2001: A Space Odyssey

Ranking the Films of Stanley Kubrick

Ranking the Films of Stanley Kubrick

I’m not sure anything I write about Stanley Kubrick is going to do justice to either his brilliant oeuvre or the thousands upon thousands of scholarly words written about him. All I’ll say is that it’s been a joy to watch (rewatch, for the most part, actually) his films and learn more about his directorial […]

TOP 10: Classics-on-the-Big-Screen Wish List

TOP 10: Classics-on-the-Big-Screen Wish List

I live in an eastern Pennsylvania suburb—not far from Philadelphia or New York, but not close enough that I can jaunt to either city on a whim to check out one of the awesome-sounding events I’m occasionally invited to. It typically doesn’t bother me much. There are two exceptional independent theaters within ten miles, so […]

Barry Lyndon Review

Barry Lyndon Review

RATING: (4 STARS) One would think a three-hour British period drama would be something to endure, rather than enjoy, but Barry Lyndon is damn near a flawless film. Not only that, it’s also endlessly watchable. It’s as well-paced and plotted as any film I can recollect, and director Stanley Kubrick‘s sense of time and place […]

A Clockwork Orange Review

A Clockwork Orange Review

RATING: (4 STARS) It’s hard to watch a film set in the future, especially a dystopian one, and not compare it to A Clockwork Orange, the brutal 1971 movie directed by Stanley Kubrick. That’s because it’s a stunningly directed film, and the world captured by Kubrick is among the most frightening in movie history. It’s […]

Lolita Review

Lolita Review

RATING: (3 STARS) Lolita is a weird movie, even for Stanley Kubrick. The poster for it brilliantly reads “How did they ever make a movie out of Lolita?” It’s a fair question. One can’t help but think it would take a miracle to turn Vladimir Nabokov‘s blistering novel into a movie today—nevermind 1962. But if […]

2010: The Year We Make Contact Review

2010: The Year We Make Contact Review

RATING: (3.5 STARS) It was with great trepidation that I sat down to watch “2010: The Year We Make Contact.” It’s the sequel to my all-time favorite film, 2001: A Space Odyssey, but it’s generally regarded as a massive step back in quality from its predecessor. The argument essentially boils down to director Peter Hyams […]

2001: A Space Odyssey Review

2001: A Space Odyssey Review

RATING: (4 STARS) “2001: A Space Odyssey” is a transcendent experience. Calling it a film is an injustice, for it is so much more than that. It is a thought-provoking piece of art. No film has stuck with me the way this one did the first time I saw it. It’s hypnotic in a way. […]