January – February 1999.  World acclaimed director Stanley Kubrick has completed filming of “Eyes Wide Shut”.  It is  now in its editing phase.

In those last days, his personal assistant Emilio D’Alessandro witnessed an exhausted Kubrick busy editing right up to the very end.  Warner Bros. had a deadline and Stanley Kubrick intended to keep it.

The Preliminary Version.  Kubrick’s editor brought the director’s cut for viewing by Warner Bros. executives and the stars (Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.)

Stanley Kubrick with Tom Cruise

March 5.  A private showing of “Eyes Wide Shut” occurred at the director’s home.

Where Stanley Kubrick lived and died.  (Childwickbury Manor)

Emilio D’Alessandro recounts the last time he saw his employer and friend:  “We walked slowly and shakily along the corridor.  It was as if he had lost control of his limbs for a moment and couldn’t get it back.  Stanley struggled up the stairs, one step at a time.”  (from Stanley Kubrick and Me:  Thirty Years at his Side by Emilio D’Alessandro.)

March 7.  Stanley Kubrick is found dead by his wife Christiane.  Cause of death:  heart attack.

Christiane Kubrick

WHAT DOESN’T ADD UP

Following his death, Emilio recalls what happened afterward.  “I heard noise from the Avid Room.  (The editing room.)  Nobody had asked me for the keys.  I saw shadows of people rummaging through drawers, among papers and notepads, as well as the filing cabinets and Stanley’s personal computer.  The keys were still in my pocket.  So how did they get in?  Someone must have taken copies from the key room and used them to go where they shouldn’t.”  I told them, “If you weren’t allowed to do certain things before, you’re not allowed to do them now either.”  There was no answer.  Outside, they continued to search through Stanley’s Rolls Royce.”  From Stanley and Me by Emilio D’Alessandro.

Reportedly, director Steven Spielberg completed editing “Eyes Wide Shut”.  If so, what ended up on the cutting room floor?  What did Warners want removed and why didn’t they use Stanley’s cut?  Isn’t Kubrick’s death coincidental occurring right at the time of the movie’s completion?

“A.I. Artificial Intelligence”

For many years, Stanley Kubrick worked on the pre-production of his proposed next film titled “A.I. Artificial Intelligence”.  Various writers had been hired to work on the script, artist’s conceptual drawings were ready.  “A.I.” was ready to roll.

Emilio D’Alessandro recalls a conversation about his next film…

Emilio:  “Before you start back on A.I., let’s take a break.”

Stanley:  “Right.  Let’s do that as soon as we finish Eyes Wide Shut.”

Emilio or Kubrick make no mention of Steven Spielberg.  Not one word.  Why is this important?

Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg claims “his friend Stanley” wanted him to direct “A.I.”

Why, after all those years of work would he give up this project?  Evidence suggests Kubrick had vastly different ideas of what “A.I.” would be about.  The style of Kubrick and Spielberg are hardly the same.  Would a control freak like S.K. turn over his movie to someone else at the last minute?  Nevertheless, Stanley’s papers and notes were given to Spielberg based on a supposed phone conversation he had with his late friend.

In 2001, Steven Spielberg’s version of “Artificial Intelligence” was released to lukewarm reviews.

For further information, read https://ericreports.com/2017/12/08/eyes-wide-shut-original-3-hour-directors-cut/

Text © 2021 – ERN