Discoveries from the films of Stanley Kubrick

Views on cinema not related to Mr. Lynch
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blu
 
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Discoveries from the films of Stanley Kubrick

Postby blu » 02 Aug 2011

I promised someone on Twitter the other day that I would share some Eyes Wide Shut stuff that I (and a couple of other guys here) discovered a while ago. Some of that is going to take a while to pull together, but I thought I'd kick off a Stanley Thread anyway with this video.

About 20mins long in total, but shows you that Stanley is messing with you more than you may think.

Pt. 1

[bbvideo]t[/bbvideo]

Pt. 2

[bbvideo]t[/bbvideo]

I'll add to this thread with bits and pieces that I've either found myself or just come across in watching and reading about his films.

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Re: Discoveries from the films of Stanley Kubrick

Postby blu » 28 Oct 2011

Last night Bret Easton Ellis was sounding off on Twitter about Stanley. It's weird. It's like someone is talking who really does and does not get him at the same time.

For your convenience:

The Shining seems to me to be about "imagination" and what's "happening" in Jack's head is so intensely angry that it infects his family.

The Shining is so emotionally complicated (the frustrated artist, the bad marriage, the crazy dad) that it's more fascinating than scary.

The Shining taps into Kubrick's misogyny (see Full Metal Jacket): the three males have intuitive imaginative powers that the woman doesn't.

Danny saves himself by retracing his steps in the maze, knowing this will confuse his father: a man who has also "gone back" to the past...

REDRUM is backwards. Jack moves back into the past. Danny moves backwards in the maze. The only thing moving forward--always--is the camera.

Stephen King's "The Shining" has as much to do with Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" as the "Less Than Zero" movie had to do with the novel.

The novel "The Shining" has Wendy and Hallorann hanging out together (in the summer!) comforting Danny about the loss of Batshit Dad. Happy?

The original ending of Kubrick's "The Shining" is Danny traumatized in a hospital room still tormented by the ghosts of his Batshit Dad...

Stephen King has very powerful female characters but in Stanley Kubrick's universe they're either passive, whores, nonexistent, murderers...

The first conversation Danny and Jack have as they head to The Overlook is about the past: The Donner Party...

Like Wendy in "The Shining" Nicole Kidman in "Eyes Wide Shut" is never part of her husband's "dream" movie that plays out in front of us...

Kubrick misogyny: Lolita (duh), Dr. Strangelove (whores), 01 (women: a little girl and stewardess), A Clockwork Orange (bitchy yoga woman)

female places Alex in prison, Barry Lyndon (Lady Lyndon still writing checks at end), The Shining (been there), Full Metal Jacket (sniper).

Eyes Wide Shut: every female wants to have sex with Tom Cruise but they're either crazy, have AIDS, or martyred whores. Kidman's last word?

Jack triumphs at the end of "The Shining"--the movie ends on his close-up, grinning, still alive within the movie. Not on Wendy or Danny.

Kubrick re-imagined the books he adapted. Example: Barry Lyndon becomes a cad because his girlfriend is a whore. This is NOT in Thackeray.

Kubrick re-imagined the books he adapted. Example: Alex in the novel "A Clockwork Orange" is NOT the triumphant victim he is in the film...

Tom Cruise's delusion that he's in control in "Eyes Wide Shut" by always showing his I.D., stressing that he's a doctor, is very touching...

Think of how much more disturbing HAL would have been if voiced by a female in "01"...And commenting on the way the movie regulates women?

I love the opening section of part 2 of "Full Metal Jacket" with "These Boots Are Made For Walking" while whore flashes her ass. Remarkable.

The dream of "Eyes Wide Shut" is everywhere: the bird motif, the rainbow refs, the same Christmas tree everywhere, the blue light shining...

Eyes Wide Shut: the bird motifs (Nick Nightingale, Wren Street, the masks at the orgy)...

Eyes Wide Shut: the rainbow references: the two girls at the Christmas party who tell Cruise they'll take him to "the end of the rainbow"...

Eyes Wide Shut: rainbow references: the name of the shop where he rents the costume; the Rainbow bakery box he brings to the prostitute...

Why so many rainbow references in "Eyes Wide Shut"? It's Kubrick's "The Wizard of Oz"..."Somewhere over the rainbow bluebirds fly..."

Eyes Wide Shut: doesn't the red carpet at the orgy nicely illuminate the red felt of Sydney Pollack's pool table. And those Christmas trees?

The "dream" of "Eyes Wide Shut" begins when Kidman tells Cruise of her desires and ends with him finding the mask...


Bret Easton Ellis calling someone else a misogynist. I know, right?

:holmes:

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Re: Discoveries from the films of Stanley Kubrick

Postby ctyankee » 28 Feb 2012

On the subject of Kubrick, the full-length documentary of those studying the mysteries and ideas within the film The Shining called Room 237 (2012) which was a minor hit at Sundance was picked up by IFC Films for limited screening engagements and supposedly Video-on-demand release.

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Re: Discoveries from the films of Stanley Kubrick

Postby blu » 29 Feb 2012


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Re: Discoveries from the films of Stanley Kubrick

Postby ctyankee » 29 Feb 2012

Funny. Sadly probably ... yes. "And Another Thing" would be an appropriate name for my post in 20 years ... the 30 year mark of MD.

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Re: Discoveries from the films of Stanley Kubrick

Postby psf » 17 Mar 2012

Ellis got (at least) one fact wrong. he forgot the russian female scientists in 2001.

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Re: Discoveries from the films of Stanley Kubrick

Postby blu » 20 Mar 2012

Interesting effect

[bbvideo]t[/bbvideo]

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Re: Discoveries from the films of Stanley Kubrick

Postby ctyankee » 23 Mar 2012

In what way?

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Re: Discoveries from the films of Stanley Kubrick

Postby blu » 26 Mar 2012

Just enjoyed the effect. Nothing profound.

Enjoyed this also:

[bbvideo]t[/bbvideo]

From here: http://kylelambert.co.uk/gallery/toyshining/index.html

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Re: Discoveries from the films of Stanley Kubrick

Postby Bob » 04 Jun 2012

Another Shining gimmick

[bbvideo]t[/bbvideo]

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Re: Discoveries from the films of Stanley Kubrick

Postby ctyankee » 05 Jun 2012

I don't get it. Why would anyone be interested in The Shining ... and in particular that blue typewriter? They must be mad.

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Re: Discoveries from the films of Stanley Kubrick

Postby blu » 30 Jul 2012

Something and nothing. A very obvious reference to The Shining in [rec]³. Female lead actually has a bit of the Duvalls about her.

rec3shining.png

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Re: Discoveries from the films of Stanley Kubrick

Postby Bob » 30 Jul 2012

ctyankee wrote:I don't get it. Why would anyone be interested in The Shining ... and in particular that blue typewriter? They must be mad.

Just saw your post now. Of course the typewriter didn't elude me. Is this pointing to a The Shining reference in MD? :hmm:

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Re: Discoveries from the films of Stanley Kubrick

Postby Siku » 23 Nov 2012

Last weekend I was lucky enough to see Room 237 AND the original cut of the Shining (40mins extra footage and alternate ending) at our local alt cinema.

Shining and Room 237 Spoilers ahoy!

[spoiler]s[/spoiler]

All great stuff, and couldn't help thinking how fruitful MD would be for this kind of treatment, of course. Overall Room 237 was thoughtful and fun. Well worth a watch.

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Re: Discoveries from the films of Stanley Kubrick

Postby Siku » 02 Jun 2015

This is the kind of thing we're into, non?

http://www.booooooom.com/2015/06/01/vid ... ook-hotel/

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