Eyes Wide Shut (1999): 5 Dark Fan Theories

[@completesentences2125]

I believe that the theory of Alice being a member of the cult was revealed to us by Kubrick in the first 10 seconds of the movie…when Alice dropped her dress to reveal she was fully nude and did so in between 2 pillars.

[@georgerichardson7728]

also behind her were two tennis raquettes, ziegler and her possibly played tennis together , after all he refered to his swing and seeing a specialist , i reckon she was sleeping with him.

[@completesentences2125]

@@georgerichardson7728 yes! The tennis rackets definitely appear to symbolize sex or even sexual abuse in Kubrick’s films…I think back to the racket and ball on the “Camp Climax” sign in Lolita and the tennis ball that rolls to Danny before he enters room 237 and is next seen all roughed up and sucking his thumb. I’m sure there are other tennis references that I have missed in his other movies too.

[@georgerichardson7728]

If you like a classic movie, i suggest "Cutters way"(1981) John Heard's performance is unbelievable as a bitter Vietnam Vet", also stars Jeff Bridges. @@completesentences2125

[@positivelysimful1283]

I always saw that as a way of comparing her to the cult girls, rather than hinting that she was one.

[@georgerichardson7728]

its masonic@@GavinJo

[@quiksix25]

"It was all a dream" is too cheap of a device for Kubrick to use

[@theastral1909]

Agree.

[@YokaiX]

“Was it all a dream?” is just enough of a doubt

[@nathanaels4195]

I'll go even further. It was all a movie

[@thomasmcmahon5817]

"It was all a charade " also seems unlikely for the plot in a Kubrick movie.

[@tbesnd2065]

Definitely. Kubrick was an insider and he wanted to expose through symbolism what these people actually get up to.

[@caitlinroseblaney226]

It was clear to me by the second watch that Helena was clearly being kidnapped at the end - and I hadn’t even noticed yet that those people from the party were at the toy store, that the painting above Helena’s bed says “SEX”, that two actors at the first party are playing Epstein and Maxwell, or the dozens of other clues I’ve noticed since… It must be denial, that people are too disturbed by such things that they don’t want them to be true. Thus, the perfect title: “Eyes Wide Shut”. People don’t see what they aren’t ready to mentally deal with.

[@Directedbyoliva]

Would you mind explaining the Epstein/Maxwell characters in the movie ?

[@qwz180]

@@Directedbyoliva It happens when Alice walks away from Bill and grabs a glass of champagne when they're at Ziegler's Christmas party. An Epstein looking man is behind her with a woman in a red outfit. When the shot cuts to the reverse angle, the man and woman are behind Alice instead of in front of her, as they were before the cut, and the woman is now a different person wearing a blue dress with brass buttons like Maxwell favored, and having a similar haircut an appearance. He implicates the Clintons in a similar way. The Zeigler's are dressed and styled to resemble a couple of Clinton Christmas photos, and Nuala's last name - Windsor, implicates the royal family.

[@AB-sw4kb]

@@qwz180 yeah I thought Ziegler's wife for sure resembled Hillary Clinton's fashion style deliberately. glad I'm not the only one who caught that and the Epstein/Maxwell people. they were in two different shots.

[@qwz180]

@@AB-sw4kb And then Nuala's last name... Windsor. Quite a crew. All the "best" people, as Kubrick oft repeats.

[@SeanDot]

The two people from the toy store were at the party? Which party?

[@MettleHurlant]

The movie is about questions, the uncertainty of what is going on under the surface. Everybody has secrets, there’s more than one level of truth, villains are lurking in the shadows.

[@JessicaKern-w3l]

True but also it has a very specific plot and does have a more detailed story within the macrocosm

[@adleec1714]

The film is somewhat autobiographical. Kubrick used his friends as the newspaper vender and master of ceremony. Their apartment is similar to the one Kubrick and his wife had in NY. Many paintings on the walls were made by his wife and stepdaughter. His daughter Vivian Kubrick joined Scientology in 1995 and began to distance herself from her family. The casting of Cruise and Kidman could have been a desperate attempt to bring Vivian back into his life. The daughter wandering off could have symbolized Vivian.

[@jasonm2056]

Yes. The dance scene with Alice. The Roman poet had 3 marriages and was exiled or outcast. Was a recluse. “Crying”. Kubrick had 3 marriages. He was escaping Hollywood or perhaps blackballed after Lolita. He was likely part of these events in the 1960’s and committed these acts early in his career. He started writing the script in the 1960’s too. The quote from the Hungarian man was haunting. It was in reference to Kubrick who was the Roman poet. “Had a good time at first, a very good time.”

[@TheMoonDejesus]

The biggest cue that Helena is kidnapped is that in the store she’s constantly interrupting until she disappears behind those two men. She goes completely silent. All her interruptions were unnecessary but deliberate so that her silence would be noted.

[@bokiantic]

Bill and Alice hand gestures do not depict that, more like they agreed and encouraged kid leaving with those two gentlemans...

[@TheMoonDejesus]

@ I’m not sure what distinction you’re making? My point is that her silence is speaking. It’s a marked change from her constant chatter and interruptions

[@ryansullivan394]

Saying that it wasn’t a kidnapping in so much as a handoff

[@TheMoonDejesus]

@ yes. My bad idk why I used the word kidnapped. I think I just meant that she isn’t just out of the shot somewhere doing kids stuff.

[@richieharrow6205]

Omg stop with this theory it makes no sense. There’s nothing there!

