Rating: 
Summary: Biography or trivia book?
Review: ....at times, then there is nothing, with no explanation. He is inconsistant with his info, at times failing to give simple details, like whether a particular film made $$!The first chapters are the worst, with a sea of exruciatingly detailed info about his childhood.....like countless addresses.....thrown together in a turely ham-fisted manner. And then there is little revealing detail about the making of the movies. This from a man who is a film school professor! Don't quit your day job Mr LoBrutto!
Rating:
Summary: well researched.....
Review: ....at times, then there is nothing, with no explanation. He is inconsistant with his info, at times failing to give simple details, like whether a particular film made $$! The first chapters are the worst, with a sea of exruciatingly detailed info about his childhood.....like countless addresses.....thrown together in a turely ham-fisted manner. And then there is little revealing detail about the making of the movies. This from a man who is a film school professor! Don't quit your day job Mr LoBrutto!
Rating: 
Summary: A Plutarchian Biography
Review: Apologetic to Stanley Kubrick, STANLEY KUBRICK: A BIOGRAPHY (c. 1997) by Vincent LoBrutto is a first order inquiry which sets the Plutarchian biographical tone of Stanley Kubrick as a benevolent director pursuing his childhood infatuation with the photographic image. Vincent LoBrutto concentrates on the interesting behind-the-scenes business dealings Mr. Kubrick contends with in Hollywood. He also describes Stanley Kubrick's initial inspiration to photography in high school; the exertion and drive Kubrick demonstrated to complete a film; his relationships with some of Hollywood's biggest stars; Kubrick's impartial business decision to make movies in England; his experiences with contracts, lawyers, and lawsuits; the polite opinions of cohorts and co-workers regarding Mr. Kubrick himself; a few of Mr. Kubrick's own views regarding his life pursuing cinema; and his hobbies, marriages, and habits. The biography falls short in one regard that it paints too good a portrait of a director who allegedly never lost his temper; it glosses over any motivation for his two divorces; it emphasized some personal information (such as he liked hot dogs) and de-emphasized others (was Kubrick right-handed or left-handed? or was Kubrick a rated chess player?). The book further does not explore the differences between brilliance and genius: would Stanley Kubrick have been able to pass the test to join Mensa? Using secondary and tertiary sources typical of biographies, Vincent LoBrutto fails to capture the historic Stanley Kubrick with this work steeped in the mechanical aspects of his subject's life. Sparing the reader a lot of technical jargon regarding Stanley Kubrick's cinematographic technique, Vincent LoBrutto does delve in the personal view and values which contributed to Stanley Kubrick's initial motivation to make movies. Yet this is just one single biography, and as more information regarding Stanley Kubrick comes to light, more biographies about this auteur director should be writtened and read (there are 400 biographies on Ghandi) to fully capture all the facets, good and bad of a brilliant director. A contrasting biographical technique, to be read in conjunction with this work, would be: STANLEY KUBRICK: A BIOGRAPHY (c1997) by John Baxter, which adds some additional information not covered by Vincent LoBrutto.
Rating:
Summary: A soporific odyssey
Review: Despite my great interest in Stanley Kubrick's work and personality, I couldn't finish this biography by Vincent LoBrutto. Disappointment sets in very quickly as one realizes that LoBrutto's writing style is very tedious, amateurish and repetitive. The irony is that the author is clearly an admirer of Kubrick and has done extremely meticulous research -- what a shame that the editing was not nearly as careful, quite unlike a Kubrick film. I switched to John Baxter's recently published biography and, though that book certainly has its own weaknesses, it is much more concise and has a livelier style. After finishing it, I picked up the LoBrutto book again in an attempt to at least skim it for additional detail, especially since it offers more technical information. I have again given up. The poor style is too much to endure and the extra detail is not interesting. One wonders whether the Baxter biography is merely a more professional rewrite of the LoBrutto book.
Rating: 
Summary: Diletantism a la Bogdanovich!
Review: How some individuals spew and others poke causing the uninformed to almost choke on speculation and fabrication such as Lobrutto and the icon of self-delusion - Bogdanovich. Wasted tomes and altered realities.
