The latest Warner Bros. re-packaging of the films of Stanley Kubrick brings together the most recent Blu-ray presentations of all eight of the director's films since 1962's Lolita. The set gathers the 2007 Blu-ray masterings of 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, and Eyes Wide Shut, the 2011 Blu-ray masterings of Lolita and Barry Lyndon, and the 2011 40th Anniversary Blu-ray mastering of A Clockwork Orange (inclusive of the second bonus disc from that set). Also included is the Columbia/Sony 2009 45th Anniversary Blu-ray mastering of Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Exclusive to this set is a bonus disc including three documentaries never before available in the USA. The only significant omission for Kubrick completists is the Kubrick's Boxes documentary that was packaged on a separate DVD with the 2012 2-disc Blu-ray book 25th Anniversary release of Full Metal Jacket. The discs are bundled together with some exclusive to the set physical extras in a deluxe box set presentation.
Studio: Warner Brothers
Distributed By: N/A
Video Resolution and Encode: 1080P/AVC
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1, 1.78:1, 2.20:1
Audio: English 1.0 DD (Mono), English 5.1 DTS-HDMA, Other
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French, Other
Rating: Not Rated, G, PG, R
Run Time: 18 Hr. 57 Min.
Package Includes: Blu-ray
Deluxe Box Packaging with physical extras. See "Special Features" for detailed descriptionDisc Type: BD50 (dual layer)
Region: A
Release Date: 12/2/2014
MSRP: $199.99
The Production Rating: 5/5
Video Rating: 5/5 3D Rating: NA
Audio Rating: 4/5
Special Features Rating: 5/5
The Blu-ray release of Dr. Strangelove contains only one exclusive supplement, a picture-in–picture and pop-up trivia track which can be activated during the feature. It includes some interesting data about the Soviet Union’s nuclear weapons program, the United States military, and various bits of trivia about the film. Also included are comments from defense experts such as Richard Clarke and Daniel Ellsberg.The remaining supplements have been carried over from the standard-definition Special Edition which was released in 2004:No Fighting in the War Room or: Dr. Strangelove and the Nuclear Threat is a worthwhile 30-minute featurette which places the film into historical context. It includes comments by Roger Ebert, Spike Lee, Bob Woodward, former defense secretary Robert McNamara, and Stanley Kubrick’s partner James Harris.Inside Dr. Strangelove is a 46-minute “making of” featurette which includes some interesting insights. We learn that the character of General Turgidson is loosely based upon Curtis LeMay, a controversial Air Force general who held some rather extreme views on foreign policy. Kubrick earned the respect of George C. Scott by thoroughly whipping the actor in a game of chess while on the set.Best Sellers is an 18-minute featurette about Peter Sellers. It includes observations by Roger Ebert, Richard Lester, Michael Palin, Shirley MacLaine, James Earl Jones, David Frost, and others. It incorporates early film clips and bits of Sellers’ home movies.The Art of Stanley Kubrick: From Short Films to Strangelove traces the life and career of the director. Running about 14 minutes, it includes a Kubrick filmography.Also included is an interview with Robert McNamara and split screen interviews with Peter Sellers and George C. Scott. There are also previews for the Blu-ray discs of Ghostbusters, The DaVinci Code, So I Married an Axe Murderer and Men in Black.