[@robfalgiano]

It’s somewhat remarkable that EWS becomes more resonant with time. The lid is slowly being lifted off the secret debauched world of the mega-elites. Kubrick’s movies were often about the dangers of being too close to the centers of power and money. In “Barry Lyndon” the gentry are mostly corrupt, lazy drunks who gossip and rumor amongst themselves and position for further influence with the crown. EWS is simply the more modern version. Kubrick correctly portrays these worlds as both seductive and nightmarish. The advice is always seemingly to turn away from the enticingly mysterious doors underground. That world knows its own and they also know you are not among them.

[@mediacrusher]

I'll give you a hint, it's not about mega-elites, but MEN.

[@thegreatpestilence5143]

I wonder if he'll end up having the last laugh he is owed. On the one hand, us normies do indeed know more about the degeneracy of the 'best people' than we did before. On the other, it didn't result in any real change. They still have impunity and now can be almost certain it's not under genuine threat despite being more broadly acknowledged. That doesn't bode well for a mass awakening. People enjoy the dream state too damn much. But who knows, maybe one day....

[@robfalgiano]

@@mediacrusher Men might have the majority of wealth and power but they have plenty of help from women who buy into or share their world view and profit from it. Easy example being Jeffrey / Ghislaine.

[@robfalgiano]

@@thegreatpestilence5143 It’s a good question. Human progress seems to be slow, yet steady. Even with all the awful things that happen today and a feeling of chaos, on the whole the world is actually less barbaric and random than it was 100 years ago. Things have to come to light to be combatted. I think, like many artists, Kubrick struggled with his simultaneous revulsion and attraction to that which he critiqued. But he definitely understood you cannot casually wander into the depraved underground without being badly compromised. So he kept to his estate, did his research, made his movies, and kept himself separate from entrenched power. I think this was smart.

[@mediacrusher]

@@robfalgianoWe are talking about SK films, look at Lolita, she does not profit, so to speak, from getting involved with Quilty or anybody else. SK is about examining what some people call toxic masculinity, but it's actually more than that. Look at Strangelove and the role/lack of women in that film. Says volumes.

[@taxesrtheft]

the two members at the party that look down at bill are the shop owner and his daughter, it is implied that they knew who it was just from the mask. the only people who know about the mask being sold was the shop owner.

[@DS123-gb8tf]

I always thought it was Ziegler , Tom cruises friend (the old man with the hooker)

[@kutluhanbayraktar]

That's interesting, imo those are Alice and Sandor Szavost.

[@duyguyilmaz]

I don’t think so, because I believe the elites know very well, who is supposed to be there, so when they see a new mask, they know it‘s a newbie. Besides Bill came during the ritual while everybody else was already watching, he took all the attention on himself, by joining later.

[@poindextertunes]

Nahhh. People knew Bill didn’t belong bcuz he forgot to change his shoes. Everyone else at the orgy had matching shoes

[@Vanelsia]

@@kutluhanbayraktar I thought it was Victor and his wife

[@chimpwimp9407]

The first theory merges well with certain events that take place. Alice’s dream mirroring the “party,” the mask ending up on the bed next to her and her last sentence before the film cuts to black. You’ve just been told about a cult that threatens people to the point of death and your response is to “fuck.” That’s a bit odd. Even the movie cover seems a bit eery. Bill is kissing Alice but Alice is looking away. The movie itself is called “Eyes Wide Shut” but her eyes are the only ones that are open. I really wish we saw the director's cut.

[@riqotarentino]

Great analysis‼️I also felt the cover kind of alludes to that being true..

[@shalex2O]

Also, Kubrik's wife made the cover which I personally think contributes to the first theory as it would make sense she gets the personal scoop of his artistic decisions. Not only that but there was apparently other cover concepts by other artists and he still decided to go with that one. But I would like to add I don't think that Alice saying they should fuck in response to her husband acting seemingly irrationally is weird, that's pretty normal in relationships. I think it's just out of character for Kubrick to end a film like that.

[@sydneykillian3685]

@@shalex2Othe movie cover with the mask as faces was the original not the mirror one, that was the studio’s because Tom and Nicole’s faces needed to be on the cover, at the time one of if not the biggest couple.

[@thediaz07]

​@@sydneykillian3685 lol nice mugshot

[@chrystalmcatee6224]

The more you are awakened to the truth the more you have to pretend not to see. Eyes wide shut!

[@filmmakerdanielclements]

It’s not accurate to say there’s no prior indication of Helena being in danger. Red cloak explicitly warns: “If you tell anyone a single solitary thing about what you’ve seen here, there will be the most dyer consequences for you AND your family…” The moment Cruise tells Kidman the whole story, they cut to the last scene where Helena disappears behind two men in a toy store. Sure, we may be reading too much into the purposeful ambiguity. But Kubrick controlled every detail and it was a choice for Helena to disappear into the crowd, followed by two men. There are very few accidents in Kubrick film.

[@RoosterMontgomery]

"I saw a bunch of masked people having an orgy one time." That deep state crowd are not the only ones doing stuff like that.

[@sedevacante0027]

Bro , that is a brilliant catch and you're the first and only person ive seen point out the guy who may have taken Helena who is a spitting image of the waiter from the party. Great work man.

