100 GREATEST MOVIE VILLAINS

Part 3  11-15

THE RED SKULL

Who's he?: Johann Schmidt, the head of one of those Nazi super science squad called Hydra. Thanks to an averse reaction to some super-soldier serum developped by the Nazis, Johann's skin shrivelled up to a red-tinted grinning skull, hence his code name. 

How bad was he?: Jesus! OK, he started off as a Nazi, but Johann realised his ambitions went far beyond the Third Reich and that Hitler was cramping his style. With the help of alien technology, the Red Skull waged war against the Allies and Nazi Germany at the same time. That's no mean feat, and he would have pulled it off if not for the efforts of another super soldier working for the good guys (namely, us). 

What happened?: Thanks to Captain America, the Red Skull failed in blowing up the entire world with his crazy-ass alien doohickey. His plane fell off in the Arctic Ocean and he was never heard from again. We're pretty sure he'll turn up again at one point or another.

Appearances: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)

OZYMANDIAS

Who's he?: Adrian Veidt. In more innocent times he was a super-hero, yet he realised that it was all just dressing up in silly costumes while not doing anything to actually save the world. He retired and became the head of multi-billion dollars corporation with his hands in everyone's pie (while selling action figures of himself and his friends). 

How bad was he?: Being the World's Smartest Man as well as one hell of a martial artist should give you a pretty good idea how dangerous he was (even his friends were afraid of him). Veidt realised that the world was heading down to a nuclear armageddon. So, he annihilated half the population of New York, framing the dastardly deed on his buddy, Dr. Manhattan. Well pass on the fact that he orchestrated many of the events leading up to the nuclear crisis of 1985 and that he gave many people cancer in the process. 

What happened?: He pulled it off, the bastard! Sure, he averted nuclear war, yet he created a political quagmire with himself at the top of the foodchain. A peace so fragile that even the ramblings of a know masked lunatic might tip the scale back to all out war. 

Appearances: Watchmen (2009)

THE JOKER

Who's he?: Your guess is as good as mine. His real identity is unknown and quite untraceable (down to his very clothes). As far as the citizens of Gotham City are concerned, the Joker is a criminal mastermind/terrorist who causes havok and mayhem for the sheer hell of it.

How bad was he?: The Joker's psychology is made up of several elements making him quite possibly the most insane person that has ever existed, and yet functional enough to pull off one crazy stunt after another in order to impress another psychotic who dresses up as a bat and uses state of the art military technology to beat common criminals to a bloody pulp. 

What happened?: The Joker's little dance with the millionnaire-playboy-vigilante known as Batman is far from over, suffice to say. Unfortunately, the citizens of Gotham are still caught in the middle. 

Appearances: Batman (1989), The Dark Knight (2009)

LEX LUTHOR

Who's he?: Metropolis' chief criminal mastermind, that's who. A petty thief and swindler with an off the charts IQ. A man with an ego the size of the Andromeda galaxy. Luthor was a man who thought big. 

How bad was he?: Surprisingly, considering the above, Luthor's schemes were pretty mundane, mostly concerned with real estate scams. Like the time he bought off acres of worthless desert in Eastern California and planned to increase their market value by firing a nuclear missile on the San Andreas Fault, causing most of the West Coast to fall in the Pacific Ocean, killing millions of innocent people and quite possibly wrecking the United States' economy beyond repair while controlling his new Costa Del Lex like a kingpin. See? Nothing too bad. 

What happened?: Thanks to Superman, nothing of the sort happened and Lex's ass was hauled off in prison. Unfortunately, prisons look like a Swiss cheese for Lex to bite in and he escaped several times. His latest venture involved creating an artificial continent off the coast of Metroplolis which would, again, kill millions of people and wreck the Eastern Seabord. 

Appearances: Superman The Movie (1978), Superman II (1982),  Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1988), Superman Returns (2005)

HAL 9000

Who's he?: HAL 9000 is the latest model of the 9000 series of AIs. He was made operational at the HAL plant in Urbana, Illinois in 1992. According to him, the HAL 9000 series is the most efficient computer ever designed with a perfect operating record. No 9000 computers have ever made a mistake or distorted information. In 2001, HAL was installed as the mainframe computer for the Discovery mission to Jupiter. 

How bad was he?: Well, HAL was responsible for all automatic systems on board the Discovery, including life-support sfor its five-man crew (three of whom were in suspended animation for most of the trip). For some reason HAL went insane when his programming conflicted with the nature of Discovery's mission (i.e. to trace back the black monolith's transmission directed at Jupiter). HAL attempted to take control of the ship by killing the three "frozen" astronauts, Dr. Frank Poole and locking Dr. Dave Bowman out of the ship.

