Eyes Wide Shut

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Yes, he did. Tho I think it probably would have been a "failed" movie anyway. You know all those shots where Tom Cruise is in the back of the cab, in his gloves and dark coat, brooding and scowling? You can find the orig. script(s) online, and in them, these shots were all supposed to have voice-over, kind of "get inside his head" type moments... but we never really get inside his head... Kubrick raises questions that seem good at first because he's trying to hypnotize you, but even if you accept them as interesting ("is infidelity in mind equivalent to infidelity in body?" has some potential though I think is maybe a shallower subject than Kubrick thought) his angles of attack are all waaay too oblique; they bounce off the problem like lawn darts off a Michelin... the b&w 90210-style jealousy flashbacks with the naval officer didn't help... and I can't see Koobie throwing a Chris Isaac bar-rocker over his immaculately arranged confection, yet there it is... the mansion scene an ENORMOUS let-down; I was with it up to that point; "Nick Nightingale" was fantastic.

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 18 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

UPDATE: I've seen "Full Metal Jacket" now and it was EXCELLENT, better than "A Clockwork Orange". Kubrick should have done a series of movies about the Vietnam War.

― Dan Perry, Monday, 18 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I thought the one bit where EWS really failed was the slapstick - that chase around the shop or whatever it was. Kubrick's best comic moments were always more oblique. For instance: Dr. Strangelove, to me, is the most obviously comic yet least funny character Peter Sellers plays in that film; HAL is the ultimate deadpan comic; and in The Shining you can interpret Scatman Crothers' axeing as a massive gag by SK at the audience's expense.

― dan, Monday, 18 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

three months pass...

this movie is about the child parent relationship!!

also, it is one of the funniest movies i've ever seen

― bc, Tuesday, 25 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

"maybe a shallower subject than Kubrick thought" = seven-word summary of his entire whatever, pretty much

― mark s, Tuesday, 25 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

mark
i think you need to be nicer to the GREATEST FILMAKER OF THE 20TH CENTURY

― anthony, Tuesday, 25 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Lyne's Lolita is terrible! Such an agonizingly stupid reading of the book (he thinks Nabokov actually wanted you to sympathize with Humbert, while Kubrick understood right off that H. was a total bastard who just happened to be the narrator, hence he's going to make himself look as much the victim as possible.)

Sorry, just had to get that off my chest. Haven't seen Eyes Wide Shut, actually.

― Justyn Dillingham, Sunday, 30 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

i don't really like any of the versions of lolita, inc.nabokov's

kubrick's is ruined by peter sellers mainly: haha i tht lyne's worked bettah becuz the day i am sympathetic to jeremy irons is the day i exfoliate my legs w.nitric acid!!

― mark s, Sunday, 30 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Kubrick = no-where nr a great filmmaker.

― david h(owie), Sunday, 30 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Of course they both haf zero sense of humour: is this the problem?

I think Kubrick is very humorous. EWS = essentially a comedy, as noted above. In fact, I would say most of Kubrick's movies are in some way humorous. Antonioni is mostly insufferable, except for L'avventura, which is a masterpiece.

As for Kubrick being great, what does it take for a director to be great? One great film? Kubrick has two: Barry Lyndon and 2001.

― ryan, Sunday, 30 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

2001?

1. First hour = tedium not 'hypnosis'.

2. Flying bone begats spaceship = clumsy facsimile of more graceful scene in A Canterbury Tale (1944) [falcon begats spitfire]

3. Women still know their place, in pink and receptionists and stewardesses in 2001.

4. "One long wig-out for stoners, their wits reduced to wet tar by too much acid..."

― david h(owie), Sunday, 30 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

bone->'spaceship' seems much more LOGICAL than a bird->a plane.

but I haven't seen the a bird->a plane and don't know why it happens.

― RJG, Sunday, 30 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

actually its bone -> weapons satellite. Which makes perfect sense, esp considering what the bone represents. The cold war is all over that movie.

