The Late Movies: Kubrick Trailers

Chris Higgins
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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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