By Steve Jones, USA TODAY
Stanley Kubrick was one of Hollywood's most compelling and controversial directors ever. His films constantly challenged social, political and even moviemaking conventions. Many of them were initially trashed by critics, but almost all have become revered as classics. Kubrick challenged audiences, as well, often offering unsympathetic characters in methodically told stories (usually adapted from literary sources) that reached unsettling conclusions.
1999 AP photo
Stanley Kubrick's eclectic career is celebrated in a new DVD box set.
1999 AP photo
Stanley Kubrick's eclectic career is celebrated in a new DVD box set.
He didn't limit himself to a particular genre, though some ? i.e. the historical epic Spartacus and the futuristic 2001: A Space Odyssey? defined the genres they represented. Dr. Strangelove presaged growing anti-war sentiment in the mid-1960s, and 2001 ushered in a new era of movie special effects.
Kubrick, who died in 1999 of a heart attack at age 70, influenced a generation of directors including Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott, Tim Burton and others. He was revered for his meticulous attention to detail and innovative camera and lighting techniques. Six of his movies received Academy Award nominations in various categories.
The new Stanley Kubrick: Essential Collection (2011, Warner Bros., not rated, $75; Limited Edition Blu-Ray, $149) collects nine groundbreaking films by the visionary filmmaker. There is a bonus disc with a Tom Cruise-narrated profile with rare footage, photos and reminiscences by colleagues and collaborators. There are also expert commentaries and making-of featurettes on several of Kubrick's movies. A 40-page booklet with pictures and brief analyses of the films is part of the set.
The films included are:
Spartacus (1960): A gladiator (Kirk Douglas) leads a Roman slave revolt.
Lolita (1962): An adaptation of Vladimir Nabokov's controversial novel about middle-age professor Humbert Humbert (James Mason), who has a taboo erotic relationship with young teenager (Sue Lyon).
Dr. Strangelove (or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb) (1964): Peter Sellers stars in a dark satire about nuclear apocalypse.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968): The visually stunning science fiction epic that explored man's codependent relationship with technology.
A Clockwork Orange (1971): An ultraviolent gang leader becomes a guinea pig for a dehumanizing government cure. Also available in new 40th anniversary Blu-ray edition (Warner Bros., $35).
Barry Lyndon (1975): An opportunistic 18th-century scoundrel climbs the rungs of Irish society.
The Shining (1980): A caretaker (Jack Nicholson) of a snowbound hotel goes mad, triggering a homicidal rage against his wife and young son.
Full Metal Jacket (1987): Marine recruits endure boot camp under a sadistic drill instructor and are then thrust in the chaos of the Vietnam War.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999): Real-life married couple Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman star as a husband and wife on a guilt-driven sexual odyssey.
Rachel Weisz Georgina Grenville Ashley Greene Amy Smart Kate Mara
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