2001: A Space OdysseyAudio Commentary from Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood. Recorded separately, both actors have interesting things to say about the film, and it is clear that they have been talking about it for several years. Lockwood's comments are more frequent than Dullea's, but he does lapse into telling the listener what is happening in the film from time to time. Their most interesting comments are when they are sticking to observations about working as actors on the film, with the most entertaining bit for my money being when they discuss the on-set voice of Hal having a cockney accent.Theatrical Trailer running one minute and 51 seconds and is presented in a format filling the entire 16:9-enhanced frame.2001: The Making of a Myth – This Paul Joyce-directed BBC documentary produced in 2001 runs 43 minutes and five seconds and is presented in 16:9 enhanced video. It provides a nice retrospective look at the film from the perspective of particpants, admirers, and scientists. Discussion of the film's special effects, includes some demonstration and recreations as well. For the demo of the floating pen effect, they even include Heather Downham, the actress who played the flight attendant in the film. It is also amusing to hear the computer singing "Daisy" that inspired its use for Hal's swan song.James Cameron provides the introduction and then narrates throughout. Interview participants include "2001…" Author Arthur C. Clarke, "2001" Special Photographic Effects Supervisor Con Pederson, "2001" Special Photographic Effects Supervisor Doug Trumbull, "2001" Special Effects Artist Brian Johnson, 2001 Scientific Consultant Fred Ordway, "2001" Actress Heather Downham, "2001" Actor Ed Bishop, Mime/Actor Dan Richter (he played the "Moonwatcher" ape), Mime/Actor Keith Denny, Writer/Critic Professor Camille Paglia, "2001" Film Editor Ray Lovejoy, Keir Dullea, AT&T Artificial Intelligence Expert Dr. Ron Brachman, Film Critic Elvis Mitchell, Washington DC Space Policy Unit Director John Logsdon, AT&T Videophone Technologist Roy Coutinho, and former Bell Labs Voice Recognition Expert Dr. Larry Rabiner.Standing on the Shoulders of Kubrick: The Legacy of 2001 runs 21 minutes and 24 seconds. Directed by Gary Leva, it focuses on the influence of 2001… on other filmmakers. Although presented without chapter stops, on-screen titles divide it up into sections named First Impressions (covers reactions to the film), Reinventing the Form (emphasizes groundbreaking accomplishments), Breaking New Ground (more emphasis on visual effects), A Feast for the Senses (focuses on effect of design and music), Commitment to Truth (covers research and commitment to realism), and A Filmmakers's Filmmaker (discusses subsequent films that were influenced by 2001… and Kubrick's other films)Interview participants include director Steven Spielberg, actor/director Sydney Pollack, screenwriter Jay Cocks, visual effects artist Phil Tippet, director George Lucas, cinematographer Caleb Deschanel, visual effects supervisor Dennis Muren, Sound Designer/Editor Ben Burtt, Film Critic Roger Ebert, Visual Effects Supervisor John Dykstra, Director Peter Hyams, Kubrick Assistant Anthony Frewin, Screenwriter Dan O'Bannon, Director/Cinematographer Ermest Dickerson, Author David Hughes, Director William Friedkin, Author Paul Duncan, Former WB Executive John Calley, Producer Jan Harlan, Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski, "2001…" Visual Effects Supervisor Douglas Trumbull, Author Paul Duncan, and Author John BaxterVision of a Future Passed: The Prophecy of 2001 runs 21 minutes and 30 seconds. Directed by Gary Leva, it includes discussion of the scientific assumptions and predictions inherent to 2001 related to space travel, computers, and other subjects as well as an assessment of how accurate they were. Although there are no chapter stops, it is divided into sections by on-screen titles named: "A Credible Future?", "The Reality of Space Travel", "A Product of Its Era", and "The Altar of Technology".On-camera interview partcipants include "2001…" author Arthur C. Clarke, Baxter, Frewin, Muren, Ebert, Hughes, Trumbull, O'Bannon, Visual Effects Animator Rob Coleman, Trumbull, Duncan, Author Bettyann Holtzmann Kevles, Dykstra, Producer Jan Harlan, Friedkin, Calley, Edlund, and Pollack.2001: A Space Odyssey: A Look Behind the Future runs 23 minutes and ten seconds and is presented in 4:3 video. It is a vintage documentary