Playboy, April 2005
"First print-run buyers get a 12-frame filmstrip from the 70-millimeter print of 2001, the Kubrickian equivalent of precious bodily fluids."
HoBO Magazine, Vancouver, Issue 4
"the first book to explore his meticulous archives.. the most comprehensive study of the filmaker to date."
Book Description
Stanley Kubrick The first book to explore Stanley Kubricks archives is also the most comprehensive study of the filmmaker to date Part 1: The films In 1968, when Stanley Kubrick was asked to comment on the metaphysical significance of 2001: A Space Odyssey, he replied: "Its not a message I ever intended to convey in words. 2001 is a nonverbal experience
. I tried to create a visual experience, one that bypasses verbalized pigeonholing and directly penetrates the subconscious with an emotional and philosophic content." The philosophy behind Part I borrows from this line of thinking: from the opening sequence of Killers Kiss to the final frames of Eyes Wide Shut, Kubricks complete films will be presented chronologically and wordlessly via frame enlargements. A completely nonverbal experience. Part 2: The Creative Process Divided into chapters chronologically by film, Part 2 brings to life the creative process of Kubricks filmmaking by presenting a remarkable collection of material from his archives, including photographs, props, posters, artwork, set designs, sketches, correspondence, documents, screenplays, drafts, notes, and shooting schedules. Accompanying the visual material are essays by noted Kubrick scholars, articles written by and about Kubrick, and a selection of Kubricks best interviews.
From the Publisher
Special features: Part 1 features 800 film stills scanned directly from the original prints and interpositives Part 2 presents about 800 items from the archives, most of which have never been published before essays by Kubrick scholars Gene D. Phillips, Michel Ciment, and Rodney Hill selected articles and essays, including interviews with and essays by Stanley Kubrick illustrated Kubrick chronology audio CD featuring a 70-minute 1966 interview of Stanley Kubrick by Jeremy Bernstein **BONUS** books in the first print run will each include a twelve-frame film strip from a 70mm print of 2001: A Space Odyssey owned by Stanley Kubrick Made in cooperation with Jan Harlan, Christiane Kubrick, and the Stanley Kubrick Estate.
About the Author
The editor: Alison Castle received a BA in philosophy from Columbia University and an MA in photography and film from New York University (NYU/International Center of Photography masters program). Castle also edited TASCHENs Some Like it Hot. She lives in Paris, home of the world's best cinemas.
Excerpted from The Stanley Kubrick Archives by Alison Castle. Copyright © 2005. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The making of this book has been something of an odyssey: two years of traveling through time and space to the heart of Stanley Kubrick's universe, where I not only had the unprecedented privilege of having access to his archives, but also the invaluable guidance of those who were closest to him. Kubrick's wife, Christiane, and executive producer, Jan Harlan, were not only immensely generous in allowing me to "excavate" the various parts of his St. Albans estate where the archives are stored, but they were also exceedingly kind, supportive, and helpful during the entire process. In addition, I was very fortunate to have the aid of Anthony Frewin and Leon Vitali, Kubrick's longtime assistants, who tirelessly answered my questions and offered invaluable advice and assistance. Endeavoring to uncover each and every artifact that could cast light upon Kubrick's creative process, I scoured the archives, gathering the most illuminating items, from bits of paper covered with hurriedly scribbled notes to photographs taken by Kubrick on the sets of his films. Hunched over hundreds upon hundreds of contact sheets with my loupe, I was able to select images that had never been printed before, let alone seen; rifling through screenplay drafts I found references to scenes that were never filmed, and among the photos I found images of sequences that were abandoned; reading Kubrick's notes and letters, I discovered not only clues to his thought processes but also his curious love affair with various types of stationery, typewriters, and pens. Searching through the often chaotic mountains of material was an exhilarating experience: each and every "discovery" was like a minor miracle, a defining moment, an epiphany. Part 2 of this book features the result of this gleaning: an eclectic collection of material that represents the nuts and bolts of Kubrick's creative history. To help guide readers through the expedition is a selection of articles and essays by noted Kubrick scholars as well as a generous selection of material "from the horse's mouth" (i.e. Kubrick letters, essays, and interviews), refuting the popular misconception that Kubrick was a recluse who didn't or wouldn't talk about his work. The items presented in Part 2 offer valuable insight into Kubrick's filmmaking process, though the most important material from the archives is unquestionably the films themselves. Kubrick once said, "The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good."* Part 1 offers plenty of opportunities for readers to test their affection: from Killer's Kiss to Eyes Wide Shut, Kubrick's twelve feature films are represented by a vast selection of stills (not including his first feature, Fear and Desire, which he withdrew from circulation). The stills, which were scanned directly from the film reels, are presented chronologically, unadulterated and without text. In an interview about 2001: A Space Odyssey, Kubrick made a statement that reflects one of his central tenets: "Reactions to art are always different because they are always deeply personal.... [T]he film becomes anything the viewer sees in it."** The goal of this book is to allow readers the chance to explore Kubrick's archives intuitively, absorbing the various puzzle pieces and assembling them into a personal interpretation. This is, I hope, the way Stanley Kubrick would have wanted it. ----------- * To Andrew Bailey, Rolling Stone (January 20, 1972). ** To Joseph Gelmis, Film Director as Superstar (New York: Doubleday, 1970).
The Stanley Kubrick Archives FROM THE PUBLISHER
The first book to explore Stanley Kubrick's archives is also the most
comprehensive study of the filmmaker to date
Part 1: The filmsIn 1968, when Stanley Kubrick was asked to comment on
the metaphysical significance of 2001: A Space Odyssey, he replied: "It's not a
message I ever intended to convey in words. 2001 is a nonverbal experience.... I
tried to create a visual experience, one that bypasses verbalized pigeonholing
and directly penetrates the subconscious with an emotional and philosophic
content." The philosophy behind Part I borrows from this line of thinking: from
the opening sequence of Killer's Kiss to the final frames of Eyes Wide Shut,
Kubrick's complete films will be presented chronologically and wordlessly via
frame enlargements. A completely nonverbal experience.
Part 2: The Creative Process Divided into chapters chronologically by
film, Part 2 brings to life the creative process of Kubrick's filmmaking by
presenting a remarkable collection of material from his archives, including
photographs, props, posters, artwork, set designs, sketches, correspondence,
documents, screenplays, drafts, notes, and shooting schedules. Accompanying the
visual material are essays by noted Kubrick scholars, articles written by and
about Kubrick, and a selection of Kubrick's best interviews.
Special features
- Part 1 features 800 film stills scanned directly from the original prints
and interpositives- Part 2 presents about 800 items from the archives, most
of which have never been published before- essays by Kubrick scholars Gene
D. Phillips, Michel Ciment, and Rodney Hill- selected articles and essays,
including interviews with and essays by Stanley Kubrick- illustrated Kubrick
chronology- audio CD featuring a 70-minute 1966 interview of Stanley Kubrick
by Jeremy Bernstein
**BONUS**- books in the first print run will each include a twelve-frame
film strip from a 70mm print of 2001: A Space Odyssey owned by Stanley
Kubrick
Made in cooperation with Jan Harlan, Christiane Kubrick, and the Stanley
Kubrick Estate.
The editor: Alison Castle received a BA in philosophy from Columbia
University and an MA in photography and film from New York University
(NYU/International Center of Photography masters program). Castle also edited
TASCHEN's Some Like it Hot. She lives in Paris, home of the world's best
cinemas.