Over the last few years, various labels have been releasing the films of Stanley Kubrick on 4K Ultra HD, and I have been dutifully adding each one to my collection, but along comes Criterion with a massive 4K box set that brings everything together. That’s right, every single Kubrick film will be released by Criterion on October 20. I hate that I want this so much, even though I already have most of these releases.
The Complete Kubrick
Criterion’s description reads: “Collected here for the first time are Kubrick’s thirteen features and three shorts, all restored in 4K, with their original soundtracks alongside the 5.1 mixes, restored and remastered; over twenty-five hours of interviews, documentaries, and behind-the-scenes materials; and deluxe packaging illustrated with rare photographs, artwork, and documents annotated by Kubrick himself, all housed in a singular box inspired by the director’s legendary archive.“
The films in the thirty-disc 4K UHD and Blu-ray set include Fear and Desire, Killer’s Kiss, The Killing, Paths of Glory, Spartacus, Lolita, Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, and Eyes Wide Shut. The shorts include Day of the Fight, Flying Padre, and The Seafarers.
“The Complete Kubrick’ took two years to achieve, but as Kubrick fans know, one’s relationship with his films never truly ends,” said Michael Chaiken, Criterion producer, in a statement. “It was an honor to be asked to produce this set and an enormous responsibility: to the fans, to the Kubrick estate, and ultimately to Kubrick himself, whose commitment to the presentation of his work remained constant throughout his life. To that end, Criterion consulted Kubrick’s closest collaborators, archival experts, and the studios that have stewarded his films across generations, ensuring that these works look and sound better than they ever have on home video. As the set’s many interviews and documentaries reveal, behind Kubrick’s darkly comic vision is a world of family, friends, and enduring creative relationships that speak to the humanist center of this singular body of work.“
The Special Features
- 4K restorations of Kubrick’s thirteen features and three shorts, with their original soundtracks alongside the 5.1 mixes, restored and remastered
- Over twenty-five hours of interviews, documentaries, and behind-the-scenes materials
- Kubrick’s international version of The Shining
- A new 4K restoration of Vivian Kubrick’s behind-the-scenes documentary Making “The Shining”
- Newly recorded commentary tracks featuring filmmaker Lee Unkrich (editor of the book Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining”) and author Michael Benson (Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke, and the Making of a Masterpiece)
- Rare films from Graphic Films and computer-animation pioneer John Whitney that inspired the special effects in 2001: A Space Odyssey
- Unseen Lolita screen tests with actors James Mason and Sue Lyon and rare Full Metal Jacket behind-the-scenes footage
- A newly recorded conversation with novelist Jonathan Lethem and film historian Kevin Wynter on Kubrick and authorship
- An essay by author and critic Nathaniel Rich
- Deluxe packaging illustrated with rare photographs, artwork, and documents annotated by Kubrick himself, all housed in a singular box inspired by the director’s legendary archive
- And much more . . .
As you might expect, this one is a little pricey, with the pre-order currently listed at $479.96, but holy hell, what a collection. With the exception of Lolita, Kubrick’s entire filmography is available in 4K in other releases, but I imagine it will get a standalone Criterion release at some point.
Will you be adding The Complete Kubrick to your collection?
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