Tag: Stanley Kubrick

Full Metal Jacket

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Full Metal Jacket

“If you ladies leave my island, if you survive recruit training, you will be a weapon. You will be a minister of death praying for war. But until that day, you are pukes. You are the lowest form of life on Earth. You are not even human beings.”

There are a lot of good movies about war. Full Metal Jacket is a movie about soldiers. Directed by Stanley Kubrick (The Shining, 2001) and starring Matthew Modine, Vincent D’Onofrio, and R. Lee Ermey, this movie shows how war affects soldiers, but each soldier responds a little differently. In true Kubrick fashion, the message is not neatly wrapped and handed to the viewer, and it’s ultimately up to the viewer to decide what he or she feels afterward. Also in true Kubrick fashion, the movie is absolutely brilliant and masterfully executed. It stands out as a deeply personal war film with excellent art direction that’s worth seeing today.

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The Shining

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The Shining

“Heeeeere’s Johnny!”

I’ll admit: I’m not the biggest fan of the horror genre. But The Shining does what most horror movies don’t even dream of: it’s truly a work of art. Directed by the legendary Stanley Kubrick (2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange), based on a book by horror master Stephen King, and starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall, it’s a horror movie that escapes the pitfalls of many other horror movies, such as cheap scare tactics and shallow characters. The result is a beautiful and well-written movie that’s frightening without being over-the-top.

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2001: A Space Odyssey

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2001: A Space Odyssey

“This mission is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it.”

2001: A Space Odyssey is a masterpiece of cinema. Directed by Stanley Kubrick (The Shining, A Clockwork Orange), this 1968 film is widely regarded as one of the most influential science fiction films of all time. That said, it helps to have appropriate expectations for this film. If you’re expecting a gripping plot or a coherent message, you’re going to have a bad time. 2001: A Space Odyssey is more like a trip to an abstract art museum than a trip to the movies: it’s beautiful and stimulating, but it’s ultimately up to you to imply meaning based on your personal interpretation. Kubrick himself has refused to offer any explanation for the baffling ending, and, although many have put forth theories, none have completely resolved all of the mysteries presented here.

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