― ryan, Sunday, 30 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

haha re girls in 2001: the stewardess who does the 180º vertical walk-turn has industrial strength VPL!!! => any philosophy the movie DID contain would be thus be set at naught... as it happens it doesn't contain any, so as you were

i quite like the bit where hal is killing the boring spacemen, but sadly the wrong robot wins

― mark s, Sunday, 30 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

But more clumsy, less graceful, like the spaceships moving about in spacey bits, like three actors, strings, and staring over the side of the set, down at their puppet Spaceships, all juddery, Clangers-like incombumblence. Clumsy, not graceful. All content, no style.

― david h(owie), Sunday, 30 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

the clangers roXoR!! it is SO *WAY* bettah than 2001: better spaceships, better special effects, better characters (it actually HAS characters), better story, better music (ok i like ligeti), better curvature of planet surface

― mark s, Sunday, 30 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

haha i read david h(owie)'s post where he says "still receptionists in 2001" and tht "how do you know what year it's set? i don't remember them mentioning that..."

― mark s, Sunday, 30 June 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

Mark, you forgot the best reason Clangers >> 2001: better knitting!

― RickyT, Monday, 1 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

And and and 2001 only has a robot, whereas Clangers has a robot (metal chicken) and dinosaurs (soup dragon and child)

― RickyT, Monday, 1 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

But 2001 has APES!

― Andrew L, Monday, 1 July 2002 00:00 (twenty-one years ago) link

four months pass...

i just watched EWS: i did like it kinda, even if it has – as usual w. kubriXoR — industrial strength bad acting and mucho lame clumsiness, and is entirely NOT "deep" or stuff

i like the weird glow he gave new york: nicole k is pretty good too, tho shelly duval is still the only woman SK actually ever met, i think (except for his daughter who wants a bushbaby)

― mark s (mark s), Monday, 11 November 2002 22:57 (twenty-one years ago) link

ews = kubrick's closest to realized potential

― boxcubed (boxcubed), Tuesday, 12 November 2002 01:44 (twenty-one years ago) link

Mark you should really watch Lolita again. (It contains the best acting in any Kubrick film ever, seemingly by accident)

― Justyn Dillingham (Justyn Dillingham), Tuesday, 12 November 2002 03:28 (twenty-one years ago) link

(and also some of the worst, as does EWS - s.pollack-as-himself especially notwithstanding. and i loved EWS)

haha yes mark see lolita again - surely some new level of meaning to be gleaned there, as you must be about the kid's age by now

― jones (actual), Tuesday, 12 November 2002 17:28 (twenty-one years ago) link

one year passes...

for all of the films faults the masked ceremony scene is one of the most chilling sections of any movie ever. the masks are freaky as fuck. they make every move of the head or the body so weighted and confusing.

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 22 October 2004 21:49 (nineteen years ago) link

A dreadful film.

― adam. (nordicskilla), Friday, 22 October 2004 21:52 (nineteen years ago) link

i pretty much agree.

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 22 October 2004 21:54 (nineteen years ago) link

Oh...good.

― adam. (nordicskilla), Friday, 22 October 2004 21:56 (nineteen years ago) link

we have to, after all.

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 22 October 2004 22:00 (nineteen years ago) link

Talk To Her

― adam. (nordicskilla), Friday, 22 October 2004 22:04 (nineteen years ago) link

:_(

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 22 October 2004 22:07 (nineteen years ago) link

no this film is so misunderstood. It is amazing.

― kyle (akmonday), Friday, 22 October 2004 22:11 (nineteen years ago) link

Jed, do you like Morvern Callar? Kyle does.

― adam. (nordicskilla), Friday, 22 October 2004 22:12 (nineteen years ago) link

no i dont - i like the last scene with the slow music and fast dancing but i pretty much hate it.

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 22 October 2004 22:15 (nineteen years ago) link

good. very good.

― adam. (nordicskilla), Friday, 22 October 2004 22:16 (nineteen years ago) link

I love this movie so much. I keep meaning to watch it again.

