The Complete Kubrick

“A titan of cinema whose influence extends across visual art, philosophy, politics, technology, fashion, and beyond, Stanley Kubrick created an unprecedented string of masterpieces, from Paths of Glory to Dr. Strangelove to 2001: A Space Odyssey, A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, and Eyes Wide Shut. Bending disparate genres to his will, he imbued his creations with a cuttingly ironic worldview and an iconographic, mesmerizingly precise visual style, probing the anxieties, enigmas, and horrors of the twentieth century with a coolly devastating eye. Tracing his evolution from independent maverick to Hollywood rebel to visionary transnational auteur whose every film from the mid-1960s on became a manifesto of a radically new sensibility, The Complete Kubrick brings together the entirety of a body of work that opened popular cinema up to new realms of moral profundity and metaphysical mystery.

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.”

You could be the proud owner of The Complete Kubrick–4K+BLU-RAY30 Discs–for only $479.96!

FILMS IN THIS SET:

• Killer’s Kiss 1955 
• The Killing 1956 
• Paths of Glory 1957 
• Spartacus 1960 
• Lolita 1962 

Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb 1964

2001: A Space Odyssey 1968

A Clockwork Orange 1971

Barry Lyndon 1975

The Shining 1980

Full Metal Jacket 1987

Eyes Wide Shut 1999

THIRTY-DISC 4K UHD + BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION COLLECTOR’S SET FEATURES

• 4K restorations of director Stanley Kubrick’s thirteen features and three shorts, presented in Dolby Vision HDR, with the original monaural PCM soundtracks and 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio remixes, restored and remastered
• Kubrick’s international version of The Shining
• New 4K restoration of Vivian Kubrick’s behind-the-scenes documentary Making “The Shining”
• New audio commentaries 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)
• New conversation between novelist Jonathan Lethem and film historian Kevin Wynter on Kubrick and authorship
• Unseen Lolita screen tests with actors James Mason and Sue Lyon and rare Full Metal Jacket behind-the-scenes footage
• Archival interviews with Alexander Singer, Christiane Kubrick, Kirk Douglas, Jean Simmons, Peter Ustinov, George C. Scott, Peter Sellers, Sue Lyon, Scatman Crothers, Kelvin Pike, John Alcott, Wendy Carlos, Douglas Trumbull, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese
• Documentaries including Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (2001), directed by Jan Harlan and narrated by Tom Cruise; Kubrick by Kubrick (2020), told in Kubrick’s own words; Staircases to Nowhere (2013, expanded 2026), about the making of The Shining; and Stanley Kubrick’s Boxes (2008), about the trove of archival materials left behind by Kubrick
• 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
• An essay by author and critic Nathaniel Rich
• And much more . . .

I read Mickey Spillane’s I, The Jury in the early 1960s. I was blown away by the violence and the surprise ending! That led me to read My Gun Is Quick,  Vengeance Is Mine.  One Lonely Night,  The Big Kill. and  Kiss Me, Deadly. I binged on Mickey Spillane’s works then and recently I’ve been binging on Mickey Spillane’s work finished by Max Allan Collins for Hard Case Crime.

In his “Introduction” Max Allan Collins says that The Last Stand is Spillane’s last completed novel. This edition includes “A Bullet for Satisfaction”–a novella about a rogue cop fighting corruption.

The Last Stand (2018) was released to honor Spillane’s 100th birthday. The story follows a pilot who makes an emergency landing in the desert and gets caught in a dangerous power struggle involving FBI agents, fortune hunters, and a local Native American tribe over a mysterious discovery. All of Spillane’s signature tropes show up here: a clever hero, a beautiful woman, a loyal pal, a fight with a menacing thug, and a treasure worth billions.

If you’re a Mickey Spillane fan, you’ll enjoy this closing chapter of his writing career. If you’re just curious about the Spillane phenomenon, The Last Stand is a good display of his legendary talent. And, I also love the cover artwork by Laurel Blechman! GRADE: B+

Like most people, I’m partial to Love Songs. This compilation incudes plenty of songs that I enjoy like James Taylor’s “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight” and Bread’s “Make It With You.” Many of the hits on Love Songs (1988) 2 CDs are what I would term “mellow.” Take Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram’s “Somewhere Out There” and Air Supply’s “Eve the Nights Are Better” for examples.

For those who prefer action over mere emotion, Rod Stewart provides “Tonight’s the Night” and Gregory Abbott’s “Shake You Down.”

