Stars: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, Matthew Modine, Adam Baldwin, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, James Mason, Shelley Winters, Sue Lyon, Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise, Madison Eginton, Marisa Berenson, Ryan O'Neal, Malcolm McDowell, Patrick Magee, Peter Sellers, George C. Scott

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Summary: In '2001 Space Odyssey' a highly evolved civilisation sets up mysterious monolithic objects in space. In 'Full Metal Jacket' a marine experiences an extra-tough boot camp. A man takes his family to a hotel for the winter in 'The Shining'. 'Lolita' finds a middle-aged man falling for his landlady's daughter. In 'Eyes Wide Shut' a man discovers that his wife almost cheated on him. In 'Barry Lyndon' an 18th Century rogue seeks success. In 'Clockwork Orange' a gang of teenagers go on the rampage beating and raping helpless victims. In 'Dr Strangelove' a crazy American General unleashes a nuclear strike force against Russia.

This boxed set represents a full selection of master director Stanley Kubrick's greatest and most famous films, from his early days to his final movie. The collection includes: LOLITA (1962), DR. STRANGELOVE (1964). 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968), A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971), BARRY LYNDON (1975), THE SHINING (1980), FULL METAL JACKET (1987), and EYES WIDE SHUT (1999). See individual titles for descriptions and technical details.
The release also features the documentary STANLEY KUBRICK: A LIFE IN PICTURES, a vastly entertaining look at Kubrick, made by the people who loved him most and knew him best. Jan Harlan, who worked with Kubrick for more than 30 years, put the film together with the help of his widow, Christiane Kubrick, so it includes fabulous home movies of Kubrick as a young boy, as well as shots of the photographs he took when he worked for Look magazine before beginning his stellar film career. The film examines each of Kubrick's films, from the early short DAY OF THE FIGHT and FEAR AND DESIRE through FULL METAL JACKET and EYES WIDE SHUT, interviewing people associated with each project. Harlan also sheds light on some of Kubrick's unfinished works, including ARYAN PAPERS, NAPOLEON, and A.I., which Kubrick wanted Steven Spielberg to direct--and after Stanley's death, Spielberg did indeed make the film, with Harlan serving as a producer. Clips are shown from each film, along with behind-the-scenes footage, both as stills and live action, showing Kubrick on the job, illuminating his work process and revealing him to be more of a much-loved friend and colleague than a reclusive tyrant.

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One of a series of revisionist Vietnam cinema released in the late 1980s, Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacketis essentially split into two stories linked by a number of characters. The film follows new recruit Joker (Matthew Modine) and his fellow soldiers through their basic training and into combat in Vietnam. The first half is a chilling portrayal of military brutality and de-humanisation, mainly at the hands of Sgt Hartman (played at a level of staggering intensity by ex-Marine Lee Ermey), that centres around the tragic character of Private Pyle, a young man pushed to the edge of his endurance. The tone of the film is no less harsh when transported to the combat zone as we see the results of the training process in action: the young men turned into unquestioning killing machines. Joker is perhaps the one exception, a soldier with "Born to Kill" written on his helmet who also sports a peace sign on his lapel. But the film finds itself caught in the trap of many of the war movies of the time--how to create audience empathy with characters who are essentially in the wrong. It's a dilemma that Full Metal Jacketnever really solves, although as a spectacle the film is a masterpiece. Made in the days before CGI became the norm, the battle sequences--filmed, rather bizarrely, in London's Docklands before its redevelopment--are hugely realistic and are perhaps the key moments of the movie, heightening the disorientation and fear felt by the soldiers. By offering no more than a snapshot of the Vietnam conflict (the action deals with one individual skirmish), Kubrick cleverly leaves any judgement on the war to the audience, although clearly attempting to influence them. The fate of the characters who survive is also left in the balance, but we can perhaps imagine what awaits them.

On the DVD:Part of a series of Kubrick DVD reissues, Full Metal Jackethas been treated to the full remastering and restoration treatment. The battle sequences have benefited the most, gaining a new audio and visual crispness and clarity that adds to their already impressive sense of realism--you can almost feel the heat searing from the screen and the explosions detonating around you. Maybe not the best war film ever made, as some may claim, but certainly one to take you right to the heart of the action. --Phil Udell

Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Scene Selection, Interactive Menus
Year:	1962
Release Date:	September 10, 2001
Runtime:	999 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	D 025848
Keywords:	Collection, New, Comedy, Box, General, Fiction, Set, Science, Stanley, Drama, Horror, Occult, Sci, Fi, Kubrick
Genre:	Drama