― morris pavilion (samjeff), Friday, 22 October 2004 23:36 (nineteen years ago) link

I'm with Kyle. The molasses pace of the dialogue takes some getting used to. If EWS were a song, it'd be Spacemen 3's "How Does it Feel".

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Friday, 22 October 2004 23:44 (nineteen years ago) link

wow, tom cruise sTILL is a sucky actor. why the fuck would anyone cast him? whjy does he clench his jaw all the time? is he trying to compete with Scarlett Johansen for the "Lets build a career out of one expression Lifetime Achievement Award"?!

― ambrose (ambrose), Saturday, 23 October 2004 16:21 (nineteen years ago) link

Eyes Wide Shut and Morvern Callar are both brilliant.

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Saturday, 23 October 2004 16:34 (nineteen years ago) link

i just bought "Barry Lyndon" it's the only Kubrick i haven't seen.

― jed_ (jed), Saturday, 23 October 2004 16:43 (nineteen years ago) link

Ryan O'Neil is even worse than Tom Cruise, but I think that's the point.

― Alba (Alba), Saturday, 23 October 2004 16:45 (nineteen years ago) link

what?

― RJG (RJG), Saturday, 23 October 2004 17:09 (nineteen years ago) link

I think the word is 'cipher'.

― Alba (Alba), Saturday, 23 October 2004 17:13 (nineteen years ago) link

I did not care for EWS at all. The thing that bothered me the most about it was the awful piano score that was going throughout the film. Each painfully drawn out note was like a punch to the head.

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Saturday, 23 October 2004 17:16 (nineteen years ago) link

The woman responsible for that lived around the corner from me, in Stoke Newington.

― Alba (Alba), Saturday, 23 October 2004 17:19 (nineteen years ago) link

I love the score! I love slow, drawn-out minimalism.
(xpost)

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 23 October 2004 17:20 (nineteen years ago) link

i still contend that eyes wide shut actually was a 24 hour long film, because it sure fucking felt like it

― todd swiss (eliti), Saturday, 23 October 2004 17:21 (nineteen years ago) link

That's what's great about it!

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 23 October 2004 17:22 (nineteen years ago) link

BONNNNNGGG

― Alba (Alba), Saturday, 23 October 2004 17:24 (nineteen years ago) link

which Cypress Hill tune is that?

― Riot Gear! (Gear!), Saturday, 23 October 2004 17:37 (nineteen years ago) link

Skipping 480 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

eyes wide shut needed more baby yoda

― mark s, Wednesday, 26 October 2022 21:03 (one year ago) link

False, Mandalorian needed more of Tom Cruise getting gay-bashed

― Eric H., Wednesday, 26 October 2022 22:17 (one year ago) link

😱

― mh, Thursday, 27 October 2022 01:30 (one year ago) link

seven months pass...

Quite a piece which deploys the book (and film) a bit

I rarely write personal essays, but this time I did, about the stickiest of all conversations we might have with our significant others.https://t.co/xJdBYFL4sJ
— Megan Abbott (@meganeabbott) June 2, 2023

― xyzzzz__, Sunday, 4 June 2023 14:40 (ten months ago) link

four months pass...

You Must Remember This is coming to the end of its Erotic 80s/90s seasons and I believe is wrapping it up with a two-parter on EWS. First episode is up:

https://www.youmustrememberthispodcast.com/episodes/eyes-wide-shut-part-1-erotic-90s-part-20

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 17 October 2023 17:29 (five months ago) link

Honestly, give her the Peabody

― Dwigt Rortugal (Eric H.), Tuesday, 17 October 2023 17:30 (five months ago) link

Rather!

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 17 October 2023 17:38 (five months ago) link

one of the least erotic film about sex I know

― assert (matttkkkk), Tuesday, 17 October 2023 18:29 (five months ago) link

Sex itself is, I think, pretty low on the list of things this movie's about but ymmv

― Dwigt Rortugal (Eric H.), Tuesday, 17 October 2023 18:38 (five months ago) link

really? “let’s fuck”?

