You know, even LOLITA is fucking great. . .

[TVC15]

Jeez, where to start. . .

I like Nabokov and Kubrick a lot.  That's a start.  Lolita is a totally weird book, taboo subject matter aside.  It's a fierce beast of wordplay.  It's a comedy, but due to the nature of humor on wordplay, it's sort of an attentive humor.  Something you have to parse and pay attention to in order to get the most out of it.  The movie, though, is like the plot of the novel with the humor kinda changed from wordplay to a skewering of the Hollywood comedies of the 50s by making a sort of farce tackling something that an old school farce wouldn't get within 100 yards of.  I need to read up on how much of the script Nabokov actually did do himself, because I simply can't believe that he was not only a master of languages, but also a master of cultural nuances, as he must have been if his original screenplay resembled the final product.

Also, Peter Sellers is the best ever.  Down to tacks, he only has a few great movies, so I often forget how awesome he is, but when he is on, he steals every fucking scene, whether he is going screwball or doing something a bit more subtle. 

[FlameOfCallandor]

Lolita? Really?   

[TVC15]

I'm not sure how I'll feel about the restructuring (I don't think putting the end at the beginning really did anything for the story), but yeah.  Maybe it's because I like Nabokov and Kubrick, who knows.  It doesn't even feel Kubricky, aside from a few shots here and there.

I like the ways in which it is different to the book.  It's certainly a good companion piece. And I can't hold it being made in the early 60s against it, really.

[Gay Boy]

I really really wanna know what your ranking of all of kubricks flicks would be sir!

[Himu]

we need to have a kubrick rating thread

[Van Cruncheon]

ratings and rankings are symptomatic of EXACTLY the critical problem tvc was bemoaning, fegs

i am always hard-pressed to rate/rank things simply because i actually THINK about them

[MrAngryFace]

I like ranking things cause it makes people mad

[Van Cruncheon]

i just assign an arbitrary number based entirely on my mood at the moment

for example, right now, saints row = 10/10

tomorrow it will be back to 3/10

[BlueTsunami]

[TVC15]

The best Kubrick movie is whichever one you are watching at the time.  Unless it's Full Metal Jacket.  If that's your favorite, you are either Himuro or Synbios.

I can find very nice things to say about just about any of them.   For example, right now, Lolita.  I find myself wondering whether Nabokov's screenplay (he appears to have been behind most of it) and the social mores of the time of Lolita's filming had much to do with the development of Kubrick's quiet style, the epitome of show don't tell.  I mean, in Lolita, it was impossible to say much of what was really going on, so both Nabokov's screenplay and Kubrick's direction had to rely on subtext.  That would become a staple of Kubrick's style, although oddly enough, it's largely absent from Strangelove, the follow-up to Lolita, which makes me think he spent some time developing the style.

Interesting stuff.  Was his unique style spawned from the necessity of censorship on Lolita?  I am sure there is an answer to this, or that someone has at least investigated it before.

[Mupepe]

Full Metal Jacket seems like 3 really disjointed episodes combined to make a movie   i watched it for the first time in a while on hd dvd a few nights ago.  worst kubrick film.

[TVC15]

Full Metal Jacket seems like 3 really disjointed episodes combined to make a movie   i watched it for the first time in a while on hd dvd a few nights ago.  worst kubrick film.

The first 50 minutes are the best part, but even they feel so disjointed.  The first scene of the movie is absolutely killer, though. With a first scene like that, I basically expected the greatest movie of all time.

[drohne]

nabokov wrote a full screenplay for lolita, but kubrick didn't use much of it -- it was pretty widely published, if you're interested. nabokov liked the movie anyway...i remember him praising the leads and calling kubrick an artist. for my part i dislike seeing books filmed.

and lolita (the novel) already speaks to nabokov's mastery of american cultural nuances. look at that 'nous connumes' chapter in which humbert rapidly describes a bunch of his destinations. just the names of cheap motels, or the details of advertisements, or the incidental commentary on pop music. it's no less american than bellow or roth or updike

[The Sceneman]

Full Metal Jacket seems like 3 really disjointed episodes combined to make a movie   i watched it for the first time in a while on hd dvd a few nights ago.  worst kubrick film.

Full Metal Jacket >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Clockwork Orange

[drozmight]

My likes and dislikes change every hour.

One hour I'll be watching King of Queens and liking it, and then the next I'll be all, "what the fuck am I watching?"

[Phoenix Dark]

I wanted to see this movie due to the name, then I noticed it was made in 1961...so I'm guessing there's no nudity or suggested lolita sex scenes. Not that I'm into that stuff

[Ichirou]

I wanted to see this movie due to the name, then I noticed it was made in 1961...so I'm guessing there's no nudity or suggested lolita sex scenes. Not that I'm into that stuff

There's a version with Jeremy Irons that came out sometime in the '90s which is a more accurate adaptation of the book.

[TVC15]

I wanted to see this movie due to the name, then I noticed it was made in 1961...so I'm guessing there's no nudity or suggested lolita sex scenes. Not that I'm into that stuff

The movie seems kind of, I dunno, self aware of the fact that it is being made in the early 60s, and as such, during the beginning of the movie, it feels like a bizarre sort of cousin of the screwball comedy.  Like, it would be your average wacky but still ultimately safe beginning as like any love farce in the beginning. . .except the female love interest happens to be 14.

