Farewell, Stanley Kubrick

Arizona Daily Wildcat

Talk about a bad weekend. While jogging, I managed to face plant into a concrete park bench, ruining five teeth. I then did the sensible thing and got absolutely ripped, then wisely called my parents. You can imagine their pride in their snaggle-toothed, drunken son that night. To top it all off, Stanley Kubrick died. This bears repetition - STANLEY KUBRICK DIED.

I had plenty of time to think about this in the dentist chair this week, where I learned some valuable lessons:

1. Sharp needles in your mouth hurt.
2. Dentists have a perverse senses of humor.
3. Don't break your teeth.

Mostly though, I thought about how our world has become a barren shell without Stan around. After all, this is the man who brought us 2001, Dr. Strangelove, A Clockwork Orange, Lolita and Full Metal Jacket. For me, this event is roughly on par with the pope getting assassinated.

I can remember a glorious day in 1986 when my family bought a VCR. The first movie we watched was 2001. Actually, no. The first movie we watched was Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealers because I have a little sister who was prone to fits of rage in 1986. The second movie was 2001, though.

The impact of Kubrick's 2001 on a 9-year-old Brad still, primarily in a fear of apes and trembling old men. And also in a hope for a transcendent future, when mankind is able to put aside their differences so that intelligent computers can kill us instead. The ending part still makes very little sense, although I enjoy the lights and music immensely.

So, I guess that this is an eulogy. Very few artists have impacted American cinema in the way that Mr. Kubrick accomplished. Without 2001, there would be no Star Wars. Full Metal Jacket is in my opinion, the greatest anti-war movie ever made. Kubrick managed only to make 13 movies, but he also managed to change the way the very medium of cinema was conceived.

Did I mention that he invented the music video? Without the classical music and space imagery of 2001, the latest Brandy video would be impossible. The idea of tying the visual spectrum to the auditory was all his, and how much richer MTV is for it. Well, with the exception of the whole N-Sync phenomenon. Although, I have no doubts that Kubrick would approve of the Backstreet Boys.

Kubrick made movies on themes such as the transcendence of the human soul, movies that made you think and wonder. Nowadays, movies have a lot of explosions instead. I guess that's the way the world turns, and within a few years movies will consist of nothing but spectacular computer-generated scenes and buildings being demolished. I bet that we'll have to pay ten bucks a shot, too.

So, I was going to suggest that today at 8:01 p.m. (think military time) we all say a silent prayer for Stan, and maybe have a moment of profound silence. Consider the triumphs and tragedies of the human soul, and how neat it would be to have a computer to talk to. Perhaps a thought or two about nuclear annihilation and the futility of war would also be appropriate.

As a final, completely unrelated note, my best wishes for everyone's spring break. Bring sunscreen, and watch out for park benches. Most importantly, don't call your parents drunk.