[@caitlinroseblaney226]

That must mean this theory is getting deleted, because that’s been a theory for years

[@edennis8578]

I'm convinced that Alice was a member of the cult. She was ordered to marry Bill and lure him into the cult. She cried when Tom told her about the party because she knew that Helena would be the sacrifice for Bill's loose tongue. He had been warned not to tell anyone, yet there he was, blabbing away to Alice. She watched Helena walk off with the two men in the toy store but said nothing. At least three people from the party were in the store and the store was full of the cult's particular symbolism, so it's obvious to me that the store was a cult hub of some kind. Current example of this, imo: Meghan Markle. She was a member of Soho House, an arm of the World Economic Forum, from her early twenties, even though she wasn't one of the rich or famous. There was no obvious reason why they would recruit her into an exclusive club for the 1%, but they did it. She lured Harry into marriage by pretending to be in psychic communication with his mother, and wore his mother's perfume, and it is said in royal circles, and by Harry, that she's a demon in bed, willing to do anything. Markus Anderson was also recruited by Soho House even though he wasn't rich or famous, and he's Meghan's handler (allegedly). He even lives with M&H periodically.

[@ptolemeeselenion1542]

Black men from all across the world have been calling this type of recruitment/control for decades. But nobody believes them. Katt Williams hinted about this again, recently.

[@roseCatcher_]

Why will they recruit Prince Harry, when the Royal family is one of their own? Did you forget Prince Andrews' adventures?

[@whirlypop313]

@@roseCatcher_thinking because harry was opposite of them and put distance between him and them just to have his new wife bring him right back to it all. Think about it

[@josephirizarry5195]

Listen to her conversation with Sandor again. Listen to how they're talking. They're both aware that they're a part of this group. But right now, it's time to keep up appearances. "I"m maaaarried", she says in a way to emphasize that she's playing the role of a dutiful wife. She doesn't respect marriage. She presses her finger on his lip to emphasize that they are sworn to secrecy. The way they are talking to one another is a playful dance.

[@seanbrando_7456]

@@josephirizarry5195 I saw and felt that the first time.........their is layers to the movie that only certain people will see. Although that scene was rather obvious to say the least, there is a lot of other things as well that people don't notice or bring up. I believe personally that the film was layered to poke certain people with certain knowledge, while still leaving mystery and suspense for the common viewer. I won't go into anymore detail, but most people have no idea what they are being shown.....even those who dig a little. Their are just some things about the world as we know it that have always been there........just out of view. Cognitive dissonance is a powerful thing. You can know something is in a shadow, hear it, feel it, even smell it. To shine light on it would require facing it..........the terror of no longer being able to ignore the beast is there. That my friends.......is a very old problem indeed. As old as the beast itself. You have to throw away all you know, all your earthy comfort to face such an old and powerful beast. It's just more than people are willing to take on. We are content to choose ignorance and live comfortably......it's almost like in Van Helsing where the villagers agree to let the vampires only take one random person a week so they won't kill them all. I sympathize........I really do. The film is meant to be uncomfortable and haunting I guess. The genius is anyone can watch it, and enjoy it. I guess we should just enjoy what little we have right? lol. Thus the title of the film.......gotta love Kubrick.

[@runarvollan]

Him dying 666 days before 2001 is all just one biiig coincidence..

[@dondon98]

DEMONIC

[@gregsmith7949]

Nothing to see here...move along.

[@dondon98]

@@gregsmith7949 Nahhh... This sh t is really going on like DIDDYs handlers... Get your head out of the sand Ostrich AINT NOBODY SCARED OF YOU

[@nicktee0]

What special about 2001?

[@dondon98]

@@nicktee0 Nothing.... It was just 666 days before when the year it all CHANGED which was 2001... 911 and after 911 this Govt went Full DEMONIC

[@Luis-np2sc]

I’ve noticed that the paintings on the walls also have messages. When Bill and Alice are leaving the apartment for the Xmas party there is a painting of a cat with eyes wide open. Even the cat had eyes open but Bill. At the party Bill is upstairs helping Mandy, Victor is explaining the situation and behind him there is a big picture of a pregnant naked woman lying down. Maybe Ziegler’s baby? When Bill wants to introduce the piano man to Alice while they’re dancing she says she has to go to the bathroom 🤨. But Instead she started drinking putting her champagne cup nicely and smoothly on top of the table so the Hungarian guy could grab it or .. wait! was she making a pass at him because she already knew who he was? When Alice was calling Bill to find out at what time he was coming back home? What was that about? Maybe She needed it to make sure Bill was on his way to the castle. Now: when Bill returns home he hides the mask and locks it with a key. How did she find the mask when at the time she was sleeping? Better yet! How did she know it was there?? When red cloak guy at the ceremony hits the floor a couple or times, was he announcing Bill already arrived ? The reason is because upstairs in the balcony Ziegler and his wife were saying hello, or was the rainbow guy and his daughter saying hello to him? At the ceremony in the castle Mandy got the blessing from read cloak guy and she gets up and goes straight to kiss Bill. How did she know that was Bill telling him to leave immediately because he was in danger?. The Hotel clerk works for the cult same as the coffee shop girl telling Bill she knew nothing about Nick. In the beginning everything is good to the point until Mandy saved his butt. After that everyone disappeared: Nick, Mandy, Domino, also there is no issue with the Japanese guys and everything is kool. All a show! The 2 guys get their daughter because Mandy dies and that was their price to collect for them. The movie is full of traces to make your own idea of what really happened in that story.

[@odeleon24]

I never thought Alice was the one who found the mask. I always thought it was the cult who broke in and left the mask on the bed - as a last warning.

[@robfalgiano]

@@odeleon24Kubrick’s ambiguity on this was 100% intentional, the clever sod.

[@ARAVIND.R.R]

Fantastic explanation 👏❤️

[@mediacrusher]

you are following red herrings.

