Stanley Kubrick: The Essential Collection

Stanley Kubrick: The Essential Collection might just be best value on Amazon. I purchased it as part of a Gold Box Deal of the Day for nearly half off but I easily would have paid full price as well. It's worth it. This set collects 9 of Kubrick's most beloved films across 9 discs, plus another DVD of further special features. I hardly think I need to review the films them selves as each is a classic in their own right. This set includes Lolita, Sparticus, Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, and Eyes Wide Shut (For those wondering I have not yet seen whether or not this set includes the American or International cut of Eyes Wide Shut. In the American Theatrical version of the film, the studio digitally imposed several figures to block some of the more graphic imagery) Many of the Individual movies have special features as well, including commentaries from the star's of the films and film historians. The transfer of the films to disc are some of the best I've seen on DVD and they look and sound terrific. I have seen some voice concerns about the way 10 discs are packaged bus rest assured the design of the DVD case it quite elegant. The discs are held in by the usual manner, with the clip going through the hole. Two of the discs are attached to the insides of the case its self, one on each side. The other discs are clipped on to hinged plastic pieces, similar to many 2 disc DVD sets. They are clipped 1 on each side of these turn-able plastic pages. The way the discs are set and the plastic hinged ensures that the discs never hang each other up. To remove each disc simply use you finger tips around the edge of the disc to lift. This the way Discs are supposed to be picked up anyways and I have to question the basic motor functions of those who were infuriated and perplexed by this packaging. Each disc is skinned with a solid color making for a sleek and easily discernible collection of movies. Lastly, this set comes with a short but interesting booklet providing some context and history for each of the films as well as explaining the progression of the themes in Kubrick's work over the course of his career. This is a great set to own if you simply enjoy Kubrick's films or if you want to pour over them for days.

I won't review the films themselves. I have done so elsewhere, and if you are reading this, you probably are a Kubrick fan, anyway. My set arrived yesterday and I have spent some quality time with it, though I have obviously not had a chance to watch every disk all the way through, yet. On one user's negative review with respect to the "destructive" packaging: all I can say is, if you stop and think about it before wailing on the disks trying to get them out of their sleeves, you'll be FINE. The sleeves, are indeed, engineered to keep the disks in, so they don't fall on the floor if you tip the package the wrong way. A moment's thought will tell you that a thumb on the label side of the disk, a forefinger on the edge, and some firm but gentle pulling while rotating a little is all you need to get the disks out without a hint of damage. The sleeve will release its grip and all will be well. Believe me, you'll be glad for the snugness of the fit when you realize how well it protects the disks when you're not watching them. On the continuing Aspect Ratio controversy: I could be wrong about this, but I think the esteemed Mr. Kubrick would be fine with the 16x9 cropping of The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, and Eyes Wide Shut. It's true that Kubrick initially only wanted videos of his films released "full frame", i.e. with the whole negative image showing unmasked, because he hated pan-scan, and thought letterboxing distracting. After Barry Lyndon, he shot 35mm without a hard matte, but composed for 1.85:1 precisely because he knew some theaters would project it 1.85:1 while others would go for 1.66:1, and still others would have their own "custom" aspect ratio - i.e. funky screen size based more on the way larger theaters were being chopped up into multiplexes at the time, than on the needs of the films being shown. But newer 16x9 HD TVs, which became popular after his death, largely obviated the need for near full-negative cropping, as far as video is concerned. Kubrick's visual compositions are just slightly roomy in 16x9, without the oddly empty quality of some of his shots when viewed in full-frame on a 4x3 TV. There are purists who get almost violent when discussing the "proper" aspect ratios of Kubrick's *oeuvre* on video, and who insist we should be watching them in 4x3 even now, because "that's what he intended." I am not among them. His original reasoning made sense when TVs were all squarish, but I think he would have accommodated 16x9 home theatre TVs, had he lived into the Blu-ray era. Such TVs existed in his lifetime, but they were not the norm the way they are now. If you read his interviews carefully, he was a surprisingly practical guy, for being such a perfectionist. The transfers appear, in most cases, to be the same ones used for the last release of the collection, but in a format closer to their native 4k resolution. They are - thank God - NOT over-enhanced the way so many mass-market "popular" films seem to be when released on Blu-ray, these days. While they are sharp and detailed, they don't have those artificially "cut out" looking edges, either. I'm not a videophile, but I like what I see and hear.

