Stanley Kubrick

Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Special Edition) [Region 99]

Average customer rating:

One of the Great Black Comedies
Watch This Movie and Sleep Better At Night
Peter Sellers heads up a great cast
Embrace the Horror!
Mostly Perfect Trade

Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Special Edition) [Region 99]
Starring: Peter Sellers , George C. Scott , Sterling Hayden , Keenan Wynn , and Slim Pickens
Director: Stanley Kubrick , and David Naylor
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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2001 - A Space Odyssey
Citizen Kane
Being There
Casablanca
Fail-safe (Special Edition) [Region 99]

ASIN: B000055Y0X
Release Date: 2001-02-27

Amazon.com essential video

Arguably the greatest black comedy ever made, Stanley Kubrick's cold-war classic is the ultimate satire of the nuclear age. Dr. Strangelove is a perfect spoof of political and military insanity, beginning when General Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden), a maniacal warrior obsessed with "the purity of precious bodily fluids," mounts his singular campaign against Communism by ordering a squadron of B-52 bombers to attack the Soviet Union. The Soviets counter the threat with a so- called "Doomsday Device," and the world hangs in the balance while the U.S. president (Peter Sellers) engages in hilarious hot-line negotiations with his Soviet counterpart. Sellers also plays a British military attaché and the mad bomb-maker Dr. Strangelove; George C. Scott is outrageously frantic as General Buck Turgidson, whose presidential advice consists mainly of panic and statistics about "acceptable losses." With dialogue ("You can't fight here! This is the war room!") and images (Slim Pickens's character riding the bomb to oblivion) that have become a part of our cultural vocabulary, Kubrick's film regularly appears on critics' lists of the all-time best. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

One of the Great Black Comedies.......2007-06-21

This work doesn't need much explaination. It is a true classic black comedy. It uses humaor to show how ludicrous and easily corrupted our governments truly are. It simultaneously shines a homorous and frightening light on nuclear war. In my opinion, this is well worth your time. And if you are interested in nuclear war, World War III or end times works, I highly recommend the book Mysteries of the Universe... it is shocking, controversial and frightening! Here's tha amazon page link: Mysteries of the Universe: A Revolutionary Commentary on UFOs, Aliens, Angels, Pyramids, Bible Codes, Reincarnation, the Antichrist...

Watch This Movie and Sleep Better At Night .......2007-06-12

This movie offers the best tongue and cheek commentary on the absurdities of war. I am sure this movie has been heavily "borrowed" from by Hollywood. The "Survival Kit Content Check" scene reminded me alot about the more recent "duct tape your windows" survival tactics. If you believe that the end of the world will come in a flash of light, this movie will validate you.

Peter Sellers heads up a great cast.......2007-06-08

Peter Sellers heads up a great cast in a very funny movie. Worth having in your Peter Sellers collection!

Embrace the Horror!.......2007-05-29

Does the end of the world scare you? Do you stay awake at night wondering when those madmen will finally really do it? Does the idea of a mushroom cloud strike terror in your heart?

Then you my friend need to sit down and watch Dr. Strangelove or How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. This entertaining and educational(dare I say edutaining?) film shows you what would really happen if a United States Air Force Commander ignored the requirement for Presidential authorization and simply attacked the Soviet Union on his own initiative. All the safeguards that are put in place to prevent such an action come crashing down and conspire against those racing to prevent nuclear armageddon.

See fighting in the war room! Learn about the big board! Find out the truth about fluoride! See the dedication of US military servicemen in the face of illogical orders and impossible odds! Discover the secret of Dr. Strangelove!

If you don't see this film, you won't just have to answer to me and the United States Government, but also to the Coca-Cola Corporation.

Mostly Perfect Trade.......2007-05-18

Dr. Strangelove is a kick to watch if the style suits you. Littered with black humor and satire dated to the early cold war days, this movie will provide as much comedy as it will history.

Do not expect the flashy humor in todays comedies but a more subtle poke at the dark aspects of society and humanity.

The only problem I had with any aspect of the purchase was a small crack in the clear protective plastic which protects the cover.

A good buy for movie know-it-alls and aficionados.

Average customer rating:

Simply Outstanding
Kubrick's Magnum Opus
Just another case of the "King's clothes"...
do not do not watch this film on a 50 inch plasma tv
2001 as an archetypal movie experience

2001 - A Space Odyssey
Starring: Keir Dullea , Gary Lockwood , William Sylvester , Daniel Richter , and Leonard Rossiter
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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2010: The Year We Make Contact
Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Special Edition) [Region 99]
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) [Region 99]
Citizen Kane
Forbidden Planet (Ultimate Collector's Edition)

ASIN: B00005ASUM
Release Date: 2001-06-12

Product Description

2001: A Space Odyssey is a countdown to tomorrow, a road map to human destiny, a quest for the infinite. It is a dazzling, Academy Award-winning visual achievement, a compelling drama of man vs. machine, a stunning meld of music and motion. It may be the masterwork of director Stanley Kubrick (who co-wrote the screenplay with Arthur C. Clarke)... and it will likely excite, inspire and enthrall for generations.

To begin his voyage into the future, Kubrick visits our prehistoric ape-ancestry past, then leaps millennia (via one of the most mind-blowing jump cuts ever conceived) into colonized space, and ultimately whisks astronaut Bowman (Keir Dullea) into uncharted realms of space, perhaps even into immortality. "Open the pod bay doors, HAL." Let the awe and mystery of a journey unlike any other begin.

System Requirements:
Starring: Keir Dullea, and Gary Lockwood.
Directed By: Stanley Kubrick.
Running Time: 148 Min., Color.
This film is presented in "Widescreen" format.
Copyright 2000 Warner Home Video.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com essential video

When Stanley Kubrick recruited Arthur C. Clarke to collaborate on "the proverbial intelligent science fiction film," it's a safe bet neither the maverick auteur nor the great science fiction writer knew they would virtually redefine the parameters of the cinema experience. A daring experiment in unconventional narrative inspired by Clarke's short story "The Sentinel," 2001 is a visual tone poem (barely 40 minutes of dialogue in a 139-minute film) that charts a phenomenal history of human evolution. From the dawn-of-man discovery of crude but deadly tools in the film's opening sequence to the journey of the spaceship Discovery and metaphysical birth of the "star child" at film's end, Kubrick's vision is meticulous and precise. In keeping with the director's underlying theme of dehumanization by technology, the notorious, seemingly omniscient computer HAL 9000 has more warmth and personality than the human astronauts it supposedly is serving. (The director also leaves the meaning of the black, rectangular alien monoliths open for discussion.) This theme, in part, is what makes 2001 a film like no other, though dated now that its postmillennial space exploration has proven optimistic compared to reality. Still, the film is timelessly provocative in its pioneering exploration of inner- and outer-space consciousness. With spectacular, painstakingly authentic special effects that have stood the test of time, Kubrick's film is nothing less than a cinematic milestone--puzzling, provocative, and perfect. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Simply Outstanding.......2007-06-17

If you like science fiction then there is no doubt that first, you have probably already seen this. If not, then I can guarantee you that this will captivate you beyond belief. I can find few movies from its time to compare to this masterpiece.