Some classic songs are included here, too. “Never My Love” by The Association and Joe Cocker’s version of “You Are So Beautiful.” Do you remember these Love Songs? Any favorites here? GRADE: B+

TRACK LIST:

My favorite story in The Ultimate Dracula (1991) is Edward D. Hoch’s “Dracula 1944.” Dracula is scary enough to blend in a German concentration camp really amps up the horror!

Although most of the stories in The Ultimate Dracula present various incarnations of the vampire, I would hardly call this anthology “ultimate.” It just okay. GRADE: C+

If you’re a vampire fan, I recommend a book I reviewed recently: The Vampire Archives. You can read my review here.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

•  The Ultimate Dracula • interior artwork by David Johnson
• 1 • Happy Birthday, Dracula! • essay by Leonard Wolf
• 15 • The Master of Rampling Gate • (1984) • novelette by Anne Rice
• 45 • All Dracula’s Children • novelette by Dan Simmons
• 75 • A Matter of Style • novelette by Ron Dee
• 101 • Selection Process • short story by Ed Gorman
• 117 • The Vampire in His Closet • short story by Heather Graham
• 139 • The Tenth Scholar • short story by Melanie Tem and Steve Rasnic Tem
• 155 • Nobody’s Perfect • short story by Philip José Farmer^?
• 171 • Dracula 1944 • short story by Edward D. Hoch
• 189 • The Contagion • short story by Janet Asimov
• 203 • Sugar and Spice and… • short story by Karen Robards
• 221 • Vampire Dreams • short story by Dick Lochte
• 237 • Much at Stake • short story by Kevin J. Anderson
• 255 • The Name of Fear • short story by Lawrence Watt-Evans
• 267 • The Dark Rising • short story by Rodman Philbrick [as by W. R. Philbrick]
• 281 • Los Niños de la Noche • short story by Tim Sullivan
• 295 • A Little Night Music • short story by Mike Resnick
• 305 • Mr. Lucrada • short story by John Lutz
• 321 • In the Cusp of the Hour • short story by John Gregory Betancourt
• 327 • Children of the Night • short story by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
• 349 • Selected Filmography (The Ultimate Dracula) • essay by Leonard Wolf

“The Greatest Hollywood Musical Ever Made.” –Roger Ebert

“Singin’ in the Rain is a 1952 American musical romantic comedy film directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, starring Kelly, Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds, with Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell, Douglas Fowley, Rita Moreno and Cyd Charisse in supporting roles. It offers a lighthearted depiction of Hollywood in the late 1920s, with the three stars portraying performers caught up in the transition from silent films to ‘talkies’.” (Wikipedia)

I was in the mood for a musical and when I opened my DVD drawer, the first disc that caught my eye was Singin’ in the Rain.

How many times have you seen Singin’ in the Rain? I’m guessing I’ve seen this wonderful movie at least 20 times. Now, 21. I like the cast, the vibe, and the songs. And, of course, the dancing.

“All songs have lyrics by Arthur Freed and music by Nacio Herb Brown unless otherwise indicated. Some of the songs, such as “Broadway Rhythm”, “You Are My Lucky Star”, “Should I?“, and especially “Singin’ in the Rain” itself, had been featured in prior films. The films listed below mark the first time each song was presented on screen.

• “Fit as a Fiddle (And Ready for Love)“, originally published in 1932 with music by Al Hoffman and Al Goodhart, lyrics by Freed.
• “Temptation” (instrumental only) from Going Hollywood (1933).
• “All I Do Is Dream of You” from Sadie McKee (1934).The arrangement in “Singin’ in the Rain” is an uptempo, upbeat, “flapper” version of the song with full instrumentation. In contrast, the “Sadie McKee” version is slower tempo, and appears routinely throughout the film as a love ballad accompanied by a solo ukulele. An instrumental only version with full orchestration is also part of the film’s opening and closing theme. An instrumental version was also played on the piano by Chico Marx in the 1935 Marx Brothers film A Night at the Opera.
• “Singin’ in the Rain” from The Hollywood Revue of 1929 (1929). Kelly’s performance in the song is now considered iconic.
• “Make ‘Em Laugh“
• “Beautiful Girl Montage” comprising “I’ve Got a Feelin’ You’re Foolin'” from Broadway Melody of 1936(1935),  “The Wedding of the Painted Doll” from The Broadway Melody (1929), “Should I?” from Lord Byron of Broadway (1930) and “Beautiful Girl” from Stage Mother (1933)
• “You Were Meant for Me” from The Broadway Melody (1929)
• “You Are My Lucky Star” from Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935)
• “Moses Supposes” (music by Roger Edens, lyrics by Comden and Green), from a 1944 version based on the tongue-twister with the same title.
• “Good Morning” from Babes in Arms (1939)
• “Would You?” from San Francisco (1936)
• “Broadway Melody” composed of “The Broadway Melody” from The Broadway Melody (1929) and “Broadway Rhythm” from Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935).  The music for the “Broadway Ballet” section is by Nacio Herb Brown.” (Wikipedia)

Are you a fan of Singin’ In the Rain? Do you agree with Ebert that it is the best Hollywood musical ever made? GRADE: A

After losing to the NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 29-26, the 3-1 Buffalo Bills travel to the West Coast to take on the 2-2 LA Rams. The Rams are favored by 3 points. Both teams are dealing with injured players so we’ll have to seen who shows up the play tonight. I don’t have a good feeling about this game.

