Stanley Kubrick was my first love, film-wise. I always liked movies growing up, but I can trace the current intensity of my film obsession directly back to him. You see, he directed a certain film in 1968 which I happened to see in middle school after reading the accompanying novel, which captivated me. This certain film was unlike anything I'd ever seen before, and I had to experience more of Kubrick's work. I watched all I could get my hands on – his heist film, The Killing
, the excellent anti-war drama
Paths of Glory
,
Barry Lyndon
(which actually bored me – must re-watch it soon), the hilarious
Dr. Strangelove
, the salacious
Lolita
(the latter two of which introduced the genius of Peter Sellers into my life, along with Hal Ashby's
Being There
).
A Clockwork Orange
,
The Shining,
and
Full Metal Jacket
came with college, as did
Spartacus
, but I feel we can ignore that one. I finally saw
Eyes Wide Shut
about a year ago – and that sits firmly in my top three of his films.
Of course, it all started with that 1968 science fiction masterpiece:
. Co-written with Arthur C. Clarke, it is the story of what happens when a mysterious black monolith is found on the moon. Two astronauts, Dave and Frank, are sent towards Jupiter on an exploration mission, all of which is routine, until the ship's computer, the infamous HAL 9000, begins acting up. Then it really gets weird...
Listen: this, the greatest science-fiction film ever created, is being screened today at Cinemark Tinseltown. Imagine the spectacle of this epic on the big screen. Think of it. Go. See. Witness. There are two chances: at 2:00 and 7:00. Tinseltown is located at 4400 Towne Center Drive. Further theater information can be found at the Tinseltown website [5].
Image: Internet Movie Database