Customer Reviews:
A must for me..but perhaps you should wait for HD DVD versions........2007-09-11
Kubrick was a technical perfectionist, one who never forgot that always movies are at first a visual craft.
I doubt if he considered future television presentations of his movies, as he was well aware of the coming widescreen HD television and that exactly when it would be in place was very uncertain.
I first viewed HD t.v.'s for sale in Japanese department stores, when my Japanese wife, in an over-reaction, most appropriate for Japanese, wanted to replace overnight all of her televisons with HD t.v. sets. This was in 1993!!!
if you are a Kubrick affectionario, and value image quality as very important, as it should be for Kubrick's masterpieces, then please reflect on the following:
resolution WILL degrade when these non-anamorphic negatives are blown up for widescreen t.v.'s.
Proper presentation would be matted, as Kurbrick most certainly would have probably desired, to match the original theatrical presentation WITH NO 16X9!
However, this is a marketing no no, and Kubrick was well aware of both this and the visual degradation that would occur if released 16x9 with VGA resolution. You want bigger, so then accept the price. Hopefully with HD, we get it all. However, so far with every new digital "improvement" aesthetic quality has been compromised...such as downloadable music has very sloppy sound, but it can be marketed. Theoretically, it is possible that these DVD's will be better in some ways then when they are released on HD DVD's. We are living in a world of trade offs where marketing rules. Those with patience usually do the best.
Yes, with the proper matted version, you will have to sit closer to your tube monitor, (still the best viewing quality), to watch the restored, properly matted movies at maximum resolution, or instead, please wait until the HD DVD editions.
For an example of the degradation that will occur, see the current widescreen DVD of Full Metal Jacket.
Logic would be to wait one or two years for this set to be released on HD DVD. If you can't, then using a step up converter DVD player via a HMID connection to a HD television, probably will lessen the degradation to an acceptabele level. However..if you value highly the visual quality, you will toss away these VGA's soon for the HD DVD copies. Myself...I do not plan to move on to HD. Only to retain my personal library of approximately 1,000 DVD's, (which I will prune to 700), and step up my VGA to HD using my three DVD players (for back up so I can play them for at least 10 years from now). Therefore..I will be buying all of these new versions, with the proper matting, and have acceptable minimal resolution degradation. In the future, I will begin building a library of HD DVD's but only for new movies and for new releases of "old" movies which are better on HD. Many may not be better, or as good. HD may be "too good" for early 4:3 black and white movies which thrive on grain. The future may not bode well for Kubricks early masterpieces, or for almost all pre 1954 movies.
Just To Clarify. . ........2007-09-10
Stanley Kubrick is undoubtedly a master filmaker, and this new set of his films is certainly long overdue, even if some of his best films (Dr. Strangelove, Barry Lyndon, Lolita) are not included. However, just to clarify for some of the "HD widescreen purists" who have been disapointed in the full frame versions of some of the films (eg The Shining, Full Metal Jacket), Stanley Kubrick intended them to be released for home viewing in that format. Rather than traditionally shooting those films in widescreen, then chopping off the sides for the home release, Kubrick shot those particular films in a standard aspect ratio, then removed the top and bottom of the frames to create a widescreen ratio for the theatrical exhibition. Then, for the home version, he reinserted the additional parts of the frame. So the full screen versions of Full Metal Jacket and The Shining actually show more of the image and were Kubrick's intended versions. However, most people are unaware of this fact. If Kubrick wanted the films to be released in the larger full frame, did Warner Bros. disregard his wishes when producing this set, or has the Kubrick family approved the move? Regardless of the aspect ratios, this set will still benefit from the inclusion of numerous special features and the anamorphic version of A Clockwork Orange, which was previously only available in a nonanamorphic widescreen version.
16 x 9 for (mostly) full frame films?.......2007-08-29
This is in response to another review here. With the exception of 2001 and Clockwork Orange (which was 1.66:1 I think) none of these films were shot in widescreen in the first place. All of his last three films were shot full frame/ academy ratio and masked for cinema presentations. So what we've been seeing on video is actually the whole of what was shot at the time of production and exactly what Kubrick wanted people to see, knowing that the films would often be viewed on standard televisions.
Eyes Wide Shut????.......2007-08-25
Does anyone know if Eyes Wide Shut will be released the way Kubrick intended it to be? I would love to see his real vision of the film. To bad Paths of Glory didn't make the cut.