Stanley Kubrick is one of the greatest film directors of all time. Every movie in this collection is a great film. Each one looks fantastic on blu ray. Although Lolita and Dr. Strangelove are in black and white so the quality isn't as obvious as the color films but it is still clear and crisp. 2001: A Space Odyssey still looks cutting edge. It's hard to believe they were able to achieve such great special effects in 1968. Nine years later they couldn't even make Star Wars special effects look as good. If you are a Stanley Kubrick fan you have to have this collection. It includes all but three of his films I believe. I read some reviews about the discs being difficult to pull from the sleeves and how it might result in scratches to the discs. I will say they are in the sleeves pretty good but I don't think it will result in scratching. You have to grip the disc with your fingers to pull it out and that will result in some smudging but so far my discs have not been scratched. I really don't see that as the deal breaker anyway. It's a good collection of films that look great in HD. I would definitely recommend.

Overall, the appearance of these films befit the greatness of a director known for his stunning visual style: The transfers are crisp, bright but not saturated, revealing in terms of the nearly garish color schemes Stanley Kubrick chose for some films, especially "A Clockwork Orange." I compared these transfers to my two previous Kubrick collections, both of which were issued on DVD. On those earlier sets, even Kubrick's later films could suffer terribly. Case in point: The print of "Eyes Wide Shut" used for the 2001-released box was truly wretched -- dark, smudgy, surprisingly grainy. And of course that version still included the infamous CGI figures in the orgy scenes, but my understanding was that was what Kubrick wanted at the time. There isn't a brad transfer on this new blu-ray set. As for the continuing argument over Kubrick aspect ratios, I think it should be a non-issue by now. HD and widescreen TVs and playback devices were not common home-theater features at the time of Kubrick's death. They're ubiquitous now, and I am convinced Kubrick would be appreciative of the wider aspects. Even a moderately priced, properly calibrated home theater system now can approximate the cinema experience, thanks to blu-ray's superior visuals and sound quality. Now the quibbles: 1. If you're going to put out a set that includes nine films from a director who only ever released 12 (not counting the withdrawn "Fear and Desire"), why not just go ahead and do them all? Including "Killer's Kiss," "The Killing" and "Paths of Glory," along with the films here plus the included "Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures" bio would have made for a total of 13 movies, 12 of them stunning and one, the biopic, admirable. Fortunately, though, the re-releases of "Paths of Glory" and "The Killing" were given over to Criterion, which did a GREAT job -- Criterion even included a transfer of "Killer's Kiss" on the release of "The Killing." Thus, at this writing, all of Kubrick's films are available in high definition, which is as it should be. 2. I've read numerous comments here about the packaging, pro and con, and I am going to have to come down on the con side. The cardboard slots for the discs are simply too tight (the opposite of most box sets, where the discs can shift around during shipping). Getting each disc out required a great deal of care. For fear of scratching them over time, I took mine out permanently and stored them in individual aftermarket sleeves. It may look klunky on the shelves, but it protects this investment. 3. I found the "O Lucky Malcolm" documentary to be rather annoying and tiresome. Part of the problem is Malcolm McDowell himself. He's a great actor, no doubt, and Alex in "A Clockwork Orange" is his greatest role. I knew McDowell could be abrasive, and have no problem with that, but in this documentary he comes off as very self-aggrandizing. This was directed by Jan Harlan, Kubrick's brother-in-law and sometimes executive producer. Harlan also directed the "Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures" documentary, which remains part of this box set, and that film truly was moving and magical. Given a choice of a full-length actor bio for this box, I would have gone instead with the mysterious Keir Dullea from "2001" or the elegant James Mason from "Lolita." Again, these are minor objections to this set. I believe Kubrick to be the greatest filmmaker of the cinema's first century. I find I can view his films over and over and over again, finding nuances I had not considered before. It takes greatness to make art to which we are compelled to return, time and again. This set is a document of the man's genius.

"Genius is the fire that lights itself." That could very well describe the mystique of, and the body of work from, Stanley Kubrick, arguably one of the greatest filmakers of the 20th century. This collection represents 9 of his works, from 'Lolita' to 'Eyes wide Shut', released after his sudden death in March 1999. Although other directors have a larger number of films to their credit, it only took 13 directions to go in for Kubrick to cement his legacy in the annals of movie history. From my perspective, two flicks stand out to define his greatness: 'Spartacus' and '2001: a Space Odyssey'. To do something no one else has done before, and for everyone to pull from that influence since, is a testament to his courage and perfectionism. He once demanded an astonishing 75-plus takes for one scene in 'The Shining'. Needless to say, Shelley Duvall was not happy after that week of shooting in the cold. But the actors who were fortunate enough to work on one of his films became major stars because of their apearances, from James Earl Jones in 'Dr. Strangelove', to Malcolm McDowell in 'A Clockwork Orange', to R. Lee Ermey and Vincent D'Onofrio in 'Full Metal Jacket', and Lelee Sobieski in 'Eyes Wide Shut'. Kirk Douglas was so fond of his talent, he made sure he got to work with him twice. The bonus disc "a Life In Pictures" provides a great overview of his legacy.