from 1966 that appears to have been shot on 16mm color film. It was produced by "Look" magazine, and consists of a behind the scenes documentary on the production of "2001…" framed by an introduction and epilogue from magazine publisher Vernon Myers giving a pitch to advertisers to support "Look Magazine's" 1st 1967 issue special section on space exploration. This is a wonderful supplement to include, and is the source for just about all of the behind the scenes footage I have ever seen on the film's production, including all of the vintage clips included in the documentaries on this disc.What is Out There? runs 20 minutes and 41 seconds and is presented in 16:9 enhanced video. Keir Dullea presents an essay on the scientific and philosophical issues raised by 2001:ASO intercut with film clips, stills, a vintage Clarke interview, and a little behind the scenes footage.2001: FX and Early Conceptual Artwork runs nine minutes and 32 seconds and is presented in 16:9 enhanced video. It is more or less exactly what its title suggests. The first few minutes include discussion by Trumbull on how some of the stargate images were created. He refers to a variation of the slit scan technique used for the light streaking effects, but does not describe it. You will have to check out the "Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures" documentary to see him do that. After that we have an introduction from Christiane Kubrick followed by a montage of mostly unused pre-visualization paintings intercut with a couple images from the film.Look: Stanley Kubrick runs three minutes and fifteen seconds and is presented in 16:9 enhanced video. After a brief title card introduction, it presents a montage of photographs taken by a young Kubrick for Look magazine set to music from a five piece jazz combo.11/27/1966 Interview with Stanley Kubrick is an audio-only supplement that runs one hour, sixteen minutes, and 26 seconds. It is a recorded interview between Kubrick and journalist Jeremy Bernstein. Kubrick covers biographical background and discussion of all of his films through the then in production 2001…. There is a pretty funny moment when the interviewer confuses The Killing with The Asphalt Jungle and Kubrick realizes it right away.A Clockwork OrangeAudio commentary from Malcolm McDowell and Nick Redman They sit together for the duration, and it proves to be a fun listen. McDowell is a gifted raconteur and tells just about every story I have ever heard him tell about the making of the film in as good or better form as I have heard. Redman does a good job of filling in details not covered or remembered by McDowell and keeping things on track. It is a lively commentary with only a few extended gaps.The film's theatrical trailer runs exactly one minute and is set to the sped up synthesized "William Tell Overture" used in the film. It is very creative, but it is cut at a pace that could cause an epileptic seizure.Still Tickin': The Return of Clockwork Orange runs 43 minutes and 37 seconds and is presented in 16:9 enhanced video. Produced in 2000, this is another BBC documentary directed by Paul Joyce. Topics covered include the circumstances of Kubricks's banning of the Film in the UK after 15 months, background information about the novel, the British Board of Film Classification's liberal attitude towards censorship of films like The Devils, Straw Dogs, and A Clockwork Orange in the early 1970s, the social and political environment in the UK at that time, The technique of the voiceover in the film, Malcolm McDowell, the strange appeal of disturbing characters, the handling of violence in the film, the controversy concerning the book's final chapter, and the relationship between art and violence.Interview participants include Director Sam Mendes, Director Mary Harron, Writer Mark Kermode, Author William Sutcliffe, Writer/Critic Alexander Walker, Author/Filmmaker William Boyd, Writer/Poet Blake Morrisson, Author Anthony Burgess (via archival clips), Artist Damien Hirst, 1971 BBFC Viewing Committee Member Ken Penry, Ex-Director, BBFC Robin Duval, Malcolm McDowell, Director Tony Kaye, and Author/Critic Camille Paglia.Great Bolshy Yarblockos!: Making A Clockwork Orange runs 28 minutes and fifteen seconds and is presented in 4:3 video. Directed by Gary Leva, it provides a general overview of the film's production and the controversy surrounding its release. Although presented without chapter stops, on-screen titles divide