Criterion Releases Massive 30-Disc Stanley Kubrick Film Collection in 4K

Film distributor Criterion has released a massive 30-disc box set titled "The Complete Kubrick," featuring all 13 feature films and three early short films of director Stanley Kubrick restored in 4K. The collection carries a list price of $599.95 and covers nearly fifty years of his career, starting from his 1952 debut "Fear and Desire" to his final movie, "Eyes Wide Shut," which starred Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in 1999.

The Films Included

The set brings together many influential movies across several decades. It includes the 1957 antiwar drama "Paths of Glory" starring Kirk Douglas, the Oscar-winning historical epic "Spartacus" from 1960, the 1964 Cold War satire "Dr. Strangelove," and the groundbreaking 1968 science fiction epic "2001: A Space Odyssey." Viewers also get the 1971 dystopian crime drama "A Clockwork Orange," the 1975 period drama "Barry Lyndon" known for its candlelit cinematography, and the 1980 Stephen King adaptation "The Shining" starring Jack Nicholson. Rounding out the feature list are the 1962 adaptation of Vladimir Nabokov's novel "Lolita," the 1987 Vietnam War film "Full Metal Jacket," and early works like the boxing drama "Killer's Kiss" and the noir thriller "The Killing."

Special Features

Alongside the movies, the box set includes three documentary shorts titled "Day of the Fight," "Flying Padre," and "The Seafarers." Criterion has packed the release with more than 25 hours of extra material, such as documentaries, interviews, screen tests, and behind-the-scenes footage. Highlights include a newly restored version of Vivian Kubrick's documentary "Making 'The Shining'" and unseen screen tests of James Mason and Sue Lyon for "Lolita." The package also features Kubrick's international cut of "The Shining" with extra footage not found in the European version, along with new audio commentaries by filmmaker Lee Unkrich and author Michael Benson. Archival interviews feature collaborators and admirers like Douglas, Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese.

Context

Criterion is a well-known home-video distributor famous for releasing important classic and contemporary films with restored video and extensive bonus features. Box sets of this scale typically target dedicated film collectors and archives rather than casual viewers. Physical media releases featuring 4K restorations remain popular among cinephiles who want the highest possible picture and sound quality for classic cinema.