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Thread: Stanley kubrick: The exhibition

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    Stanley kubrick: The exhibition

    STANLEY KUBRICK was the greatest film director we've ever known. There are many many film directors and artists, but none are as thought-provoking or Visionary as Stanley. I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit the Stanley Kubrick Exhibition in Toronto at the Bell Lightbox, and I feel very blessed. I now have a PhD. in film appreciation. Entry was timed, at half-hour intervals, and I was lucky enough to find myself alone for a half hour in the 4th floor gallery where all of his lenses were housed.
    It was Christmas eve, and no one stirring, just me and my camera. That gallery also had framed and mounted film posters for every one of his films, his motion picture cameras, the mind-boggling CHARTS he made up for his productions, his Napoleon project items, Aryan Papers items, and Artificial Intelligence items- all meticulously presented and immaculately preserved. His filing cabinet of Napoleon research was there, along with his complete collection of history books on Napoleon Bonaparte. There were hand-written letters and studio stationary from Audrey Hepburn, Kirk Douglas, Eli Wallach...his wife Christiane's paintings of her husband, and the most impressive collection of lenses I've ever laid my eyes on. And I took many photos, as was my wont. I will add an album of my "non-professional photography with no flash" that was permitted to this thread in due time. It was a challenge, as I was under a time constraint and every artifact/display has different lighting. I was a man on a mission tho, and the photo albums I can now make for myself and for anyone who I'd like to share with are INCREDIBLE. I didn't fuck around in there. I felt a sense of immense reverence and awe that cannot be explained in words. This man was more than a Giant. He lived a life that we all wish we had the nuts to do.
    Before I went into the 4th floor gallery of the TIFF Bell Lightbox (it opened on a TIMED LOCKING mechanism!)I was chatting with a lady who was in her 60's who volunteers for the exhibit. She said: What an achievement this man accomplished. What a life, what a Legacy to leave the world... I couldn't agree more. I said a very audible "OH MY GOD" when I got to the gallery on the fourth floor. Just peeking in to the gallery was insane. The film posters...meticulously mounted and framed...a giant one for Barry Lyndon, a quad, the ORIGINAL posters for EYES WIDE SHUT designed by Christiane- all three of them, a huge French Paths of Glory...I didn't want to leave, Mang!
    Last edited by Johann; 12-25-2014 at 08:02 AM.
    "Set the controls for the heart of the Sun" - Pink Floyd

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    A Life in Pictures indeed! My "coverage" of this event won't be the best. I will be leaving out all kinds of factoids. Just know it's massive, and it's cultural significance cannot be denied.

    The exhibition was designed to be toured in chronological order, from his early films, winding your way to Eyes Wide Shut.
    As you enter, the first thing you see is Stanley's own chess board, ready for a game.
    There are many LCD monitors playing clips nonstop from all of his films, and sound clips are pumped through the exhibit according to each film. Props, books, scripts (all of them with Stanley's handwritten margin notes)are within every part of the exhibition- it is a COMPLETE overview/walk-thru of the man's Life in Film. Promotional materials, posters and handbills from Killer's Kiss are the first display- they are literally museum pieces, some had watermarks and signs of age, but who cares, right?
    Film stills are the centerpiece of each display for each film, and they are the single best part about the whole exhibition. Stanley's daughters, his wife Christiane and others took ASTOUNDING color and black and white photos on his movie sets (after 1957, obviously), and the series from the Barry Lyndon shoot was the most gorgeous set of photographs I've ever seen in my life- I have my own photos of those photos- you'll see for yourself when I add the album. Christiane had the same eye as her husband. They were more than partners. They lived and breathed Art, and we are very lucky to have this glimpse into their extraordinary lives. It is a gift to Humanity in my opinion. It is a singular Genius and his work, his family, his Life. He made his mark. He would not be denied. Time is a major factor in Kubrick. His use of time structure, such as in The Killing- sheer brilliance.

