, bravo.


Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Dr. Strangelove is a mixed bag on my journey through all things Kubrick. His quirks as a director are definitely present, and Scott and Sellers own this film with their performances, but I feel like it's a step backward from his previous works at this point in his career. I definitely would advise all Kubrick fans to own it, but casual moviegoers could stick to a weekend rental.

Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb and movie images are copyrighted by Columbia Pictures