Stanley Kubrick

Stanley Kubrick (July 26, 1928 – March 7, 1999) was an American film director. In a career which spanned five decades, he created a notable body of work consisting of thirteen feature films, many of which are considered classics of 20th century cinema.

Trivia

• Kubrick's adopted homeland was England where sources say that he moved to the country either in the 1960's or the 1970's.
• Kubrick often had an antagonistic relationship with the writers with whom he collaborated. Sir Arthur C. Clarke was upset that Kubrick's actions caused the delay of the publication of his novel 2001: A Space Odyssey so that it appeared the book was a novelization of the film rather than the film an adaptation of the book as the pair had agreed. Anthony Burgess was appalled that he was called on to defend A Clockwork Orange when Kubrick refused to do so. Burgess believed that the film contradicted the message of his novel. Writer Stephen King was vocal in interviews when developing his own television mini-series version of The Shining, hinting at how he was unhappy with Kubrick's adaptation of the film. Although the writer never discussed his opinions in public, due to a legal contract he signed regarding the film.
• The last occasion on which Kubrick was seen in public was at a performance of The Blue Room at the Donmar Warehouse then starring Nicole Kidman.
• Unrealized projects: Over the years, Kubrick worked on a number of projects which did not evolve beyond the script stage. Some of the more well-developed film ideas that were never realized include Napoleon (1969-1971), which was canceled upon the release of Waterloo; Aryan Papers (1988-1991), a Holocaust story postponed because of Schindler's List; and Blue Movie (late 1960s, early 1970s), about a director so highly regarded he is allowed to direct a pornographic movie starring major Hollywood stars. This project was proposed by Terry Southern following their collaboration on Dr. Strangelove and was the basis of his novel Blue Movie. For a short time in 1997, it was believed that Kubrick was making his own "blue movie" with Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise (this later turned out to be Eyes Wide Shut).
• As with the films of Martin Scorsese and Ingmar Bergman (to date), none of Kubrick's films ever won an Academy Award for Best Picture, despite being nominated four times.
• According to his widow, Christiane, some of his favorite films were Eraserhead (which he repeatedly forced the cast of The Shining to watch numerous times over the course of that film's shoot), The Godfather (which he called "the most perfectly casted film I have ever seen") and Summer of '42 (a clip of which can be seen playing on a television in The Shining). He was also said to be a fan of The Simpsons, which has often referenced his films.
• Variations of "CRM-114", which was a device used on the B-52 bomber in Dr. Strangelove, have appeared as a reoccuring theme in other Kubrick films. In 2001: A Space Odyssey one of the space pods was labled with serial number CRM-114. In A Clockwork Orange, Alex was injected with "serum 114" (serum = CRM). In Eyes Wide Shut, the mortuary was located on Level/Wing C, Room 114.