    The Barry Lyndon display was Magnificence Personified, as was the Eyes Wide Shut display, The Lyndon display has 3 vintage costumes- one worn by Ryan O'Neal as Reddy, one worn by Marisa Berenson, and one worn by Murray Melvin. There was one still photo of Stanley showing Murray how to hold & play a wind instrument. There was the shooting script, with notes, candles that were used, a candelabra, and amazing photos of location scouting, among many other items- it would take weeks to catalog and tell you everything that is in this colossal exhibition. The Shining display has models of the maze, Jack's typewriter: with a sheet of "All Work..." still being typed in it, the knife Wendy held when Jack was stalking her, 2 axes Jack carried in the film, Danny's Apollo sweater, the twin girls' dresses, the door with REDRUM on it, and supremely cool was the carpet....the same carpeting as the Overlook Hotel! And again, the on-set stills were Astounding. You get to see the man Direct, you see the man create relationships and history thru the creative process.
    It's wonderful.
    A Clockwork Orange has the Iconic "women" statues from the Korova (Merkin alert!), and Alex's full costume, with bowler and cane and eyes on the wrists! On one wall is the Gold Record award from Warner Brothers for sales of the soundtrack album. And the most famous piece, the phallus that killed the cat lady is there. Very wild to see it inches from my face. Naughty Naughty Naughty!
    The Full Metal Jacket display had the least amount of items- it had a bunk with USMC flags, a USMC recruiting poster, a model of a Marine helicopter, a rifle with Joker's helmet "BORN TO KILL" with the "Rifleman's Creed". Peace button too. The duality of Man, Sir!
    There was also Joker's Mickey Mouse watch and round eyeglasses, the script, an original copy of THE SHORT-TIMERS, and many stills from the shoot.
    Dr. Strangelove and 2001 had the absolute best displays, with 2001 getting it's own special gallery, which blew my head clean off. Strangelove has the model set of the War Room made by Ken Adam, complete with round overhead lighting, and I'm really proud of how I photographed it. We get to see items from the survival kit (pep pills, etc..), an original copy of the book Red Alert, studio letters and correspondence (Eli Wallach wrote a letter to Kubrick about the movie, he was very enthusiastic about that film), charts, film stills, storyboards...just a cornucopia of film history.

    The 2001 display was truly breathtaking. I made a short film of the starchild and of the ship Discovery (I got a great tip from a security guard working there). You get to see exactly how Stanley did the special effects- it's Astonishing. There's the model of the centrifuge, a spacesuit with backpack (no helmet tho-I wondered where the helmet was), HAL's eye (and the 160 degree Fairchild-Curtis lens I got my picture with in 2010- it was back!)

    The Eyes Wide Shut display was Glorious: masks, Tom's costume, a masked ball woman's mannequin with mask, the newspapers Tom read in the film: LUCKY TO BE ALIVE, etc., the script (with notes), Kubrick's own hardcover copy of Arthur Schnitzler's Traumnovelle: Dream Story, and many other amazing artifacts.
    Last edited by Johann; 12-25-2014 at 08:36 PM.
    "Set the controls for the heart of the Sun" - Pink Floyd

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    Wish I could have toured it with you.

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    It was Astounding, Chris.
    I put my hand on the monolith like a man-ape.

    You will like the photos. Christiane's paintings of Stanley...simply gorgeous. The lens that was HAL's eye had a security guard stationed on it, and it was labelled "Do not photograph this item"- how blessed am I to have a photo taken of me through it? Unreal. The model of the Discovery ship was simply breathtaking. You get to see how the man did his work. It was meticulous, it was Bold, Fearless, and Awesomely thorough, it was History, not just film history. He fucking made his mark. It's sheer nirvana to stroll through this exhibition. A volunteer named Steve met Christiane Kubrick on opening night. He got to meet her and talk to her and her grandson, who works in the video game industry as a designer. He told me this Exhibition has no plans to go to the USA, I don't know why. I was told it was sold out in Europe, with huge lines. I was alone in there for a full half hour. Then it started to fill up, get noisy. But it was still a small crowd. I was out by 4PM to catch me ride back home. I guess there were no people due to it being Christmas eve. But it was Magnificence, Gorgeosity, Mastery of the Medium. He will be remembered and talked about for a long time. He knew it too.
    Last edited by Johann; 01-25-2015 at 10:16 PM.
    "Set the controls for the heart of the Sun" - Pink Floyd

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    The final part of the exhibit is a mini-theatre showing a beautiful editing job that showcases his whole oeuvre. I have video of that. Before you enter, there is a display case containing Stanley's only Oscar, for 2001, along with an award from the Venice Film Festival- stunning trophy. And when you exit the mini-theatre to your immediate right is a wall mounted display of slates/clappers used on his films. The last item you see is his director's chair, with his name stamped on it.

