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Stanley Kubrick

"I come up with the ideas. That is essentially the director's job." Stanley Kubrick, SIGHT AND SOUND. Whether regarded as an obsessive perfectionist or a tyrannical autocrat, it remains that Stanley Kubrick (1928-1999) was one of cinema's most visionary, innovative, and thought-provoking directors. Fiercely independent, Kubrick mastered both the artistic and technical aspects of filmmaking, producing 12 feature films that defy easy categorization. An auteur in every sense of the word, Kubrick wrote, directed, edited, and in many cases shot (and otherwise lived) his films simply to preserve the artistic integrity of his singular vision.

Thu, Aug 2, 2007 at 8 PM	THE KILLING DIRECTOR: STANLEY KUBRICK US After spending five years in Alcatraz, Johnny Clay (Sterling Hayden) decides that if he's going to commit crimes, the risk had better be worth the punishment-so he masterminds a brilliant scheme to steal $2 million from a local racetrack. The beauty of the plan is that it's foolproof and "no one will get hurt..." Hitchcockian suspense and a fresh take on noir enrich this classic heist film from a young Kubrick, subject of a NWFC retrospective indoors) through August. ( 85 min ) Music: Bright Red Paper ^ Top
Fri, Aug 3, 2007 at 7 PM	2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY DIRECTOR: STANLEY KUBRICK US/BRITAIN Whether interpreted as a liberating spiritual journey, a philosophical meditation, or an outright condemnation of the nature of mankind, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY remains a cinematic milestone. Kubrick collaborated with well-respected science-fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke to articulate a futuristic vision of human experience that spans millennia. With groundbreaking visual effects, a haunting musical score by György Ligeti, and sublimated performances by Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, and Douglas Rain as the voice of HAL 9000, Kubrick explores the evolution of man's relationship to his machines. Set against the vast backdrop of an infinite universe, the result is nothing less than the purest form of cinematic experience, and is best seen on the big screen. ( 141 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Aug 4, 2007 at 7 PM	SPARTACUS DIRECTOR: STANLEY KUBRICK US Due to the departure of the original director, principal photography had already begun when Kubrick agreed to helm SPARTACUS. Answerable to studio executives and devoid of his usual level of creative control, the experience cemented Kubrick's resolve to work completely outside of the studio system thereafter. Though Kubrick later disowned the film, the story of the gladiator Spartacus leading his fellow slaves in rebellion against the Roman Empire is a powerful meditation on the meaning of freedom. Lawrence Olivier, Charles Laughton, and Peter Ustinov in an Oscar-winning role lend support to Kirk Douglas' title character. ( 198 min ) Screened with a brief intermission. ^ Top
Sun, Aug 5, 2007 at 7 PM	PATHS OF GLORY DIRECTOR: STANLEY KUBRICK US A scathing anti-war film, PATHS OF GLORY examines the morality of ambition and self-preservation within the military chain of command. Kubrick underscores the absurdity of an impossible predicament by using space and motion to create palpable visual tension. The story is told through the eyes of Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas), a soldier ordered by General Broulard (Adolphe Menjou) to send his men on a futile suicide mission. When the Colonel's men refuse to take an insignificant hill, his superiors decide to make tragic examples of three blameless privates (Ralph Meeker, Timothy Carey, Joe Turkel). ( 87 min ) ^ Top
Fri, Aug 10, 2007 at 7 PM	LOLITA DIRECTOR: STANLEY KUBRICK US/UK Knowing the MPAA would never allow him to dramatize the erotic content of Vladimir Nabokov's controversial novel, Kubrick cleverly employed visual innuendo and wordplay to convey the underlying sexual tension between Humbert Humbert (James Mason) and the adolescent Lolita (Sue Lyon). The story of a middle-aged college professor who falls helplessly in love with a young "nymphet," Kubrick weaves desire, obsession and murderous intent into an exploration of the moral tapestry of the human condition. Peter Sellars turns in a classic performance as Claire Quilty, Humbert's rival for the young Lolita's wayward affections. ( 152 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Aug 11, 2007 at 7 PM	DR. STRANGELOVE DIRECTOR: STANLEY KUBRICK UK The ultimate black comedy, Kubrick's classic satire on nuclear roulette centers on the predicament of an American President when an Air Force commander goes berserk and sends his B-52 to bomb Russia. Playing havoc with our perceptions of nuclear deterrence, technology, international relations and adults that are supposedly in charge, Peter Sellars, George C. Scott and Sterling Hayden bring to life a lasting comic nightmare. Written by Stanley Kubrick, Terry Southern and Peter George. ( 96 min ) ^ Top