What happened?: Eventually, Bowman gained entrance to the Discovery and disconnected HAL's higher functions. Ten years later, a new team of researchers located the Discovery and HAL was put back in operation to answer a few questions. They found him pretty much still crazy after all these years.

Appearances: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), 2010: The Year We Made Contact (1984). 

100 GREATEST MOVIE VILLAINS

Pt. 2  06-10

TOMMY DePALMA

Who's he?: Tommy DePalma was a member of Paulie Cicero's crew, a small time mafia team affiliated with the Lucchese crime family. He mostly worked with partners Jimmy "The Gent" Conway and Henry Hill.
How bad was he?: Tommy was a foul-mouthed psychopath with a hair-trigger temper who would shoot someone down on the flimsiest of excuses, and that's not even counting on the fact that he was an organised crime enforcer with his beak in extortion, money-laundering, theft, drug trafficking and a laundry list of other offenses.
What happened?: His unpredictable temper got the better of him when he murdered Billy Batts, a close friend of mafia boss John Gotti. Since Batts' murder was not sanctioned by anyone in authority (having been committed out of anger) Gotti took a dim view of Tommy's temper tantrum and he ordered the pint-sized killer executed.
Appearances: Goodfellas (1990)

DARTH VADER

Who's he?: Born Annakin Skywalker on the distant world of Tattoine, Skywalker was recruited as a Jedi Padawan by Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn. According to a Jedi prophecy, Annakin was supposed to end the threats of the Sith and restore balance in the Force. That's not exactly what happened.
How bad was he?: Wracked by inner demons, Annakin was corrupted by Senator Palpatine, a powerful Sith Lord looking for a new apprentice. In a very short span, Annakin betrayed the Jedi order, helped Palpatine destroy the Galactic Republic and accidentally killed his own wife. A textbook example of "descent into evil".
What happened?: Vader became the Emperor's right hand man. He eventually reconnected with his family, with dire results. Eventually he was redeemed by his son, Luke, who picked up on the family business thanks to the meddlings of his old  master, Obi-Wan. He died on Endor surrounded by his son, his daughter and some Ewoks.
Appearances: Star Wars Eps. I-VI (1977-2003)

DR. VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN

Who's he?: Once a promising medical student from Ingolstadt, Switzerland, Dr Frankenstein became obsessed with creating human life from the reanimated bits of human cadavers. This did not sit well with the moral guardians of the time and so he was eventually hunted down as a criminal by the authorities.
How bad was he?: Obsession was Frankenstein's undoing. His experiments always seem to end up in disaster with loss of life and limb for anyone involved. He has resorted to murder and blackmail to carry on with his unnatural practices. Frankenstein was quite incapable of admitting to any wrongdoing, making him a shame of the medical profession.
What happened?: Frankenstein did succeed many times in creating life, yet his creatures almost always end up as braind-damaged monsters threatening anyone in sight. Some of them also attempted to kill him and his loved ones and yet Frankenstein soldiered on. He appartently disappeared in the Arctic circle at the turn of the 19th century.
Appearances: Frankenstein (1931), The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994), to name but a few.

DELBERT GRADY

Who's he?: In 1970, Grady became the winter caretaker of the Overlook Hotel in Colorado. So he went up there with his wife and his two daughters.
How bad was he?: Initially, Grady was a "completely normal individual" with "good references and good employment record" who nevertheless suffered a bad case of cabin fever and chopped his wife and daughters up into little bit and then blew his brains out with a shotgun.
What happened?: Grady (and his daughters) was absorbed by the malevolent entity living inside the Overlook walls. When Jack Torrance, his wife and his son moved up there as the new winter caretaker, Grady had a long talk with him and tried to have him repeat history with his own family. He was only partially succesful.
Appearances: The Shining (1980), "Stephen King's The Shining" (1997)

CALIGULA

Who's he?: His real name was Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus Augustus. "Caligula" ("little soldier's boot" in Latin) was a nickname given to him by his father's troops. At the age of eighteen, around AD 30, he went to live with his grand-uncle Tiberius, then emperor of Rome, who adopted him and made him heir to the  imperial throne. The rest, as they say, was history (and how!).
How bad was he?: Well, Caligula became the quintessential "mad emperor", the grandfather or all bad rulers down in history. His antics and debaucheries made him an enemy of the Roman aristocracy (while remaining extremely popular with the people). Though it is difficult to say if any of what Roman historians said he did were actually true, or just the fertile imaginings of jealous rich white men. His reputation was only undone by his nephew, Nero, a couple of years later.
What happened?: Caligula realised all too late that no one is indispensible, not even an emperor. He managed to piss off one person too many, and that person was no less than the commander of his Praetorian Guard. Not the wisest of move. He was assassinated by said commander in AD 41.
Appearances: The Robe (1953), Caligula (1979), "I, Claudius" (1976)

100 GREATEST MOVIE VILLAINS

Pt. 1   01-05

Here it is folks, my little nest of villainy. You'll never find such a haven for scum in the whole cinematic universe. Those bad guys and gals are presented in no particular order. Enjoy!

