Although he only made 13 features, he could be Stanley Kubrick best director. Because what Kubrick lacks in quantity, he makes up for in quality. Apparently, every film Kubrick made demonstrated a complete mastery of a genre, which allowed him to move on to the next film and do it all over again. Want a great comedy? Here it is Dr. Strangelove. The perfect sci-fi movie? Here it is 2001: A Space Odyssey. The perfect horror movie? Here it is The Shining. And continue.
Kubrick likes every film in his collection, even some lesser-known ones Killer or Killer’s Kissworth owning, and now you can with one of the most breathtaking physical media collections we’ve ever seen. Criterion has just announced The Complete Kubrick , a 13-film, 30-disc (you read that right) collection that is probably the most comprehensive monument to the director’s work yet. It even has its own trailer. Here it is.
Now, as we mentioned in the title, the downside here is that the kit retails for $600. Which is obviously a lot. Still, that works out to just under $50 per movie, which is about what Criterion’s disc is going for these days, especially in 4K. So really, it’s not terrible. Moreover, even pre-order the set now reduces the cost by $100. And at $500, it’s a steal.
So what exactly is in this kit? Yes, here it is, as in the press release, a partial summary.
- 4K restorations of thirteen of Kubrick’s features and three shorts, with their original soundtracks, restored and remastered, along with 5.1 mixes.
- Over twenty-five hours of interviews, documentaries and behind-the-scenes footage
- Kubrick’s international version The Shining
- A new 4K restoration of Vivian Kubrick’s behind-the-scenes documentary To make “The Shining”.
- Filmmaker Lee Unkrich (editor of the book Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining) and author Michael Benson (A Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke, and the Making of a Masterpiece)
- Rare films that inspired special effects from Graphic Films and computer-animation pioneer John Whitney 2001: A Space Odyssey
- Invisible Lolita screen tests with actors James Mason and Sue Lyon and rare Full Metal Jacket behind the scenes footage
- A newly recorded conversation with novelist Jonathan Lethem and film historian Kevin Wynter on Kubrick and authorship
- Essay by author and critic Nathaniel Rich
- Deluxe packaging illustrated with rare photographs, artwork and documents annotated by Kubrick himself, housed in a single box inspired by the director’s legendary archive
The Complete Kubrick will be released on October 20, and for more information on the set, visit this site. Are you in a hurry to order?
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