I have 4 favorite film directors of all time, and Stanley Kubrick is one of them. These 9 films are among the most stylish, visually stunning, intelligent movies ever, and watching them is always a pleasure. This package contains newly restored copies of all of them, and they look great in DVD and/or Blu-Ray. I saw everything from 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY on in theaters when they were first released, so you have an idea of how long I've admired them. And the bonus documentary about the obsessive/compulsive, difficult-but-generous genius who made them is fascinating. Other reviewers here quibble about the physical packaging of the discs, but I don't have a problem with it--if you're careful with them, you'll be fine. They also argue that some of the aspect ratios are wrong, but I wouldn't know about that--they all look fine to me. As for the films themselves--well, we're all going to have favorites and others we don't like so much, and that's true for me. But even my least favorite film here is better than most other movies. Anyone who is seriously interested in the art of moviemaking must see these films. There's never been another director like him--he's one of the artists who caused critics to coin the word "visionary" to describe him. I really recommend this excellent boxed set. (PS: My other 3 fave directors are Hitchcock, Kurosawa, and Lean.) Enjoy!

Stanley Kubrick is often regarded as one the greatest film maker of all time, and his films often share a similar title, as some of the greatest films of all time. Stanley Kubrick is a personal favorite of mine, and I've been waiting for a Blu-Ray collection of his best films for a long while. Here it is: Stanley Kubrick: Limited Edition Collection. I'm not going to review every movie, but the presentation as a whole. This is a nice box set, and a lot of time was put into the making of it. The Blu-Ray disc are presented in cardboard pages in a huge book, along with a 40 page book with back stories, details, and summaries to all of the films included. This all very nice, and luckily I grabbed this as soon as they dropped it down to 60 dollars for one day only. Best 60 dollars I've spent without thinking yet! Though my one negative comment is indeed on the packaging. The book is nice, and I like the flip book idea containing each movie on a separate page. However getting the movies out of these cases are a real pain, and an even more pain if you're a huge movie buff, and you take pride in the condition of things like this. They are packed in so tight, that you are bound to get a smudge on there trying to get out, and maybe even a scratch or two (though on Blu-Ray that doesn't really matter regardless). It's still a pain, but I'm going to go out and buy a separate case for all these Blu-Rays. This is well worth the money, and highly recommended for film buffs and artists.

My son wants to study film in college and asked for this collection for Christmas. We've gone through each movie in order and I'm continually amazed at Kubrick's scope of work throughout the decades. He runs the gambit of period pieces from "Spartacus" to "Barry Lyndon". Each film has it's own perspective and unique vision of the time--"A Clockwork Orange" is a groovy trip to the '60's!! I had forgotten what a masterpiece "2001" was as well. Full Metal Jacket, Lolita,The Shining were all given the Kubrick treatment. A MUST have for anyone interested in his work from the early '60's on up. The closed captioning works well for each film, as does the extras available. The digital restorations are magnificent. "Barry Lyndon" is a visual treat that jumps off the screen. The story might be dull but the scenery sure isn't! Makes a great gift.

If you love Stanley Kubrick's work, I strongly recommend getting this. The seller was great, as well.

Tout est là, la qualité d'image, le son et du grand cinéma. On aurait aimé plus de films, mais ce qui a été choisi est excellent. On peut constaté que cet homme se donnait entièrement dans ses films.

Each film is in great quality and the packaging itself is really nicely put together. Its Kubrick or film lovers dream.

First I want to clarify that the 4 out of 5 star rating was only registered as a protest to the annoying packaging and issues getting access to your wonderful Blu-rays. If not for the hinderance that the packaging causes, this would be an easy 5 out of 5. Granted the collector booklet is also just fluff, and should not be considered a reason for purchase. The wonderfully transfered and fixed up Blu-rays and the genius of Kubrick should be all the reason you need to drop some dough on this set (it is a great price when you consider the quality of the movies you will be getting). They are great and the speacial features are as good as you are going to get. I love the movies but hate booklet style Blu-ray packaging. The interior design utilizing the movies posters and screen grads looks great, it is just the functionality of actually getting to your Blu-rays that frustrates.

Title has it right! This is THE ESSENTIAL SK compendium. From the creepy Orwelian-Esque society of Clockwork Orange to the unhinged gut churning horror of Master Jack's character Johnny in The Shining, you'll keep this one handy for a long time. Arrived on time with no damage !