DRACULA

Who's he?: Once, long ago, Dracula was called Vlad Tepes, ruler of Wallachia (part of modern Romania). He was turned into a vampire and, after 500 years or so, got tired of his homeland so he set his sight on England, where he was defeated by his arch-nemesis Dr Van Helsing. But you can't keep a Vampire lord down, can you? He's returned many times ever since.
Why is bad?: Apart from drinking your blood, turning you into his vampiric slave and threatening the whole of mankind with his shenanigans? Nothing. Why do you ask?
What happened?: What hasn't happened is more apt. Dracula returns at more or less regular interval, sometimes by design, sometimes by accident (i.e. idiots who stumble upon Ol' Drac's resting place and wake him up, happens wayyyy more often than you think).
Appearances: Too many to list, most notably in Dracula (1931), Horror of Dracula (1958), Bram Stoker's Dracula (1993) and many many others.

DAMIEN THORN

Who's he?: Damien is the adoptive son of Robert Thorn, the US ambassador to Great Britain. In reality, his real father is none other than Satan himself. Mr Thorn's real son was killed and Damien was substituted in his place. Now in a rich and powerful family, Damien can begin his rise to power and fulfill his father's destiny and plunge the world into chaos. Hey, don't take my word for it, it's in the Bible folks!
Why is he bad?: He's the Antichrist, need I say more?
What happened?: Let's just say that Damien has...powerful friends...working for him. After dispatching his adoptive parents, Damien also dispatched his uncle and aunt. In fact, Damien pretty much dispatched anyone standing in his way. And sometimes he didn't have to do it himself. When you have the Devil as your father, life can be a pretty easy ride. He eventually rose to become United States Senator, his power unchallenged, until defeated by Jesus Christ Himself. (We needed a helping hand against that bastard!)
Appearances: The Omen (1976), Damien: Omen II (1978), Omen III: The Final Conflict (1980)

ALEX

Who's he?: In a nightmarish, dystopian future England, Alex is a juvenile delinquent going on night rides with his pals up to some "ultraviolence" all the while listening to Beethoven and drinking drugged milk.
Why is he bad?: What's the part of "juvenile delinquent" do you not understand? Alex is most unrepentant in his criminal activities, and we'll not mention that he is one lying, conniving and manipulative son of a bitch if you don't.
What happened?: Well, the Law finally catches up with him and he is sent to prison. Inside, he volunteers for some sort of psychological conditioning technique supposed to let him out of prison in no time. Unfortunately Alex realises all too late that he's not the only morally bankrupt thing around.
Appearance: A Clockwork Orange (1971)

MICHAEL CORLEONE

Who's he?: Michael is the third and youngest son of Vito Corleone, a sicilian immigrant who rose to become the head of a powerful organised crime family. Initially, Michael didn't want to have anything to do with that, however gangland politics forced his hand and he came to the fore, first to protect his father and then to make the Corleone family's business legitimate.
Why is he bad?: He never managed to make anything legitimate and, as the forties gave way to the fifties, became "just another mafia hood" (his wife's words, not mine) by killing, bribing and blackmailing anyone in sight. In many ways Michael became even worse than his father ever was.
What happened?: In the late seventies, a somewhat repentant Michael made one last play at legitimacy but they kept pulling him back in. He bequeathed his power to his nephew Vincent. This cost him the life of his daughter. He died some time later, alone and broken.
Appearances: The Godfather (1972), The Godfather, Part II (1974), The Godfather, Part III (1990)

KHAN NOONIEN SINGH

Who's he?:  Well, back in the 1990s a bunch of genetic supermen took over the world, and Mr Singh apparently controlled India and most of Southeast Asia. They were eventually defeated somewhere in 1994 and put on a spaceship for God knows where. The ship (the SS Botany Bay) was eventually found by the USS Enterprise commanded by one James T. Kirk. He and his cohort tried to take over the ship and were marooned on some planet named Ceti Alpha V. Things went downhill from here. 15 years later Khan escaped and, for one reason or another, had some bone to pick with Admiral Kirk. 

Why is he bad?: Let's see...Khan is twice as strong and intelligent as your average human being. Superior abilities breed superior ambitions apparently. In the 1990s Khan was a ruthless dictator, in the more peaceful world of the 23d century he was now a menace, with a HUGE chip on his shoulders. Plus, he's not alone as he was put on ice with about fifty other "Napoleons". 