Some have been posting that the quality of this version is not as good as they expected, or not as good as the original. Since I have never seen the original in VHS format, all I can say is that it's totally watch-able. I cannot however note the precision of the transfer of the veteran viewers.

Stanley Kubrick is one of the most ingenious film makers of all time. The cinematography of the film is incredible in the way he uses the limited special effects that were available at the time, and especially sound. The sound is one thing that I find that Stanley Kubrick knew how to use best. The voices that he used in this movie for the monolith gave a tide of mysteriousness, curiosity, and the potential to freak someone out.

He begins the movie displaying evolution and highlights particularly how apes gained intelligence by figuring out how to use bones as weapons. The movie then leaps forward to the space age, where a crew subsequently discovers a large, black, and mysterious object, known as the monolith, on the moon. The only thing the crew knew about this object is that it was buried on the moon 4 million years ago, deliberately.

On a spaceship heading towards Jupiter, the flawless computer known as HAL 9000, makes its first mistake, and begins the worry the crew with its erratic behavior. Afterwards, the mysterious monolith returns, but this time not on the moon.

2001 - A Space Odyssey is one of the best films of all time that I could not recommend more. The captivation will glue your eyes and ears to the screen.

Kubrick's Magnum Opus.......2007-06-05

Few auteurs in film history possess the visionary talent that Kubrick had. His Space Odyssey, the first film of its kind, proves that. Invoking awe and wonder in new audiences and old, the film stands the test of time and continues to inspire.

The film is meant to be viewed on a large auditorium screen, and though Kubrick was an avid supporter for mono sound, today's modern sound technology provides for a much better experience. The hums and clicks of the spaceships, the vaccuum of space, and the brilliant soundtrack create an eerie aura, made more believable with surround sound. The best way to view this film is to do so in a theatre. Kubrick intended for his audience to view the Odyssey on the big screen. This way, the film transports its audience to space itself, and embarks on a timeless journey for the ages. There are many long shots of spacecraft and nebulae that a television set simply can't reproduce on the same scale of the theatre. It's like viewing the Mona Lisa on a mail stamp.

The story should be familiar to audiences by now. On the surface, the plot is one of Kubrick's more simple ones, but critics go very deep into its symbols, allegories, and other interpretings. Many filmgoers are turned off by its curious ending, but that is because they simply don't understand it. Just keep in mind that the ending represents man's evolution.

As for the DVD, many complain that the transfer quality is poor, but I hold no grievances whatsoever. I enjoy viewing the film in its original state, just like its first audiences saw it. It is clean enough to enjoy without distraction, and the sound was upgraded to Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. If you are a true Kubrick nut, however, then you will want to alter the sound output to mono, but that option is up to your discretion.

Just another case of the "King's clothes"..........2007-05-25

Without a doubt one of the most overrated films of all time. It lacks substance and any memorable characters, and has no clear plot nor message. For God's sakes. the most memorable character is a voice. The reason so many "intelligent" viewers say it's great is because they feel they are supposed to; otherwise other "intelligent" viewers will dismiss them and say, "You just don't get it." I would go so far as to say no one gets it. Kubrick was so full of himself that he made a film that was totally self indulgent. If you question the greatness of his work then you must be questioning his greatness; and to do so would be "unintelligent". What a load! Granted he gave us a glimpse of what everyday life may be like in the future, but that alone does make for a great film. A 20 minute short could have done the same without being so presumptuous. If anyone disagrees, then by all means share with us what makes this film great. Please enlighten us but try not to sound too full of yourself.

do not do not watch this film on a 50 inch plasma tv.......2007-05-17

I love the movie for over 20 years but man if this wasn't the worst dvd transfer Ive seen. It's watchable from about 15 feet away but if you looked up close which I did & told my friend who owns the dvd and the tv "my god it's full of pixels"

2001 as an archetypal movie experience.......2007-04-21

Combine Stanley Kubrick's ability to make every scene intensely watchable with subject matter that is natively fascinating to begin with and you have one of the most hypnotic films ever made. The film is long but it never ambles or stalls. It marches at its own "just right" pace from beginning to end inviting you to savor each word, each scene, each dizzyingly perfect camera angle. I've heard many versions of what the film is about. But after almost 40 years of sometimes sober, sometimes drunken and occasionally post-coital discussions about it, I still don't know what it's about and frankly I just don't care anymore. I can recite the story line, sure. But what are the major themes? How does one articulate them? I think only the writer, Arthur C. Clark, knows for sure how to frame those notions into a coherent whole. But for the mentally fragmented rest of us, the movie shines like a multi-faceted crystal twirling in the light, inviting us to think, to ponder, to have our own epiphany or two about consciousness, human evolution, and the collective destiny of humankind. Or was that the destiny of a single human in the context of the many? I forget. Not sure it matters. Nonetheless, the film causes you to ponder yet again the nature of the universe and more than anything come to the conclusion that the universe could be even stranger and more beautiful than you thought. Or is that - more beautiful than you remember? I don't know. It turns out that the distinction is not all that important either. The film will forever remain a beautiful, unparalleled and utterly glorious enigma to me. If it hasn't already, I hope it does for you as well.

Average customer rating:

Can I go to my room and get my fire engine?...Come here for a minute first.......
The essential horror film
Awesome Movie!
Jack Nicholson Is Gonna Bash Your Brains In!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
One hotel you do not want to work at, especially if there's a mad-man there...

The Shining
Starring: Jack Nicholson , Shelley Duvall , Danny Lloyd , Scatman Crothers , and Barry Nelson
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
The Exorcist (The Version You've Never Seen)
A Clockwork Orange
Psycho (Collector's Edition)
Full Metal Jacket

ASIN: B00005ATQJ
Release Date: 2001-06-12

Amazon.com essential video

Stanley Kubrick's The Shining is less an adaptation of Stephen King's bestselling horror novel than a complete reimagining of it from the inside out. In King's book, the Overlook Hotel is a haunted place that takes possession of its off-season caretaker and provokes him to murderous rage against his wife and young son. Kubrick's movie is an existential Road Runner cartoon (his steadicam scurrying through the hotel's labyrinthine hallways), in which the cavernously empty spaces inside the Overlook mirror the emptiness in the soul of the blocked writer, who's settled in for a long winter's hibernation. As many have pointed out, King's protagonist goes mad, but Kubrick's Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) is Looney Tunes from the moment we meet him--all arching eyebrows and mischievous grin. (Both Nicholson and Shelley Duvall reach new levels of hysteria in their performances, driven to extremes by the director's fanatical demands for take after take after take.) The Shining is terrifying--but not in the way fans of the novel might expect. When it was redone as a TV miniseries (reportedly because of King's dissatisfaction with the Kubrick film), the famous topiary-animal attack (which was deemed impossible to film in 1980) was there--but the deeper horror was lost. Kubrick's The Shining gets under your skin and chills your bones; it stays with you, inhabits you, haunts you. And there's no place to hide... --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

