MY DVD COLLECTION 21

Bud Abbott (1897-1974)  Lou Costello (1906-1959)

Although not fashionable today I remain a big fan of Bud and Lou. Charles Laughton was another fan who said he enjoyed their "low comedy" and was happy to appear with them in ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET CAPTAIN KIDD. They certainly still make me laugh however many times I see their routines (often barely changed from film to film). Films in my collection are : ONE NIGHT IN THE TROPICS (1940) BUCK PRIVATES (1941) IN THE NAVY (1941) HOLD THAT GHOST (1941) KEEP 'EM FLYING (1941) RIDE 'EM COWBOY (1942) PARDON MY SARONG (1942)  WHO DONE IT? (1942) HIT THE ICE (1943) IN SOCIETY (1944) HERE COME THE CO-EDS (1945) THE NAUGHTY NINETIES (1945) THE LITTLE GIANT (1946) THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES (1946) BUCK PRIVATES COME HOME (1947) THE WISTFUL WIDOW OF WAGON GAP (1947) ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948) MEXICAN HAYRIDE (1948) ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET THE KILLER, BORIS KARLOFF (1949) ABBOTT AND COSTELLO IN THE FOREIGN LEGION (1950) ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET THE INVISIBLE MAN (1951) JACK AND THE BEANSTALK (1951) COMIN' ROUND THE MOUNTAIN (1951) LOST IN ALASKA (1952) ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET CAPTAIN KIDD (1952) ABBOTT AND COSTELLO GO TO MARS (1953) ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET DR.JEKYLL AND MR.HYDE (1953) ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET THE MUMMY (1955).

MY DVD COLLECTION 20

Stanley Kubrick 1928 - 1999

 There can be little doubt about the importance of Stanley Kubrick but his films still cause controversy. I certainly count myself among his fans and find his movies powerful, albeit somewhat "cold" despite the passionate emotions often contained therein - 2001; A SPACE ODYSSEY and BARRY LYNDON are often cited as examples of this but this seems to have been intentional on the director's part. I can't say for certain which was my first experience of a Kubrick film but it was either PATHS OF GLORY on television or SPARTACUS at the cinema but about 1963 I came into contact with the man himself when, prior to the premiere of DR.STRANGELOVE, he took a temporary office in Columbia Pictures London office in Wardour Street. He was often visited there by Strangelove author, Peter George, who, sadly committed suicide in 1966. I found George a charming man but Kubrick seemed very unpleasant. Writing this I have begun a reassessment of Kubrick's films. My favourite Kubricks are THE KILLING and BARRY LYNDON followed by 2001; A SPACE ODYSSEY. For the record I hate THE CLOCKWORK ORANGE and refuse to have it in my collection even for the sake of completeness. At the time of writing I have not yet seen EYES WIDE SHUT although I recently purchased a copy. 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) 2001A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)  BARRY LYNDON (1975) THE SHINING (1980) FULL METAL JACKET (1987) EYES WIDE SHUT (1999).

Steven Spielberg's A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE was intended as a Kubrick film and taken over by Spielberg at the time of Kubrick's death.