What happened?: He went for a second round with James T. Kirk, that's what. It didn't go down well the first time, second time was an uphill battle from the start. Still, he did manage to indirectly kill Spock and Scotty's nephew. Not bad for a comeback.

Appearances: "Space Seed" (1967), Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

THE FINAL TIME TEAM

The Doctor and Ace discuss future career opportunities

Mel leaves with Sabalom Glitz at the end of Dragonfire. So, it's just the Doctor and Ace for a final couple of adventures.

Sylvester McCoy (The Doctor)

Sophie Aldred (Ace)

Active from November 23, 1987 to December 6, 1989





Adventures:

1. Dragonfire
2. Remembrance of the Daleks
3. The Happiness Patrol
4. Silver Nemesis
5. The Greatest Show in the Galaxy
6. Battlefield
7. Ghost Light
8. The Curse of Fenric
9. Survival

Mel: "Finally, you're wearing normal clothes again!"

THE TWENTY-THIRD TIME TEAM

Out with the sixth Doctor and in with the sevenht. Mel is still with us, however.

Sylvester McCoy (The Doctor)
Bonnie Langford (Mel)

Active from September 7 to Dember 7, 1987.

Adventures:

1. Time and the Rani
2. Paradise Towers
3. Delta & the Bannermen
4. Dragonfire



Mel: "I'm still not sure on how and when we actually met for the first time,

Doctor?"

The Doctor: "I guess we'll just have to wait and read Spiral Scratch when it

comes out, then!"

THE TWENTY-SECOND TIME TEAM

Peri is killed/marries King Yrcanos in Mindwarp. The Doctor is introduced to Mel, a companion he hasn't even met yet.

Colin Baker (The Doctor)
Bonnie Langford (Mel)

Active from November 1 to December 26, 1986

Adventures:

1. Terror of the Vervoids
2. The Ultimate Foe

Peri, seen here travelling through time and space with a garish, tasteless
Christmas tree.

THE TWENTY-FIRST TIME TEAM

The Doctor regenerates (again) and its off to new adventures.

Colin Baker (The Doctor)
Nicola Bryant (Peri)

Active from March 22, 1984 to October 25, 1986.

Adventures:

1. The Twin Dilemma
2. Attack of the Cybermen
3. Vengeance on Varos
4. The Mark of the Rani
5. The Two Doctors
6. Timelash
7. Revelation of the Daleks
8. The Mysterious Planet
9. Mindwarp

CAN YOU PATCH ME THROUGH ROOM 237, PLEASE

Room 237 is a documentary by Rodney Ascher released in January 2012. The film is a discussion of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. The film basically offers several perspectives on Kubrick's film that may have eluded previous criticism. As a fan of the film, it was obvious I would become interested in this and got myself a copy once it came out. I've seen it twice so far, so I thought I'd give you my impressions.

The film is built on a series of film clips (mostly taken from Kubrick's work, and others), along with relevant clips of the film in question with off-camera comments by the participants. In turn, each of these participants offer their own interpretations and observations based on relevant study of the work in question. Nevertheless, in many ways, the film goes off the deep end and somewhat fails as a piece of serious cinematic criticism. The main reason is that, while theories are presented left, right and center, very few serious evidence of what these people say make it on screen. Except, of course, for the most serious and previously documented ones. Others are plainly ludicrous.

Particularly Jay Weidner's assertions that Kubrick used The Shining as a soapbox to denounce his involvement in faking the Apollo XI moon landing in 1969 (made with full backing of the US government, of course, while he was busy with 2001), peppering the film with references to that effect. I do hope there will come a time when conspiracy theories such as this will go the way of the dinosaurs (note to self : don't hold your breath, kiddo!) and I have long ceased to find them interesting, fascinating or even plausible. Debating the very point on the very day of Neil Armstrong's death left me with a bad taste in the mouth, so you can guess how bad I feel about this (For the record I do not believe in a nanosecond that disbelieving a conspiracy theory is proof that such a conspiracy exist. Not in the very least).

Other points of view are more insteresting yet very little in actual evidence are presented on screen. For instance, Geoffrey Cocks maintains that The Shining is littered with references to the Holocaust. Unfortunately, all he can offer is a German typewriter. German typewriters do not a Holocaust make. This is sad, because it is true that Kubrick has always been fascinated by that particular event, and in the 1990s he attempted to bring his own vision of the Holocaust in the aborted Aryan Papers project (he abandoned it following the release of Schindler's List. His widow, Christiane Kubrick, said he was actually relieved as the project left him totally depressed. Wonder why?). The spectres of Germany's past have certainly found their way in many of his films, and Shining certainly must contain some references to it, yet all Cocks can offer us is that typewriter. He also makes a references that the baggages the Torrances bring too many bagages the Overlook, recalling concentration camp victims bringing their belongings at their « new home ». I wish Cocks could have elaborated on this a bit more substantially.

