Customer Reviews

Stanley Kubrick Collection [VHS]

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I was ambivalent about buying this one. I had already plunked down more than a ... on the first release of the collection, then systematically rounded it out with the other films that were available (Killer's Kiss, The Killing, Paths of Glory, Spartacus, and Eyes Wide Shut). I was not sure if it was really worth shelling out MORE money just to get brighter colors and stereo sound. But it was. It was worth every penny. For the following reasons:

1) You really have to SEE the added quality of films like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Barry Lyndon to believe it. Every film was digitally re-mastered. It really is like someone wiped years of grime off of them.

2) Making the Shining, daughter Vivian Kubrick’s documentary about the making of her dad’s 1980 horror opus, has been cleaned up, too, and now sports a disarmingly sweet commentary by her.

3) The Dr. Strangelove disc, is, indeed, the newer “Special Edition” version that includes some wonderful extras (documentary and interview material).

4) The controversial Dolby 5.1 remixes were planned by Kubrick, anyway, according to his assistant Leon Vitali, who personally supervised the creation of the new sound tracks from the original elements. Like Kubrick's original mono tracks, they have clarity and excellent balance. But now they also have great fidelity, and - amazingly - DEPTH. For the first time, you can really find yourself (at least aurally) INSIDE A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, The Shining, and Full Metal Jacket.

5) The included documentary, Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures, is no slapdash "extra feature" tossed in strictly for marketing. It is a feature-length (142-minute!) tribute to the late master by his friends, family, and admirers (including Martin Scorsese, Stephen Spielberg, and Woody Allen). Kubrick's widow, his daughters, and many of his closest collaborators share their thoughts. No tabloid stuff, here. It's all handled with remarkable taste and respect. It has also forced me to rethink a lot of what I thought I knew about the man, and underscored how priceless Stanley Kubrick really was.

If you are fan, spend the money. You will not regret it.

When the original Kubrick box set was released, it was a nightmare. Kubrick's classics on DVD looked anywhere from decent to VHS-quality, thanks to the rush job (presumably to capitalize on the great director's death). This rerelease is what Kubrick would have wanted. Every film from the beautiful masterpiece "Lolita" to the misunderstood "Eyes Wide Shut" is presented here, along with a documentary, "Stanley Kubrick: a Life in Pictures," which is fantastic -- a completely absorbing and entertaining history of the director's life and work.

Kubrick was not a traditional filmmaker. He shunned Hollywood and retreated to his adopted country of Great Britain in the early sixties, making films entirely on his own terms. His films were feasts for the eyes and spanned every conceivable genre, from comedy ("Dr. Strangelove") to sci-fi ("2001: a Space Odyssey") to period pieces ("Barry Lyndon") to war pictures ("Full Metal Jacket") and everything in between. He was not afraid to experiment and take the actors as far as they could go.

The picture quality in this long-overdue reissue is nothing short of stunning. Particularly noteworthy is the "Barry Lyndon" disc. Kubrick's use of natural light in this gorgeous period drama give it a unique beauty never captured in any other film before or since.

As extra material goes, the box is pretty sparse (except for the documentary, of course), but you do get the mini-documentary of the making of The Shining, complete with optional commentary. But what counts here are the pictures themselves, which are all, without question, masterpieces.

Discover Kubrick's world. Sure, it's a lot of money, but worth every penny. Buy it on a Friday, cancel your weekend plans, and explore the amazing world of these films. This box set is why DVDs were invented.

After reading the umpteenth observation concerning the letterboxing, or lack of letterboxing on some of the movies included in the "Stanley Kubrick Collection", I am compelled to point out for the umpteenth time that the term "pan and scan" does not apply here! The films "The Shining", "Full Metal Jacket", and "Eyes Wide Shut" were each filmed with an aspect ratio of 1.33:1 (actually 1.37:1) and then masked to a ratio of 1.85:1 for theatrical presentation. For these DVD's the image was simply not masked at the top and bottom. Nothing you saw in the theater is missing! Areas of the image you were never intended to see, however, are visible, which is why (for example) you can see the tips of helicopter blades at the top of the screen in the shots following the Volkswagen through the mountains at the beginning of "The Shining". The image from side to side is all there, nothing is missing!

