Stanley Kubrick and Me: Thirty Years at His Side
Emilio D'Alessandro
May 2016 · Skyhorse
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About this ebook
This intimate portrait by his former personal assistant and confidante reveals the man behind the legendary filmmaker—for the first time.
Stanley Kubrick, the director of a string of timeless movies from Lolita and Dr. Strangelove to A Clockwork Orange, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Full Metal Jacket, and others, has always been depicted by the media as the Howard Hughes of filmmakers, a weird artist obsessed with his work and privacy to the point of madness. But who was he really? Emilio D'Alessandro lets us see. A former Formula Ford driver who was a minicab chauffeur in London during the Swinging Sixties, he took a job driving a giant phallus through the city that became his introduction to the director. Honest, reliable, and ready to take on any task, Emilio found his way into Kubrick's neurotic, obsessive heart. He became his personal assistant, his right-hand man and confidant, working for him from A Clockwork Orange until Kubrick's death in 1999.
Emilio was the silent guy in the room when the script for The Shining was discussed. He still has the coat Jack Nicholson used in the movie. He was an extra on the set of Eyes Wide Shut, Kubrick's last movie. He knew all the actors and producers Kubrick worked with; he observed firsthand Kubrick's working methods down to the smallest detail. Making no claim of expertise in cinematography but with plenty of anecdotes, he offers a completely fresh perspective on the artist and a warm, affecting portrait of a generous, kind, caring man who was a perfectionist in work and life.
Stanley Kubrick, the director of a string of timeless movies from Lolita and Dr. Strangelove to A Clockwork Orange, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Full Metal Jacket, and others, has always been depicted by the media as the Howard Hughes of filmmakers, a weird artist obsessed with his work and privacy to the point of madness. But who was he really? Emilio D'Alessandro lets us see. A former Formula Ford driver who was a minicab chauffeur in London during the Swinging Sixties, he took a job driving a giant phallus through the city that became his introduction to the director. Honest, reliable, and ready to take on any task, Emilio found his way into Kubrick's neurotic, obsessive heart. He became his personal assistant, his right-hand man and confidant, working for him from A Clockwork Orange until Kubrick's death in 1999.
Emilio was the silent guy in the room when the script for The Shining was discussed. He still has the coat Jack Nicholson used in the movie. He was an extra on the set of Eyes Wide Shut, Kubrick's last movie. He knew all the actors and producers Kubrick worked with; he observed firsthand Kubrick's working methods down to the smallest detail. Making no claim of expertise in cinematography but with plenty of anecdotes, he offers a completely fresh perspective on the artist and a warm, affecting portrait of a generous, kind, caring man who was a perfectionist in work and life.
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Peter Hill
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December 11, 2022
This masterwork captures the Stanley Kubrick that people should know, not this introverted, tyrant that the media portrayed him as. Emilio is a kind-hearted soul who was loyal to Stanley for over 30 years, and through his eyes we see the highs and lows of working with Stanley, as well as life as Stanley. It was a joy reading this book. I was absorbed and completely invested in both Emilio and Stanley, and dreaded the final chapters leading up to Stanley's death. Please read this book even if you're not a film fan. You'll have a great insight into the lives of two amazing people.
About the author
Emilio D'Alessandro left Italy at eighteen to become a racecar driver but turned to driving a minicab after the economic crisis in the late sixties ended his career. He worked closely with Stanley Kubrick for thirty years while raising a family with his wife, Janette. After Kubrick's death, he returned to his native land. He lives in Cassino, Italy.
Filippo Ulivieri was born in 1977. He is a writer and teacher of film theory. The leading expert on Stanley Kubrick in Italy, he has published articles on the director's life and films in several newspapers and magazines, and created the site ArchivioKubrick. He lives in Tuscany and Plymouth, UK.
Filippo Ulivieri was born in 1977. He is a writer and teacher of film theory. The leading expert on Stanley Kubrick in Italy, he has published articles on the director's life and films in several newspapers and magazines, and created the site ArchivioKubrick. He lives in Tuscany and Plymouth, UK.
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