Opération lune (2002)

This hard-hitting mockumentary exposes how Stanley Kubrick faked the 1969 moon landing, with seeming-endorsements from many key players in NASA and the US government.

Mildly amusing mockumentary for those in the know, but in an age of conspiracy theories (and some actually believe NASA and Kubrick staged the moon landing) and doubts about media's honesty a quite dubious attempt.

New Stuff: Alex North

The Movies I Watched in March

Brecht (2019)  6
Casualties of War (1989)  7

The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann (2019)  7

The Exorcism of Molly Hartley (2015)  5
First Reformed (2017)   8

Frasier, Season 1 (1993)  8

Frasier, Season 2 (1994)  8

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (2011)  5
Ghostbusters (2016)  6
Grace of Monaco (2014)  6
Hold the Dark (2018)  7

Horns (2013)  6
The Killing (1956) 7

Life (2017)  6
Loving (2016)  7

Man Without a Star (1955)  7

Marius et Jeannette (1997)  6
Mon pire cauchemar (2011)  6
The Mummy (2017)  5
Pope Francis: A Man of His Word (2018)  6
Skazka skazok (1979)  9

Triassic World (2018)  4
Two Rode Together (1961)  6
Ulisse (1954)  7

The Uninvited (1944)  6
The Zookeeper's Wife (2017)  7

The Killing (1956)

Crooks plan and execute a daring race-track robbery.

Tough noir-style heist drama, meticulously directed with an unusual time structure and a first-rate cast.

On rewatching: perfect noir thriller, every view you find new details.

Halliwell**: "Incisive, entertaining, downbeat caper movie clearly influenced by The Asphalt Jungle and Rififi."

Maltin***1/2: "The film that really put Kubrick on the map - a case study of a racetrack heist, with a colorful cast of characters...Major flaw: the Dragnet-style narration."

The Killing (1956)

Crooks plan and execute a daring race-track robbery.

Tough noir-style heist drama, meticulously directed with an unusual time structure and a first-rate cast.

Halliwell**: "Incisive, entertaining, downbeat caper movie clearly influenced by The Asphalt Jungle and Rififi."

Maltin***1/2: "The film that really put Kubrick on the map - a case study of a racetrack heist, with a colorful cast of characters...Major flaw: the Dragnet-style narration."

New Stuff: Stanley Kubrick Archives

Who's That Girl?

Woman in polka dot dress walking towards Grand Central at 43rd and 5th, Stanley Kubrick for LOOK magazine, 1946

New Stuff: Stanley Kubrick

New Stuff: Paths of Glory

One of the movies not in my Stanley Kubrick box set.

New Stuff: Stanley Kubrick

A catalogue to a Viennese exhibition of Stanley Kubrick's photography

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Humanity finds a mysterious, obviously artificial, object buried beneath the Lunar surface and, with the intelligent computer H.A.L. 9000, sets off on a quest.

A visual (and acoustic!) journey rather than a story with a conventional plot this masterpiece is an audacious experiment that still holds its own as one of the great achievements in movie history.

Rewatched it just to take in the acoustic journey.

Halliwell****: "A lengthy montage of brilliant model work and obscure symbolism, this curiosity slowly gathered commercial momentum and came to be cherished by those who used it as a trip without LSD."

Maltin****: "A unique masterpiece, immensely influential...A visual feast, film also boasts distinction of having put Richard Strauss into the Top 40 with "Also Sprach Zarathustra.""

Fear and Desire (1953)

Four soldiers trapped behind enemy lines must confront their fears and desires.

Although Stanley Kubrick's talents are clearly present in his first feature-length film (superb photography and editing, unusual storyline), the result has a volitional feel to it as if this were an etude for an overzealous pupil - no wonder Kubrick had it banned from public viewing.

Maltin**: "...the movie contains some striking imagery and shows the germs of budding talent, but generally comes off as an arty and pretentious student film."

New Stuff: Fear and Desire

A gift from my pal Ralf, and I'm one step closer to completing my Stanley Kubrick collection.

Killer's Kiss (1955)

As a man waits at a train station for his girl, he tells us about the recent past and how met her and saved her and his life.

Based on a simple, but effective noir plot this early attempt by Stanley Kubrick already showcases his talent for unconventional storytelling, surprising details and brilliant (black-and-white) photogrpahy.

Halliwell (no star): "Tedious low-budget thriller which first brought its director into notice."

Maltin**: "Interesting early Kubrick: the inspiration for the film-within-a-film STRANGERS KISS."

Room 237 (2012)

An exploration of various interpretations of Stanley Kubrick's horror film, The Shining (1980).

Intriguing and occasionally funny documentary of some oddball and hair-splitting interpretations of a cinematic masterpiece; ironically, most of the 'evidence' is based on deleted scenes from the unauthorized longer version of the movie and not on Kubrick's final cut.

Maltin***: "Entertaining piece of revisionist, frame-by-frame film scholarship for the DVD/internet generation is the movie equivalent of an obsessed fanboy's blog."

New Stuff: Room 237

Needless to say that I had to get this documentary!

The Shining (1980) (long version)

A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where an evil and spiritual presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from the past and of the future.

Although 29 minutes longer than the actual 'director's cut', it is obvious why Kubrick went for the cut: there are too many unnecessary details revealed which add not to the suspense but even are hindering.

New Stuff: The Shining

This is the extended US version I haven't seen yet.

New Stuff: Killer's Kiss

Well, now I'm completing my Stanley Kubrick collection; it's been decades since I last seen this one.

New Stuff: In the Bedroom

A movie supposedly heavily influenced by Stanley Kubrick: need to see.