BEST STANLEY KUBRICK MOVIES
“Paths of Glory” (1957): A World War I commander (Kirk Douglas) defends his troops against a general who accuses them of dishonorable conduct in the movie that put director Kubrick on the map with many critics.
“Spartacus” (1960): Title star Kirk Douglas — who also produced the film — reunited with Kubrick by hiring him to direct this Roman-gladiator epic, on which Douglas famously also took a stand by giving blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo full credit for his work. The picture’s four Oscar wins included one for co-star Peter Ustinov.
“Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” (1964): One of the most legendary of all movie satires, this dark comedy puts the fate of the world in the hands of some questionable leaders ... with nuclear war an imminent threat. Peter Sellers plays multiple roles, but one of the film’s most unforgettable images belongs to veteran character actor Slim Pickens.
“2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968): A movie so singular and famous that Kubrick’s name immediately comes to mind when it’s mentioned, this sci-fi milestone examines the battle of wills between two astronauts (Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood) and the computer that runs the spaceship they’re aboard. The juxtaposition of futuristic sights and classical music is ingenious. Turner Classic Movies shows the picture Thursday, Feb. 1, as part of its series “The Power of Film.”
“A Clockwork Orange” (1971): Kubrick went back to the future in a much different way with this memorable adaptation of Anthony Burgess’ novel, with Malcolm McDowell as Alex, a gang leader who undergoes a brutal rehabilitation to cure him of his penchant for “the old ultra-violence.”
“Barry Lyndon” (1975): Ryan O’Neal had the title role in Kubrick’s costume drama about an 18th-century Irishman who tries to assume the power and high social standing of his love’s (Marisa Berenson) late husband.
“The Shining” (1980): Kubrick brought the Stephen King best seller to the screen, with a perfectly eerie Jack Nicholson as the new caretaker of a snowed-in inn where he terrorizes his wife (Shelley Duvall) while their young son (Danny Lloyd) displays clairvoyant tendencies.
“Full Metal Jacket” (1987): The notable cast of Kubrick’s Vietnam War saga includes actual Marine Corps veteran R. Lee Ermey, quite unforgettable as the extremely demanding commander of new recruits.
“Eyes Wide Shut” (1999): In Kubrick’s last film, then-spouses Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman play a couple who explore their romantic fantasies ... which seem to leap from their imaginations into their real lives.