Rating: 
Summary: Stanley Kubrick remains an enigma
Review: I enjoyed this book. It reads more like a novel than a stoic biography and it reminds us that there will never be another Stanley Kubrick......ever. But it leaves me guessing about the true nature of Stanley Kubrick. Perhaps this is because Lobrutto has to rely on what is documented, rather than entering the inner sanctum of the private thoughts of a private artist. Can't fault Lobrutto, however, as Kubrick is an enigma, perhaps intentionally so, and this is neither an unofficial nor official biography. Kubrick didn't suppress Lobrutto's efforts, but it is quite apparent that he did not assist the author in any way as well. So here we have Kubrick's film reviews, accounts of box office/critical reception, detailed technical notes and various second-hand experiences and observations from people involved in various Kubrick productions, along with some early memories from people who knew Stanley when they were all just a bunch of kids in the Bronx. Might seem trivial to some, but for Kubrick buffs, Lobrutto's book is a must-read.
Rating: 
Summary: most unraveling considering the director's reclusiveness.
Review: I have never had my curiosity satisfied better than with this biography. For all the abilities which Kubrick posseses (i.e. the ability to deliver a theme and message where visuals are so strongly and uniquely manifested, that a dialogue could just as well be nil), my thirst for information on Kubrick the man was no less strong than that of an addict's craving. This piece of literature has finally met my inquisitive desire right where it burned the most (in the mind of the aspiring director and film addict that I am). I grew up watching 2001: A Space Odessey, for my father professed nothing but. And to be able to put a human side and enter the mind of the world's most elusive filmmaker is enough to feel like a new form of contact has been made
Rating:
Summary: Very good biography on the genius himself.
Review: I must say that I was absolutely astounded to find so many bad reviews on this book, or even mediocre ones for that matter. Many have cited problems such as it being a book of speculation and trivia, and that Lobrutto's writing style is borish. I suppose I can somewhat agree with the latter criticism, for the book does get tedious at times, but that shouldn't distract any true Kubrick fan from enjoying this otherwise informative and interesting looking into the life of one of cinema's only real Genius'. The book is above being simply standard in it's research and thus does gravitate a certain amount of authority on the subject. If nothing else I have to compliment Mr. Lobrutto on his dilligence and dedication to writing such a weighty book on a very enimatic subject. In that regard this book should not be viewed in terms of "Why couldn't he have told us Stanley's favorite chess piece" and should be read as "Wow - I didn't know that the camera lense used in Barry Lyndon was taken off of a satellite!" Please, to whoever is thinking of buying this, don't listen to all those other morons who insist that this book is junk, they are all obviously misguided souls who simply live to criticize. Buy it and enjoy. (oh yeah, its also got some great photo's in there as well.)
Rating:
Summary: How to write a book about a filmmaker
Review: If you want to know about Stanley Kubrick, outside of viewing his films, this is THE book ! This book fills in the blanks, about this enigmatic filmmaker, with a very concise, pre-history, to his notariety as director of such films as "Paths of Glory" and "Dr. Strangelove". It is from these "roots", that his story REALLY begins ! Be patient to get to those "famous" years, for it is this story, that explains, the "how" and "why" he is regarded so highly.
Rating:
Summary: Decent
Review: If you're looking for a biography rather than a filmography that encapsulates Kubrick's career, try Vincent LoBrutto's Stanley Kubrick: A Biography. Reading more like a list of facts and figures rather than a true narrative, this nevertheless has many redeeming qualities (although LoBrutto's monotonous prose style is not one of them), including compulsive readability. The book moves chronologically through Kubrick's film career, giving insightful details into the making of many pictures (many of these details are not found elsewhere but neither are they especially useful, either), but details of the man, of Kubrick, are rarely forthcoming. This should come as no surprise, considering Kubrick's insistence on privacy and refusal to be glamorized, but it is frustrating, when you reflect that in a biography, the man should take center stage, the works a less distinguished role. Given the wealth of material regarding each film's genesis, perhaps this should be considered more a biography of each film with incidental details on the director.
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