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Topic:
Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema
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Zaz
Title: Manager:
The Amphitheatre
Registered:
Oct '98
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Date Posted:
5/24/07 12:26pm
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "The Shining"
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Ole Jack seems to be driven mad by domesticity. It's deeply hilarious, in some ways.
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-_-_-_-_-_-
Title: Manager Emeritus
Registered:
Apr '02
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Date Posted:
6/1/07 10:45am
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "The Shining"
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I finally got an opportunity to watch A Clockwork Orange yesterday morning and despite the twisted and questionable subject matter of the film, I liked it. I would probably attribute most of it to Kubrick's style and camera work in the film, as well as Malcolm McDowell's performance. I found Kubrick quite masterful at manipulating my reactions to things I typically frown down upon such as robbery, assault, and general degenerate behavior simply by putting quirky music to it, resulting in comedic undertones. Crafty devil!
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Rogue1-and-a-half
Title: Manager: Amphitheatre
Registered:
Nov '00
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Date Posted:
6/2/07 9:10pm
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "The Shining"
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The Shining is no one's image of a perfect film, but by God it's entertaining. It makes no sense (oh, look, a bear giving fellatio!), but it is still somehow deeply terrifying. The twin girls are an icon of modern horror and Nicholson becomes something more than comic by the end; he's reduced to pure sound, just wordless howls of rage and, it seems, deep pain.
But most of the film is just fun; Nicholson and Duvall are both outstanding, neither at all normal, but a lot of fun. And the kid is outstanding; apparently he didn't know it was a horror movie at all, which is odd given his reaction shots.
It isn't at all accurate to the book, it doesn't at all make sense, and Nicholson is funny as much as he is scary. But when you watch the television miniseries, you realize that none of that matters, because at least Kubrick's version had a little spirit to it.
It is, finally, a unique film and probably Kubrick's last truly great one.
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All they found of the Duchesse d'Alencon was her head.
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JohnWesleyDowney
Registered:
Jan '04
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Date Posted:
6/3/07 2:03am
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "The Shining"
- Date Edited:
6/3/07 2:08am (1 edits total)
Edited By:
JohnWesleyDowney
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The Shining is most noteworthy in that it's DVD contains the only "behind the scenes" feature of Kubrick's entire career. His teenage daughter Vivian made a 30 minute documentary and it's an amazing experience to watch it if you're a Kubrick fan. It's the only one in existence and the only known footage of Kubrick directing on a film set. He's alternately pleasant, friendly, angry, supportive, critical and tense. He looks like he hasn't slept in a decade...curiously, his lack of sleep and unkempt hair makes him resemble the look of Nicholson's character, who is also exhausted.
See Jack Nicholson, out of character in his dressing room!
See Kubrick giving orders to the extras in the grand ballroom!
See interviews with the actors!
Watch Kubrick on the "maze" set struggling to keep on schedule and yelling
at the camera crew.
See him compliment Nicholson while being very, very tough on Shelley Duvall.
I think it was a deliberate strategy on Kubrick's part to beat up Shelley,
psychologically speaking, so that she would be freaked out on camera. And
it certainly worked.
See Kubrick and Shelly screaming at each other in the confusion of the shoot
while Duvall holds a VERY large knife in her hand.
It's priceless, unique footage. I'd love to know what Kubrick made his daughter leave out.
See the assistant director trying to get out of Nicholson's way when Jack is warming up swinging that axe!
Kubrick is never actually interviewed during the documentary, but you sure get a sense of what he was like. Relentlessly focused and perfectionistic. Not the monster some people expect him to be, nor does he necessarily come across as a nice guy. He's somewhere in between.
It's fascinating. And for a man as immensely wealthy as Stanley Kubrick, it's
funny how poorly dressed he is. Nothing fancy for Mr. K...it's all about filmmaking,
and he really doesn't care about anything else.
He stayed married to the same woman for 40 years and they had three daughters.
You would have thought a family man would have been influenced by a houseful
of women to dress up a bit.
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Peace.
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VadersLaMent
Registered:
Apr '02
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Date Posted:
6/3/07 12:58pm
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "The Shining"
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I was in my late teens when I first saw The Shining and it delitefully scared the hell out of me.
"Hello Danny. Come play with us."
An FAQ I read pointed out many other horror movies that work their way into The Shining. The obvious ones are ghosts and haunted house stories along with Jeckyl and Hyde. With the line "little pigs, little pigs" Jack has deteriorated into a subhuman werewolf; the remoteness of the hotel mirrors Dracula's castle and Grady is a vampire who dispenses the liquid rather than consuming it; "I'd sell my goddamn soul for a glass of beer."--Jack making a deal with the Devil(the hotel); the maze, the way the hotel is built, and even the roads leading to the hotel are a labrynth and it turns out Jack is the minotaur.
The TV version that King supervised was a nightmare. It's one of those things I wish ahd never happened.
-----signature-----
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic--Arthur C. Clarke
Any sufficiently advanced extraterrestrial intelligence is indistinguishable from God--Michael Shermer
I am officially Awesome.
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duende
Registered:
Apr '06
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Date Posted:
6/3/07 7:43pm
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "The Shining"
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I love this film.
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My name is JOCELYN.
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JohnWesleyDowney
Registered:
Jan '04
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Date Posted:
6/3/07 8:51pm
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "The Shining"
- Date Edited:
6/3/07 9:07pm (4 edits total)
Edited By:
JohnWesleyDowney
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The TV version that King supervised was a nightmare. It's one of those things I wish ahd never happened.
Stephen King is one of our greatest writers of horror fiction. But he's no filmmaker.
That terrible TV version of the Shining and the feature he directed, Maximum Overdrive,
are proof of that.