Can I go to my room and get my fire engine?...Come here for a minute first..............2007-06-24

Don't go to him Danny! DON'T GO!!!!! THE SHINING
What can be said that has not been said! Really
nothing!For there are close to 700 reviews for
this HORROR masterpiece.I was lucky to see this on
the big screen.I was 10 yrs. old and before the movie
started I left for popcorn I took my time,but knew I
had to return to my seat or my folks would start wondering.
I had to watch this! Two years ago I embarrased my Mom over
the movie The Fury(DePalma)and screamed and made her take me
to the bathroom(woman's too)to calm me down and get her $$
back for unused tickets.Now it's two years later and I am in
the same boat!I love horror films,and did than too.But mostley
the classics..You know Drac,Frank,Wolfie and The MUM!But the
HORROR FILMS OF THE 70'S and early 80's were diff.They don't
F%^# AROUND! No! These were movies to stay with you waaay
after bedtime.I have seen this MASTERPIECE a zillion times
and can still watch it.I want to however try to give you a
review from when I first saw it in 1980. And to tell the truth
I liked it.I now LOVE IT!But than I liked it,which I am proud
of myself for my family did not(they did not find it scary???)
I sure did than.Like most of you the TWO sisters did scare me
of course(STRANGE!THEY SCARE ME MORE NOW THAN THEN!)And of course
Jack was scary and Shelly Duvall who for the T.V. trailer scared
the living HELL out of me for I thought she was a witch,walking
up the stairs with the big MICHAEL MYERS knife!But to tell you
all the truth,I was able to handle all that,yes the old lady
in the tub too!What got me than?What made me sleep with the
T.V. on till 2:00am?What made me have my Chris Reeve P.J'S.
on?I will tell you.....THE MUSIC!...The music in THE SHINING
is thee overall SCARE THE LIVING HELL OUT OF YOU makepiece!
It is soooo FRIGHTNING! The title track,Danny riding his Big
Wheel,Danny going to get his fire engine,those DAMN two lil
girls THE MUSIC!!For me is what gives this movie a 6 instead
of 5 stars for me.I really wanted to point that out for I have
read alot of the reviews for this and they all touch things
like the brilliant directing,to the superb acting,to evan the
elaborate hotel.I did not however read about the music???
Which is again to me as big if not BIGGER than the Overlook!
Please own The Shining(80..of course,Oh! don't even get me started
on the other one)it is without a doubt ONE of thee greatest HORROR
films of ALL time!!!
NOTE:Please help? I have seen this MASTERPIECE a zillion times
but till this day confused by the ending? Has Jack always been
in the black and white pic.at the end? Or was he added there
because he died? I don't know? Can you please comment and fill
me in on this.I thank you. Now were going to make a new rule.
Whenever I'm on Amazon and you read my typing(type,type,type)
or weather you don't read MY TYPING WHEN I AM ON AMAZON
THAT MEANS DON'T COME IN! NOW YOU THINK YOU CAN HANDLE THAT?
GOOD! WHY DON'T YOU START RIGHT NOW AND GET THE F^&# RIGHT
OUT OF HERE!

The essential horror film.......2007-06-08

The Shining is one of the greatest films I've ever watched. Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece showcases some of the most suspenseful movie moments ever to be seen, and Jack Nicholson's character is simply amazing.

Awesome Movie!.......2007-05-25

This movie was the scariest I have ever seen! I am serious! Jack Nicholson is the perfect Jack Torrance!!!! He plays his character so sphyco-like! It is one of my favorite movies ever!!!

Jack Nicholson Is Gonna Bash Your Brains In!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-05-08

This movie is one of my all-time favorite movies. After I watched this for the first time, I watched again. It's one of those movies that everytime you watch it, you find something new. At first, I was so freaked out by everything. But now, everytime I watch it, I get more freaked out. I get so freaked out, I start to laugh. It's just so insane. Steven King did not like this movie. That tells you 1 thing: he's a great author with a terrible taste in movies. This is my second favorite horror movie ever, right behind Halloween. I can't find anything wrong with this. Jack Nicholson gives one of the best performances I have ever seen in any movie. You actually get scared of him. Shelley Duvall also gives a very convincing performance as most of the time she is screaming or shes in silent shock. The big thing about this spine-tingler is the atmosphere. The music literally sends chills up your spine. Another thing that I love is it seems like the hotel is a character in on itself. It's so looming and big and quiet. There are some scenes that are extremely scary because they are so random and they make no sense. There is one scene where Duvall is looking down a hallway and she sees a guy in a suit and a guy in a bear costume doing something sexual and preverted. I don't even know what they were doing, but it scared the hell out of me. This movie is just so chilling from the little kid Danny to the two little girls to the blood flowing from the elevator. It never stops. It's relentless. Hide the children, hide the axe.

One hotel you do not want to work at, especially if there's a mad-man there..........2007-04-16

After all this time I finally got to see the very old and popular psycho-horror film called, "The Shining". Jack Nicholson stars as Jack Torrance, a soon-to-be "man"-iac of the house (errr... hotel) going crazy due to ghosts and ends up chasing after and attempting to kill Wendy Torrance (Shelly Duvall) and their little son Danny Torrance (Danny Lloyd). Danny has these strange signs of murder at the hotel and Stuart Ullman (Barry Nelson) tells him that it is due to the "shining" which we all know what means; sensing past "redrum" at Overlook hotel (read "redrum" backwards and you'll see what it is).

Now, although the film is not "scary" nor anything graphic (we are looking at you James Wan and Tarantino) I should note that it'll send a handful of chills. Obviously it was the music, editing, and acting which both sound fantastic and eerie. Even though there are no chopped limbs to be seen, there will be a lot of the red stuff on a few scenes (elevator spills a LOT of blood like Niagara Falls). Although there are little 2-second shots of twin girls in a lot of blood in two shots when Danny is exploring the hotel. Trust me, "Come play with us Danny" is pretty; no, extremely strange.

Now, I'm not a big horror fan but there are good psycho-horror flicks that deserve some attention and this is one of those classics. Even the TV-PG VL rated version on SCI-FI channel remained eerie which is a sign of a good job. Personally I'd recommend to 14-years or older because of the fact that the ones older or below 14-years will probably get bored because they watched too much Saw flicks.

