The Criterion Collection

[mja345]

"Barry Lyndon" is one of my favorite Kubrick films. The narration in it is absolutely brilliant. "Lyndon", "Days of Heaven" and "Goodfellas" probably have my three favorite narrations in film. Ryan O'Neal, although not a great actor, gives a tremendous performance. And it's one of the most masterfully shot films of all-time. Truly an epic that chronicles the rise and fall of one man.

My top 5 Kubricks
1) Dr. Strangelove
2) Barry Lyndon
3) 2001
4) Paths of Glory
5) Eyes Wide Shut

But the beauty of Kubrick's filmography is that you could make a case for almost all of his films, outside of "Killer's Kiss" or "Fear and Desire", as being one of his best. I probably rewatch "Spartacus" and "Full Metal Jacket" the least, but both are still excellent.

[jw007]

Since we're playing this top 5 game now, my list for best Kubrick is:

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey
2. A Clockwork Orange
3. The Shining
4. Eyes Wide Shut
5. Barry Lyndon

Notable mentions: Paths of Glory and Full Metal Jacket

Least favorite: Lolita

[Ray Jackson]

1. 2001
2. The Shining
3. Full Metal Jacket
4. Clockwork Orange
5. Dr. Strangelove
6. Eyes Wide Shut
7. Barry Lyndon
8. Paths of Glory
9. The Killing

The top two spots are etched in stone...they will probably never change.

3-5 however, are very loose rankings and subject to change on any given day.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by jayembee

The Shining is one of my least favorite of Kubrick's films.

Thank you. I saw this on opening day with a friend, who was a big Kubrick fan. I, on the other hand, only knew him for 2001 at that point but I was also enthusiastic since it was that guy directing a Stephen King story. We both left the theater afterwards with a bunch of "What the ....?!" comments.

[Will G]

1.2001: A Space Odyssey
2.A Clockwork Orange
3.Paths Of Glory
4.The Shining
5.Barry Lyndon

[tisdivine]

I was watching Rick & Morty. It's a cartoon on Adult Swim. In the episode titled Rick Potion #9 Morty's grandpa creates a love potion so Morty can get the girl he likes to go to the dance with him. The potion goes horribly wrong and everyone in town ends up turning into the grotesque monsters. Rick says Morty's to blame bc he wanted the girl no matter what and Morty replies with...

"You have to accept your part of the blame. Im not the one who fouled up the serum. Im not the one who haphazardly mixed a bunch of non-sense together and created a bunch of Cronenbergs"

Just thought my Criterion homies would appreciate that one. Have a feeling that went over a lot of Adult Swim watchers heads but I laughed for quite a few minutes. So have to give Rick & Morty a high five for that one.

[Iamspartacus]

1. Paths of Glory
2. Spartacus
3. The Killing
4. 2001 A Space Odyssey
5. A Clockwork Orange

[tama]

Well my overall sales pickups this month from B&N:



A pretty good haul. Only have The Confession left to watch.

[StingingVelvet]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

"highbrow" is not a term I would ever associate with Stanley Kubrick

Depends on what you're defining the term as. He definitely makes intelligent films that smart people love to dissect. They're still Hollywood movies though, sure, so if your definition requires some kind of niche cred then I guess they're not. I don't think highbrow and niche are the same thing though, really.

[hoytereden]

Originally Posted by stevieray44

I recently just had a screening with about 4 of my friends of 2001: ASO (my favorite of his films), with none of them having ever seen it, nor having any idea of the story other than "it take place in space". Of the four of them, 1 said it was decent but a movie he would never watch again, and the other 3 outright hated it. In fact, one my friends still talks about the experience, claiming the film should be used as a slow torture device, haha. I will never, as long as I live, forget the sound of the room full of them sitting in their chairs and, waving their arms in exhaustion, screaming "JUST LAND THE SHIP ALREADY!".

Sounds like The English Patient episode of Seinfeld-"Just Die Already!"

[darkness2918]

Originally Posted by ShellOilJunior

No, it's not them.

Hometheaterforum?

[ShellOilJunior]

Kubrick brought art house cinema to the masses.

High-brow probably isn't the best adjective for his work because it's not strong enough nor does it cover his genius. It's like saying Audrey Hepburn is beautiful - it's obviously true but she was so much more than just a gorgeous woman.

The Killing isn't exactly high-brow in part because of Jim Thompson's dialogue which is terrific. Thompson didn't exactly write novels about saints.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by tama

Only have The Confession left to watch.

let me know what you thought? i just blind bought it today as my final purchase for the sale.

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by RojD

The Welles Macbeth defies physics by turning 90 minutes into 4 hours.

Originally Posted by LuckyDragon

Tell me about it. I recently watched it for the first time after putting it off for way too long, and was bored out of my mind. The Polanski and Kurosawa versions are easily my two favorites. They're so different that I can't really compare them or choose one over the other. They're both masterful.

Argh. You people are slowly killing me. Here's my review of Orson Welles's Macbeth from the Olive Blu-ray thread...

Macbeth (1948) is pretty spectacular in my book.

Orson Welles made a handful of changes to the Shakespeare play, but these alterations work for the best in terms of conveying the aesthetic of the original story to cinema. This adaption of Macbeth brilliantly captures the claustrophobic tension as the walls figuratively close in on the title character over the course of the story. Welles's film is not as viscerally graphic as the 1971 Roman Polanski adaptation, but the major plot developments are far more chilling, thanks to the eerily dark film style and cinematography. The scene where Lady Macduff's young son is slaughtered is particularly nightmarish. (Since everyone reading this thread is well-versed on the works of Shakespeare, I do not feel as though I'm giving away any spoilers.)

Welles has always given notoriously overwrought performances, but his acting style is well-suited for the material at hand here. Welles's Shakespeare is, at turns, ambitious, insane, and oddly charismatic. The final showdown is for the ages.

[Rich Pure Doom]

Originally Posted by darkness2918

Hometheaterforum?

Pretty sure they are referring to caps-a-holic. They hate this forum over there and especially this site's Criterion reviewer.

While we're at it: (in order of preference)

Paths of Glory
2001: A Space Odyssey
Barry Lyndon
Eyes Wide Shut
Dr. Strangelove
The Shining
The Killing
A Clockwork Orange
Full Metal Jacket
Lolita

[ShellOilJunior]

Originally Posted by darkness2918

Hometheaterforum?

Yes.

[vmumu]

1. Paths of Glory
2. Barry Lyndon
3. Eyes Wide Shut
4. The Killing
5. The Shining

[Bandit Tajomaru]

Picked up Stagecoach and the silent Ozu gangster films Eclipse set.

[Ray Jackson]

Thank freaking god this thing is finally over.

I almost went out to Barnes and Noble today for one last look around.

That house of iniquity took everything from me.

I stand before you a broken man.

My home is currently in foreclosure and my wife left me and took our baby daughter with her.

I have been drinking heavily with what little money I have left.

Now...it is time to rebuild.

[repulsed]

Worse timing ever for Kino to have a sale start. Couldn't even take a breath and I was buying more.

considering putting in for 4 more on Criterion still.