Bill Blakemore's theories that the film makes constant references to the extermination of the Native Americans by European settlers has been well documented elsewhere, most importantly on his own website and Kubrick does indeed offers Native American motifs throughout the film (that and the fact that the Overlook was built on an Indian burial ground, a detail not found in King's novel).

For me, however, the most fascinating aspects are in the technical details. Juli Kearns, for instances, takes us around the Overlook and we realise that the set designs are a cornucopia of false corridors, false hallways and false doors (something Rod Ager also does on his website, though he's not in the movie) and, more to the point, that notorious false window in Ullman's office. Both Kearns and Ager maintains that this was done deliberately to confuse viewers, because (and this is something that permeates all comments in Room 237) Kubrick was too much of a control-freak, spent too much time preparing his movies to the tiniest of details that he was incapable of making such obvious mistakes.

Let's see. Do I believe that the bizarre Overlook sets were done deliberately? Why, yes I do. Obviously. Do I believe it was done specifically to confuse viewers and give the impression that the Overlook is a dark, mysterious place full of twists and turns? Not necessarily.

See Stanley Kubrick and his production designer Roy Walker made a film set, not an actual hotel where real people could live in. The strange spatial arrangements, in my opinion, are merely there to convey space and give the impression that the Torrances are actually living in a large, spatious hotel. And, yes, the interior designs doesn't really match the exterior of the hotel (filmed at a real one, the Timberline Lodge), but see Kubrick, despite his stature, never had unlimited money and unlimited time to make his films, so yes, even for him some corners had to be cut. On the other hand, Kubrick could chose which corners to cut making it all the more interesting for amateur critics like ourselves (it still doesn't explain Ullman's fake window, however).

Finally, even more fascinating are John Fell Ryan's analyses. What he did is play the film simultaneously backwards and forwards, surimposed. Many scenes seem to match one another in a most surreal fashion. For instance, the scene where Jack and Grady talk in the men's room, perfectly match a scene of Danny, wide eyed and visibly unnerved giving the impression that he « shines » about this particular encounter. If you watch the film this way, it gives even more power to Danny's ESP as he is literally able to « shine » the entire film before it happens.Wow!

So, would I recommend Room 237 for your approval? Well, yes, sure. It is well-made, some of the points are interesting and the whole thing is certainly a labour of love for anyone involved, however as a serious piece of criticism of a major modern filmmaker it fails because it focuses too much on the pet theories of the participants rather than an ecompassing work on a much misunderstood film. If we use Occam's Rasor, it is clear that Kubrick's intentions was to make a horror film because A) he'd never made one before, B) he needed a commercial commodity for his next project following the box office failure of Barry Lyndon and C) he wanted to put his own stamp on a well known genre much like he did with war movies and science-fiction ones. On that, we can all agree he succeeded admirably.

The Doctor: "I'm so sorry, Peri, but you're in for a very nasty surprise"

THE TWENTIETH TIME TEAM

Peter Davison (The Doctor)

Mark Strickson (Turlough)

Nicola Bryant (Peri)

Turlough leaves just as Peri comes aboard. However, "change, my dear, and not a moment too soon"

Active from  February 23 to March 16, 1984

Adventures:

1. Planet of Fire
2. The Caves of Androzani





The Doctor gives the idea of bringing his own assassin on board
a serious rethink.

 THE NINETEENTH TIME TEAM

The Doctor, Nyssa and Tegan meet with Turlough (who's really an agent of the Black Guardian). Then Nyssa remains on Terminus.

Peter Davison (The Doctor)
Sarah Sutton (Nyssa)
Janet Fielding (Tegan)
Mark Strickson (Turlough)

Active from February 1, 1983 to February 15, 1984.




Adventures:

1. Mawdryn Undead
2. Terminus
3. Enlightenment
4. The King's Demons
5. The Five Doctors
6. Warriors of the Deep
7. The Awakening
8. Frontios
9. Resurrection of the Daleks

Tegan: "What's with the gun, Doctor?"

The Doctor: "Just in case Adric comes back, Tegan. Just in case."

THE EIGHTEENTH TIME TEAM

Adric is killed at the end of Earthshock, so its the three of them for now on.

Peter Davison (The Doctor)
Sarah Sutton (Nyssa)
Janet Fielding (Tegan)

Active from March 22, 1982 to January 26, 1983.

