The film Stanley Kubrick called “the best film I think I have ever seen”
Read More
Credit: Far Out / Alamy / XF58
When Stanley Kubrick bizarrely worked with Simon Cowell
The history of cinema is full of strange stories and coincidences that make the glittering valleys of Hollywood feel more like a fantastical otherworld rather than a mere location in Los Angeles, California. From Steve McQueen taking Bruce Lee on a death-defying high-speed ride around the L.A. hills to the bulging muscles of action star Arnold Schwarzenegger taking the position of Governor of California in 2003.
Perhaps one of the strangest Hollywood coincidences, however, came in 1980, upon the set of the iconic Stanley Kubrick horror movie The Shining, written by Stephen King. Telling the story of a man (Jack Nicholson) and his family who occupy the spooky remote Overlook Hotel over the winter, the influential horror classic captured all its internal shots in Elstree Studios, despite the actual hotel being located in Oregon.
Situated just north of London, it turns out Elstree Studios was mere miles away from a young Simon Cowell, a British music mogul who would go on to become one of the most influential entertainment names of the 21st century.
Speaking to BBC Radio 3, Cowell’s half-brother Tony stated that the X-Factor creator worked as a runner on the Stanley Kubrick classic, explaining, “It was only a stone’s throw away from where we grew up”.
Going one step further Tony clarified his half-brother’s position in the film, explaining, “I well remember him saying he used to clean Jack Nicholson’s axe in between takes for the most famous scenes”. Continuing, he added, “He took great pride in it, you could see your face in it, it was so shiny. It’s a far cry from where he is now. I think the only thing he shines these days are his teeth”.
Released in 1980, The Shining stars Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall and was adapted from the novel by Stephen King. The author was famously opposed to Kubrick’s vision, despite it being considered a great of the genre, telling Deadline, “I think The Shining is a beautiful film and it looks terrific and as I’ve said before, it’s like a big, beautiful Cadillac with no engine inside it…I kept my mouth shut at the time, but I didn’t care for it much”.
Stanley Kubrick is still recognised as one of the finest filmmakers of all time, not because he managed to create several cinematic feats, but because his filmography spans several genres, proving that he was indeed a versatile master.
From the comedy of Dr. Strangelove to the science fiction epic 2001: A Space Odyssey to his war drama Full Metal Jacket, Kubrick has touched almost every cornerstone of popular entertainment, even working with Simon Cowell, the man who would change popular music forever.
