Chris Higgins
The Late Movies: Kubrick Trailers
by Chris Higgins - May 26, 2010 - 10:00 PM

The Late Movies

I’m a Stanley Kubrick fan, but the only film of his that I saw in the theater was Eyes Wide Shut. Which led me to wonder — what were the trailers for his movies like? Short answer: friggin’ nuts. Enjoy. (I’ll start with my two favorites, then go in reverse chronological order.)

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Do not watch if you’re prone to seizures.

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

Perhaps a precursor to the A Clockwork Orange trailer, with its constant cuts.

Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

A hell of a trailer for a hell of a movie.

Full Metal Jacket (1987)

“Sir, does this mean that Ann-Margaret is not coming?”

The Shining (1980)

I think this is the real trailer, but the number of fan trailers and spoofs makes it hard to tell.

Barry Lyndon (1975)

This is a sort of promotional catalog of good movie reviews read in voice-over. Perhaps a response to the A Clockwork Orange trailer? “A masterpiece. Monumental, a perfect film of epic size.” I know a lot of fans would say its size is perhaps too epic.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Love the title card at the end: “The most dazzling visual happenings in the history of the motion picture! -Time Magazine”

Lolita (1962)

How did they ever make a movie out of Lolita?

Spartacus (1960)

“Unlikely ever to be surpassed in the magnitude of production.” Pro tip: don’t ever claim unsurpassability in your trailer.

Paths of Glory (1957)

Whoa, bad-ass. Way badder-ass than the Spartacus trailer.

The Killing (1956)

“Daring hold-up nets $2,000,000!”

Further Viewing

Check out Remixing Kubrick and Music Changes Everything. Note: I left out Kubrick’s first two films: Killer’s Kiss and Fear and Desire. If you find good links to those trailers, post ‘em!

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Comments (3)

  1. Yep, that’s a real “Shining” trailer. I remember it from when I was a kid.

    posted by Amber on 5-27-2010 at 1:33 am

  2. I want Alex/Malcolm’s coat in the Record Shop scene….

    posted by Anon Emous on 5-27-2010 at 8:56 am

  3. My first introduction to Kubrick was A Clockwork Orange. I think I was around 13 at the time when I first saw it but it had already been out for at least 15 or 20 years. I thought my head would explode from the brilliance of what I was seeing. After that, I signed up for every film course I could in high school and later went on to film school in Savannah. Point being, Kubrick was pretty much responible for the whole path that my life has taken, and I can’t thank him enough. Being too young or not yet alive to have seen any Kubrick trailers except Eyes Wide Shut, I’ve got to thank you Mr. Higgins. Very cool.

    posted by Eric on 5-27-2010 at 11:18 am

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