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Topic:
Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema
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Palpateen
Registered:
Apr '00
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Date Posted:
7/27/07 1:47am
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "The Shining"
- Date Edited:
7/27/07 2:11am (6 edits total)
Edited By:
Palpateen
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the whole thing falls flat on its face
Not if you are familiar with the Vietnam War. I watched it again recently and it's got some awesome scenes. And by the way, if you watch it now with the added perspective of the Iraq war, it's amazing how "on the money" some of the points are that Kubrick makes with regard to Americans going where they have no business. I recommend people watch it again. The performances are great too, a lot of the actors in FMJ never did better work. Great soundtrack too!
Matthew Modine's 2005 "Full Metal Jacket Diary" behind the scenes book is really cool. The book is literally covered in a silver, full metal jacket! Lots of behind the scenes anecdotes, and tons of pics (all in black and white) taken by Modine. Interesting story in there about how Modine helped Vincent D'Onofrio land the role of Private Pyle. Never seen another film book quite like it.
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darthdrago
Registered:
Dec '03
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Date Posted:
7/27/07 7:48am
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "Full Metal Jacket"
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I love Full Metal Jacket. I also read the source novel, "The Short-Timers", and Kubrick was pretty faithful to the source novel, so I figure any criticism of the film's story would have to be redirected back to the original novel. It's funny: R. Lee Ermey actually had some film roles prior to his role of FMJ's Sgt. Hartman (he also played a drill instructor in a late 70s film, The Boys From Company C), but this role made him a pop culture icon. From what I've heard, most of his dialogue berating the recruits was not scripted--he simply drew on his experience as a real life DI and cranked it up to 11 while the cameras rolled.
As for the Vietnam half of the film, it was only after I got older and was more able to understand the history that I was better able to appreciate that part of the film: the immediate impact of the Tet Offensive, and the subsequent Battle of Hue that the Marines fought in. The film doesn't make any moral judgements of Vietnam like Platoon, but it didn't have to. I remember the home video(tape) release of FMJ touted that many critics of the time declared it was the best war movie ever made. Take that, Oliver Stone. 
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Yodas-evil-twin2
Registered:
Jun '05
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Date Posted:
7/27/07 9:05am
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "Full Metal Jacket"
- Date Edited:
7/27/07 9:10am (1 edits total)
Edited By:
Yodas-evil-twin2
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Palpateen posted:
the whole thing falls flat on its face
Not if you are familiar with the Vietnam War. I watched it again recently and it's got some awesome scenes. And by the way, if you watch it now with the added perspective of the Iraq war, it's amazing how "on the money" some of the points are that Kubrick makes with regard to Americans going where they have no business. I recommend people watch it again. The performances are great too, a lot of the actors in FMJ never did better work. Great soundtrack too!
Matthew Modine's 2005 "Full Metal Jacket Diary" behind the scenes book is really cool. The book is literally covered in a silver, full metal jacket! Lots of behind the scenes anecdotes, and tons of pics (all in black and white) taken by Modine. Interesting story in there about how Modine helped Vincent D'Onofrio land the role of Private Pyle. Never seen another film book quite like it.
During the Vietnam portion, I found myself entirely zoned out and unable to care about what was happening on screen.
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Mustafar_66
Registered:
May '05
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Date Posted:
7/27/07 9:20am
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "Full Metal Jacket"
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I'm one of a very small ammount of people, I reckon, who found the Vietnam section to be the best part of the film. Sure, it's not as funny, but IMO, it's more Kubrick than the opening. To me, the opening could've been filmed by any director, but only the 'Nam section could be by Kubrick.
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Why no, I won't get in your car. You can pass me the candy through the window. Pink Floyd are the Greatest! Proud Jacen, NJO and LOTF fan. One of few.    
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darth_frared
Registered:
Jun '05
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Date Posted:
8/7/07 5:43am
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "Full Metal Jacket"
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i just thought how he consistently didn't stick with a topic or setting or anything that might make his films look like they come from the same source. there are few directors who do that.
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illegalise stupidity.