If you're reading this, chances are you've already seen many (if not all) of these movies and understand their significance in modern cinema. So, a review of the films themselves is fairly pointless. What I will discuss are the technical aspects of these DVDs as well as the bonus documentary "Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures." Like many of you, I bought some of the original Stanley Kubrick DVDs, and I can testify that they were shameful presentations of the director's work. "The Shining" had scratches, lines, and dirt all over the film. "A Clockwork Orange" looked woefully drab and washed out. But the worst offense was "Barry Lyndon." Not only did this picture suffer from print flaws, but the image, at one point, WOBBLED. Warner Brothers knew they had a turkey on their hands, so they discontinued these films and re-released them with digitally remastered picture and 5.1 sound. The improvements are noticeable, to say the least. The opening credits of "The Shining," which feature the steadicam roaming through the beautiful vistas of Colorado, is wonderfully crisp and clear. "Barry Lyndon," a visually stunning picture to begin with, is even more breathtaking with its sharp, rich colors. And "Full Metal Jacket," looks much better without the grain. Also, in place of the mono soundtrack that Kubrick allegedly preferred, we get remixed 5.1 audio ("Lolita" and "Dr. Strangelove," however, are still in mono). Simply put, Warners literally cleaned up its act by re-doing these films and presenting them the way they were meant to be shown. The fun doesn't stop there. Unlike the original Kubrick box set, this edition has a bonus documentary narrated by Tom Cruise: "Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures." This hugely entertaining film covers Kubrick's entire filmography, featuring interviews with crew members, friends, and cast including Malcolm McDowell, Jack Nicholson, Matthew Modine, Shelley Duvall, Nicole Kidman, Sidney Pollack, and Cruise himself. Woody Allen, Martin Scorcese, and Steven Speilberg also get to throw in their $.02. While they do praise Kubrick to high heaven, some predictably admit that he was very challenging to work with (he allegedly forced many of his actors to do dozens of takes while filming). Granted, this documentary doesn't exactly get us any closer to the director himself, but it does provide a fairly intimate and thorough look at his work. I've witnessed the price on this box set go down over the last couple years, so if you've been wanting to get your hands on it (and many movie buffs do), now is the time to do so.

I worship the films of Stanley Kubrick. I view them as the greatest canon of work by any artist of the twentieth century. Kubrick had an eye like nobody else, he knew where to put the camera, how to move it and his films even the slower ones are a masterful example of film structure and pacing. Everything in his films adds up to an even equation - because of this + that = the outcome (Bill being called gay as he walks through the streets, leads him to the prostitue's house). I hope by now it is clear that I am passionate about his body of work. It is thus no suprise that I bought the Stanley Kubrick Collection two years ago. I was however disappointed with the transfers of several films (especially The Shining and 2001). I was aggrivated when I learned of the new box having already owned the previous one and having purchased Eyes Wide Shut and the Special Edition Dr. Strangelove. However, being the fan that I am, I hawked them and purchased the new set. I immediately watched the 140 minute documentary about Kubrick which flew by. My admiration for him and his films grew, here are my second, third and fourth favorite directors (Allen, Scorsese & Spielberg) talking about my favorite director. The film is incredible, it moves quickly like a Kubrick film, but isn't afraid to slow down. It gives insight into areas I had never known before. In short I woke up the next morning with a montage of Kubrick image in my mind. I then looked at some specific scenes from various films to see how they looked and sounded. The Stargate scene from 2001 is stunning. The steadicam work through the halls in The Shining are ferocius and Slim Pikins ridin' that bomb has never looked cleaner. I think Kubrick would want his films to be seen as clearly as possible and finally there is a collection that does him justice.

I bought the original Kubrick set and I'm one of the minority who didn't think the quality was that bad. Yeah, they were grainy and scratchy but the quality was on par with seeing these flicks at your local art house. Right? So, I bought the new set only because I'm a Kubrick fan and a completist and I was only expecting a minimal improvement over the older set.

WOW! If you like Kubrick's movies, you HAVE to buy this set. The video is amazing, especially The Shining and Barry Lyndon. Bright, crisp and clear like you were sitting with Kubrick himself editing a pristine print for the first time. Clockwork Orange and Full Metal Jacket, same deal, every disc is an incredible improvement, like taking a rag and wiping an inch of grime off a favorite painting and seeing the vibrant colors underneath. Comparing the discs with the originals, now I'm angry at WB for not doing this right the first time. I've heard the term as 'double-dipping' and that's definitely what WB did, stating high and low that the original set was personally approved by Kubrick himself and saying over and over that they definitely could NOT redo these discs because it would take an act of god from the Kubrick estate for permission to redo these discs and then two years later, hey, guess we CAN redo these discs and blah, blah, blah, and a yada, yada, yada, and what a bunch of big fat liars, making us shell out big bucks twice for these movies. Color me a mixed bag of purple, red and blue-- happy that these discs are out, angry at WB for rushing out the original set under cover of a bunch of lies and hype. Oh, well, let me put on the Barry Lyndon disc again and let Kubrick's fabulous pictures with its incredible video calm me down. La, lala, lalala!