4/5 stars (1 removed due to one pointless scene that did send chills but should have been cut a bit due to taking away a bit of the movie)

Average customer rating:

Another great Kubrick work
An ode to our humble Narrator and Mr. Kubrick...
Disturbing and daring, but is it any good?
Highwater mark of Seventies Film-making
Masterpiece in Orange, and Malcolm McDowell in the Middle

A Clockwork Orange
Starring: Malcolm McDowell , Patrick Magee , Michael Bates , Warren Clarke , and John Clive
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Taxi Driver (Collector's Edition)
The Shining
Full Metal Jacket
Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Special Edition) [Region 99]
Trainspotting - Director's Cut (Collector's Edition)

ASIN: B00005ATQB
Release Date: 2001-06-12

Amazon.com essential video

Stanley Kubrick's striking visual interpretation of Anthony Burgess's famous novel is a masterpiece. Malcolm McDowell delivers a clever, tongue-in-cheek performance as Alex, the leader of a quartet of droogs, a vicious group of young hoodlums who spend their nights stealing cars, fighting rival gangs, breaking into people's homes, and raping women. While other directors would simply exploit the violent elements of such a film without subtext, Kubrick maintains Burgess's dark, satirical social commentary. We watch Alex transform from a free-roaming miscreant into a convict used in a government experiment that attempts to reform criminals through an unorthodox new medical treatment. The catch, of course, is that this therapy may be nothing better than a quick cure-all for a society plagued by rampant crime. A Clockwork Orange works on many levels--visual, social, political, and sexual--and is one of the few films that hold up under repeated viewings. Kubrick not only presents colorfully arresting images, he also stylizes the film by utilizing classical music (and Wendy Carlos's electronic classical work) to underscore the violent scenes, which even today are disturbing in their display of sheer nihilism. Ironically, many fans of the film have missed that point, sadly being entertained by its brutality rather than being repulsed by it. --Bryan Reesman

Customer Reviews:

Another great Kubrick work.......2007-06-15

Definitely not everyone's cup of tea, but I think everyone should see it at least once, there's lessons to be learned here for everyone.

An ode to our humble Narrator and Mr. Kubrick..........2007-06-13

#12 on the list of the 50 greatest heroes and villians sits our good friend and humble narrator...ALEX DeLARGE...all of a terrifying, intriguing, Hateful, loved and feared character that we will never forget! By now you've heard it all fROM every other reviewer but i simply see this movie as one of the most influential viewings i've ever sat thru and i had to chime in. The disturbing nature of this beast is only the basis of it's appeal...futuristic law enforcement in the "Ludovico Technique"...Rape,a Brutal Beating,A fight scene straight from the desk of Vince McMahon, An out and out MURDER make this a difficult film to watch for some...I first saw this at age 10 on Showtime in 1980... i was scared to the point that i couldn't stop watching this brilliant tale of Alex and his 3 "Droogs"...here are some cool side notes on the making of the film: an interesting bit involving the scence where Officer Dim and Officer Georgie beat and stuff Alex's head into a bin filled with water...Malcom McDowell almost truly drowned then as his breathing device failed...wow would that have been "real tragic like"...another cool side note is that at the begining point of talks of making this a movie...Mick Jaegger of the rOLLING sTONES actually bought the rights and had planned on making the film starring himself as Alex and the Stones as the DROOGS..."O'H WHAT A TERRIBLE TRAGeDY THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN OH' MY BROTHERS"...Malcolm McDowell still gives me the creeps when i see him...i see Alex...He plays the role of his lifetime that i simply couldn't see anybody else as...The other huge part of the film is the Music...electric synthesized art from Water/Wendy Carlos( the same person...sex change making him...her)and of course LUdwig Van...the bloody 9th that eventually drove Alex thru a top floor window in effort to kill and free himself from the music's sickening torture on him as a response to the Ludovico Technique...He wasn't in the Korova Milk Bar anymore!...Everything from the made up language of NADSAT("Viddy well Lil' Brother...Viddy well") to the music to a brilliant performance and disturbing images of a sac-religeous image of Christ himself to "Ultra Violent images in every possible frame make this a work for the ages that has endured thru the the ultimate test...time......i should only hope for a remake staying true to this brilliant work( i see it inevitable that it be remade)...i hope not, like countless other works...it never stays true to the initial message of the original movie...Kubrick stays with us thru this film as well as the other works he gave us by walking and crashing thru the lines of acceptablity...this is a disturbing 5 star masterpiece of a tradgic 360 of bad to "suedo good" to Ultra Violent Bad again never to be duplicated no matter how many times it is revised...!!!

Disturbing and daring, but is it any good?.......2007-06-05

Disturbing, shocking, and daring are words that have been used to laud this film. But after so many years of "artists" trying so very hard to disturb and shock me, I would love to see someone use art to illumine or enlighten me. "A Clockwork Orange" is a product of its time, an ossified attempt to create profundity by merely disturbing and shocking the viewer. I would really like to think that the art world (not just film, but music, painting, and sculpture as well) is ready to get over its adolescent obsession with sex and violence and surrender itself to art's greatest strength -- to elevate humanity and celebrate all that is truly good and beautiful. I have seen many Kubrick films, and this is very close to being his worst.

Highwater mark of Seventies Film-making.......2007-05-07

Probably the greatest use of film-making artifice in the last 50 years. Stanley Kubrick uses sight and sound like no other. He melds all of his tricks into a mind-blowing whole giving the film a present-future-timeless feel. Malcolm McDowell is just incredible in this movie. As wicked as he is we still have a certain empathy for him. Without a doubt this movie is a must own. Everybody should study it for the wealth of aesthetic horizons it reveals.

Masterpiece in Orange, and Malcolm McDowell in the Middle.......2007-04-26

I saw that there were 699 reviews of this film, and much as I like that number, I had to weigh in and make it an even 700. Stanley Kubrick directed this, and if he ever goes to Film Hell for Eyes Wide Shut, this will more than make up for it, at least it will get him into purgatory.

Anthony Burgess wrote this in response to hearing about some controversial techniques that were proposed as a solution to the problem of teen violence, specifically the Mod vs. Rocker battles that were also the subject of The Who's Quadraphenia.

The book is written entirely in Nadsat, which is a slanguage invented by Burgess that contains Russian words, Gypsy argot, Cockney rhyming slang (where a word is substituted for another that rhymes with it, or is connected somehow to the rhyming word, so the original connection is lost and only another Cockney would understand the reference) and other teen age slang words all mixed together. A glossary is included, but soon you'll have no need for it.

Malcolm McDowell does a great performance, though he is much older than 15, the supposed age of the Beethoven lovin' hooligan, Alex. He has a certain boyish charm, and the panache to carry it off.

This film is a lot like V for Vendetta, in that it could work as an action film, or be enjoyed on a deeper level as a thought provoking essay on society, violence, and classical music. In both movies the cinematic violence is exhilarating, really good use of the music to enhance the excitement, and just an artistic stylized look that draws you in to the strange dystopia of the future.

Some people will be put off by the violence, but it is not merely gratuitous, but essential to the story, and in fact, the subject at hand. You could say Oliver Stone fell into that trap in Natural Born Killers, trying to make a statement about how the media glorifies and exploits violence, and in so doing just glorifying and exploiting it even more, but Stanley Kubrick has dodged that bullet--at least he dodged it until Eyes Wide Shut.

