Kubrick's The Shining in 30 seconds - and re-enacted by bunnies

[Kevin Loy]

I know this is an unpopular view, but...the more that I see of Kubrick's work, the less impressed that I am with it. It just comes off (for me, at least) as a film-maker constantly vying for elitism, like somebody who tries to proclaim intellectual superiority and talk down to others without realizing how foolish they look doing it. I do still like 2001 (since it is mostly silent) and Paths of Glory (it is the one Kubrick film that I have seen where the people don't seem like they could be replaced by cardboard cut-outs without you caring), but I just can't buy intellectualism for intellectualism's sake anymore, and that's all that most of the Kubrick films that I have seen have to offer. Even a person as highly intelligent as Welles didn't make such astutely stuffy, mechanical films...

[Tony]

Kevin: Killer's Kiss, The Killing, Spartacus, Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, A Clockwork Orange and Barry Lyndon all have human characters. It's from The Shining on that Kubrick gets really cold, at least for me. Oddly enough, The Shining was one of his most successful pictures at the box office, as was 2001, so go figure!

[Kevin Loy]

Tony,

I do intend to check out "The Killing" someday, since Timothy Carey is one of my favorite actors...but I can live without ever seeing most of Kubrick's other films again (though "Paths of Glory" is the one Kubrick film that I can say I like without any reservations [I do have a few reservations about "2001"]).

[Terry]

The Killing is most impressive and quite intense. Do check it out.