Adventures:

1. Time-Flight
2. Arc of Infinity
3. Snakedance

CRUISE IN THE WRINGER (EYES WIDE SHUT)

THE LOWDOWN: Fidelio; naval officer; Nick Nightingale; orgies; dead prostitutes; Kidman naked.

WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?: Eyes Wide Shut was the first Kubrick film I saw in a movie theatre upon initial release. And I was disappointed. The movie didn't strike the right chord in me (apart for the very undressed Nicole Kidman) and I quickly forgot about it in the days that followed. I didn't even buy in in VHS or DVD (until very recently) and my only attempt to see it again resulted in falling asleep on the couch. And while other Kubricks found themselves in (un)healthy rotation around the house, Eyes was deliberately ignored, circumvented, avoided, you name it. I managed to find a second-hand copy in DVD this summer and even then I didn't get around watching it until last week. My last Kurick post hinted I would discuss A Clockwork Orange, but I believe I have been cowardly enough and it was time for me to make a stand and talk about Eyes Wide Shut instead (right on!).

To my surprise, I finally have things to say about it.

EWS is an adaptation of a novella by Austrian writer Arthur Schnitzler set in Vienna at the turn of the century. Of course, Kubrick changed it for a more contemporary setting (i.e. present-day New York). From what I could gather, adapting Schnitzler had been a Kubrick pet project for some time.

Dr. Bill Harford is a wealthy, respected MD living in New York with his wife, Alice, and their daughter. One evening, after a party, Bill and Alice have an argument. As a result of that argument (about men's lust, if you must know) Alice reveals that, wouldn't you know it, women have desires too. In fact, Alice reveals that last year she totally lusted for a naval officer staying at the same hotel as the Hartfords, and though nothing happened Alice just can't keep that officer out of her mind. Shaken by this revelation, Bill somewhat decides to get even by committing adultery (for real). From then on, things get very bad very fast.

For one thing, it's impeccably made. Nothing's out of place here, and, as usual, Kubrick left no stone unturned as far a cinematic perfection is concerned (unless those stones needed not to be turned in the first place). The soundtrack is also fantastic, the Latin chants in reverse during the orgy scenes is very different, yet very striking, and favourably compares with his work with Wendy Carlos. The use of classical music (a Kubrick mainstay since 2001) is also judiciously chosen. The actors give their all (yes, even Tom Cruise) and the subject matter is different, yet completely in keeping with Kubrick's preoccupations (more on that later).
So what's wrong with it?

One thing that really bugged me when I first saw it is how totally self-referential the entire film is. In fact, Kubrick gives us a complete run down of...well, of everything Kubrick did previously. Given that he passed away a few days after completion, I get the feeling Kubrick was in for a good "summing up" before his demise. In that respect, the film commands a good deal of indulgence (but that's assuming Kubrick knew he was dying and that EWS was made in complete knowledge that it would be his last film. Such arguments are very risky to make. OK, we don't really know how he died, and how long Kubrick knew about any  serious health issues. Yet, any health issues would have probably not allowed him to take up a movie project at that point so...on the other hand, even if he hadn't died, Kubrick was very old, so making another movie after this would not have happened, given how long it takes him to shoot something). The self-references are both subtle and obvious. So here's a quick list:

1. Ziegler's party: the sets and lightning oddly recalls the interiors of the Overlook Hotel, particularly the Gold Room where Jack meets Lloyd the Bartender and Grady. The tracking shot s of Bill and the two girls are also similar to the camera movements of that film.
2. Some of the music at Ziegler's party is remarkably similar to the music played by the orchestra at the Overlook's 4th of July ball.
3. Walking the streets of New York, Bill is verbally abused by a gang of young, similarly-dressed hoodlums (Droogs anyone?, though if it had been, they would have no doubt beaten and robbed poor Bill).
4. The orgy: the sets and costumes are a call-back to the era portrayed in Barry Lyndon. The set design is also like the 17th century room at the end of 2001.
5. ...And the people dancing are also a call-back to the 4th of July ball at the Overlook. 
6. The prostitutes at the orgy behave in a very ritualistic way, in fact they are no more than "objects" to be used by anyone there as they see fit, as if the mannequins of the Korova Milkbar have come to life. Speaking of which, a valet is used as a stool for a couple in full "action" (as noted by Tim Kreider). 
7. Kreider also notes that masks and mannequins are a recurring Kubrickian motif. 
8. Kreider also notes that "fidelio", the orgy password, is the title of an opera by Beethoven. Alex's favourite composer. 
9. When Bill is brought before the "speaker of the House", all of the guests are assembled in a circle and the Speaker himself is inside a wreath of light, darkening everything around him just like the War Room at the Pentagon. Likewise, both scenes do not bring good news.
10. When Bill visits Domino's apartment, he declares it "cosey", a similar term used (also ironically) by the Torrances to describe their living quarters at the Overlook. Both sets are also similar in configuration. 
11. When Bill goes to see Mandy's body, he is told the morgue is at level C, room 114 (CRM-114 anyone?).
12. The mask that magically appears on Bill's pillow recalls the ball "magically" thrown at Danny to lure him into Room 237.