Average customer rating:

A MESMERIZING SPECTACULAR OF GLADIATOR EPICS!
A Great Classic
Spartacus - Like I remember it !
Great Movie
A well made movie

Spartacus
Starring: Kirk Douglas , Laurence Olivier , Jean Simmons , Charles Laughton , and Peter Ustinov
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Ben-Hur (Four-Disc Collector's Edition)
The Robe
The Mummy [HD DVD]
Casablanca [HD DVD]
Cleopatra

ASIN: 0783226039
Release Date: 1998-03-31

Amazon.com

Stanley Kubrick was only 31 years old when Kirk Douglas (star of Kubrick's classic Paths of Glory) recruited the young director to pilot this epic saga, in which the rebellious slave Spartacus (played by Douglas) leads a freedom revolt against the decadent Roman Empire. Kubrick would later disown the film because it was not a personal project--he was merely a director-for-hire--but Spartacus remains one of the best of Hollywood's grand historical epics. With an intelligent screenplay by then-blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo (from a novel by Howard Fast), its message of moral integrity and courageous conviction is still quite powerful, and the all-star cast (including Charles Laughton in full toga) is full of entertaining surprises. Fully restored in 1991 to include scenes deleted from the original 1960 release, the full-length Spartacus is a grand-scale cinematic marvel, offering some of the most awesome battles ever filmed and a central performance by Douglas that's as sensitively emotional as it is intensely heroic. Jean Simmons plays the slave woman who becomes Spartacus's wife, and Peter Ustinov steals the show with his frequently hilarious, Oscar-winning performance as a slave trader who shamelessly curries favor with his Roman superiors. The restored version also includes a formerly deleted bathhouse scene in which Laurence Olivier plays a bisexual Roman senator (with restored dialogue dubbed by Anthony Hopkins) who gets hot and bothered over a slave servant played by Tony Curtis. These and other restored scenes expand the film to just over three hours in length. Despite some forgivable lulls, this is a rousing and substantial drama that grabs and holds your attention. Breaking tradition with sophisticated themes and a downbeat (yet eminently noble) conclusion, Spartacus is a thinking person's epic, rising above mere spectacle with a story as impressive as its widescreen action and Oscar-winning sets. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

A MESMERIZING SPECTACULAR OF GLADIATOR EPICS!.......2007-05-23

This motion picture is a must for all Gladiator Epic lovers. The movie was made when these films were very popular and all stops were pulled for this classic Roman Picture.. The movie showcases the Great Kirk Douglas in his most memorable performance. The cinematography is spectacular and verY authentic for its time. After all these years, the color is vivid and true to form. A very young Tony Curtis appears with a great cast. You will love the feel for the movie and the sets are very opulent. Notice that if you went to pick this movie at the store, it will still cost alot. That is a sure sign that this movie has gotton better with age. Pick it up today and enjoy!!!
Noel Serrano

A Great Classic.......2007-05-14

Spartacus is one of the best movies from the past. Everything about it is very well-done. The DVD is a great addition to our collection.

Spartacus - Like I remember it !.......2007-05-13

This was a favorite growing up as a kid. Haven't seen it in a long time, so I had to buy it. A great movie, the sound and picture quality was much better then when I saw it growing up. A big time classic !!

Great Movie.......2007-05-12

I have enjoyed this movie over and over again and will do so for many years.

A well made movie.......2007-05-07

This movie has many good actors in it. It was well made move.

Average customer rating:

When rich people get bored.....
Perfect Conclusion to the Trilogy of Great Journeys:
Hold the popcorn
Eyes Wide Shut Is Good Reason For Region-free DVD Player
Not to be discounted

Eyes Wide Shut
Starring: Tom Cruise , Nicole Kidman , Madison Eginton , Jackie Sawiris , and Sydney Pollack
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( E ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Vanilla Sky
Swimming Pool (Unrated Version)
Lolita
The Shining
A Clockwork Orange

ASIN: B00005ATQD
Release Date: 2001-06-12

Amazon.com essential video

It was inevitable that Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut would be the most misunderstood film of 1999. Kubrick died four months prior to its release, and there was no end to speculation how much he would have tinkered with the picture, changed it, "fixed" it. We'll never know. But even without the haunting enigma of the director's death--and its eerie echo/anticipation in the scene when Dr. Bill Harford (Tom Cruise) visits the deathbed of one of his patients--Eyes Wide Shut would have perplexed and polarized viewers and reviewers. After all, virtually every movie of Kubrick's post-U.S. career had; only 1964's Dr. Strangelove opened to something approaching consensus. Quite apart from the author's tinkering, Kubrick's movies themselves always seemed to change--partly because they changed us, changed the world and the ways we experienced and understood it. And we may expect Eyes Wide Shut to do the same. Unlike Kubrick himself, it has time.

So consider, as we settle in to live with this long, advisedly slow, mesmerizing film, how challenging and ambiguous its narrative strategy is. The source is an Arthur Schnitzler novella titled Traumnovelle (or "Dream Story"), and it's a moot question how much of Eyes Wide Shut itself is dream, from the blue shadows frosting the Harfords' bedroom to the backstage replica of New York's Greenwich Village that Kubrick built in England. Its major movement is an imaginative night-journey (even the daylight parts of it) taken by a man reeling from his wife's teasing confession of fantasized infidelity, and toward the end there is a token gesture of the couple waking to reality and, perhaps, a new, chastened maturity. Yet on some level--visually, psychologically, logically--every scene shimmers with unreality. Is everything in the movie a dream? And if so, who is dreaming it at any given moment, and why?

Don't settle for easy answers. Kubrick's ultimate odyssey beckons. And now the dream is yours. --Richard T. Jameson

Customer Reviews:

When rich people get bored............2007-06-12

As most people know, this was the great Stanley Kubrick's final movie. I believe he died before the filming was complete. It was also, ironically, filmed just before Tom & Nicole broke up (a bit of irony there?) These facts alone would be enough to make this film a collector's item. However, it also has some other things going for it as well.

The story is about a Dr. (Tom Cruise) who is haunted by the notion that his wife (Nicole Kidman) has cheated on him. Or, even if she didn't ACTUALLY cheat on him, she surely wanted to. This leads him on an escapade of sexual deviance. He considers hooking up with a girl who has a crush on him as well as soliciting the services of a prostitute. He justifies his actions as a form of "getting even" with his spouse.

The biggest gamble, however, is sneaking into a ritzy orgy scene where everyone is wearing masks. The scene is bizarre and at the same time beautiful. The ritual with the prostitutes is downright surreal. This sets the stage for everything else that happens in the movie.

If you're into erotic thrillers, this one belongs in your DVD collection. Makes me wonder how much of this kind of thing really does go on in High Society places. Also, Nicole Kidman takes her clothes off for the first time in quite awhile, and I do believe there are more nude shots of her in this film than any other movie I've ever seen her in. That alone is worthy of the price of this DVD!

