If it can be Written, or Thought, it can be Filmed — Stanley Kubrick

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Does the name "Stanley Kubrick’ ring a bell to you? Whether it is a yes or a no, you are certainly familiar with at least one of his works. For any of you who don’t know who he is, Stanley Kubrick was a film director who directed about 16 motion pictures, and all of them had different genres, different actors, and different innovative cinematographic techniques that basically made Kubrick the acclaimed director that he is. In this article, I’m going to make you realise you that you "know’ who Kubrick is.

If you opened the link directed at the beginning of the article, you have most probably, identified the song. You have either thought of documentaries, epic trailers, or just the Discovery Channel. In any case I don’t blame you as I too matched them to that wondrous symphony, but thankfully, these connotations have changed to one word; Kubrick. Yes, that tune is the opening credits to one of his most successful movies; 2001: A Space Odyssey, and at the midway climax of the symphony, in the movie, you would see the director’s name written in a plain minimalistic font which will then be imprinted in your mind forever.

From a Sci-fi movie, let’s move on to a Horror movie from Kubrick’s selection; The Shining. You might be familiar with this picture of these two girls staring at you. This scene is a well-known sequence from the movie, along with the classic haunting quote “Come play with us Danny, forever, and ever, and ever.” This scene is very popular in today’s pop culture as it is constantly being reproduced in parody form and satire.

Finally, we move on to a personal favorite, a cult classic, and a movie with it’s own sub-culture. If you’ve never heard the name before, I wouldn’t worry since it is basically coming from cockney rhyming slang in the late 50’s, but I am pretty much convinced that the third poster is familiar. Clockwork Orange is the movie I am referring to obviously. It is most probably Kubrick’s most controversial film, and with good reason. Mainly, for the shocking sequences of rape and violence that would still be marked as “shocking” today let alone in 1972. You’ve probably also seen someone in a Droog costume, either on the Internet or at the local carnival feasts, or at least someone with the movie t-shirt on campus, or if you are familiar with the Maltese comic “A Space Boy Dream” you might also want to go back and read the first episode and watch closely at the picture on Vincent Fournier’s calendar.

I realize that some of you may find this article as a source of pointlessness, but my only aim in writing it was to share the name of a genius who is unfortunately no really a household name in Malta. I hope I inspired you by pointing out these iconic pieces from his filmography, and maybe influence any one who has a slight interest in film, to watch these mentioned movies or the rest of his works, as he has a movie to please any taste in any genre. Whether it is war, politics, history, love, sex, sci-fi, horror or noire, Kubrick has directed one movie that will please your tastes for sure!

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