[@anthcnyventura]

Ok. I thought it was clear that there was a time jump between the time Alice said she needed to go to the bathroom and the time she ended up near the dancefloor. That's also how Bill ended up in another part of the party with those two models. That part of the film obviously isn't meant to be taking place in real time. That wouldn't make sense. Alice planting herself next to a man she found attractive for the thrill of it would not be a weird thing in this film. It would actually fit perfectly within the themes of the film. Alice talks about her fantasy with another man and I can believe she was maybe opening herself up to another chance at that kind of experience. But I think it would've been made clearer had that been the case. Also, I'm not sure how you could be suspicious about Alice calling Bill about what time he was going to be back home. "What was that about?" is a bit of an overreaction to a very normal thing. A very valid thing considering it appeared to already be late by the time Bill had left (after smoking weed btw) and he was clearly gone for a while by the time Alice called him. And Bill hadn't even been made aware of the party when she called. So, how would she even know that Bill was on his way IF he were even going that way at the time of the call. Also, Bill even finding out the party required too much luck if his future appearance was planned. First, Nick Nightingale had to be hired as the pianist at the party which led to him telling Bill where he's playing during his stay. Then, Lou Nathanson had to die that very night which would result in Bill being called over to make an appearance. Then, his sexual encounter with Domino had to fall through. I can't imagine he would've went further into the night had he succeeded at his desire of cheating. Then, he had to come across the club that Nick was playing. He is very clearly hesitant about going inside but chooses to do so. Had he chosen to just go home, the rest of the film wouldn't have happened. There is nothing that implies it was Alice who found the mask and left on his pillow. The film makes it very clear that this is supposed to be the cult's doing after their first two warnings. I think you had a huge misinterpretation of that part of the film. You obviously believed Alice was in on the whole thing before that scene, so I guess I see why you led yourself to believe it was Alice who found the mask. The cult is made to appear as though they have connections and the power to do shady things. Like hosting the parties in the first place and possibly orchestrating the death of Mandy. There's no reason to believe the placing of the mask on Bill's pillow was anything other than another show of their dangerous influence. I find it odd to believe that the coffee shop girl worked for the cult. She was hesitant about giving up info on Nick, but Bill did approach like a suspicious person. She had every reason to believe Bill had bad intentions with how insistent he was on knowing where Nick was staying without any reason to trust him until he said it was a medical matter. Even with his doctor credentials, he still appeared to be some weirdo. Had he been a close friend of Nick's or someone Nick was comfortable with, he would probably know where he was staying. It would be a very normal thing to not want to give away someone's location out of respect if you don't know who is asking for the location. Also, she didn't say she didn't know anything about him. The second thing she does is confirm that she knows who he is. Bill appears to be a cop and maybe she just doesn't want to get involved in a police matter or just doesn't like police. If the hotel clerk were working for the cult, he would've just said Nick returned and left. There'd be no reason for him to give all the details he did to Bill if he were in on the whole thing. Finally, I just don't see how people believe that Helena was handed off to the two men in the ending. They don't even look her way. And if this were some sort of silent transaction, that would require Helena to know that she was supposed to walk away with the two men. Which would just be unlikely. Stanley Kubrick already touched on child trafficking with Mr. Milich and his daughter and I don't see any set up for any implication that Helena was being was the "price" for Bill's acts. Also, Bill was clearly being let off easy with the warnings. Why warn Bill about his activity and take his daughter? Bill was also very clearly disturbed about the presence of the mask on his pillow. How could he so easily agree on selling his daughter off to the cult overnight? i don't mean to write so much or come off as rude, but a lot of these observations just seem bizarre to me. I get the surgical approaches to Stanley Kubrick's, but it gets to the point where fans make it seem like his films are an absolute mess with several different meanings here, several different symbols with several different meanings there that never really get an answer. People think the "big message" is a code to decipher when it could not be more in our faces. He makes it clear that this activity takes place amongst high society along with their invasive influence and dangerous power. The child sex trafficking was so on the nose with Mr. Milich coming to an "agreement" with the businessmen and his daughter. Had the audience been set up to believe Helena was sold off to the cult, I believe it would've been made clearer. Anyways. I've talked too much. My bad.

[@LooseOrangeJuice]

You're missing a lot of details regarding Helena abduction theory. First, the two old men are also guests from Ziegler's party. They are seated next to the staircase talking to two women as Bill ascends the stairs to help Mandy. That means that Helena was literally sandwiched between these three men who all happened to be at Zielger's party and who are also at FAO Schwartz with no children. Second, there are all the other scenes of Helena, including showing her with an abstract painting that spells out "sex." And there's the scene where Alice is teaching her how to deal with money in a math problem about two boys. There's also the distinct way in Helena looks back in the final shot and how Alice looks away and never turns back, indicating that Alice knew what was about to happen. Finally, the most compelling evidence is the focus on bears on the last scene. Anybody who has seen The Shining knows that bears mean child abuse in Kubrick's world. Not only is Helena focused on the bears, but one of the two men also touches one of the bears in a suspicious way as he walks past. I think this theoriy is very compelling, personally. The rest are pretty ridiculous, except the dream one.

[@rosajeffrey6112]

@@LooseOrangeJuice 🐻s & the baby carriages in the Roman Polanski movie , " Rosemary's baby ". Also check out the Johnny Depp movie , " seventh gate ". It was filmed in france. One the nations the SATANIC Rothschilds family live.

[@LeahIsHereNow]

Also, who takes their kid Christmas shopping at a toy store in December? Don’t they just get the kid what they want (generally they already know like a bicycle or a Barbie doll or a teddy bear or whatever) and tell them Santa got it? We’ve never done that and I have two kids, but maybe it’s a thing. Seems kind of weird.