The Buffalo Bills are flying to the West Coast today to take on the LA Rams on Monday Night Football. How will your favorite NFL team perform today?

A movie about Mattel toys might struggle to attract an adult audience although John Cena and Jessica Biel try their best. Director Sam Hargrave attempts to give Matchbox: The Movie a Fast and Furious vibe but it’s a stretch when the movie is basically a commercial for toy cars.

Matchbox: The Movie is John Cena’s 19th film in the last five years. Busy actor! On the other hand Jessica Biel appears in her first film role in almost a decade, I did NOT find Biel convincing as a hot-rod nut or as a daredevil driver,

Maybe I’m just not in the Target Market for a hybrid film like this. GRADE: C

“Amanda Cross” is the pen name of Carolyn Gold Heilbrun (1926–2003), an American feminist author and Columbia University English professor who wrote a popular series of academic mystery novels. You can’t get more academic than James Joyce so this mystery mixes murder with the structure of one of Joyce’s best books. “Each chapter is cleverly named after a story from James Joyce’s Dubliners, and the plot weaves in literary puzzles, academic wit, and subtle nods to Joyce’s work.” 

Kate Falser, an English professor like her writer, goes to the Berkshires for the summer to sort through the literary correspondence of an American publisher and James Joyce.  But literary work is put on hold when Mary Bradford, an obnoxious and gossipy local farmer’s wife, is shot dead. The weapon belongs to the household, turning Kate’s guests and circle into prime suspects. 

If you’re in the mood for a clever mystery blended with literary clues, The James Joyce Murder (1967) provides an academic puzzle that will challenge you. GRADE: B+

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• Prologue
• Chapter 1: The Sisters
• Chapter 2: An Encounter
• Chapter 3: Araby
• Chapter 4: Eveline
• Chapter 5: After the Race
• Chapter 6: Two Gallants
• Chapter 7: The Boarding House
• Chapter 8: A Little Cloud
• Chapter 9: Counterparts
• Chapter 10: Clay
• Chapter 11: A Painful Case
• Chapter 12: Ivy Day in the Committee Room
• Chapter 13: A Mother
• Chapter 14: Grace
• Chapter 15: The Dead
• Epilogue 

I was living in the Past last week when I listened to Devil With a Blue Dress On and Blood, Sweat & Tears: Greatest Hits.

“Ryder was the last person to perform with Otis Redding; they performed the song “Knock On Wood“, on December 9, 1967, in Cleveland, Ohio, on a local TV show called Upbeat. Redding and four members of his touring band, The Bar-Kays, died in a plane crash near Madison, Wisconsin the following day, December 10, 1967.” (Wikipedia). Ryder withdrew from music in 1973 after experiencing throat trouble,

“Blood, Sweat & Tears (also known as “BS&T“) was an American jazz rock music group founded in New York City in 1967, noted for combining a brass section with rock band instrumentation. BS&T has gone through numerous iterations with varying personnel and has encompassed a wide range of musical styles. Their sound has merged rock, pop and R&B/soul music with big band jazz. The Canadian lead singer David Clayton-Thomas was added to the group in 1968 and stayed until 1972, marking their most successful period.” (Wikipedia).

I enjoy the Blood, Sweat & Tears sound with David Clayton-Thomas’s distinctive voice. Clayton-Thomas died at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, on 24 June 2026, at the age of 84. If you like music with a lot of brass–like Chicago’s music–BS&T delivers that style of music. Back in 1970, “And When I Die“, “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy“, and “Spinning Wheel” hit the Hot 100 and all three songs peaked at number 2 for a total of thirteen weeks.

Needless to say, our local Oldies radio station rarely plays Mitch Ryder or Blood, Sweat & Tears music anymore. But I still have these CD collections and they sound wonderful to me! Are you a fan of Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels and/ Blood, Sweat & Tears? Any favorite songs? GRADE: B+ (for both)

TRACK LIST:

TRACK LIST: