This is a page dedicated to Stanley Kubrick, a director who, according to Kate, Erin, and me, was
the greatest director ever.  His list of masterpieces includes Spartacus, Lolita, Dr. Strangelove,
2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket, and several others.  Each of his
movies makes a statement about human fallacies, society, and self-destruction.  They don't exist solely 
to pull on our overly-pulled heartstrings, or to make a buck, they tell us something about ourselves and 
the world in which we live.  

And they're fun to watch!


I mean, who didn't think that Dr. Strangelove's crazy right hand wasn't hysterical? 
Or General Ripper's rather phallic cigar?  Or the phone conversation between
President Muffley and Premier Kissof?  I personally think that was the best 
summary of Soviet-American relations ("Look. Dimitri, you know how we've 
always talked about something going wrong with the bomb?  The bomb.  The
hydrogen bomb!") that we will ever have.  It definately beats CNN's "The Cold 
War."  The portrayal of the generals, especially Buck Turdgison ("Mr.
President, I'm not saying we wouldn't get our hair mussed, but I do say, no more
than ten to twenty million killed, tops!  Depending on the breaks.)  is refreshing
in the least as we are not forced to endure the annoying Hollywood stereotype
of Army types as blatantly war-mongering morons, here, they are subtle war-
mongering morons.  Dr. Strangelove himself is one of the funniest characters in
a movie, with his little chart on radioactive half-lifes, and his still-Nazified arm.
I think the movie's supreme triumph is the ability to portray nuclear war 
in a humorous light, while still showing the scary side of 
it (but did we really care when the world died?) at the same time!


Ironically, Dr. Strangelove was followed by a movie called Fail Safe which 
was actually kind of like Dr. Strangelove in more ways than one.  In any 
case, it was really  boring and not funny at all, so I advise you to stick with 
Kubrick's cinematic wonder.


Well, the next film of Kubrick's I'm going to discuss has been either hated
or loved by everyone who's seen it (as far as I can tell, there is no middle 
ground).  Out of 2 hours, 30 minutes, about 40 minutes of the film actually contained dialogue.  It featured
the psychotic computer, the floating monolith, and the star-child.  Yes, it's 2001!

Now this was a...different movie to say the least.  We spend
most of the time watching instead of listening.  The action 
consists of apes fighting, space ships floating, and a
monolith that exercises a strange control over those who
touch it.  Hmm...what does this mean?  I personally have
no idea, and yes, I have read many, many interpretations
of the film.  They're really cool, and made me think, and
want to watch the movie again.  I've seen it only once, so
I missed some of the nuances...like 50 million of them!  
 

Ah, HAL.  Dear, sweet, homicidal HAL.  I liked him; he was the only
character with any...development.  If that's the word.  I don't know if I was
the only one who found it a smidgen freaky that whenever HAL spoke, it was
just that red light.  No facial expressions.  No tone.  No eye contact. Just 
that red, unblinking eye.  I could stand being on a ship that long with another person, but with a 
computer that just stared at me?  Hell, no!

What I really liked was the scientific accuracy of the space 
scenes.  There was no sound when anything happened 
outside of the ship.  Some people have complained about
that, thinking that it should have been like Star Trek, or
Star Wars, but, the sad truth is, there's no sound in space!
Yes, no one can hear you scream!  Ha ha ha ha....sorry.



Well, enough about that movie.  Let's move onto one set in a futuristic state, about a man who enjoys 
what he calls, a bit of the old "ultraviolence."  Although I've never seen this movie, I pretty much know
the plot, along with some Nadsat, and let me tell you, it's horrorshow.  Real horrorshow.


  
Yes, it's A Clockwork Orange!  Basically, it's about these tree droogs,
who are into rape, Beethoven, and ultraviolence.  They peet moloko plus 
(milk with drugs), and after being set up, Alex (the main character) itties
to the staja, where he volunteers for an "experiment."  This experiment 
brainwashes him, so that he hates violence. Alex becomes the clockwork
orange for the state.  Unable to defend himself in a drat, he is almost
oobivated by his two "droogs."  Even today, several of the scenes are 
taboo, and many people have been offended at having to feel "sorry" for 
Alex, but all in all, a great film about society and its efforts to 
de-individualize us.





And, a few words about Kate's not-so-cute obsession 
with this movie.  The girl needs to see somebody!  Just 
mention Malcolm McDowell, she'll go off and talk forever
about his "beautiful blue eyes." Blah blah blah.  So 
social deliquency is OK if you're cute?  I'm cute, why
can't I be a delinquent? Sorry... Seriously, folks, if
you're faint-of-heart, weak-of-stomach, stupid-of-brain,
do not see this movie!  If you see it and don't like it, then
you're a gloopy, nadmenny sod, and you can kiss my
siphilised yarbles.  But if you did like it, then you're an
choodessny, oodny droog, and you'll probably get a 
whole lot of in-out-in-out!



Alas, that is all I wish to write.  Erin, Kate and I are planning a Kubrick marathon in a couple of weekends.
Stanley Kubrick's movies were awesome, and every single one has his "touch."  Eyes Wide Shut is coming
out this summer, and I hope it is as close to what Kubrick planned as possible.  We will miss Stanley
Kubrick a lot, but at least we have his movies from a successful forty year career to watch over and over
again.  And now, you're gonna turn off your computer, go out, and rent every Kubrick movie ever made!
Have fun, and remember:





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