[@richieharrow6205]

This one is also absolutely ridiculous

[@LooseOrangeJuice]

@@richieharrow6205 How so? It's spelled out very clearly. You really think Kubrick just happened to use the same actors in the last scene as he did in Ziegler's party?

[@richieharrow6205]

@ no it’s not spelled out very clearly. They’re two old white men one bald with glasses and the other balding. That doesn’t mean they’re the exact same men lol. They look similar, but the first time we see them they’re so far away you can’t really make out their features clearly (and I watched on a huge screen tv yesterday). There’s also zero acknowledgment or even a glance from them towards her, none. She just walks behind them looking back at her parents and they keep talking to each other. There is nothing obvious about it. I don’t need anything spoon fed, but Jesus man, you’re gunna have to give me a little more than THAT to buy into something that’s got absolutely no evidence of happening. Like wtf. There’s nothing else in the movie that alludes to this. Idc about the shop owner pimping out his “daughter” and all the other trafficking/sex worker stuff. When it comes to this scene and the daughter, I gotta be given more than what’s there, because it’s quite frankly nothing.

[@X-hoshaq-X]

I always thought the mask was a warning from the group…a warning, saying “we can get inside your apartment and het that close to your wife”

[@Kingprinceton82]

Same

[@ATROFlAR]

I thought the same. But I also think that Alice knew about the cult and wanted to confront Bill about the mask. However, if I remember correctly, Bill wakes her up with the mask in his hand says that he's gonna tell her about everything. We never find out who put the mask there

[@lizze490]

Yes, Alice is cold, cruel and detached. She's definately a villain, but probably also a victim. In the party scene, she appears to be drugged and mind-controlled, as if being commanded to later trigger Bill into a state of confusion and disbelief. When confronted by Alice, his face evokes multiple expressions: humiliation, sadness, doubt and betrayal to name a few. In that moment, he wonders if his whole life with Alice has been one big lie and that she possibly never loved him. His doubts about her are never really resolved.

[@Damidas]

Alice is somewhat of a shill. It might even be possible that she's never sober throughout the entire movie

[@tauqueishachester9844]

I think Alice is the adult version of Alice in wonderland she could have been groomed young and now she use to it even let her leave with two older man and if so that explains why she was Hallucinating following down a rabbit hole in things saying eat me drink me which she was drugged and drunk idk

[@IsaHnilto]

@@Damidas YEss she looks high the entire movie (is even anoying at some points) i ask myself if Nicole Kidman acting is like that, but i don't think so

[@buzby303]

It’s not clean champagne they are drinking it’s a given they spike the punch

[@minttulatte]

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who thinks that Alice was a member of the secret society. She just has this weird vibe that makes me question if she knew that it exists.

[@paulhurley1670]

If you, ahem, pay close attention to some of the more risque shots of Alice at the start of the film and then look carefully at the other women at the masked event, you will see that either she is there or they've casted someone who looks just like her. I'm still not sure this means in terms of the literal plot but it's interesting

[@CineG]

I'm open to "dual-appearances" between the risque-party and the outside world. Regarding the literal actress playing the costume-guy-daughter, she wasn't 18 at the time of filming and there would be no way she'd be on that set. Thanks for watching.

[@sarahcosgrove6771]

@@CineGthey were talking about Alice being at the orgy because the woman he talked to before Amanda came to him the second time WAS Nicole Kidman’s body or her body double

[@nerovondoom6298]

What if the group organizers had known Bill would go and hired women who looked liked her? Just to mess with him. Its a stretch but they seemed like they have that influence.

[@Ronin.97]

@@nerovondoom6298 that doesn't even make sense

[@richieharrow6205]

@@sarahcosgrove6771 NO it absolutely was NOT Kidman’s body. Omg the misinformation in this comment section is WILD

[@runarvollan]

In the 1996 screenplay Bill suggests to Nightingale he can just pay himself in. Nick replies: "They don't care about your money. These are dangerous people."

[@InspireCreate43]

Your channel is a bit underrated man, thank you for so many great videos.👍👍

[@addisonstar141]

Unpopular opinion: When you’re told not to tell anyone…then it’s best to tell Everyone. Die on your feet, instead of live on your knees. IYKYK 💯

[@tybo8377]

Easier said then done

[@ChristopherRamon-x7d]

I like dis wording

[@joaquinferrazzi923]

bill was corrupt from the beginning, he wanted to be a part of it, of course he wouldn't tell anyone

[@s6748-z5j]

what if you have family?

[@EdmontonRails]

@@s6748-z5j It all rests on the belief that the threat will be carried out whether you follow their orders or not, so you might as well expose them to save others in the future. If only this worked, it's been over 4 years since Epstein's murder and we are still yet to see his clients investigated and brought to justice.

[@Drgroomes]

Alice is definitely absolutely apart of the society......the scene where T.Cruise and Kidman are kissing in front of the mirror....then screen goes blank. Next morning Cruise arrives at his office. Alice is bored reading newspaper (no hair-makeup done) then Cruise is consulting with patient......Alice is brushing daughter hair (no makeup) ....Cruise is with another patient.....Alice is completely nude....(only wearing black knee high boots) and putting on a BLACK bra...(hair, make-up, and pearl earrings).....back to Cruise working....and Kidman is applying deodorant with PURPLE bra on...with kiddo brushing teeth.....BOOM! Alice is the villain.

[@riqotarentino]

I’m kinda confused , how do all the different colors show proof of that? Are u saying it’s because they’re colors used by the occult?

[@Drgroomes]

@@riqotarentino no no......Alice gets freakiy on the low. The quick shots of N.Kidman getting dress teases the audience that she lives a double life. The different color bra on the same day is the most obvious. Also her wearing the knee high black boots and completely naked is a dead give away. Its quick. You have to pause and rewind to see what Stanley Kubrick was doing.......

[@riqotarentino]

@@Drgroomes ohhh okay I didn’t even realize 💯💯

[@Drgroomes]

@@riqotarentino yeah its a deep movie

[@MarkMason-zs3fh]

She is between two pillars which means enlightenment, so he’s telling people that she knows

[@cybergothika6906]

One thing that always looked off the charts was the streets Bill walks. They don't look like real streets, intentionally looking like fake studio streets. Think about that. I even asked to GPT 4.o and the first word that came to mind was the attempt to cause both dream-like escape and isolation.

[@reboniak1966]

Exact!! Someone who understands cinema knows that this type of cinematography is for "interiors", it is clearly done consciously

[@MarkMason-zs3fh]

It was fake, the movie was filmed in England not New York

[@davidlawrencehawkins775]

One of the clues about the fate of Helena in the toy shop is the display of dolls. Stacks of Nutcracker barbies (which is the show Helena wanted to see) punctuated by one Marilyn Monroe doll (the ultimate sexual object and victim of SA).

[@SydNixon]

Bill starts dreaming in the room with Nathanson's daughter (Marion) and wakes up in Zeigler's library/pool room. Notice the clicking clocks in both scenes, as if he was being hypnotized and awaken.

[@watermelonlalala]

The way Ziegler was knocking on the table sounded like an old hypnotist's routine to me. "When I tap three times you will awake. You will remember nothing." However, if it was all a dream, Kubrick was just wasting our time.

[@Tim21189]

There’s alot going on in this movie. And alot that’s been cut out. I doubt anyone will ever know the full picture. I definitely think that Bill was set up from the very beginning. Alice was involved in the cult. And that last scene was them sacrificing their first born to the cult. That’s why the last Word of the movie was Alice telling Bill that they need to make another baby.

[@bokiantic]

Good one!🙌 Odd sentence to close the movie - but now I think you nailed it Hand gestures encourage Helena to join old gentleman...plus leopard toys - same as in hooker apartment

[@Shaman1]

Helenas role in the movie is underrated and probably fell victim to cuts or story unknown to the viewer. Cruise and kidman (what a name even kid... man) tell he farewell with their body language. She was sold to the cult, maybe she also wasnt bills daughter but only schooled by Alice, a common practice with wealthy traffickers. I also think bill and alice talk about her during their overnighter and they decide to give her away and that the hints alluding to that are either cut or to be reconstructed by the viewer. I dont believe Kubrick included explicit bloody shit in the movie that was cut after his death, hes of the subtle kind, almost asian in art language where the mere hint is direct enough, especially in arranged set pieces where there is no coincidences.

[@aaronthompson192]

Exactly. When Tom gets the note, his “2nd warning”, it just says to stay quiet but his reaction is not consistent- he looks absolutely devastated. The theory is the note originally said “now you owe us your daughter or you’re all dead” but the studio reshot the note after Kubrick died. Can’t remember who shared that theory but it makes the most sense to me.

[@Brian-hc3qx]

Mistakes made by Tom Cruise in infiltrating the ceremony: 1.Showing up late 2.Showing up in a taxi ( like billionaires/elites always arrive in taxis....never) 3.Having the taxi driver stay outside and potentially give away information about who he was and, of course, reduce his credibility (The method of transportation and lateness might have been forgiven if he made it clear the driver was "in on it" and it seemed like he had plans to leave with another guest) 4.Giving the password to the men outside the building, unprompted 5.Only putting his mask on when he's already inside the mansion. 6.Wearing a mask intended for a commoner - a Volto mask ( only commoners wear these - like the servants). 7.Wandering around the mansion, looking like a fish out of water just watching people engage in these acts 8.Not realizing there was no second password (the final nail in the coffin) Kubrick doesn't even draw attention to half of these, he leaves the details up to the viewer to decipher, showing, not telling.

[@runarvollan]

The kidnappers are the same droogs that sits by the statue at the bottom of the stairway at Ziegler's party. "The most dire consequenses for your family."

[@reboniak1966]

Exact!! And they LET the girl go with them (who, by the way, are looking at Christmas gifts... for children?? The teddy bear is a known symbol of pedo*phi*les...). Observe, in that same shot, the look of the girl when she walks away from her parents, and the look, fleeting but clear, of one of the old men just before turning the corner. But the girl is NOT "kidnapped"... she goes with the two old men WITH THE CONSENT of her parents

[@YokaiX]

@@reboniak1966 sacrificed

[@matj3296]

Also note the stuffed animals... All are apex predators

[@jamesclifford1225]

But how does Helena know to follow them? I'm confused by that part

[@runarvollan]

@jamesclifford1225 She isn't following them knowingly, she's just looking at toys.

[@BunnyDarko]

I was pretty young when I first saw this film, but remember being struck by one thing: the "Father/daughter" duo of the costume store bear resemblance to what DeNiro and Jodie Foster may have looked like, x-number of years later, if Taxi Driver had ended differently. And I noticed special attention seemed to be drawn to "Gillespie's" (the jazz club) and - even as one who HATES conspiracy theories (esp about the 'elite'), one can't help but wonder if it was a nickname for Ghillane & Epstein

[@reboniak1966]

In fact, at the party at the beginning of the film there is a couple strikingly similar to Ghislaine and Epstein

[@reasonableskeptic5703]

Why don't you like conspiracy theories about the elite?

[@supavillain4941]

That’s the best conspiracy.

