One Man-Ape’s Art.

Some people think between the nepotism and the casting couch, the only way to get a job in Hollywood is to blow your dad.

Or you can work harder and smarter than you ever imagined and create your own career. Stanley Kubrick taught himself all aspects of film production and directing, and forged one of the best bodies of work ever. He had no particular style, because for every film he created a new one, challenging himself to work on all types of genres. Sparticus, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket. Serious range.

The other night, I checked out a fascinating exhibit at the Los Angeles Contempary Museum of Art (LACMA), which focuses on Kubrick’s career. There are film clips and props and crazy costumes, like the man-ape from 2001, which was so creepily fascinating I couldn’t take my eyes off of it.

Here, my friend Bru and I read through some nutty correspondence started by some shitbag pastor, who wrote to Stanley concerned about his upcoming film Lolita. When Stanley didn’t reply right away, the religious dude threatened to lead a protest, to which Stanley wrote a brilliantly-succinct letter back to the guy, expressing his disappointment that the church would judge a film before ever having viewed it. Right on, dude.

The exhibit runs through June, and I highly recommend it. You’ll never feel so fascinated and yet so damn underachieving all at the same time.