it up into sections named It's All About Me, My Droogies (focuses on McDowell), These Paltry Gollies Won't Buy Us Peanuts (discusses low budget nature of the production), A Real Pain in the Gulliver He Was…(concerns Kubrick's methodical production approach and physical demands, especially on McDowell), A Bit of the Old Ultra-Violence (self explanatory), and This is the Real Weepy and Tragic Part of Our Story, Oh My Brothers…(the varied responses to the film and its eventual withdrawal from the UK).Interview participants include Pollack, Friedkin, Spielberg, ACO Associate Producer Bernard Williams, Duncan, Baxter, Author J. David Slocum, Hughes, Author Neil Fulwood, Author Stuart McDougal, Director Hugh Hudson, Calley, ACO Costume Designer Milena Canonero, ACO Makeup Artist Barbara Daly, Cocks, Deschanel, Editor Bill Butler, Dickerson, and Lucas.Turning Like Clockwork (26:19) is a featurette, presented in high definition video, that first appeared on the 2011 Anniversary Edition Blu-ray. After a fun intro in which McDowell reprises his introductory monologue from the film, it focuses on the film's depiction of violence, reactions to it, and the incidents that led to the film being withdrawn from exhibition in the UK for decades after its initial theatrical run.Interview participants include McDowell, Director James Mangold, Director Oliver Stone, Director Paul Greengrass, Hughes, Cultural Historian Sir Christopher Frayling, Duncan, Virginia Tech Associate Professor and Heroes in Hard Times author Neal King, Baxter, Brunel University Professor of Screen Media and Censorship: A Beginner’s Guide author Julian Petley, Christiane Kubrick, Jan Harlan, Kubrick family friend Brigid Marlin, and The Wire Creator David Simon. Malcolm McDowell Looks Back (10:29) is a featurette, presented in high definition video, that first appeared on the 2011 Anniversary Edition Blu-ray. It focuses exclusively on actor McDowell as he flips through several photographs relating to the film's production and uses them as launching pad for production anecdotes.Barry LyndonThe only extra on the Barry Lyndon disc is the film's Theatrical TrailerThe ShiningCommentary by steadicam inventor/operator Garrett Brown and film historian/author John Baxter. They were recorded separately, but their edited comments compliment each other nicely. Baxter sometimes seems to be stretching things a bit thin in his thematic interpretations, but that is not unusual in scholarly commentaries. Brown's first-hand observations of the production are priceless and presented with both technical acumen and a dry sense of humor. By far my favorite moment of the commentary came a few minutes shy of the two hour mark when Brown tells an anecdote about convincing Kubrick that the RF transmitter allowing him to operate wirelessly would not be broadcasting into nearby homes. Brown even affects a Monty Python-esque ladies voice of a housewife receiving the broadcast and commenting on how hard Stanley is being on the actors and what lens he is using.The eerie theatrical teaser trailer running one minute and 34 seconds is also included on the first disc.View from the Overlook: Crafting The Shining runs 30 minutes and 20 seconds and is presented in 4:3 video. Directed by Gary Leva, it presents a "big umbrella" making of featurette covering several aspects of the production. Although presented without chapter stops, on-screen titles divide it up into sections named Into the darkness, Stanley's Toy Box, Lost in the Maze, Beneath the Surface, Reality is Overrated, and The Nature of Evil.Interview participants include Pollack, Friedkin, Author/Screenwriter Diane Johnson, Calley, Author Charles Champlin, Baxter, Duncan, Harlan, Production Designer Roy Walker, Jack Nicholson, Hughes, Brown, Dickerson, Deschanel, Canonero, Daly, Spielberg, HudsonThe Visions of Stanley Kubrick runs seventeen minutes and sixteen seconds and is presented in 4:3 video. Directed by Gary Leva, it starts out covering six more minutes of The Shining discussions before moving on to more general "Kubrickian" topics, including his penchant for strong images, his beginnings in still photography, Camera movements and zooms in his films, and Kubrick's artistic achievements.On camera interview participants include Spielberg, Pollack, Nicholson, Kaminski, Deschanel, Baxter, Walker, Brown, Duncan, Friedkin, McDougal, Calley, Dickerson, Daly, Canonero, and Lucas.The making of The Shining runs 34 minutes and 59 seconds