Perfect Conclusion to the Trilogy of Great Journeys:.......2007-04-17

I believe that Kubrick's swansong is a great masterpiece, it is one of my favorite films and has been since I saw it first time. I felt under the film's spell from the very beginning: the camera was so much in love with Kidman's gorgeous figure, her golden hair; the music by Shostakovich - so European even though the film takes place in NYC. The film was so clever and so mesmerizing. The more I watched the more I realized that there was something vaguely familiar and strangely comical in the film. I kept thinking and it occurred to me that Kubrick paid homage and parodied Joyce's "Ulysses" in the same way Joyce himself treated Homer's celebrated poem. For me, there are so many similarities between "Bloomsday" and "Billnight", between both men's journeys and adventures on the streets of Dublin and NYC that I am curious if anyone else noticed that. There are visits to the Kingdom of Dead, sirens, Cyclops, the sorceress that turns men in pigs (the figure of speech that is :)). Both Bloom and Bill try to run from but can't forget and eventually come back to the only woman they are attracted to for eternity - Penelope - Molly Bloom- Alice Harford. Both deeply suffer from her infidelity (Bloom from the real one and Bill from imaginative but it hurts the same). Both are very insecure men who doubt their own masculinity and try to prove to them that they are the real men but they can't. Both are married to the strong women who would give them hope in the end - both "Ulysses" and "EWS" ends on the affirmative note. The last word in "Ulysses" "Yes" belongs to Molly just before she fell asleep and the last lines in EWS are:

"Alice Harford: I do love you and you know there is something very important we need to do as soon as possible.
Dr. Bill Harford: What's that?
Alice Harford: F_uck."

If that's not the happiest and most satisfying ending for a movie ever then I don't know which one is. For the great ending I can forgive a movie many sins. But to tell you the truth, "Eyes Wide Shut" is perfect, it has nothing to apologize for. It is the movie that would be admired many years from now. It is a perfect conclusion to the trilogy of great journeys of a man for search of himself - "Odyssey", "Ulysses", and "Eyes Wide Shut".

Hold the popcorn.......2007-03-29

We actually paid money to see this movie in a theater. We sat through the entire thing waiting for it to have some socially redeeming value. We left not only disappointed, but angry. Outraged.

Yes, I know what it was about. Of course, I didn't know that going in, that would have been nice. And I couldn't believe the arrogance and the audacity of celebrating a culture of elitism that thrives upon decadence and depravity. Why are we watching this? And WHY ARE WE PAYING FOR IT?

It is even more obvious, a handful of years later, that Tom Cruise is "not OK." That Nicole Kidman has her own brand of dark drama going on, a drama that is not that far removed from Britney Spears and Anna Nicole Smith. It's larger than life and darker than insanity. We should do something about it. I wish I knew what. But I don't want it with my popcorn.

Eyes Wide Shut Is Good Reason For Region-free DVD Player.......2007-03-19

When "Eyes Wide Shut" was released in the U.S., in order to escape an X-rating, certain digital images were inserted during the infamous orgy scene. However, the version of Kubrick's film released in Europe did not include these digital images. When the film became available on DVD, one version (with the digitalized images) was distributed here in America, while the "European" version of the DVD shown the scene minus the inserted digital images. You can order the European version of the DVD not only here but any number of DVD distribution companies. The problem is, the European version will not play on DVD players sold in the electronic and stereo equipment stores in the U.S.
Why not? Because DVD players sold in the United States are designated Region 1 players, while the European version of the DVD is a Region 2 DVD, and the Region of the DVD player must be the same Region as the DVD or you get no picture.
How do you know the Region of a DVD? On the back of its case, usually in very small print, is an oval or rectangular print of the world with a number right in its middle. This image with a number is very often not easy to find on the back of the case, so you must look with varying degrees of difficulty to discover it. It's definitely always there, believe me, you just must really look for it sometimes. Once you find the oval globe, you can't miss the number in its middle, and that's the DVD's region. So, knowing that all store-bought DVD players in this country are Region 1 players, the Region 2, European version of the film is incompatible with it, and voila, no picture.
Other American films share this same problem. David Lynch's "Lost Highways" is unavailable in its widescreen version, with a quality image transfer from film to DVD only in the Region 2, European version. The Region 1 version available here is not widescreen, distributed from Canada, and is of poor quality. Sam Peckingpah's only war movie, "Cross of Iron" suffers from this exact same dilemma. Orson Welles's classic, "The Magnificent Ambersons," is available only from Germany, in a Region 2 format. We're talking about great American films, folks, for some reason or another, unavailable for viewing here because of this Region incompatibility between the player and DVD itself.
Why is this? The powers that be (whoever that is) have divided cinema on DVD into twelve Regions, in order to control the competion between themselves.
Oh, there are some popular foreign films available for play here in Region 1 versions for our Region 1 players, but those films are comparatively few and far between. So, is there no option for the film buff, such as myself, who enjoys both domestic and foreign films which are not coded Region 1 DVDs?
Thanfully, we do have an alternative and it's called the Region-free or Multi-region DVD player. You will not find those players at your local chain electronics store, however. They only sell Region 1 DVD players. You must go online, and THERE you will find these DVD players which will display movies from any Region, from any country in the world. American DVD players also only play movies with what's called NTSC television screen encoding, which also limits the films available for view because many foreign DVDs require PAL television encoding. The Region-free player also eliminates this distinction as long as your television is not a dinosaur. Cinema is an art form which should be made available for anybody, anywhere to enjoy. It's not, unless you get a Region-free DVD player.
I realize most people don't care to go beyond what's commercially available in film, and they should just stick to what they have, and when it's replacement time, return to their local electronics outfit. For those demanding world cinema's availability, Region-free players are the only way to go. I've made that choice and, now, my reach extends to movies from all over the planet. I can even see the magnificent "Eyes Wide Shut" minus those damned digital images.
Instead of going in this sensible direction, the owners to DVD rights in our country are pointing us in a different direction, to high definition DVD. That's right; you can now upgrade the picture quality of Region 1 DVDs by purchasing a new high definition DVD player in conjunction with new high definition DVDs. Forget about your existing 5.1 surround sound player and supporting discs; start all over again with high definition. There are two competing companies offering the next level in DVD technology: Blu-ray and HD. Both companies are owned by various major movie studios with certain studios backing one while other studios support the other. It's (high definition) being touted as the next step in DVD technology, and maybe it is, if someone's just now starting a DVD collection or is willing to chunk away the old, outdated stuff in favor of high definition players and DVDs. But buyers beware: the choice of high definition DVDs offered by both Blu-ray and HD at your local store is very limited, and a substantial difference in picture quality only comes with the high end new players, costing anywhere from $600.00 to over $1,000.00. Your last consideration is which brand to choice, Blu-ray or HD? One system's DVDs are not compatible with the other's player and visa versa. It's much wiser to wait and see which company wins before strongly committing one way or the other.

Not to be discounted.......2007-02-26

Don't discount this film because you are dismayed by Tom Cruise. This film is excellent and a must see. The symbolism in this film alone makes it worth a look. Attempt to ignore good old Tom and rekindle your love for him pre-insanity. Kubrick rarely gets enough accolades for this movie, as he should.

