Stanley Kubrick Collection[1962] [DVD]

This set includes all his movies from Lolita onwards plus a bonus disc with a superb documentary which does exactly what it should do: make you want to rush off and watch the films again!

There are only two flaws in this set. One is the lack of extras. True, The Making of The Shining is superb, but where is the Arthur C. Clarke press conference included on the previous region 1 release of 2001? The other flaw is that the final three films (The Shining, Full Metal Jacket and Eyes Wide Shut) are presented in full screen at the request of Kubrick himself. However, this might not be so bad if we presume that the 35mm frames were opened up, in which case you can just view these films on a widescreen TV with the top and bottom of the image cut off and still get the true widescreen picture.

All in all, Kubrick was not exactly prolific, with only 12 films to his name but, as we all know, it's not size that matters!

Gone but never to be forgotten. SK R.I.P.!

Everybody knows all about 2001 : A Space Odyssey, and it is the central film in Kubrick's output. It is also one of the most obtuse and ambiguous films Hollywood has ever made and improves with repeated viewing. The lush and beautiful Lolita and the manic Dr. Strangelove predate 2001 and have survived the test of time fairly well, although Kubrick himself is upstaged by Peter Sellers in Strangelove.

A Clockwork Orange has aged badly but remains powerful and vitriolic. Barry Lyndon, savaged on release by critics, now looks achingly beautiful and unlike any other film ever made; in many ways the narrative takes second place to the visuals. The Shining (my personal favourite) builds tension through mundanity, and is so cleverly lit you find yourself watching the hotel rather than the stars, with an understated grand finale that fits the film perfectly. The first half of Full Metal Jacket (the boot camp section) is as important a film as has been made about war, although the second half suffers from being filmed in the UK instead of Vietnam. Eyes Wide Shut, again mauled by the critics, will be due it's reappraisal shortly and is still better than 99% of Hollywood's output over the last decade.

This is an essential collection for anybody who likes good films, for anybody interested in the history of cinema and for anybody intrigued by the human condition, which is dissected by Kubrick's masterful film-making.

Some quick footnotes - I have had no problems with my DVDs (unlike one of the other reviewers) and neither The Killing or Paths of Glory are as good as anything in this box set - their main interest lies in watching someone learn his craft. And for anybody still uncertain about Kubrick's importance and influence - just count the number of scenes from his films that have been parodied in The Simpsons. You know you've made it when Bart and Homer make fun of you week in and week out.