[@nerovondoom6298]

This may sound strange but what if Alice was a former member of the secret society. As in she had been related to a member (parents) and gone once. Or never gone but knew about her families connection to it. They could have given her the mask to warn them. I know its a stretch. Weird detail, what could the magic circle board game possibly mean if it has one?

[@marcosgin777]

Her name ties to that theory

[@runarvollan]

Ziegler translates in German to 'bricklayer' as in mason. He's not in the book.

[@TheMoesoliman1]

I heard the theatrical release is over 30 minutes shorter than the directors cut and that's why so much is not fully explained. Anyone have any more information on the original directors cut?

[@frankb821]

I think the waiter at the party/dude in the toy store was probably merely a case of reusing an extra. I've played different extra/space filler roles in the same movie a number of times, usually to make it easier on the casting director. Kubrick gets too much credit sometimes for intentional choices but he may not have even been aware of the guy's repeat presence, if it is the same guy. There is absolutely no indication the 2 older men in the store are "guiding" the girl, or that the girl would even be enticed to, or know to go with them.

[@CineG]

I considered it was an example of re-using an extra and was going to voice that. However, I could already hear the counter-argument about everything is deliberate. Though I tried to find other "repeats", I did not. The "waiter" showing up at the last few frames was quite a placement.

[@frankb821]

Don't get me wrong, I love a good conspiracy theory and find them fun to bandy about with my film friends, but I also know that Kubrick gets off on having motives assigned when there are, sometimes, none to be found. But who knows for sure but the man himself!@@CineG

[@sarahcosgrove6771]

@@frankb821my dude this is STANLEY KUBRICK he could get another random person off the street to be that person instead of the same actor

[@aieahi1]

Kubrick is too intentional. He could have used his assistant who was wearing a mask at the event. In the Shining, the wife and son are being shown around the kitchen. They enter a pantry room. The camera angle changes to the inside. The doors open and they’re standing in it. But the door hinges are now on the opposite side. They close the door and continue on. When Nicholson first arrives at the hotel, he meets a guy in his office. There’s a window behind the man. Later, Nicholson walks past the hallway leading to the office. At the next hallway, he turns left and walks down the hallway. There’s no way the guy’s office could have a window to the outside. The hallway was in the way.

[@santaclaus3077]

@@aieahi1 Exactly the same in EWS when Bill enters Domino's apartment. There is a Lottery Store right next to her building, there was no way her apartment could exist there.

[@1077jeremy]

This channel is criminally under-rated. I love Cine’s style. His dry humor. His careful analysis. I have learned from this man. I am intrigued that C analysis has now crossed from film theory to crime theory. Where will this go? As a man of fine taste, I recommended this channel to all my friends and you should too. Seriously though. This channel really deserves more subs. That’s all.

[@kenarmstrong7163]

I still think Alice was one of the girls in the circle...with her mask on Bill doesn't recognise her

[@jsmith469]

The main clue that Alice was part of the sex cult was the title sequence. She was getting dressed in not her apartment without any underwear on.

[@subzero-v6h]

i think that as well as alice's lines at the end "not everything is a dream" implies her dream of being surrounded by men and laughing at bill was a real thing that happened at the party, as well as the last lines "theres only one thing we need to do now, fuck" can imply that alice is telling bill hes now accepted into the society and hes welcome to partake with her

[@MasterPinti]

also, the two raquettes, one red one black. red symbolises their leader, and in that shot, she is wearing black. she is the black raquette and her real partner (or groomer) is their master. bill is just the ball they play with

[@klina7645]

I assumed she was in the walk in closet in their apartment.

[@Zion_1010]

I noticed one of those stuffed tigers in the toy store is the same tiger on the Dominoes bed.

[@LeahIsHereNow]

Good catch!

[@tubes-lut]

I was expecting them to be turned around at times. Could also be to show that procession of a use victims

[@marjoriespence4490]

This is like the Bohemian Grove. The triangle club.

[@muckyguru]

If the mafia can put a horses head in your bed putting a mask there is childs play

[@giakatz4471]

Good 😂

[@faz0482]

After years of thinking it through, I can't say I reached certain conclusions, but here they are in summary: - Concerning deleted footage: It is something we will never be certain of. If this footage exists, only a very selected group of people would know about it, possibily the two stars and the executives at WB when K screened his final cut for the first time. Kidman and Cruise never again spoke about this film after the obliged promoting at the time, which I found very strange. Not a word, even by mistake, in 20 odd years, I mean you worked for the last film of the greatest director of all time, seems odd. About the content I don't Know, I don't think it goes as long as 20 or so minutes, my best guess is that it could picture something related to pedophilia, without being too graphic (not in K style), simply because in that party every possible sexual perversion is depicted, except that. If the studios would cut something, it would be that, not doubt. It could explain the involvement of Kidman (research her father) and the abduction of Helena, at the end of the movie. About that: I am a strong believer of that possibility. The presence of two men we saw much early at the "light" party of Ziegler and that "butler" at the same time is highly suspicious to me. There are no coincidences in K's movies. Along with the strange look Helena give to his parents, as if she's asking permission to walk away, along with the gentle push Alice is giving her in that direction. Of course Bill is clueless for the entire movie, self-absorbed in repairing damage with his wife, but she knows exactly what is going on. Possibily few seconds were cut in order to made the scene as swift as possibile, I feel the scene is a little too quick for K, but I could be wrong on this. Then the infamous "Fuck" line: To me is not some provocative gimmick by K in order to lighten up the ending, to me it has a clear and more disturbing meaning. Think about it, why does she say to him that they absolutely have to have sex? Seems out of place, but it's not. They have to "fuck" because the price they are paying to the elite in order to not suffer any dire consequences is Helena. The elite claimed Helena, they accepted the deal, probably Alice told the child that when she sees a certain couple of man she has to go with them without question and that explains the strange look she gave to her parents and the gentle push. In order to restart a new life and have a new child of course they have to have sex, to fuck. 'Cause Helena is gone, for their own sake. Maybe Bill doesn't even know this, because the interlocutor for the elite is Alice and she's telling him right in that moment. FInally, about Alice being part of the elite sluts: I do not have a clear feeling about this, but to me it seems that she could have been part of it in the past, maybe even before meeting Bill, but I don't know. Too far-fetched? Maybe, we will never know, definitely K wanted some messages to come across, no doubt about it, maybe more for "them" than for "us". Great work!