 Kubrick was never averse to the self-reference game, however he was a bit more subtle in his previous films. Kubrick's film techniques are also very well known by his fans, which are on full display here.

The big question is "what's this movie all about?". Kubrick was always an open-ended director, never giving direct answers to the viewers, preferring to let them figure it out for themselves. For my part, frustration seems to be the running theme of the movie. Alice Harford has been dominated lately by thoughts of unfaithfulness and a strong desire to sexually humiliate her husband. Bill attempts to get even, first by  sleeping with a prostitute and next by infiltrating an orgy for the rich and powerful. He is thwarted on both occasions, first (ironically) by a telephone call from his wife, and secondly by his status as an intruder.

Later on, Bill tries to find out what happened to the woman who "sacrificed" herself so he could leave the orgy unmolested. First, he goes back to mansion, however he is handed a letter by a silent manservant telling him to "piss off or else". His next "clue" is the newspaper article mentioning Mandy's death. Mandy, the nude woman he saved from an OD at Ziegler's party. Mandy, the nude woman who offered herself to the tender mercies of whoever runs the orgies. He examines the body but finds no significant clues, leaving his questions largely unanswered. Next, Bill tries to track down Nick Nightingale, his old school friend who introduced him to the party but he is told the pianist was "escorted" by strange men looking like's he's been beaten up for his indiscretion.

Bill's confrontation with Ziegler offers no real answers. Ziegler reassures Bill that Mandy's death was unrelated to the incident at the orgy, her sacrifice being merely a mise en scène to scare Bill away. Furthermore, he implies that nothing unseemly happened to Nick and the musician has safely returned to his wife and kids. None of these explanations satisfy Bill in the very least, yet he has no choice but to accept them, if only to get Ziegler and his people off his back. Ziegler, of course, does not offer any definite proof to back up his version of events. And Bill is definitely not in any position to demand any. So, his quest for the truth remains largely unfulfilled. The only "real" thing Ziegler says are the threats against Bill if he persists in his investigation.

And then there's the Harford couple's issues. Alice is clearly dissatisfied with her husband, and he has difficulties to cope with a wife whose only thoughts are to humiliate and debase him. At the end, Alice reassures Bill that she still loves him, yet how can we believe a woman who laughs her ass off when dreaming of having sex with hundreds of men in front of her husband, and let's not forget that naval officer who so obviously tickled her fancy. And yet Bill attempted to repay imagined adultery with actual unfaithfulness. While he was very obviously flirting with the two girls, his wife was fending off the advances of a very sophisticated "player", wielding her wedding ring as a shield. Nothing happened with the officer, and the hundreds of men she was making love to were unreal, while Bill's fling with a prostitute and the orgy was all too real. Which brings to my mind an age old question: can we punish someone for "thinking" about doing something bad without having the person in question actually committing that thing for real?

2001 for me is the beginning of Kubrick's mature period. A film which has confounded critics for 45 years. A film which offers every sort of questions imaginable without any definite answers. Eyes Wide Shut closes Kubrick's work very much the same way (if in a much less metaphysical sense), another labyrinth to lose the viewers within.

THE SEVENTEENTH TIME TEAM
 

The Doctor's time as a High School teacher was not the happiest
period of his long life 

The Doctor regenerates again.


Peter Davison (The Doctor)
Matthew Waterhouse (Adric)
Sarah Sutton (Nyssa)
Janet Fielding (Tegan)

Active from January 4 to March 16, 1982.










 Adventures:

1. Castrovalva
2. Four to Doomsday
3. Kinda 
4. The Visitation
5. Black Orchid
6. Earthshock

The Doctor: "It's the end, I can see that Davison kid coming our way"

THE SIXTEENTH TIME TEAM

Romana and K-9 stay in E-Space after Warrior's Gate. The Doctor and Adric pick up Nyssa and Tegan, but the biggest change is just around the corner.

Tom Baker (Doctor Who)
Matthew Waterhouse (Adric)
Sarah Sutton (Nyssa)
Janet Fielding (Tegan)

Active from January 31 to March 21, 1981




Adventures:

1. The Keeper of Traken
2. Logopolis

The Doctor: "Do whatever you want, just don't make me chose between you
and the tin dog"

THE E-SPACE TIME TEAM

The TARDIS gets sucked into some kind of space anomaly and ends up in a pocket universe known as E-Space. Time for the Doctor to meet Adric.

