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Interviewees | Notes | My Summary | My Review
| Interviewee | Profession |
| Malcolm McDowell | Actor |
| Jonathan Pryce | Voice of Kubrick |
| James B. Harris | Producer - The Killing |
| Michael Herr | Author - The Short Timers (Full Metal Jacket) |
| Bryan Singer | Director |
| Matthew Modine | Actor - Full Metal Jacket |
| David Thomson | Novelist and Film Historian |
| Ken Adams | Designer - Strangelove, Barry Lyndon |
| Matthew Modine | Actor - Full Metal Jacket |
| Leonard Rosenman | Composer - Barry Lyndon |
Directed by Paul Joyce
Some of Malcolm's interview footage showed up in The Return of ACO four years later because it was directed by the same person.
Originally aired 6/20/96 on BBC4, running time 51 minutes.
For some reason Lolita and Barry Lyndon are skipped over.
Kubrick quotes taken from Eye, Kubrick by Ciment, Newsweek, New York Times + Soho News
Part One
The documentary opens with Jonathan Pryce
playing Kubrick by reading from old interviews Kubrick gave about cameras,
photography and his early filmmaking. Pictures are shown from his days at Look
Magazine during the late 40s. James B. Harris says what an incredible body of
work Kubrick has and how his films cover so many different topics. Michael Herr
says his films do not age. Scenes are shown from all his films to Thus Spake Zarathusthra.
Bryan Singer says there is no point to making films unless
you are going to show us something special, otherwise just see a play and
Kubrick is
one of the only ones who can do it. Matthew Modine says the good thing about him
is he isn't influenced by pop culture or Hollywood and is searching for the
truth - the underbelly of life. The clip of Moonwatcher from 2001 smashing
the bones is shown.
David Thomson says he breaks the rules by working in England,
being secretive, not being on a schedule and exerts enormous control while not
being in the system. He calls him the Howard Hughes type. Malcolm McDowell says,
"Having dinner with him he'll start eating stewed pears or something when
you are just have the meat. He'll take a piece of pork, piece of ham, piece of
cream cake or something else and I ask, 'Why are you...?' 'It's just food. This
is how Napoleon ate.' And I went Uh, oh! Uh, oh! We don't have to call you
Bonaparte though do we?"
The is the first show to tackle a Kubrick
documentary and it does a good job of getting a hold of people that really knew
and worked with Kubrick. It also features some rare footage of the making of
2001 and Fear and Desire. The only thing is it seems like the director wants to
paint Kubrick in a bad light. He centers on all the comments that are negative
about Kubrick like that he doesn't go out, doesn't do interviews, is a
meglomaniac, is cold etc. It is one thing to let people speak their minds, it is
another to edit comments together as to make him look bad. After all, he was a
regular guy and a film maker. It doesn't really matter in the end if he made the
orchestra do 105 takes of a song for Barry Lyndon. The end result is something
spectacular. I don't really care if he was like that because he was a good
person, a loving husband and family man who never got involved in any kind of
scandal, affairs or any personal nonsense. Look at that old pervert Woody Allen
who runs off with his adopted daughter and there are very few people willing to
call him despicable. There is a disgraceful person, but because he makes films
most people overlook it and line up to work with him even though most everything
he has done for a long time has been forgettable. Kubrick's films are still
being talked about everyday.
This is a great special for ACO fans because ACO
seems to have gotten the bulk of the discussion. Malcolm is interviewed more
than anyone especially with Lolita and Barry Lyndon skipped, Spartacus
glossed over and Eyes Wide Shut hadn't been made yet. This attests to the power of
the film even with the fact that this was when The Ban was still in effect in
the UK. This is the bad thing about this documentary. It is too short, not
everything is covered in depth and there seems to be a hidden agenda of
slighting Kubrick a bit. I think this is because they couldn't get to talk to
the man himself. If he won't defend himself, then they are saying too bad. I
respect Kubrick for not wanting to stick his face in the media. I am quite bored
with the stars who constantly have to get out there and give their worthless
opinions all the time and they end up sounding like nitwits. Kubrick was the
smart one as people are more drawn to the mystery.
Malcolm expands on stories more than he usually does here and
even though he is shown sitting down from the waist up he is pretty animated. It
seems like he is sitting on a stool in an empty room. The background is a weird
combination of like colors - shades of orange and yellow. He has shorter hair
than usual and a very light beard.
Even though Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures
was made five years later was
officially done by Kubrick's family and was much longer and better, there is ten
times more Malcolm here. For some reason Malcolm only has one scene in ALIP and
in this he is seen numerous times throughout. If you are looking for the
special with the most ACO then go with this one. If you want the best look at
Kubrick then of course go with ALIP which does have many great behind the scenes
pictures, but not enough interviews as only Malcolm is interviewed.
Rating 9/10
This page © 2002-08 Alex D. Thrawn for www.MalcolmMcDowell.net