With this, the second release of a Kubrick Anthology, the improvements are obvious. Alas, it also has its' short comings which makes me wonder if a (gasp) third release is slated for the future. The most obvious improvements are the transfers. In the previous version the quality on some of the titles was nearly blasphemous.(Barry Lyndon,The Shining). This new set has brought out the crisp details and removed the haze. The sound has also been cleaned up tremendously.Particularly in The Shining.If you have a good home theatre system the heartbeats in the bathroom scene will rattle your hairs as well as your nerves. Another great addition to this collection is the documentary "Stanley Kubrick:A life in Pictures". This enlightening disc takes us through every film Kubrick directed with some informative bits on the filmmakers passion and patience (and subsequent impatience) for film making.It was fascinating to finally see the man, let alone hear him speaking. I was particularly touched by the ending credits that show Kubrick as a little boy in an old 8mm home movie playing the piano, peering behind his sister, looking at the camera with a half mischeivious smile.Very touching. Unfortunately, it must be said that this set also has its setbacks. The most disturbing in my personal opinion is the omission of a widescreen version of "the Shining". Having never seen this film in anything other than a pan and scan, I was greatly dissapointed to be let down yet again. It is understood that Kubrick preferred this film to be seen as such in video/dvd release to add to the claustrophobic effects of a shortened screen, but in a day where widescreen films are becoming the new standard in release formats it seems a shame to see a Kubrick film in anything other than widescreen. Also missing is what I see as one of Kubricks greatest films, Spartacus. I would have much rather had that film included in place of the slow paced Lolita. My last complaint would have to come from the U.S. theatrical version inclusion of the very under-rated "Eyes Wide Shut". I would think in purchasing a box set that one could count on the best of what is available, and I think the american public can handle a few more scenes of sexual content. Especially if it was part of a masterminds original vision. Despite a few "big" negatives do not let that stop you from getting this set. There are a handful of standard cinema classics in this collection that no true film lover should be without. If you purchased the original set do yourself and Kubrick a favor. Use the discs as collectable beer coasters, buy this set, and let Kubrick smile in eternity. Good Show!

A lot has been said about the differences between the original set and this the so-called "New"Stanley Kubrick Collection. Having shelled out a small fortune to replace my original set with this one based on rave reviews, I must say I don't consider it worth it. The films are mostly great for sure, but the documentary "A Life In Pictures" is really quite poor. If you want to learn about Kubrick and his work, try buying one of the excellent biographies available. This documentary (which incidentally has been shown a few times on BBC TV in Britain) didn't teach me anything I didn't already know and typically skips over some of the more controversial aspects of Kubrick's work.

The re re-mastering by the way is not as significant as some would have you believe....the original set was not that bad considering the age of the films and whilst this version does improve the picture slightly, it is a small gain to be made.

Regarding the 5.1 sound, I can only say it was Kubrick's wishes to have mono sound and not anyone elses!

Two years ago when I purchased the original Kubrick Collection, I was very disappointed with the washed out prints and lack of features. This new set, however, goes through great lengths (though not as far as possible) to correct past misdeeds. The masters films have been given the full hi-definition treatment under the supervision of Kubrick assistant Leon Vitale, who has done a fantastic job at establishing Kubrick's future in the HDTV universe. Full Metal Jacket, The Shining, and Eyes Wide Shut are presented in the full-screen (not pan and scan) ratio of 1:33:1, and Lolita, Barry Lyndon and Clockwork orange are 1:66:1, but sadly still non-anamorphic. This set could've benefited with anamorphic transfers for the 1:66:1 films and a few more extras or the indvidual discs, though I feel that Jan Harlan's documentary "A Life In Pictures" more than compensates for the lack of supplements. All in all, this set receives my highest recommendation, and consider it a must for anyone interested in the work of a great director.

I've seen what was originally called the "Stanley Kubrick" collection, and though he approved of the cuts that were released, he couldn't have wanted such weak video transfers to represent his films. Much could be done, and hopefully will, to make these as vibrant as they were intended to be.

The sound remastering is a stickier issue. We will never know if, when given an example of what it would sound like, Kubrick would really want his Mono movies remixed and remastered to a surround format. If it is done in a subtle and art conscious manner, then it could be a great addition, though with the way that most current movies are mixed there is a real potential for disaster. Regardless, remastering could do wonders for allowing the character of the dialogue, music, and all other planned sound to be clearer than ever before. We'll just have to hope for the best, as far as mixing goes, and hope that it deserves the 5 stars that I gave it. I'll cross my toes.

By the way, it is absurd that the "International" version of Eyes Wide Shut will not be in the set. It would be a simple task putting the R version on one side of the disk and the Unrated (by American standards) on the other. In all fairness I've seen posted clips of the digital masking used to lighten the rating, and it didn't really hide that much. You can tell what is going on in the U.S. version, and Kubrick did approve of it. However, it would be wonderful to have the option of seeing it in either form, especially since Kubrick was known to make drastic last minute decisions, sometimes editing a film a few weeks after release, though, unfortunately, he didn't have the chance with his last film.