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Erk
Registered:
Aug '01
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Date Posted:
8/7/07 2:10pm
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "Full Metal Jacket"
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Kubrick should be compared to the best, not oliver stone, and compared to the deer hunter and apocalypse, FMJ hasnn't a lot to offer. It though is atleast as good or better than any of the modern war-movies, like platoon, thin red line, saving privat ryan, etc., etc.
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Zaz
Title: Manager:
The Amphitheatre
Registered:
Oct '98
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Date Posted:
8/7/07 11:35pm
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "Full Metal Jacket"
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He would try different things, no question, but his films, after a certain period, do have this feature: a sort of sealed-off feeling. Dead air.
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darth_frared
Registered:
Jun '05
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Date Posted:
11/2/07 10:41am
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "Full Metal Jacket"
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time to revive this somewhat mummy...
insightful article on marketing 2001
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illegalise stupidity.
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-deeperfasterharder-
Registered:
Jun '07
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Date Posted:
11/3/07 2:37pm
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "Full Metal Jacket"
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Zaz posted:
He would try different things, no question, but his films, after a certain period, do have this feature: a sort of sealed-off feeling. Dead air.
Yes, an isolated unreality. This is especially true of Eyes Wide Shut - his Manhattan is so obviously a set, it's ridiculous. Perhaps it's intentional in that movie. David Cronenberg's recent films possess this quality in spots as well.
As for FMJ, I think the second half is just as good as the first - it's just that it's a totally different "movement" or "stanza" in the same piece.
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Enthuse me or lose me.
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darth_frared
Registered:
Jun '05
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Date Posted:
11/3/07 4:11pm
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "Full Metal Jacket"
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one other movie i can think of off the top of my head that was equally schizophrenic would perhaps be 'from dusk till dawn', first gangster then gory vampire horror. and it worked.
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General_Dodonna
Registered:
Feb '05
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Date Posted:
11/3/07 4:50pm
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "Full Metal Jacket"
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When it originally came out, a lot of critics (particularly New York critics) criticized EYES WIDE SHUT for its blatant artificiality, the fakeness of its New York setting. They claimed that Kubrick was "out of touch" with contemporary New York and brought up typical complaints that he no longer understood the United States since he moved to England. These charges were, to put it bluntly, stupid. Why criticize someone for taking a blatantly formalistic approach to material that is very much dream-like and artificial? It's as though these critics (and those criticize the film on the basis of its very artificiality) never bothered to actually think about the intent that lay behind these stylistic choices, instead focusing on what they felt comfortable criticizing the film for. That's just lazy.
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"A film is difficult to explain because it is easy to understand." - Christian Metz
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darth_frared
Registered:
Jun '05
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Date Posted:
11/3/07 5:04pm
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "Full Metal Jacket"
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i'll ask zaz to change the topic here 
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illegalise stupidity.
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-deeperfasterharder-
Registered:
Jun '07
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Date Posted:
11/3/07 8:33pm
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "Full Metal Jacket"
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General_Dodonna posted:
Why criticize someone for taking a blatantly formalistic approach to material that is very much dream-like and artificial? It's as though these critics (and those criticize the film on the basis of its very artificiality) never bothered to actually think about the intent that lay behind these stylistic choices, instead focusing on what they felt comfortable criticizing the film for. That's just lazy.
I agree with what you are saying here. The only reason I brought it up is because it took me completely out of the movie.
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darth_frared
Registered:
Jun '05
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Date Posted:
11/4/07 2:44am
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "Eyes Wide Shut"
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it is strange because the interior settings are so very lavish and detailed.
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illegalise stupidity.
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Zaz
Title: Manager:
The Amphitheatre
Registered:
Oct '98
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Date Posted:
11/15/07 4:32pm
Subject:
RE: Dr Kubrick: Or How I Learned To Direct Cult Cinema: Now Disc: "Eyes Wide Shut"
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This is the sort of movie that going to cause a lot of discussion. I must admit Cruise set me against it; he's not my favorite anything.
We could now discuss how "A.I." might have turned out if Kubrick had directed it... 
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