Average customer rating:

............"THE SCOURGE OF WAR".........
A classic for reflection
Paths of Glory
One Of The Greatest Films Ever: A Masterpiece!
if this movie was a true incident

Paths of Glory
Starring: Kirk Douglas , Ralph Meeker , Adolphe Menjou , George Macready , and Wayne Morris
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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Drama | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

Anti-War Films | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

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( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

The Killing
Killer's Kiss
All Quiet on the Western Front (Universal Cinema Classics)
Barry Lyndon
Stanley Kubrick Collection

ASIN: 0792841409
Release Date: 1999-06-29

Amazon.com essential video

Stanley Kubrick had already made his talent known with the outstanding racetrack heist thriller The Killing, but it was the 1957 antiwar masterpiece Paths of Glory that catapulted Kubrick to international acclaim. Based on the novel by Humphrey Cobb, the film was initiated by Kirk Douglas, who chose the young Kubrick to direct what would become one of the most powerful films about the wasteful insanity of warfare. In one of his finest roles, Douglas plays Colonel Dax, commander of a battle-worn regiment of the French army along the western front during World War I. Held in their trenches under the threat of German artillery, the regiment is ordered on a suicidal mission to capture an enemy stronghold. When the mission inevitably fails, French generals order the selection of three soldiers to be tried and executed on the charge of cowardice. Dax is appointed as defense attorney for the chosen scapegoats, and what follows is a travesty of justice that has remained relevant and powerful for decades. In the wake of some of the most authentic and devastating battle sequences ever filmed, Kubrick brilliantly explores the political machinations and selfish personal ambitions that result in battlefield slaughter and senseless executions. The film is unflinching in its condemnation of war and the self-indulgence of military leaders who orchestrate the deaths of thousands from the comfort of their luxurious headquarters. For many years, Paths of Glory was banned in France as a slanderous attack on French honor, but it's clear that Kubrick's intense drama is aimed at all nations and all men. Though it touches on themes of courage and loyalty in the context of warfare, the film is specifically about the historical realities of World War I, but its impact and artistic achievement remain timeless and universal. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Safe in their picturesque chateau behind the front lines, the French general staff passes down a direct order to Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas): take the Ant Hill at any cost. A blatant suicide mission, the attack is doomed to failure. Covering up their fatal blunder, the generals order the arrest of three innocent soldiers, charging them with cowardice and mutiny. Dax, a lawyer in civilian life, rises to the men's defense but soon realizes that, unless he can prove that the generals were to blame,nothing less than a miracle will save his clients from the firing squad. A compelling masterpiece from world-class director/writer Stanley Kubrick and screenwriters Calder Willingham and JimThompson, Paths of Glory is a blistering indictment of military politics and "an unforgettable movie experience" (Newsweek).

Customer Reviews:

............"THE SCOURGE OF WAR"................2007-06-06

Awesome and powerful movie this, "Paths of Glory"...I surfed into Kirk Douglas on an interview show, and he made a statement about why he wanted to star in this movie...his reasoning was because of the Korean War [as well as WW1]...with the clashes between Truman and MacArthur pertaining to positional warfare and static warfare [the attrition of trench/bunker mentality]...Actor Kirk Douglas admired Gen. MacArthur for taking on his President who wanted this "old trend"....to talk peace; yet, wage war with delibating results of years and years of neither side advancing or getting the advantage for a clear/cut victory...Gen. Mac Arthur, all though his illustrious 50 yrs of dedicated service to the American people, fought to perpetuate the American fighting/warrior spirit to achieve VICTORY before appeasement to any enemy...so it unfolds in Kubrick's masterpiece as the French High Command 'fights' the war from the fine-dining and opulence venues of Paris while their loyal troops get chewed up into little bits at the Grinder [ The Ant/Hill]...what is the life, of but 3 'insignificant' soldiers to be scapegoated and executed for returning to their trenches after sustaining prolific/horrendous casualties from withering German machine guns registered-in fields of fire out in No Man's Land...anyone, yes, anyone would withdraw staring at your last day on earth under such lethal fire power...the final scene: as the French troops mock and leer at a young captured German girl...she shows grit/courage as a frighten virgin amongst the enemy French...she turns her sentimental song in their faces so innocently, that the French soldiers start crying at the whims of what war brings to friend or foe...Kirk Douglas is immense as a combat officer who gives a good darn about his enlisted troops and puts his miltary career on the line [exactly like Mac Arthur]...no matter what...at any cost, of decency to save his troops lives instead of the luxuries of the Chiefs of Staff Officers where they indulge, oblivious, to the slaughter of their men in the dank-rat-infested trenches and bunkers for years of no gain..no win...[1914-1918]....this was repeated in Korea by President Harry S. Truman until Gen. Douglas Mac Arthur decided to get in Truman's face...by don't scapegoat our brave troops for appeasement!!...ever think, it might be your son/daughter who dies for nothing!!....this is a cerebral film to ponder....want to compare it to Vietnam and today in Iraq??.....Semper Fidelis....SSGT CHRIS SARNO-USMC FMF

A classic for reflection.......2006-11-10

In our times of war, we see this movie and think that all the times and epocs the war is the same: grief, horror and sadness. This movie is an excellent classic for educational use.

Paths of Glory.......2006-11-05

Probably Stanley Kubrick's most underrated film. Kirk Douglas's performance is extraordinary as the officer Dax who honorably defends three soldiers put to death because they refused to follow orders in attempting a suicide mission. If there is an antiwar film that has a powerful message, this has to be near the top of the list.

One Of The Greatest Films Ever: A Masterpiece!.......2006-10-21

This is not only one of the greatest films ever, but one of the greatest anti-war films ever made. I have seen this film countless times, and it has not only held up to time, but is as relevant today as it was when it was first released. There was a program called 'BATTLE CRY' when I was a kid, and I remember first seeing this on the television with my father. I had 7 great uncles who faught in France during WWI [one was KIA] and two of them died before I was old enough to talk to them about this war. The last surviving one, who was severly wounded at the Argonne Forest, died in 1996 [at the age of 98] This film reminds me of all of them. The story's narrative deals with military incompetence and the implications that are about to befall three men whose actions are deemed as cowardice in the face of the enemy.

General Mireau (George MacReady) is insistant that the latest failure of his troops to advance further into the German strongholds must be dealt with in a severe fashion. He wants men selected for summary execution for cowardice. MacReady does an excellent portrayal of the French General who cannot accept the reality that the war is a stalemate. Neither side can enroach on the other, and the casualties are horrendous. When Gen. Mireau demands that the 'Ant Hill' be taken [an important military objective] He is warned by Colonel Dax (Kirk Douglas) that it is impossible. Not willing to listen to reason, Gen. Mireau orders his troops to take the hill.

