NEW NEWS ON THE KUBRICK FRONT:
THE VISIONARY THING
Kubrick Is Keeping Mouth Shut on 'Eyes'
By David Gritten, David Gritten, Based in England, Is a
Frequent Contributor to Calendar
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You'll never hear Stanley Kubrick complaining about
studios interfering with his cinematic vision. Even if Kubrick
made public pronouncements (which he doesn't), he could
never deny his films are his and his alone.
????? The reclusive director of such classics as "Dr.
Strangelove," "A Clockwork Orange" and "2001: A Space
Odyssey," Kubrick, 67, has a unique deal with a major studio
that guarantees absolutely no interference in any facet of his
filmmaking.
????? This makes him an anomaly in an era when budgetary
considerations and the perceived greater importance of
marketing and advertising movies have encouraged studios to
adopt a more hands-on approach to the work of even the
most distinguished directors.
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????? In stark contrast, Kubrick, who has a long-standing deal
with Warner Bros. and has lived in Britain for more than 30
years since he shot "Lolita" here, informs the studio of his
movements and activity on a strictly need-to-know basis.
????? Julian Senior, a London-based Warners executive, is
Kubrick's primary point of contact with the studio. But even
he is sketchy about the details of Kubrick's new project, his
first film since "Full Metal Jacket" nine years ago.
????? 'It's a modern-day story and it's called 'Eyes Wide
Shut'--we know that much," Senior says. "Tom Cruise and
Nicole Kidman will star. They met with Stanley, they loved
the script and they're slavering at the thought of working with
him.
????? "We expect it will start shooting around September or
early fall. And that's really about all we know about it at the
moment."
????? (Another source told The Times that "Eyes Wide Shut" is
based on a script by British screenwriter Frederic Raphael,
who won an Oscar for "Darling" in 1965.)
????? Kubrick's hermit-like ways are legendary. He is very
rarely seen in public in Britain--to the extent that Vanity Fair
magazine recently ran a story about a man who has
successfully passed himself off as Kubrick to a variety of
journalists in London, even though he does not even resemble
the director.
????? Kubrick lives in a large house with extensive grounds
near St. Albans, about 20 miles north of London, where he
has an array of filming equipment on hand. "At home he's like
a medieval silversmith," Senior said. "He lives upstairs and
does computer editing in his own editing suite downstairs."
????? How does Kubrick come to have such a unique deal with
Warners?
????? "Because movies aren't made by committees or by
corporate heads of finance, they're made by filmmakers. So
Stanley does it his way," Senior says.
????? "He'll do his thing," he continues in deadpan vein, "and
when the film's ready--when it's shot, edited, the music's put
on and there's about a week to go before release--then we'll
probably get to see it."
?????
Copyright Los Angeles Times
This article appeared in todays LA Times Sunday Calendar. I'll
forward any new news as I find it.
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