Stanley Kubrick
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“I’m Not Trying to Wreck Anything”: Douglas Trumbull, Kubrick and Truth at 120 Frames-Per-Second
Jean-Luc Godard said that cinema is truth at 24 frames-per-second, but Douglas Trumbull feels it should be 120, or at least 60. The director and special effects wizard behind Blade Runner, Close Encounters of The Third Kind and 2001: A Space Odyssey speculated about the future of cinema at the TIFF Bell Lightbox last weekend as part of a Stanley Kubrick retrospective. A sold-out audience of mostly male cinephiles and tech-heads listened intently to their SFX guru as he denigrated the standard 24 fps format of today’s cinema, though he admitted, “It’s a beautiful medium. I’m not trying to wreck anything.” […]
by Allan Tong on Nov 10, 2014 -
(New) Trailer Watch: Stanley Kubrick’s 2001
The match cut, “Also Sprach Zarathustra,” HAL — it’s all here, along with praise from Christopher Nolan and Alfonso Cuaron, in this brand new trailer for Stanley Kubrick’s classic 2001. Here’s the Hollywood Reporter: Ahead of the digitally restored film’s special limited U.K. release on Nov. 28 as part of the British Film Institute’s “Sci-Fi: Days of Fears and Wonder” season, a new trailer commission by the BFI and Warner Bros. has now been unveiled. Created by Ignition Creative London, the trailer is the first for this title in four decades, and uses Hal as the central figure to create […]
by Scott Macaulay on Oct 21, 2014 -
Watch: The Visual Poetry of Stanley Kubrick
“This is my rifle, there are many like it, but this one is mine,” could easily be amended to “this is my Stanley Kubrick tribute…” for the world wide web of Vimeo. Nevertheless, here is a nice addition to the catalogue from Marc Müller which pairs Kubrick’s characteristic classical pieces (“The Blue Danube,” “Symphony #9,” etc.) with his use of tracking shots, combat, close-ups, one-point perspectives and on. If not bone-to-space station caliber, there are still some nice cuts to be had.
by Sarah Salovaara on Sep 5, 2014 -
Old, Faded Pictures: Vilmos Zsigmond on McCabe & Mrs. Miller
“We didn’t want it to look good. The whole idea was to make some old, faded pictures.” Master cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond was talking about McCabe & Mrs. Miller, the 1971 anti-Western he shot under Robert Altman’s direction. Speaking in a thick Hungarian accent, the 84-year-old had just watched a rare 35mm screening with a packed audience at Toronto’s TIFF Bell Lightbox, which is hosting an Altman retrospective. “That is an amazing print,” he declared. For 30 minutes after the screening, Zsigmond candidly recalled shooting the film, which almost didn’t get released. Now it’s considered a classic, perhaps Altman’s best. “The […]
by Allan Tong on Aug 12, 2014 -
Stanley Kubrick’s Producer Jan Harlan on His Life in Film
If, like me, you’re a hardcore film geek who ranks Stanley Kubrick as your favorite director of all time, then Jan Harlan needs no introduction. At least that’s what I thought when I met Kubrick’s longtime producer (beginning with A Clockwork Orange — or rather the never-made Napoleon – right through to Eyes Wide Shut) this year at the Bermuda International Film Festival, where I’m on the international advisory board. Harlan was also Kubrick’s brother-in-law: his older sister Christiane was the director’s wife. It was a simple twist of fate that I found myself filling in as a last-minute replacement […]
by Lauren Wissot on May 6, 2014 -
The “One-Point Perspective” in Stanley Kubrick’s Work
We’ve been on a bit of a Kubrick kick lately, and here’s another tidbit to add to the heap. Dubbed “one-point perspective,” the above video showcases the symmetrical framing — often from a down-the-corridor POV — in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket, Barry Lyndon, Eyes Wide Shut and Paths of Glory. Set, for dramatic effect, to Clint Mansell’s “Lux Aeterna,” the collage demonstrates the versatility of the shot, as it adopts a humorous stance (Alex DeLarge slurping spaghetti) and a one filled with dread (Jack Torrance, the twins).
by Sarah Salovaara on Mar 21, 2014 -
Vivian Kubrick, Stanley’s Daughter, Posts Photos of Her Young Life on the Set
As detailed at Dangerous Minds — and originally in this Reddit thread — Stanley Kubrick’s reclusive and estranged daughter Vivian has posted via Twitter a series of photos detailing her childhood in and around her father’s films. As Paul Gallagher at Dangerous Minds speculates, “The pictures may be viewed as a possible attempt at some form of reconciliation as Vivian has been allegedly out of touch with her family since joining the Church of Scientology in 1999.” Gallagher links to a Raw Story article, which has more: In fact, some knowledgeable folks have theorized that some of the pain that […]
by Scott Macaulay on Mar 11, 2014 -
Stanley Kubrick Behind the Scenes of Full Metal Jacket
Vivian Kubrick shot a reported 18 hours of footage while on the set of her father’s Vietnam War film Full Metal Jacket. Though Ms. Kubrick eventually abandoned her documentary project, bits and bobs of the footage surfaced in comprehensive collections such as Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures. A condensed version of the behind-the-scenes action is now available on YouTube, featuring Kubrick directing Matthew Modine and the gallery of extras during the “this is my rifle, this is my gun” sequence alike. The clips also provide insight into Kubrick’s on-set personality, which — at least, here — does not appear quite as […]
by Sarah Salovaara on Feb 21, 2014 -
The Shining as an 8-Bit Video Game
From Cinefix, here is Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining reimagined, with surprising effectiveness, as an 8-bit video game. (Hat tip: Daring Fireball.)
by Scott Macaulay on Oct 18, 2013 -
“I’m Envisaging a New Kind of Movie:” SFX Legend Douglas Trumbull on Kubrick, Malick and the Future of Film
Douglas Trumbull has been behind some of cinemas most spectacular special effects. His impressive C.V. includes working on 2001: A Space Odyssey, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Blade Runner and most recently Tree of Life. He also directed Silent Running in 1972 and Brainstorm in 1983, most remembered as the final film appearance of Natalie Wood. He has also been one of cinema’s great pioneers, always pushing technology to its limit, whether that be designing films for World Fairs, making rides for Universal and Luxor Hotels, or simply backing new technologies such as IMAX. Never standing still, the self-proclaimed […]
by Kaleem Aftab on Aug 28, 2013
