For mainstream American audiences, the late Stanley Kubrick wasn’t the most accessible director of his time. There is no question, though, that his influence is still everywhere in modern film. How many filmmakers working today have been influenced or mentored in some way by Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, or Woody Allen? According to the numerous documentaries that come with Stanley Kubrick: The Masterpiece Collection, the influence Kubrick had on that Hollywood trinity was personal and profound.
He may have been cheated out of a Best Director Academy Award too many times to count, but Kubrick matters. If you love movies and the language of movies, this one-of-a-kind director – who enjoyed the kind of artistic and budget freedom Scorsese and Spielberg would...