This is one of Kubrick’s three or four masterpieces (Spartacus is NOT one of them), and deserves the C treatment.
That being said, I wish a director with no US distribution had received the slot.
Ahhhh good. I searched for this film and noticed it hasn’t got a proper release.
Spartacus is awesome, Kubrick has more than 4 masterpieces imo
Considering that there are countless prominent filmmakers who all claim that different films of Kubrick’s are cinematic monuments, most of his work leans closer to masterpiece than not masterpiece.
Paths of Glory is great, though I agree with House of Leaves that it would be cool if Criterion used the slot for something that we currently can’t get our hands on here in the United States (cough Je’Taime Je’Taime cough.) But I also think they release enough lesser known films to throw in some seminal classics as well. Plus it’s clearly a wiser business decision to release something that will satisfy both art-house fans and fans of less obscure films alike, instead of releasing some unheard of movie that 200 kids on the internet claim to be the cinematic piece de resistance. After all, the companies mission statement is to release “important classic and contemporary films” (for a profit) regardless of if they are already available for purchase elsewhere. As long as they release things like this they’ll have more monetary leverage to continue providing us with the esoteric gems. With that being said I wish there were more interesting features on this Paths of Glory DVD than there seem to be. I would love to see Criterion release a fully realized retrospective of his career that blows the Life in Pictures piece out of the water. Being that there are tons of books written on the man, I’m sure there would be a market for such a documentary.
Yes, most of his films are very good. The only one I don’t care for is Lolita, though I’ve been told I need to get my head screwed on straight for that. Oh, and Spartacus, which I don’t like in the least.
My take on his masterpieces:
Paths of Glory
Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
2001: A Space Odyssey
Eyes Wide Shut
Very excited, though I really need someone to give me a Barry Lyndon blu ray soon.
oh and Spartacus is probably my least favorite from Kubrick. It fits in with some of his much older work. Paths of Glory and everything after Spartacus I’m in love with.
I thought that Full Metal Jacket was pretty good as well. I think that you can divide Kubrick into 2 categories; B&W and Color. In my eyes, The Killing, Dr. Strangelove and Paths of Glory are all on the same par. And then you have Full Metal Jacket, A Clockwork Orange, 2001 and Barry Lyndon, which seem to me like a completely different style altogether.
I mean, sure, the his technique is still the same and as good throughout all of his work, but when Kubrick is able to work with color he can do completely AMAZING things. It’s difficult to compare, say, The Killing to A Clockwork Orange.
Sorry if I didn’t make any sense :((
@ Roger Hyan: I thought the “Life in Pictures” doc was pretty decent for a box set addendum. What I can’t figure out is why “Paths of Glory” and “The Killing” weren’t included in the box set, which I think would have upped the unit sales. With that said, hopefully, as you suggest, we will see an even more in-depth doc on Kubric in the future, and perhaps a Criterion release of “The Killing” as well, which inspired so many filmmakers including Tarantino.
And when is Criterion going to get its hands on The Decalogue? That will be a day worth celebrating if that ever gets the treatment.
@ Lester
No disrespect to Kubrick’s “Life in Pictures” because it definitely quality. I just think Criterion has the resources to make one that would blow all others out of the water.
well the critics agree with me
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1019544-spartacus/
Spartacus is unbelievable, Gladiator is just a cheap knockoff
Spartacus is a good film, but, due to the circumstances surrounding the making of the film, it’s the least Kubrickian of Kubrick’s films.
Oh, if only they would put out five or ten versions of all of Kubrick’s works with different covers! In fact, wouldn’t it be awesome if they put out nothing but Kubrick’s films for the rest of the year? We’ll start with ten or so versions of A Clockwork Orange, including the special orange edition with an orange-skin cover and then…
Sorry, it’s bedtime and i’m getting edgy.
-What I can’t figure out is why “Paths of Glory” and “The Killing” weren’t included in the box set-
Different studios.
-That being said, I wish a director with no US distribution had received the slot.-
Hard to pass up the revenue stream this is sure to be, though. The optimistic way of looking at this is to say this is going to be a huge success for Criterion which will allow them to do more films with less commercial potential in the future.
Since MGM is selling their library, I wonder if Criterion would also pick up Killer’s Kiss and The Killing? They both may not be on par with Paths of Glory, Dr. Strangelove, 2001, or even The Shining, and they may not be as ambitious as Lolita, Barry Lyndon, or Full Metal Jacket, but they are entertaining very well made movies that hint at Kubrick’s future talent.
I could just imagine a package of Killer’s Kiss that included his New York photography work, and his early newsreels. Also some nice commentary on how its style influenced many future filmmakers, I don’t know how many movies I’ve seen that has referenced the mannequin scene.
A double-disc set of both Killer’s Kiss and The Killing would be awesome
It could be called “Stanely Kubrick’s ‘KILLER’ Box-Set!”
Good one RAYSQUIRREL!
I think its fairly safe to assume that if they are releasing PATHS OF GLORY, they also will do THE KILLING sooner or later as well, and maybe LOLITA, although maybe Warner has the right to that, I don’t know. I have also always envisioned that they would pair it on a double disc with KILLERS KISS and some extras on his New York photography days and early filmmaking days, maybe with his earliest documentaries as well. KILLERS KISS is too short to release on its own, it seems the obvious thing to do to pair them together.
A Killer Box-Set indeed!!!
A name for such a set that would be more apropos for Criterion would probably be:
“Two ‘KILLER’ Films by Stanely Kubrick”
The phrasing is more elegant and less obvious.
Good one
Can’t wait to see this one. I haven’t seen much early Kubrick besides Spartacus.
Dammit I just bought it for 4 bucks at this dying video store..
“Paths of Glory” is indeed his first masterpiece. Looking at it today it’s easy to see intimations of what was to come — especially as regards the incredibly crisp cinematogaphy and amazing tracking shots.
A friend recently gave me a dub of “Fear and Desire.” The vusual quality was hardly firs rate, but hey — it’s “Fear and Desire”!
I can’t comprehend why Kubrick thought so little of it. True he would have made a better film had he the money, but this very low-budget war allegory is comparable to Kurosawa and Jansco. And Paul Mazusky gives a really great performance in it. The Eastman House has a print with orders from the Kubrick estate not to show it. That’s a real shame.
If they also do “Killer’s Kiss” and “The Killing” I will die. The MGM DVDs of his first three features are HORRIBLE.
Now, if they do Lolita and Barry Lyndon at some point, I will MEGA DIE. I will die so hard that it will count as two deaths. I love all of the 2007 special editions, and the 40th anniversary Dr. Strangelove is great too. Round it out by giving good treatment to his other 5 (well, 4 now) films and I can live in peace.
-A friend recently gave me a dub of “Fear and Desire.”-
Since now even The Seafarers is on DVD, it’s a shame we can’t get Fear and Desire.
Lester Burnham
About time! Finally another Kubrick film added to the collection, and a damn worthy one too. So much can be said about the greatness of this film, which set Kubrick’s career in stone.