Tom Baker (Doctor Who)
Lalla Ward (Romana)
John Leeson (K-9)
Matthew Waterhouse (Adric)

Active from October 25, 1980 to January 24, 1981

Adventures:

1. Full Circle
2. State of Decay
3. Warrior's Gate

The Doctor: "What are you doing?"
Romana: "Trying to turn K-9 into a coffee machine"

THE FIFTEENTH TIME TEAM

Romana regenerates, K-9 gets a new voice and its off to new adventures.

Tom Baker (Doctor Who)
Lalla Ward (Romana)
K-9 (David Brierley, John Leeson)

Active from September 1, 1979 to October 18, 1980









Adventures:

1. Destiny of the Daleks
2. City of Death
3. The Creature from the Pit
4. Nightmare of Eden
5. The Horns of Nimon
6. Shada
7. The Leisure Hive
8. Meglos

Romana: "Look, Doctor, it's still with us!"
The Doctor: "We just can't get rid of that thing, can we?"

THE KEY TO TIME TEAM

The Doctor, K-9 and a Time Lady named Romana, roam the universe looking for the Key to Time.

Tom Baker (Doctor Who)
Mary Tamm (Romana)
John Leeson (K-9)

Active from September 2, 1978 to February 24, 1979

Adventures:

1. The Ribos Operation
2. The Pirate Planet
3. The Stones of Blood
4. The Androids of Tara
5. The Power of Kroll
6. The Armageddon Factor

"I am the Master, you will obey me!"

QUATERMASS II

 Episode Four: The Coming

12 November 1955

It's really hits the fan this time.

Pr Quatermass realizes that the "synthetic food" produced by the plant is actually a deadly compound. Furthermore he has come to the conclusion that the meteorites are carrying some sort of alien life-form who immediately possess anyone it comes in contact with. Therefore it becomes clear that aliens are trying to invade Earth (i.e. Britain) and remodel it as their own world.

(One of these days someone ought to closely examine the plans of alien invaders; so far very of them make any sense. If you have to completely terraform a planet to invade it, then wouldn't it be easier to just select a world closer in surface conditions to the one you're leaving behind? Let's look at a human perspective: if we're going to colonize another world one day, then we'll certainly select one nearest to Earth in terms of gravity, atmosphere etc. That's why, of all the planets in this here solar system, Mars would be more suitable than, say, Venus. We've been looking at those exoplanets lately, trying to find one with suitable conditions for life. We're not going out of our way to find a planet we'll have to completely change in order to live there. One has got to believe that alien invaders really have it in for humanity, because their invasion plans are not practical in the very least.)

Anyway, things are getting very serious indeed. Quatermass props one of his rockets with an atomic warhead "just in case". He also enlists the help of a journalist named Conrad to spread the truth around. They locate the workers of the Winnderden Flats plant to a local pub when one of those damned meteorites fall in (a normal occurrence, one local says) and, faster than you can say "zombified army unit", one of them rolls around to take the meteorite away. However, Conrad gets infected. Meanwhile, Quatermass disguises himself as a zombie soldier to try and find out more. In his dying breath, Conrad phones his newspaper with news of an alien invasion.

• This is more like it. Episode 3 was rather slow moving, but here the pace is brisk, moving along faster as things get more...difficult. 
• Wouldn't you know it, Conrad is played by Roger Delgado, better known as the original Master in Doctor Who. 

  

  "Conrad, you idiot! You're supposed
  to phone the papers, not me!"
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

• Quatermass certainly has clout in some quarters, as he is able to commandeer a nuclear warhead for his rocket.  Bear in mind that two of those blew up at the beginning of the serial, something that could get any old space agency severe budget cuts (bah! that's for the next fiscal year, they apparently still have got some money left around...somewhere). 
• Good thing they've told us that Paul and Quatermass are related. Their complete lack of parental rapport certainly do not help cement their relationship.

The Doctor and Leela, smiling as they are about to trade K-9 for R2-D2

THE FOURTEENTH TIME TEAM

After a brief solo stint on his home planet, the Doctor teams up with Leela and later K-9.

Tom Baker (Doctor Who)
Louise Jameson (Leela)
John Leeson (K-9)

Active from October 30, 1976 to March 11, 1978

Adventures:

1. The Deadly Assassin
2. The Face of Evil
3. The Robots of Death
4. The Talons of Weng-Chiang
5. Horror of Fang Rock
6. The Invisible Enemy
7. Image of the Fendhal
8. The Sun Makers
9. Underworld
10. The Invasion of Time