    I'm just now sifting through my photos, and my mind is boggled. It's like a dream. lol
    "Set the controls for the heart of the Sun" - Pink Floyd

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    I'm not sure if I mentioned this before, (and I'm not sure I want to- you may condemn me. LOL) but back in 2002 I sent an e-mail to Christiane Kubrick about this exhibit, which I still have. The Exhibition was announced by her and Jan Harlan, and as a stupid boneheaded "fan" I wrote to her saying "What have you and Jan done? Stanley would NEVER approve of an exhibition like this! Don't tell me you are another Yoko Ono..."

    She replied to me directly (and I still have that e-mail): Spoken like a true self-appointed Judge. Stanley would have loved what we have done. I wrote back, apologizing, saying I'm only upset because I cannot see the exhibit in person.
    Well Christiane, I am humbled yet again by you. I should have known. Genius is your middle name. :)
    "Set the controls for the heart of the Sun" - Pink Floyd

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    Spartacus had a nice display- they were all amazing, actually. Costumes...glorious film stills, a letter to "Stan" from Kirk Douglas, and most walls of the exhibits had blurbs and quotes about the films in question, and there was one wall in each display that had scenes from the films projected right onto it. Lolita had an amazing chest-high wall-long series of 35mm slides or color film cells that I just marvelled at. Sue Lyon was a Babe...They seemed to be lit from below, to illuminate the slides. I was just gobsmacked looking at them...they were like View-Master slides! But made by God! lol

    I learned that the HI THERE! on the bomb ridden by Slim Pickens was hand-painted on there by Stanley himself.
    He made his films BY HAND, folks. And there was nobody better at it.
    This is "The Man" that Jack Nicholson was referring to. Kubrick's passion for his work was on a scale most people can't comprehend.
    This exhibition will drill that into your cerebral cortex.
    The Strangelove display has the original invitations to the film's premiere, with "Never held- the day Kennedy was shot" written in red on them. 2001 has its' premiere invite tickets on display too. I wondered what the starchild was gonna look like. It is a doll, one of the finest ever created, with amazing eyes. It's about 2 and a half to 3 feet tall. There was a full body man-ape on display, and one of the heads worn by Daniel Richter. The monolith is life-size...maybe 8 or 9 feet tall, and it stands in the center of the 2001 display before you enter the special gallery with all the models, props, lenses and ship cut-outs. Yes, those ships you see in the film? With exception of the models, those are razor-thin pieces of paper, cut meticulously with an exacto knife. (they seem to be cut with lasers! lol) Kubrick did all this stuff ON FILM, there was no digital trickery with this man. This is why he's the greatest of All-Time. It has to do with what he did with the medium, how he shoved it all forward, setting the standard for everybody. That is his Genius. Being groundbreaking. Knowing what's lacking in film and doing what needs to be done to "correct" it.

    I love you Stanley.
    Last edited by Johann; 01-25-2015 at 10:17 PM.
    "Set the controls for the heart of the Sun" - Pink Floyd

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    That's a nice tribute, Johann. Sounds like an excellent exhibit. I wish I could see it. The founder of IMDB calls "Eyes Wide Shut" his annual Christmas movie.
    Colige suspectos semper habitos

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    Thanks cinemabon. You'd love it- especially the 2001 stuff, I'm sure.

    My photo album and videos are ready. Chris- do you know of a smooth way to add them to this thread? Is it just URL's?
    "Set the controls for the heart of the Sun" - Pink Floyd

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    You can incorporate your URL into a verbal hyperlink. To do that, first copy your url, then write, say, "My Album" here in the thread, then scan the words you're just written with your cursor, then click on the "link" icon above, then paste your url into the box that appears, and click "okay."

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    OK. I'll give it a try.

    Little known Kubrick fact: he hated to be called "Stan". Anyone who called him Stan was an enemy. The only one who ever got away with calling Stanley Stan was Jack Nicholson.
    "Set the controls for the heart of the Sun" - Pink Floyd

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    Kubrick Exhibition video 1

    "Set the controls for the heart of the Sun" - Pink Floyd

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    Kubrick Exhibition video 2

    "Set the controls for the heart of the Sun" - Pink Floyd

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    My kubrick exhibition album

    "Set the controls for the heart of the Sun" - Pink Floyd

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    Your Kubrick album is a cornucopia of wonders. What a joy it must have been. Is there a catalogue of this exhibition? Apparently yes, but while maybe you can order if from Germany's Filminstitut, the tiff store says you have to be a member of the tiff to buy it (?!).

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