and is presented in 4:3 video with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. Directed by Vivian Kubrick, this behind the scenes documentary has a tremendous amount of on-set footage and, much like the Look magazine documentary on 2001… it is the source for all such footage I have scene of the film's production. One sequence of Kubrick and Shelley Duvall having a prickly exchange on set has become somewhat infamous, looming large in the legend of both participants. Vivian Kubrick's commentary is informative if occasionally a bit too apologetic, and provides additional insight into the making of the documentary as well as the subject film itself.Wendy Carlos, Composer runs seven minutes and 30 seconds and is presented in 16:9 enhanced video. Carlos discusses her work on both A Clockwork Orange and The Shining, plays some unused music passages, and shows some of the electronic devices used to create the sounds and score.Full Metal JacketAudio commentary from Adam Baldwin, Vincent D'Onofrio, Lee Ermey, and Jay Cocks. All participants were recorded separately. The majority of the comments are from D'Onofrio and Cocks. Baldwin and Ermey only comment during the portions of the movie where they appear. D'Onofrio's comments continue throughout with surprising amounts of background information even concerning the scenes in which he did not appear. D'Onofrio covers a wide range of topics from specifics about how he got the part and the on-set working methods to more analytic and reflective comments about how Full Metal Jacket compares to other Vietnam films and how he owes his career to this particular role. Cocks takes a pretty straightforward critical/scholarly approach to his comments and as such, I found myself occasionally disagreeing with his analysis when he strayed too far into the subjective. Subjective opinions aside, there's no denying his mispronunciation of Lee Ermey's last name throughout his comments.Full Metal Jacket: Between Good and Evil runs 30 minutes and 47 seconds and is presented in 4:3 video with Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo sound. Directed by Gary Leva, it covers the entire production from adaptation/script stage through its release and reception. Although presented without chapter stops, on-screen titles divide it up into sections named Battle Plan (Adaptation/Script and casting), Field of Battle (East London gas works location and production design), Into the Breach (Kubrick's working with actors, the original decapitation ending, and Kubrick as perfectionist), Commander in Chief (Additional Personal reminiscences about Kubrick), Killing Machines (Thematic concerns), and Legacy of War (the film's conclusion and responses to the film of various people including Marines)On-camera interview participants include Harlan, Calley, Hughes, R. Lee Ermey, Baxter, Adam Baldwin, Kevyn Major Howard, Vincent D'Onofrio, Steadicam Operator John Ward, Assistant Art Director Nigel Phelps, actor Dorian Harewood, Dickerson, Cocks, and Hyams.The film's Theatrical Trailer is also includedEyes Wide ShutThe Last Movie: Stanley Kubrick and Eyes Wide Shut runs 43 minutes and three seconds if "Play All" is selected. It is presented in 16:9 enhanced video with Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo audio. Directed by Paul Joyce, this BBC documentary from 1999 looks not just at Eyes Wide Shut as its title suggests, but at a substantial span of Kubrick's career during which he developed both A.I. and Eyes Wide Shut. On disc, it is encoded as three separate chapters which can be watched separately or together via a "Play All" option. The film itself is actually divided by on-screen titles into six sections named: The Haven/Mission Control (Living and working in England with relative anonymity), Visions of the Future (how Kubrick's interest in sci-fi grew after meeting Clarke - 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange and its withdrawal from exhibition in the UK), Artificial Intelligence of The Writer as Robot (The development of AI and Kubrick's sometimes prickly relationship with collaborators), Style & Method (Observations on Kubrick's working methods), Eyes Wide Shut, A Film by Stanley Kubrick (The film's development and production), Beyond the Finite (Personal reminiscences of his life and passing from his family, Cruise, and Kidman).On-Camera interview participants include Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Spielberg, Pollack, Christiane