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I think I was a huge Stanley Kubrick fan long before I even knew it. I loved The Shining, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Doctor Strangelove, enjoyed A Clockwork Orange (though I was probably way too young to fully appreciate it when I first watched it), and the first part of Full Metal Jacket is one of my favorite half-movies ever. So when I put it all together that one dude directed all those films and more, I was as disbelieving as Homer Simpson discovering that bacon, ham AND pork all come from one maaaagical animal.
Anyways, my Kubrick radar was peaked again recently after reading an essay by Jon Ronson about visiting the Kubrick estate, where he discovered the meticulous and obssessive years of planning that went into movies both realized and not. It was fascinating, and I decided I should find out more about one of my favorite directors.
This book was the one I could my hands on the fastest, and despite my 2 star rating, it was fairly enjoyable ("it was ok!"). Well, it's too short to really get on one's nerves I guess, though I could see myself getting annoyed if it had gone on any longer. It's a bit too fawning, a bit too defensive, and far too focused on Eyes Wide Shut. Sure, the author throws in a few criticisms of Kubrick and his films, though they're mild enough that I think he just put them in for the sake of a bit of objectivity. I guess that's not a bad thing either. Herr and Kubrick were buds, and you should defend your buds and talk about all the good times you had.
I'd describe this book as a good appetizer for a bigger meal in the form of a deeper biography. I imagine Kubrick fans would enjoy it for its conversational and light tone, and for an anecdotal friend's perspective rather than a historical one.
Anyways, my Kubrick radar was peaked again recently after reading an essay by Jon Ronson about visiting the Kubrick estate, where he discovered the meticulous and obssessive years of planning that went into movies both realized and not. It was fascinating, and I decided I should find out more about one of my favorite directors.
This book was the one I could my hands on the fastest, and despite my 2 star rating, it was fairly enjoyable ("it was ok!"). Well, it's too short to really get on one's nerves I guess, though I could see myself getting annoyed if it had gone on any longer. It's a bit too fawning, a bit too defensive, and far too focused on Eyes Wide Shut. Sure, the author throws in a few criticisms of Kubrick and his films, though they're mild enough that I think he just put them in for the sake of a bit of objectivity. I guess that's not a bad thing either. Herr and Kubrick were buds, and you should defend your buds and talk about all the good times you had.
I'd describe this book as a good appetizer for a bigger meal in the form of a deeper biography. I imagine Kubrick fans would enjoy it for its conversational and light tone, and for an anecdotal friend's perspective rather than a historical one.