The ending is somewhat reminiscent of, I dunno, possibly a propaganda or panic film of that general time period.  It's impossible to say, but I think the movie was pointedly designed to evoke these two other kinds of movies.  Specifically, if you are a fan of older Hollywood comedies (like of the 40s to 60s, before liberals ruined America), I'd definitely recommend checking out the movie.

I think Kubrick errs on the side of just a little too much Peter Sellers, but it's really hard to blame him.  He got the Sellers ratio just right in the following Dr. Strangelove.  Also the whole ending at the beginning thing is just pointless.

[Mandark]

I think Kubrick errs on the side of just a little too much Peter Sellers, but it's really hard to blame him.  He got the Sellers ratio just right in the following Dr. Strangelove.

That was sort of a happy accident.  Sellers was also going to play Major Kong, until he broke his foot and they got Slim Pickens.

[TVC15]

I think Kubrick errs on the side of just a little too much Peter Sellers, but it's really hard to blame him.  He got the Sellers ratio just right in the following Dr. Strangelove.

That was sort of a happy accident.  Sellers was also going to play Major Kong, until he broke his foot and they got Slim Pickens.

I was really tempted to watch that today, too.  That and Spartacus are all I have left in this current Kubrick fiesta

[Smooth Groove]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000172941&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=hero-quick-promo&pf_rd_r=13RBY1WH570ASVWBCECZ&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=334834701&pf_rd_i=B000HWXEUY

Anything you want in this sale, TVC?

[TVC15]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000172941&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=hero-quick-promo&pf_rd_r=13RBY1WH570ASVWBCECZ&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=334834701&pf_rd_i=B000HWXEUY

Anything you want in this sale, TVC?

A couple of the catalog releases, although I wonder how the transfers are (Goodfellas, Unforgiven, The Searchers, Wyatt Earp, Wild Bunch,  Dirty Dozen, Road Warrior, Enter the Dragon, maybe Lethal Weapon 2, though 20 bucks is kinda high for that).

[Smooth Groove]

The sale's buy 1 get 1 free so it's only 10 bucks.  I think Tombstone was better than Wyatt Earp.  Do you concur? 

[TVC15]

The sale's buy 1 get 1 free so it's only 10 bucks.  I think Tombstone was better than Wyatt Earp.  Do you concur? 

Honestly, I'd be hard-pressed to tell you which was which right now :p  I remember them both being at least passable.  I forget which one is the better of the two.  I think you are right.

[Solo]

Full Metal Jacket seems like 3 really disjointed episodes combined to make a movie   i watched it for the first time in a while on hd dvd a few nights ago.  worst kubrick film.

Full Metal Jacket >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Clockwork Orange

Kindly end yourself.

[Mupepe]

Unforgiven has a decent transfer and it's a good movie

[BlueTsunami]

The Banana scene FREAKED ME THE FUCK OUT

[TVC15]

I've watched Lolita a few times over the past month.  Shelley Winters just kills me in this movie.  I feel so bad for her   I <3 this movie, warts and all.

[Eric P]

Read the Lolita script.  It's awesome.
I need to read the annotated Lolita which goes on to break down many of the references

[MyNameIsMethodis]

2001 and Eyes Wide Shut are terrible movies.


Sorry Kubrick fans.

[Tabasco]

When I first saw the Kubrick Lolita I was 14-15.  It never occured to me that Humbert and Lolita had been having sex until James Mason goes to see her after he gets out of prison.  I had always thought it was some sort of unrequited love and that Mason killed Sellers b/c he was jealous that Sellers had nailed her and he hadn't.  Didn't really watch again until I was in college.

Eyes Wide Shut is good.  Poster above is closet feminist.

[Solo]

Its too hard to rank Kubrick movies, as he never made a bad one. Some sub-par ones, for sure, but never anything bad. The only thing I can say unequivocally is that FMJ is easily his worst film. Choosing his best is much more difficicult. Its always been 2001 for me, but with the HD re-releases last year, and getting to rewatch a lot of his stuff I hadnt seen in years, Clockwork has shot right up there for me. And I couldnt argue with anyone who said Strangelove, Lyndon, Paths of Glory, or The Killing, either.

Kubrick 

But yeah, for me personally, FMJ is his stinkfest, and his best is a toss up between 2001 and ACO.

[Bloodwake]

His best is A Clockwork Orange for sure.

I love the hell out of Lolita, though.

[MyNameIsMethodis]

Clockwork is amazing, its almost like it's not from the same director that made the shitty 2001.

"The ol' in out in out " is one of the best lines ever.

[gibletsngravy]

It sounds like I need to read the book to appreciate the movie.

[TVC15]

It sounds like I need to read the book to appreciate the movie.

You really don't.  The sexual aspect of the relationship is all in subtext, but going in knowing that, it's pretty obvious when things happen.  It's as good an adaptation that could have been made given the time period, and it even manages to be pretty funny, in a dry way.  I really dig Kubrick's dry sense of humor, evident here, and in A Clockwork Orange, and Barry Lyndon.  The man knew good dry humor.