Kubrick, Katharina Kubrick-Hobbs, Anya Kubrick, Novelist & EWS collaborator Candia McWilliam, Warner Bros Chairman & CEO Terry Semel, Novelist/AI collaborator Brian Aldiss, Director John Boorman, Novelist/AI Collaborator Sara Maitland, Novelist/AI Collaborator Ian Watson, and Harlan.Lost Kubrick: The Unfinished Films of Stanley Kubrick runs 20 minutes and eighteen seconds and is presented in 16:9 enhanced video with Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo sound. Directed by Gary Leva and narrated by Malcolm McDowell, this featurette covers films for which Kubrick conducted substantial pre-production work, but never produced. After an initial mention of A.I. which was eventually produced under the direction of Steven Spielberg, the focus shifts to the Napoleon biopic developed by Kubrick after 2001: A Space Odyssey. The plug on this project was pulled by MGM after the lack of box-office success of the 1970 Rod Steiger film, Waterloo. Next, the focus shifts to Kubrick's work on The Aryan Papers, a holocaust drama based on the novel Wartime Lies by Louis Begley. This project was postponed largely due to the release of the similarly themed Schindler's List.On-camera interview participants include Nicholson, Pollack, Harlan, Calley, Baxter, Frewin, Duncan, Author Stewart McDougal, Richter, Wartime Lies Author Louis Begley, Actor Joseph Mazzello, Makeup Artist Barbara Daly, and Walker.DGA D.W. Griffith Award Appearance Speech runs four minutes and three seconds and is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo sound. After brief introductory comments by Jack Nicholson, it presents the filmed comments of Kubrick from 1998 in recognition of receiving the award.Interview Gallery runs 35 minutes and eighteen seconds if "play all" is selected and is presented in 4:3 video with Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo sound. It consists of one-on-one interviews with Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, and Steven Spielberg conducted by Paul Joyce in 1999. Cruise & Kidman were recorded in New York just prior to the US premiere of Eyes Wide Shut. Spielberg was recorded in Hollywood about a week later. The interview footage was eventually edited into the The Last Movie… BBC documentary. The interview footage with Spielberg is also the source for every appearance of Spielberg on the featurettes for 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, and The Shining listed above.Theatrical Trailer runs one minute and eleven seconds and is presented in artifact-riddled 4:3 video with Dolby digital 2.0 stereo sound.TV Spots runs one minute and eight seconds if "Play All" is selected and are presented in 4:3 Video. They are labeled as "Jealousy" and "Combo". "Jealousy" is essentially an abbreviated version of the theatrical trailer set to the music of "Chris Isaak's "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing". "Combo is set to the Lygeti "Musica Ricercata II: Mesto, Rigido e Cerimonale" piano piece used in the film.Bonus Disc 1 (A Clockwork Orange)This was the second disc included in the 40th Anniversary Blu-ray release of A Clockwork Orange.Subtitles: English SDH, French, German SDH, Italian, Spanish (Latin), Spanish (Castillan), Dutch, PortugueseStanley Kubrick: A Life in PicturesThis 2001 documentary directed by Jan Harlan is an excellent overview of Kubrick's life and career. Participation of Kubrick's family and close associates (director Harlan was Kubrick's brother-in-law and also worked in a production capacity for him for many years) likely results in a somewhat rosier picture than a more personally distanced filmmaker might have drawn, but it also results in an unprecedented amount of personal and archival material being made available to the filmmakers.Furthermore, it nicely compliments the supplements appearing on the individual discs on this collection. While there is curiously little discussion of Douglas Trumbull's slit-scan technique used for the star gate sequence of 2001: A Space Odyssey on that disc's many special features, he discusses it specifically in this documentary. While Shelley Duvall and Matthew Modine are completely absent from the special features for The Shining and Full Metal Jacket, both are present and accounted for here. The Jack Nicholson interview conducted for this documentary appears to be the source for his comments on the special features for The Shining and Eyes Wide Shut DVD special features as well.Narrated