Editorial Reviews:
Book Description
Stanley Kubrick The first book to explore Stanley Kubrick’s archives is also the most comprehensive study of the filmmaker to date Part 1: The films
In 1968, when Stanley Kubrick was asked to comment on the metaphysical significance of 2001: A Space Odyssey, he replied: "It’s not a message I ever intended to convey in words. 2001 is a nonverbal experience…. I tried to create a visual experience, one that bypasses verbalized pigeonholing and directly penetrates the subconscious with an emotional and philosophic content." The philosophy behind Part I borrows from this line of thinking: from the opening sequence of Killer’s Kiss to the final frames of Eyes Wide Shut, Kubrick’s complete films will be presented chronologically and wordlessly via frame enlargements. A completely nonverbal experience. Part 2: The Creative Process
Divided into chapters chronologically by film, Part 2 brings to life the creative process of Kubrick’s filmmaking by presenting a remarkable collection of material from his archives, including photographs, props, posters, artwork, set designs, sketches, correspondence, documents, screenplays, drafts, notes, and shooting schedules. Accompanying the visual material are essays by noted Kubrick scholars, articles written by and about Kubrick, and a selection of Kubrick’s best interviews. |
Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
 A fitting tribute, Aug 12, 2023
An incredible book. Not one to be taken in at one sitting, but one to be delved into when the need for inspiration arises. The first half is nothing more than his movies told through frame blow ups. The second half, however, is truly amazing...each film is studied and discussed by Kubrick and his many luminaries. The details of the book have been discussed in other reviews but suffice to say that you won't believe your eyes. Buy it...before the first print run sells out and with it the piece of original 2001 film stock. And considering I purchased it from Amazon and saved over A$220 on the price Down Under it is truly a bargain.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Only for the movie buff., Aug 10, 2023
The Stanley Kubrick Archives is not just a book, its a work of art. Hope you get a good strip of film, put it on a pedestal, and enjoy it's presence. (You may want to read it too!)
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Thanks for the Memories, Aug 7, 2023
"The Stanley Kubrick Archives" is big, heavy, full of stunning images from the master's work and insight into his creative process. Maybe not as in-depth as the works of Ciment and Walker, but it's not meant to be. Like his films, "The Stanley Kubrick Archives" is a visual experience that generates an emotional response from the reader. Opening this book brought back memories of the first time I saw 2001 with my dad in the summer of 1969. I was nine years old and Apollo 11 was on it's way to the moon. I didn't understand its meaning, but this did not prevent me from crying when HAL was being disconnected or from setting in quiet awe during the `Stargate' sequence. I had never seen anything like it, before or since. How many of us saw "A Clockwork Orange" at a college party and then tried to have a round table discussion of it's themes after ingesting to many adult beverages? This book will bring memories like those back to life.
Buy it now before the first printing is sold out. You will receive a 70 mm film strip of "2001: a Space Odyssey" once owned by Stanley Kubrick himself. The image I received was that of Bowman and Poole in the space pod discussing disconnecting HAL. This alone is worth the price of the book. Don't worry about the image you receive. Is there a frame from this great masterpiece that is not worth owning?
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Learn to Stop Worrying and Love the Master, Jul 29, 2023
Auteur is a word used all too loosely among filmmakers these days, but if ever one, single artist personified the term, it was the late Stanley Kubrick. Love him or hate him, it's hard to be ambivalent about anything from the director of such seminal films as "2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY" and "A CLOCKWORK ORANGE". Kubrick was anything BUT a hack, driven by a painstaking, meticulous, and obsessive need for complete creative control. As such, the amount of literature out there on Kubrick's life and work is almost too numerous to count; "STANLEY KUBRICK: A LIFE IN PICTURES", "KUBRICK" by Michael Ciment, and "KUBRICK: INSIDE A FILM ARTIST'S MAZE" are examples with the most merit.
Yet Taschen's newly released THE STANLEY KUBRICK ARCHIVES has done the unthinkable: it provides readers with a truly worthy companion piece to the filmmaker's work, matching their skill, mastery, and extraordinary design. This is no mere coffee table book, but a resource as BIG as a coffee table -- prepare to lose some blood circulation in your legs if your unfold the thing upon your lap.
The book is broken into different sections: First is a purely visual experience, with still frame film blowups of key moments through all of Kubrick's films. Another section chronicles the behind the scenes of each picture, including interviews with the director and those who knew him best. Also featured is material covering the "lost" Kubrick projects, from NAPOLEON (which, having read the screenplay, could very well have been the director's film for the ages), to WARTIME LIES, and finally A.I.
If this wasn't enough, a bomus CD, featuring a 1966 interview with the director, along with a 12-frame clip from Kubrick's personal 70mm print of 2001, accompany the book.
Though the $200 pricetag seems steep, when you consider that most film books range from $25-$35 apiece, this mammoth archive is actually quite a steal. I've never seen anything like it, and doubt I ever will.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
THE book of motion picture books., Jul 19, 2023
After learning about the Kubrick Archives book and its hefty price, I realized that it was something one should seriously consider adding to one's library if one enjoys the cinema - or at least learning more about the huge volume. With Amazon's great price on this $200 retail tome, I ordered a copy and was overwhelmed at the book's scope as well as the quality of the printing and binding - and size. One has heard of coffee table books. Well, this volume is so large and heavy, it should come with its own piece of furniture to hold it! Simply beyond compare in it coverage of all of Kubrick's wonderful body of work, I was also treated to find a CD in the book which contains an early interview. I also was elated with receiving piece of 70mm motion picture film from "2001." My strip shows the Discovery interplanetary spaceship and one of the EV modules. I suggest that anyone who is a serious Kubrick fan to consider purchase of this most beautiful work. The countless photographs and in-depth articles go on and on. Yes, I am happy with my purchase.
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