I remember when I first saw Kubrick's film, I didn't like it. I was a huge fan of the book and I felt Kubrick had not done it justice. Over the years though, I've watched it many times and I've come to appreciate that Kubrick was doing his own thing using the King book as the foundation. And I think over time, his instincts were proven correct. It really holds up. I enjoy the Shining very much.
I re-read the book recently and you know what? It holds up too.
But the two are very different entities. You have to appreciate each of them on their own, and separately.
I would draw everyone's attention to the opening scene where Stuart Ullman and Jack are talking in the office about the job. Ullman is your first key to the fact that the movie is about AMERICA. He is dressed in red, white and blue. AND there's an American flag sitting right there on his desk. I mean, gee, how obvious can the symbolism be? And he refers to bodies being stacked in THE WEST WING. "The West Wing" is not an accidental choice of words.
For an amazing article of speculation on Kubrick's the Shining and it's symbolic implications, read Bill Blakemore's article at the link below. Even if you don't agree with it, it's interesting to consider.
http://www.visual-memory.co.uk/amk/doc/0052.html
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Peace.
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darth_frared
Registered:
Jun '05
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Date Posted:
6/5/07 9:57am
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "The Shining"
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thanks for pointing out the making of, john 
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illegalise stupidity.
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JohnWesleyDowney
Registered:
Jan '04
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Date Posted:
6/6/07 12:56am
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "The Shining"
- Date Edited:
6/6/07 1:16am (3 edits total)
Edited By:
JohnWesleyDowney
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I would also, in addition to the link I posted to the Blakemore article,
mention that some of you might want to view Rob Ager's two part analysis
of the Shining on youtube. Ager touches on some of the theme's that Blakemore
brings up and amplifies his comments by showing the visuals from the film.
The Shining is one of the more cryptic films ever made and beneath the surface
it is absolutely chocked full of messages and social/political commentary that a casual viewer
will never notice.
But once you are aware of them, and the rationale for them, it's stunning.
And you can't fail to notice them.
The constant display of mazes, and people being lost and isolated in vast spaces (as visually established in the opening credits) and of being pursued is brilliantly placed in the film. Even the carpet of the hotel has numerous patterns which resemble the passages of a maze.
These visual patterns are presented consistently through the film and contribute to the feeling of being lost or engulfed in a large area of confinement that at the same time gives one a claustrophobic feeling. Kubrick loved psychology and he loved to use it on the audience. I think a lot of what he did with the Shining was to create not cheap scares, but a growing sense for the audience of being unnerved in a way that's difficult to put your finger on.
The implication that the film makes subliminal commentary on America's relationship with native American Indians is hard to deny after one considers the way Shelly Duvall is dressed and presented throughout much of the film. Look at her. Her wardrobe resembles that of an Indian woman. Right down to the pigtails. That's NOT a random choice.
We know that Kubrick was one of the most meticulous filmmakers who ever lived. He was one of the least spontaneous of filmmakers, he planned everything with extraordinary precision. Many of the things that have been analyzed and interpreted to give specific meanings cannot be there by accident. The movie is full of mirrors and the symbolism of mirrors in films, especially films of this kind, is long and rich. Notice that when Jack speaks with the ghosts, Grady in the bathroom, Lloyd in the bar, mirrors are prominent. If you watch the film and notice the mirrors, you will eventually pick up on what they are representing within the film. Even the floors of the hotel are so polished and shined, they are almost mirrors.
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Peace.
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Zaz
Title: Manager:
The Amphitheatre
Registered:
Oct '98
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Date Posted:
6/7/07 9:47pm
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "The Shining"
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I understand that Kubrick is the least spontaneous filmmaker ever. I always get the feeling that Nicholson chews the scenery to keep himself awake.
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Rogue1-and-a-half
Title: Manager: Amphitheatre
Registered:
Nov '00
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Date Posted:
6/9/07 9:05pm
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "The Shining"
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I'd forgotten the behind the scenes bit. You're right; that is brilliant footage. Duvall shows serious signs of really cracking up in that footage.
-----signature-----
All they found of the Duchesse d'Alencon was her head.
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Zaz
Title: Manager:
The Amphitheatre
Registered:
Oct '98
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Date Posted:
6/18/07 8:16pm
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "The Shining"
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In what way?
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Palpateen
Registered:
Apr '00
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Date Posted:
6/18/07 8:44pm
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "The Shining"
- Date Edited:
6/18/07 9:02pm (2 edits total)
Edited By:
Palpateen
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that woman looks like she's having a nervous breakdown in that documentary
she appears to be under immense pressure
it's only half an hour long, you should watch it.
-----signature-----
"What's a dazzling urbanite like you doing in a rustic setting like this?"
-Gene Wilder in BLAZING SADDLES
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darth_frared
Registered:
Jun '05
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Date Posted:
7/26/07 4:49am
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "Full Metal Jacket"
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well, scarily, our hero's oeuvre is coming to an end here soon enough...
he took some time with bringing
FULL METAL JACKET
to the screen and some say he shouldn't have bothered.
it's a hit-and-miss affair for me, because i'm not sure how he adds anything to the genre (war movie?) at all, all that i learned is that it's horrible all over again, but then maybe i'm looking at it from the wrong sort of direction.
i do like the boot camp beginning, that stuff is gritty and landmark especially with r. lee ermey as the drill seargeant and then once we are in the war it gets stuck in formula - to me.
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illegalise stupidity.
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Yodas-evil-twin2
Registered:
Jun '05
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Date Posted:
7/26/07 9:07am
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "The Shining"
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The boot camp sequence is great. When the plot focuses on Vietnam, the whole thing falls flat on its face.
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Sorry NYC residents.Your city is awesome.
Sock of Yodas-evil-twin
YSLCATGOT
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