01- Was HAL, the computer in 2001, named after IBM?
02- Was 2001 based on the book or is the book a novelization?
03- What does the title A Clockwork Orange mean?
04- Why doesn't the film of A Clockwork Orange include the final chapter of the novel?
05- What and are the subliminal messages I've heard about in A Clockwork Orange?
06- Where is the real Overlook hotel used in The Shining?
07- Why was the Overlook room number 217 in the novel changed to 237 in the film?
08- What does the title Full Metal Jacket mean?
09- I saw the restored version of Spartacus. What was restored?
10- Are there "director's cuts" available of his other films?
11- How is the name Kubrick pronounced?

1- Was HAL, the computer in 2001, named after IBM?

It is rumored that the name HAL was created by using the letters in the alphabet which precede the individual letters of I.B.M. However, both Kubrick and screenplay co-author Arthur C. Clarke deny this, claiming it is a surprising coincidence. According to Clarke, the H stands for Heuristically and the AL stands for Algorithmic, as in "heuristically programmed algorithmic computer."

2- Was 2001 based on the book or is the book a novelization?

Kubrick initiated the project as a film by hiring science-fiction novelist Arthur C. Clarke to co-author the screenplay. The first drafts were written in novel form, as a way to explore the potentials of the story. The screenplay was then written from this prose treatment. Clarke reworked the novel version and it was published after the film was released.

3- What does the title A Clockwork Orange mean?

Originally, it comes from an old Cockney expression where one might say something odd was "as queer as a clockwork orange," it being incongruous that something organic would have mechanical works.

4- Why doesn't the film of A Clockwork Orange include the final chapter of the novel?

When the book was released in America the final chapter was dropped by the publisher, hence, two versions of the novel existed in the world. Kubrick became aware of the longer version of the novel during his writing of the screenplay. He dismissed the final chapter, which concerns the rehabilitation of Alex, as unconvincing and inconsistent with the style of the book.

5- What and where are the subliminal messages I've heard about in A Clockwork Orange?

The moment in question is during the fight between Alex and the Cat Lady, when he strikes her on the head with a piece of sculpture. At the moment of impact, Kubrick uses a quick-cut montage of closeups of the various erotic paintings on view around the room. This sly editing effect is so brief that many people don't notice it on first viewing. The single frames however contain no hidden messages.

6- Where is the real Overlook hotel used in The Shining?

The Overlook hotel exists only on film. All principal photography for the film was shot at the EMI studios in Borehamwood, England. While the exterior, establishing shots of the Overlook are of a real hotel--the Timberline Lodge near Mt. Hood in Oregon--the interior of that hotel is completely different than the Overlook depicted in the film, and there is no hedge maze outside. A facade of the rear of the Timberline Lodge and the hedge maze were built on the studio lot in England. The interior sets were modeled on various hotels from around the United States. For example, the blood red mens-room was modeled on a mens-room in a hotel in Arizona designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The opening sequence showing the car driving up mountain roads was shot in Glacier National Park in Montana.

7- Why was the Overlook hotel room number 217 in the novel changed to 237 in the film?

The Timberline Lodge has a room 217 but no room 237. The management was concerned that guests might not want to stay in room 217 after seeing the film so they asked that the number be changed.

8- What does the title Full Metal Jacket mean?

Technically, it refers to the outer casing, or jacket, of a bullet. According to screenplay co-author Michael Herr, Kubrick picked the title after reading the phrase in a gun catalog, finding it "beautiful and tough, and kind of poetic."

9- I saw the restored version of Spartacus. What was restored?

Mainly the color, which had faded over the years. The only full scene restored was the infamous "snails and oysters" scene where Tony Curtis is seen bathing Laurence Olivier. Also restored is a brief scene within a montage where parents bury their dead baby. The order of some shots in that montage was also changed. Other restored shots throughout the film are little bits of ultra-violence such as Olivier getting blood squirted on his face, Kirk Douglas twice stabbing a guard in a pool, a Roman soldier getting his arm chopped off, and a slave being run through with a sword.

10- Are there "director's cuts" available of his other films?

Kubrick had often trimmed scenes between preview and opening, and sometimes after opening. Paths of Glory was trimmed. Dr. Strangelove lost a pie fighting sequence at the end. 2001 was cut by 19 minutes. After playing in theaters for some time, A Clockwork Orange had shots cut to reduce its X rating to an R. The Shining initially had a 2 minute scene cut, and later Kubrick cut another 20 minutes for the film's international distribution. These two different cuts continue to exist in US and foreign video versions. There are no special edition director's cuts of these films available presumably because Kubrick made all of these cuts himself. However, the current video version of A Clockwork Orange contains the original X-rated cut, though it is only R-rated today.  The only video version of Spartacus currently available is the restored version. For his first film, Day of the Fight, RKO added a four minute, fifteen second prologue of general boxing footage and narration along with different credits and opening music. That film is not available on home video.

For examples of some of these cuts see the Kubrick Film Ratings Comparison Page featuring video files comparing the alterations to A Clockwork Orange and Eyes Wide Shut which were made to receive lower ratings, appease protesters, and correct a gaff.

11- How is the name Kubrick pronounced?

Kubrick pronounced it coo-brick. Despite this, many people insist on the fancier pronunciation of cue-brick.