by Tom Cruise, on-camera interview participants consist of friends, family, collaborators, and admirers including Ken Adam, Margaret Adams, author Brian Aldiss, filmmaker Woody Allen, Steven Berkoff, Louis C. Blau, John Calley, Milena Canonero, Wendy Carlos, Arthur C. Clarke, Alex Cox, Allen Daviau, Ed Di Giulio, Keir Dullea, Shelley Duvall, Todd Field, Anthony Frewin, Harlan, James B. Harris, Michael Herr, Mike Herrtage, Philip Hobbs, Irene Kane, Nicole Kidman, Barbara Kroner, Anya Kubrick, Christiane Kubrick, Katharina Kubrick-Hobbs, Paul Lashmar, György Ligeti, Steven Marcus, Paul Mazursky, Malcolm McDowell, Douglas Milsome, Matthew Modine, Jack Nicholson, Tony Palmer, Alan Parker, Sydney Pollack, Richard Schickel, Martin Scorsese, Terry Semel, Alex Singer, Steven Spielberg, Sybil Taylor, Doug Trumbull, Peter Ustinov, Leon Vitali , Marie Windsor, and Alan Yentob. Archival comments from Kubrick and his mother, Gert Kubrick, also appear.O Lucky Malcolm runs one hour, 26 minutes, and six seconds and is presented in 16:9 enhanced video including chapter stops accessible via an on-screen menu. It is a feature length documentary on the life and career of Malcolm McDowell directed by Jan Harlan. Breakthrough roles from his early career are covered in great detail including his collaborations with director Lindsay Anderson and his performance in A Clockwork Orange. After discussion of 1979's Caligula and Time After Time, however, the discussion completely skips the 1980s and 1990s and focuses on films McDowell has made since 2000. What's there is covered with decent depth, but the documentary does feel unbalanced by its significant omissions.On-screen interview participants include McDowell, Christiane Kubrick, Daughter Lilly McDowell, Son Charlie McDowell, Producer and close friend Mike Kaplan, Actress and ex-wife Mary Steenburgen, Wife Kelley McDowell, Director Edoardo Ponti, Actress Deborah Kara Unger, Writer and Friend Peter Bellwood, Director Mike Hodges, Director Robert Altman, Actress Neve Campbell, Director Tamar Simon Hoffs, Actor Max Beesley, and Director David Grieco.Bonus Disc 2Subtitles: English SDH, French, German SDH, Italian, Spanish (Latin), Spanish (Castillan), Russian, PortugueseKubrick Remembered (1:23:18)This feature length documentary directed by Gary Khammar is presented in high definition video. It begins with a Prologue in which Kubrick's widow reminiscences about the circumstances leading to his passing. Subsequent topics discussed include the misconception that he was a recluse, his wife of four decades Christiane, Kubrick’s childhood in The Bronx, his love for photography, and how he came to make his first film. It includes details about Kubrick's meeting of Christiane during the making of Paths of Glory and their wedding, his lack of interest in public appearances, his personal life as a father and husband, his sense of humor, and career ups and downs. Also discussed are the importance of Spartacus to his career despite his preference for projects on which he had more control, why he moved to England, his country home/estate in England, his struggles in finding and developing challenging stories, his extensive preparation and disappointment over abandoned projects including Aryan Papers and Napoleon, his approach to casting, Leon Vitali’s transition from young actor on Barry Lyndon to assistant responsible for much of the casting in Kubrick’s subsequent films, Kubrick’s skills as a producer above and beyond directing, his involvement of his family in the production of his films, his directorial style, his reputation for large numbers of takes, his meticulous approach to lighting and other technical aspects of shooting, his preference for small crews, his love of editing, his editing process, and his love for and use of music. Discussion also occurs of his involvement in the release, distribution, and marketing of his films, the response of critics and audiences to his films, how these responses affected Kubrick, and how reactions changed over time.The second to last segment of the documentary discusses how Kubrick’s massive collection of archival materials were posthumously assembled into an exhibition that traveled and became a permanent collection at the University of the Arts London. While this is not as extensive a review of Kubrick's archival materials as the "Kubrick's Boxes" documentary that was not included in this Blu-ray collection, I miss it a little bit less and now