― Tracer Hand, Tuesday, 17 October 2023 19:15 (five months ago) link

The last line of the picture, and it’s just “Fuck.” (And it’s a punchline.)

― Dwigt Rortugal (Eric H.), Tuesday, 17 October 2023 19:41 (five months ago) link

okay well i mean don’t be coy the idea idea that eyes wide shut isn’t about sex is an unusual one you have to admit, say more

― Tracer Hand, Tuesday, 17 October 2023 22:10 (five months ago) link

I'd say it's about the fear of sex?

― Halfway there but for you, Tuesday, 17 October 2023 22:11 (five months ago) link

It's "We fuck" isn't it?

― ...eh you get the gist of it (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 October 2023 22:17 (five months ago) link

"You know, there is something very important that we need to do as soon as possible"
"What's that?"
"Fuck"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOHvgvRVCDo

― Judi Dench's Human Hand (methanietanner), Tuesday, 17 October 2023 22:26 (five months ago) link

Schooled!

― ...eh you get the gist of it (dog latin), Tuesday, 17 October 2023 22:30 (five months ago) link

The podcast is a treasure obviously but I forgot how Longworth hits all her “t”s “EroTic eighTies” .. frankly it’s not just that, her whole Chef John intonation drives me to distraction. but i will listen for the info :)

― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 18 October 2023 12:01 (five months ago) link

She veers very very close to Moira Rose territory

― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 18 October 2023 13:03 (five months ago) link

It’s been driving me crazy all day just needed to share

― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 18 October 2023 13:04 (five months ago) link

Her delivery has definitely gotten more arch and affected over the years, to the point that if you’re not highly invested in the content, it’s practically unlistenable

― Dwigt Rortugal (Eric H.), Wednesday, 18 October 2023 13:06 (five months ago) link

She used to get criticised a lot online for not ennunciating properly and has overcorrected. Can't win.

― Daniel_Rf, Wednesday, 18 October 2023 13:10 (five months ago) link

The podcast is a treasure obviously but I forgot how Longworth hits all her “t”s “EroTic eighTies” .. frankly it’s not just that, her whole Chef John intonation drives me to distraction. but i will listen for the info :)

Omg this

― calstars, Wednesday, 18 October 2023 13:19 (five months ago) link

It's close enough to an incantatory delivery that I look forward to listening

― Dwigt Rortugal (Eric H.), Wednesday, 18 October 2023 13:37 (five months ago) link

(Which means it'll be a good match for Kubrick)

― Dwigt Rortugal (Eric H.), Wednesday, 18 October 2023 13:37 (five months ago) link

Roffle. I roll with it, it's fine! Met her years ago well before the podcast started, she's a good sort.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 18 October 2023 15:34 (five months ago) link

If you join her patreon you can get transcripts, for those of you here who find it so horrible TO HEAR A WOMAN SPEAK.

― Daniel_Rf, Wednesday, 18 October 2023 15:36 (five months ago) link

I've always liked her delivery. She also has a very wry sense of humor.

― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Wednesday, 18 October 2023 15:39 (five months ago) link

I haven't given her podcast the attention it deserves. I'm streaming the sex, lies and videotape ep.

― hat trick of trashiness (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 18 October 2023 15:41 (five months ago) link

The series she did on Polly Platt and the one on Dead Blondes were especially good.

― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Wednesday, 18 October 2023 15:43 (five months ago) link

two weeks pass...

if you don't have the 2.5 hours free to watch EWS then just watch the video for Laura Branigan's "Self Control" which is the same plot and many of the same shots but is like 5 minutes long, predates EWS by 15 years and has a really cool song over it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZtn9AwgfQQ
― jed_, Wednesday, 2 July 2008 01:31

lmao otm

― Humanitarian Pause (Tracer Hand), Saturday, 4 November 2023 23:11 (five months ago) link

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