About time... but.......2007-08-21
OK-- I don't own this fine-looking collection, but I want to echo the sentiment that it's about time that some of these titles are at last released in their original widescreen presentation. (I also agree that the tags "16:9" or "anamorphic" are essential on DVD product descriptors.)
But, please... release these puppies individually! I'm not a huge "Shining" fan, but I've jonesed for a widescreen "Full Metal Jacket" ever since I bought my first DVD player. Let me buy it!!!
Thanks for listening.
Amazon.com
With the 1957 release of Paths of Glory, Stanley Kubrick confirmed his early promise and joined the ranks of world-class filmmakers. The age of the auteur had arrived, and Kubrick was a prime candidate for inclusion in the pantheon of directors later canonized by critic Andrew Sarris in his influential book The American Cinema. Ironically, this was also the period during which Kubrick left his native soil for permanent residence in England, and from that point forward, the Kubrick mystique inflated to legendary proportions. But if Kubrick was no longer bringing himself to the world, he was certainly bringing the world to his films. From the comfort of his rural England estate and locations never far from London, Kubrick would command cinematic odysseys to isolated Colorado (in The Shining), battle-ravaged Vietnam (Full Metal Jacket), upscale New York City (Eyes Wide Shut), and, of course, Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite (in 2001: A Space Odyssey).
The New Stanley Kubrick Collection includes all eight of Kubrick's films from Lolita on--a quarter-century of brilliant, challenging cinema. This second edition adds Eyes Wide Shut to the previous collection and remastered sound on five of the films plus a new anamorphic edition of 2001. Purists have complained that Kubrick's last three films have been released in full-screen format only; this was in compliance with Kubrick's wishes, and the films do not suffer unduly from full-screen formatting. This set also features a new full-length documentary made by longtime Kubrick assistant Jan Harlan, Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures. The diversity of Kubrick's work is truly astonishing, even though the director's technical precision and steely perspective on humanity may strike uninitiated viewers as cold and even misanthropic. His films almost always received mixed (and sometimes scathingly negative) reviews upon their release, only to benefit from glowing reassessment as they grew entrenched in the public consciousness. Here, in all their glory, are the collected films of a genuine master, ripe for study and appreciation for many years to come. --Jeff Shannon
Description
The new Stanley Kubrick Collection includes eight of the great director's masterpieces in stunning all-new digital transfers, restored picture and new digital audio. Titles include: 2001: A Space Odyssey, Barry Lyndon, A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacke
Customer Reviews:
Realize that a new Kubrick boxed set is due October 2007.......2007-08-02
On October 23, 2007 Warner Home Video will be launching a new "Stanley Kubrick Collection". Included are brand new versions of:
2001: A Space Odyssey - Special Edition (2-disc)
A Clockwork Orange: Special Edition (2-disc)
Eyes Wide Shut: Special Edition (2-disc)
Full Metal Jacket: Deluxe Edition
The Shining: Special Edition (2-disc)
All titles have been restored and remastered and will offer both archive and new bonus features. The documentary "Stanley Kubrick: A Life In Pictures" will also be included in this set. Apparently missing from this set, but also being released in new versions individually on October 23, are Lolita and Barry Lyndon. Eyes Wide Shut will include both the rated and unrated versions. No new release of Dr. Strangelove is planned. The new boxed set will retail at eighty dollars. All titles contained in the boxed set will be available separately including the documentary.
Great Documentary.......2006-03-18
The documentary about Stanley Kubrick included in this collection ("Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures") makes it worth having. A truly great collection of movies, perfect for a Kubrick enthusiast looking to establish their DVD collection, or for people unsure about Kubrick to make them fans!
A box set featuring the films of the world's greatest director.......2005-07-03
The Stanley Kubrick Collection features 9 amazing DVD's, eight of them films. The films include Lolita, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, the documentary Stanley Kubrick: A Life In Pictures and more.
First of all, the sound/picture quality is amazing. If improves vastly over the sound/picture quality over the original, now out-of-print Stanley Kubrick Collection from 1999.
Also, the films are brilliant, except the vastly overrated A Clockwork Orange. For my review on this film, visit A Clockwork Orange on amazon.com
Every Kubrick fan should own this item!