Sun, Aug 12, 2007 at 7 PM	KILLER'S KISS DIRECTOR: STANLEY KUBRICK US Kubrick's second feature, which he produced, directed, wrote, edited and shot, is a remarkable precursor to his later works, and is rich with stylistic flourishes and visual bravura. Told in flashback, this fatalistic story about a young boxer and a dance-hall singer whose love is threatened by her jealous boss reverberates with cynicism and doom. With inventive camerawork and a surreal fight sequence in a warehouse of mannequins, KILLER'S KISS is a potent urban melodrama. ( 67 min ) ^ Top
Fri, Aug 17, 2007 at 7 PM Sat, Aug 18, 2007 at 9:30 PM	FULL METAL JACKET DIRECTOR: STANLEY KUBRICK US "I suppose I was trying to suggest something about the duality of man, sir." Private Joker's (Matthew Modine) understated revelation illuminates the philosophical agenda of Kubrick's war nightmare. Following a group of naïve soldiers through the harrowing dehumanization of boot camp, then on to the front lines of the Vietnam War, Kubrick brilliantly exemplifies his fascination with the idea of man as the ultimate machine. ( 116 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Aug 18, 2007 at 7 PM	THE SHINING DIRECTOR: STANLEY KUBRICK US/UK Adapting Stephen King's best-selling horror novel, Kubrick casts Jack Nicholson as Jack Torrance, an out-of-work teacher who accepts employment as the winter caretaker of the haunted Overlook Hotel. After settling in with his wife (Shelley Duvall) and son (Danny Lloyd), Jack slowly discovers that the hotel has its own terrifying agenda. Jack's degeneration from begrudging husband/father to murderous animal allows Kubrick to deftly subvert preconceptions of masculinity and patrimony while simultaneously producing one of the scariest films ever made. ( 119 min ) ^ Top
Sun, Aug 19, 2007 at 7 PM	BARRY LYNDON DIRECTOR: STANLEY KUBRICK UK Kubrick tells the unhappy story of Redmond Barry (Ryan O'Neil), an opportunistic young scoundrel set on elevating his name and station among English high society by any means necessary. In adapting William Makepeace Thackeray's classic novel, Kubrick intended the visual style of BARRY LYNDON to evoke the classic paintings of the 18th century. To that end, he commissioned the invention of a special lens that allowed him to recreate and capture the realistic lighting conditions of the period. A scene lit only by candles is one among the many visually stunning accomplishments of this film. ( 184 min ) ^ Top
Fri, Aug 24, 2007 at 7 PM	A CLOCKWORK ORANGE DIRECTOR: STANLEY KUBRICK UK Kubrick's riveting film adaptation of Anthony Burgess' novel about a future society wallowing in the ultimate throes of violence and anarchy remains a cultural touchstone. Malcolm McDowell stars as Alex, who, along with his "droogs," terrorizes the denizens of a British community. When caught by the authorities, he is forced to undergo the experimental "Ludivico" treatment designed to cure the habitual criminal. As in 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY and DR. STRANGELOVE, Kubrick raises the question of man's destiny in a mechanized and dehumanized world. ( 136 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Aug 25, 2007 at 7 PM	EYES WIDE SHUT DIRECTOR: STANLEY KUBRICK US/UK Kubrick's oft-misunderstood and unfairly maligned last film, EYES WIDE SHUT examines the division between the delusion of self-image and the reality of self-deception. After an evening of revelry, Alice (Nicole Kidman) confesses a lurid secret to her husband, Bill (Tom Cruise). The aftermath propels him into a series of nocturnal encounters that ultimately threaten far more than the sanctity of his marriage. Using the concept of marital fidelity as a lens with which to magnify the characters' preconceived notions of loyalty, trust, desire and desperation, Kubrick deftly illuminates the human fallacy of seeing only what one chooses to see. ( 159 min ) ^ Top