want to plan a trip to London. The documentary concludes with reflections on Kubrick's passing and legacy.On-camera comments are provided by Christiane Kubrick, Leon Vitali, Anthony Frewin, Keir Dullea, Vincent D’Onofrio, Steven Spielberg, James B. Harris, Daughter Katharina Kubrick, Warner Bros. Former Senior VP of Business Affairs Eric Senat, Jan Harlan, Actor Matthew Modine, Cinematographer Larry Smith, Actress Gay Hamilton, Warner Bros. Former Marketing Executive Mike Kaplan, Actor/Director Todd Field, Actor Malcolm McDowell, Actor Ryan O’Neal, Actor Vincent D’Onofrio, Actor R. Lee Ermey, Actress Leelee Sobieski, Video Operator/Ser Photographer/Kubrick Nephew Manuel Harlan, Actor Dominic Savage, Actor Thomas Gibson, Costume Designer Milena Canonero, Graphic Artist Philip Castle, and University of the Arts London Stanley Kubrick Archive Senior Archivist Richard Daniels.Stanley Kubrick in Focus (29:29) is an appreciation of Kubrick from other directors and collaborators with comments on his films presented in chronological release order. It largely feels like outtakes from interviews present elsewhere on the film's special features, but is a nice addition for the sake of completeness.On camera comments are provided by Steven Spielberg, William Friedkin, Steven Soderbergh, Martin Scorsese, Oliver Stone, Christopher Nolan, McDowell, Kirk Douglas, “The Shining” Co-Screenwriter Diane Johnson, Actor Matthew Modine, and Director/Actor Todd Field.Once Upon a Time ... A Clockwork Orange(51:36) is a UK documentary produced by by Antoine de Gaudemar and Michael Ciment and directed by Gaudemar. It commences with brief biographical notes on Kubrick leading up to the production of A Clockwork Orange. It then moves on to cover discussion of the Anthony Burgess book, the casting of Malcolm McDowell as Alex, production design, wardrobe, makeup, cultural context, cultural influence, the pivotal “Singin’ in the Rain” scene, Kubrick’s approach to filming the violence in the film, the history of behavioral and conditional therapy and views on them contemporaneous with the book and film, the mechanics of the "lid-locks" applied to McDowell, the use of Beethoven music in the film, Kubrick’s aversion to interviews, Kubrick’s public reputation, Kubrick’s approach to directing actors, Kubrick’s visual stylings, Kubrick’s comprehensive involvement with all aspects of the film inclusive of its release and distribution, the controversy upon the film’s release, the real life crimes and personal threats that were tied to the film and resulted in it being withdrawn from release in the UK, how the film being withdrawn influenced its cult status in the UK, and the UK re-release of the film after Kubrick’s death.In addition to archival audio interviews with Stanley Kubrick the documentary features on-camera comments from Christiane Kubrick, an unidentified English language narrator (replacing French narration provided by Serge July when the documentary first aired on television), Producer and Brother-in-Law Jan Harlan, Anthony Burgess (via archival interviews), Malcolm McDowell (“Alex”), Warren Clarke (“Dim”), Director Gaspar Noé, Associate Producer Bernard Williams, Sociologist Laurent Mucchielli, and Historian and Psychoanalyst Elisabeth Roudinesco.Packaging and Physical ExtrasThis Masterpiece Collection gets deluxe packaging in a large box with a magnetic clasp which includes a five panel digipak containing all ten Blu-ray discs in overlapping hubs (two per panel). The digipak is perhaps a bit too large, so owners will likely have to exercise caution when manipulating it to retrieve a disc so as not to tear it on any of the folds. The package also includes a few physical extras.Most prominent is a 78 page hardcover book that includes reproductions of archival production materials, many with Kubrick's hand written notes (grouped under the title of "Inside the Mind of a Master"), and behind the scenes photos (grouped under the title of "Behind the Scenes") from all of the films in the set. The presence of this fascinating material in print form considerably lessens the blow of the exclusion of the "Kubrick's Boxes" featurette.Also include is a Reproduction of a Christiane Kubrick Portrait of Her Husband.Finally, there is an insert with a brief essay by Kubrick Remembered Producer and Director Gary Khammar on the making of his documentary.
Overall Rating: 5/5
Reviewed By: Ken_McAlinden
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