The master of his domain.......2005-07-03
"Genius is the fire that lights itself." That could very well describe the mystique of, and the body of work from, Stanley Kubrick, arguably one of the greatest filmakers of the 20th century. This collection represents 8 of his works, from 'Lolita' to 'Eyes wide Shut', released after his sudden death in March 1999. Although other directors have a larger number of films to their credit, it only took 13 directions to go in for Kubrick to cement his legacy in the annals of movie history. From my perspective, two flicks stand out to define his greatness: 'Spartacus' (not included in this collection) and '2001: a Space Odyssey'. To do something no one else has done before, and for everyone to pull from that influence since, is a testament to his courage and perfectionism. He is listed in the Guiness book Of World Records as the director who demanded an astonishing 600-plus takes for one scene in 'The Shining'. Needless to say, Shelley Duvall was not happy after that week of shooting in the cold. But the actors who were fortunate enough to work on one of his films became major stars because of their apearances, from James Earl Jones in 'Dr. Strangelove', to Malcolm McDowell in 'A Clockwork Orange', to R. Lee Ermey and Vincent D'Onofrio in 'Full Metal Jacket', and Lelee Sobieski in 'Eyes Wide Shut'. Kirk Douglas was so fond of his talent, he made sure he got to work with him three times.
This is an excellent overview of a master artisan. Purchasing this along with the Criterion Collection version of 'Spartacus' will give you viewing enjoyment that will last a lifetime. Also check out 'A.I.: Artifical Intelligence', a Steven Spielberg product that was based on a screenplay given to him by Kubrick from ideas written in the books by Isaac Asimov. It was the last script Kubrick never finished making a movie of.
Much better set.......2005-05-30
Includes a couple more films and Vivian's feature-length documentary Stanley Kubrick: A Life In Pictures. One look at this set may be as a cash generator (after all, WB already released a Kubrick collection), but second look is Kubrick's artifact, an in-depth, beautifully remastered, feature-packed set. At last, gone are the days of Kubrick rolling in his grave from the original clunker set. He can now rest in peace, as his films are now preserved at highest imaginable quality with immersive 5.1 surround. Bless you, Vivian.
2001 was the only film in the original set to get the 5.1 treatment. Now, four other films (Barry Lyndon, A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, and Full Metal Jacket) have been touched by the magic wand, and given a massive makeover, including-- you guessed it-- 5.1 surround. The features on the separate discs are essentially the same as the original set (we still get Vivian's Making of The Shining documentary, only with a restoration job done), but the real highlight is A Life In Pictures. After only seeing three of his films (2001, A Clockwork Orange, and Shining), I must agree that Kubrick is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, director(s) that ever lived.
Now WB has listened to the wailing Kubrick estate, and given his films the respect they deserve. Avoid the original clunker. Buy this one.
P.S. The films that are in fullscreen were shot that way, and the original aspect ratio is preserved according to Kubrick's wishes. So stop complaining about it!
Average customer rating:
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Full Metal Jacket / The Shining (2 Pack)
Starring:
Adam Baldwin ,
Bruce Boa ,
Tim Colceri ,
Vincent D'Onofrio , and
Peter Edmund
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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D'Onofrio, Vincent
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Ermey, R Lee
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Harewood, Dorian
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Howard, Arliss
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Lopez, Sal
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Modine, Matthew
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All Titles
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ASIN: B0000TPA42
Release Date: 2003-11-18 |
DVD:
- Wedding in White
- Weight Training Fitness and Conditioning for Kids
- Winning Traditional Tournament Karate Vol 1 - By Paul Goodshaw
- Women in Cellblock 7
- Workout & Stretching Martial Arts-D
- {5 DVD ACTION SET} HOSTILE INTENT (ROB LOWE) / STEEL SHARKS (GARY BUSEY) / COLD VENGEANCE (CHRISTINA COX) / THE CODE CONSPIRACY (JIM FITZPATICK) DAYLIGHT "COLLECTOR'S EDITION" (SYLVESTER STALLONE)
- Above the Law/Hard to Kill
- Acrobatic Kicks-D
- Act of War/Last Marshal
- Aiki-do Volume 1- by Sam Combes
DVD
DVD
Twin Peaks - The Definitive Gold Box Edition (Seasons 1 & 2, Pilot)
Days of Heaven - Criterion Collection
Barry Lyndon
Caligula (Three-Disc Imperial Edition)
Lolita
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