The Stanley Kubrick exposition at the Cinematheque Francais is a very thorough, abundantly detailed and absorbing presentation of Kubrick’s 54-year career, beginning with his photographer period (which began in 1945 when he took a shot of a newsstand proprietor looking forlorn the day that FDR’s death was headlined) all the way through his last film, Eyes Wide Shut, and including exhibits from the three movies he worked like hell on but never made — Napoleon, A.I. and The Aryan Papers (which was killed by Schindler’s List).
The icing on the cake is that the Cinematheque has gone the extra mile to put you in the mood — calling its restaurant the Korova Milkbar, laying a replica of the Overlook Hotel carpet on its floors, selling little red Lolita glasses in the gift shop, etc. A Clockwork Orange is screening this evening (i.e., right now) and there were six or seven fans dressed like Alex’s droogs (bowler hats, white shirts and pants, black boots) sitting outside at a table a couple of hours before.
Head mask for “Moonwatcher” from 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Kubrick, Kirk Douglas during shooting of Paths of Glory.
Hallway carpeting from The Shining‘s Overlook Hotel.
During filming of discarded pie-fight sequence in Dr. Strangelove.