The hill is neither taken, nor is there any good news about the condition of the men on the mission. Many have been killed and wounded, and advancement is no longer a priority with the men, as they retreat back to their trenches. As a result, Gen. Mireau order executions of those who returned to the trenches. A problems exists however, as everyone [officers included] retreated due to the impossible conditions of the battle. When Colonel Dax is told that three men are to be selected for courts-martial, [and execution if found guilty] he decides to defend them. As council for defense he brings to light many inconsistencies and errors of judgment on the part of Gen. Mireau. This film is great. It is in black-and-white, and is my favorite Stanley Kubrick film. A must have for your collection. At least rent it once anyway. Highly recomended. [Stars: 5+]

if this movie was a true incident.......2006-09-22

that only proves that the french army is nothing but a bunch of losers. no wonder they lost two great world wars. the self-serving, self-righteous genenral, only served his army and his france with self-justified attitude. i just wonder why all the cowards would have the possibility to become commanding officers.
this american made movie, in my opinion, is only serving a purpose, to ridicule the french army, trying so hard to make them all look bad and incapable. i refuse to accept this melodrama completely. it's so ridiculous. a general asked the artilery to bombard their own infantry who were pinned down by heavy enemy fire? then chose 3 scapegoat low ranking foot soldiers to face the firing squad? playing lottery or personal grudge by the higher ranking officer for these three unlucky candidates? what a ridiculous storyline only could be dreamed out of hollywood?
this is a terrible movie only served the purpose to further humiliate the french army. i'd only accept this movie was made fairly if it was made by the french movie makers. this movie, on the contrary, was made by hollywood, a stupid and ridiculous movie, that looked nothing a bit french but american and the hollywood. shame on the producer, the director and the screenplay writer of this horrible and ridiculous movie!

Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Two-Disc Special Edition) [Region 99]

Average customer rating:

One of the Great Black Comedies
Watch This Movie and Sleep Better At Night
Peter Sellers heads up a great cast
Embrace the Horror!
Mostly Perfect Trade

Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Two-Disc Special Edition) [Region 99]
Starring: Peter Sellers , George C. Scott , Sterling Hayden , Keenan Wynn , and Slim Pickens
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Satire | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Black Comedy | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Cult Movies | Genres | DVD | Video

World War II | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

Anti-War Films | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( D ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video

2001 - A Space Odyssey
Citizen Kane
Being There
Casablanca
Fail-safe (Special Edition) [Region 99]

ASIN: B0002XNSY0
Release Date: 2004-11-02

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

One of the Great Black Comedies.......2007-06-21

Watch This Movie and Sleep Better At Night .......2007-06-12

Peter Sellers heads up a great cast.......2007-06-08

Peter Sellers heads up a great cast in a very funny movie. Worth having in your Peter Sellers collection!

Embrace the Horror!.......2007-05-29

Mostly Perfect Trade.......2007-05-18

Average customer rating:

Great Noir!
Kubrick's Ticket to the Big Time
The first real step in Kubrick's universe...
One of the most skillful and entertaining suspense movies of the Fifties...
Atmospheric and Innovative Film-Noir

The Killing
Starring: Sterling Hayden , Coleen Gray , Vince Edwards , Jay C. Flippen , and Elisha Cook Jr.
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Film Noir | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Neo-Noir | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( K ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Paths of Glory
Killer's Kiss
Double Indemnity (Universal Legacy Series)
Lolita
Barry Lyndon

ASIN: 0792841395
Release Date: 1999-06-29

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Stanley Kubrick's third feature, and first screen classic, is one of the great crime films of the 1950s. The Killing was written in collaboration with Jim Thompson, who penned pulp novels like The Grifters, The Killer Inside Me, and Pop. 1280, all of which were made into classic films. This time writing directly for the screen, Thompson joined with Kubrick to concoct a story about a desperate gang of lowlifes led by a grim, determined Sterling Hayden. Together they devise and execute a complex racetrack robbery, but inner tensions and the iron fist of fate work against them. The cast is uniformly superb, with Hayden, Jay C. Flippen, Timothy Carey, Marie Windsor, and Elisha Cook Jr. fleshing out characters torn between grandiose ambition and petty desire. Cinematographer Lucian Ballard fashions distorted, starkly lit interiors that reflect the psychological tensions of the characters. He and Kubrick also create one of the most memorably ironic final sequences in film history.

The Killing is a perfect introduction to the art and joys of film noir, and its bizarre narrative structure has been copied many times since. For a terrific double feature, see it with John Huston's The Asphalt Jungle, another noir masterpiece featuring Hayden; or Paths of Glory, Kubrick's next picture, again cowritten with Thompson; or even Jackie Brown, in which Quentin Tarantino pays homage to the ways this film leaps around in time. More commercial than some of Kubrick's later work, The Killing remains a tour de force by one of the world's finest filmmakers. --Raphael Shargel

Description

When ex-con Johnny Clay (Sterling Hayden) says he has a plan to make a killing, everybody wants to be in on the action. Especially when the plan is to steal $2 million in a racetrack robbery scheme in which "no one will get hurt." But despite all their careful plotting, Clay and his men have overlooked one thing: Sherry Peatty (Marie Windsor), a money-hungry, double-crossing dame who's planning to make a financial killing of her own...even if she has to wipe out Clay's entire gang to do it! Directed in a revolutionary story-telling technique by the legendary Stanley Kubrick, The Killing is tough, taut, tense and one of the greatest crime thrillers ever made!

Customer Reviews:

Great Noir!.......2007-05-07

I bought this movie because Vince Edwards was in it, and I'm a huge Vince Edwards fan. He has a very small part, but the movie is interesting and some of the dialogue is cutting edge for it's time. It has some surprise twists and turns. Fans of film noir will love it!

Kubrick's Ticket to the Big Time.......2007-03-19

Film noir has been an excellent launching pad toward the top ranks of directors, as exemplified by such up and coming cinema talent of the past as Edward Dmytryk, Richard Fleischer and Anthony Mann, to name a few.

One other cinema great had his ticket punched into the medium's big leagues with a highly imaginative low budget 1956 effort. That director was the youthful Stanley Kubrick and the film was "The Killing." Just one year later Kubrick would receive international praise for his brilliant anti-war vehicle "Paths of Glory" starring Kirk Douglas.

While "The Killing" has been compared stylistically as well as story-wise to John Houston's brilliant 1950 hit "Asphalt Jungle," Kubrick took an interesting u-turn from the "Asphalt Jungle" scenario to achieve a unique tour de force. While both films were built around scoring a big heist, "Asphalt Jungle" was structured around using professional criminal types while "The Killing" could have been sub-titled "The Criminal Amateur Hour" and herein Kubrick achieved solid dividends.

The Lionel White-Jim Thompson script featured three criminal professionals; mastermind Sterling Hayden, who also starred in "The Asphalt Jungle," Timothy Carey, a professional marksman, and strongman Kola Kwariani. Hayden, who has just been released from prison, culled the rest of his gang from the amateur ranks.

Many viewers who appreciated "The Killing" credit noir veterans Marie Windsor and Elisha Cook, Jr. of stealing the film. They form an odd relationship i