[@edmundcowan9131]

It killed him.

[@Shaman1]

You got it exactly right imo, thats also what i was thinking. The cut footage if there is any is probably bill and alice talking about helena, as there are definitely some lines that seem out of context plus the farewell gesture at the toy store, the 2 men, the waiter, it all comes together and alice being a sex slave who trained helena who probably wasnt bills daughter to begin with. In the end nobody could be-cut the film, kubricks subtle hints shine through for the viewer to discover and explore.

[@anneloving8405]

Nailed it.

[@anneloving8405]

Nicole Kidman's father supposedly fell out of a high rise in SE Asia..bit sus if U ask me🧐

[@caitlinroseblaney226]

Sluts? Seems like they were probably groomed / abused since children, but I agree with the rest of your takes

[@danhamilton7990]

I believe there may be some truth to the conspiracy theories

[@ChubbyChecker182]

I definitely think Helena was walking off with the 2 old guys (whi were seen at the first party too)... The servant also appearing at the end there is like he is serving her up maybe ?

[@DemskePaul2017]

Jay Dyer and Jay Weidner have done great analysis on Kubrick‘s films down to the conspiratorial and symbolic levels, which are legitimate. Even down to the manor in which the man in the red cloak at the ritual pounds his stick on the floor appears to be the same rhythmic tempo in which Victor taps the pool queue against the table in a later scene when he confronts Bill. Tree lights. Rainbows. Pillars. Paintings on the wall. All of these things are deliberate in Kubrick‘s films.

[@chasecummings1529]

This is definitely a “Icarus flew too close to the sun” situation bc it was revealed later on that the suits wanted parts of the movie cut out while Stanley Kubrick fought to leave everything jn just how he originally intended, well what do you know he had a "heart attack" and died before its release to the public, so they got exactly what they wanted and removed the scene/scenes🤔 cold world we live in…

[@ImperialMJG]

I always thought about Helena being kidnapped as soon I saw it the first time. And Iam sure thats what happened

[@runarvollan]

The Red Cloak is played by Leon Vitali, the same name as the fashion mogul mentioned as Amanda's admirer in the newspaper article.

[@andrewpankiw2144]

At 11.17 those 2 old men well dressed men were at Zieglers party. When Ziegler and his wife great alice and bill in the back ground they are sitting at the table towards the right on the bottom of the stairs with 2 other females presumably their wives. I think it symbolises that child trafficking is an issue in elitist cults. I think Alice was in on the cult as the very first scene she takes off her dress in the same fashion as the girls do during the satanic liturgy. Also her dress is different when she is with bill. Implying she was at some other sex party before hand. Her kiss on her index finger which she enthusiastically put on Sandors lips was a sign that she was well up to do the dirty. As long as it was more hidden than in the middle of a party. She made sure it was going to be hush hush. She seems like the type to use and manipulate a good man like bill but be infatuated by men with higher status, power and wealth. Hence her attraction and loyalty to the cult. She took on ideologies that those who are subordinate in status, wealth and power are to be looked down on or to be used for their own means. She put the mask next to him and cleverly said to him that she was there by expressing her 'nightmare' which is similar to what bill experienced earlier that night. Bill needed head space and nurturing from his wife at a very intense and dark point in his life and he needed consoling. The last thing on his mind was arguing about alices dream seems to be too similar to the esoteric occult ritualistic party and HOW the mask got there. She knew he would leave the argument and just accept a big hug. Bill was clearly set up as a form of intimidation so further initiation could happen. When nightingale first told bill about the sex crazed party on the way into the building there is a sign that states 'ALL EXITS WILL BE FINAL' meaning once you go in you never go out. Maybe Alice was groomed from young into the party. Nicole Kidmans dad was convicted for paedophile case in regards to Fiona Barnett. Maybe all the other women at the party were groomed into that cult from young. I think Alice decided that its better for her daughter to be trafficked to the handlers at the end of the movie as a form of compensation for the loss of Mandy instead of an even more dire consequence to them and their family. Its better to have something and know what the deal is than an anxiety inducing, unexpected circumstance. Such as Helena never being seen again. Whereas at least Alice knows that Helena will be a missing child for a fews days until she is 'found again' with a phony story. When the reality was Helena went to a crash course cult grooming session with the 3 people at Ziegler party so she too would follow suit of her mum and become a cult member. At one point Alice teaches Helena a maths question and it was about which man make will make more money implying her materialistic (inverted pentagram,elements controlling the soul as oppose to the soul guiding the elements). I think there was many diamonds in the missing 24 minutes such as military complex owners, high ranking politicians, bankers being at the party and the scenes of how Mandy was sacrificed. Also raunchier orgy scenes. The 3 guys were definitely about to ask Helena (who Alice didn't even look at when Helena looked at her for reassurance when walking away because Alice couldn't reassure her) what Christmas gift would she like to be bought for her. Which is an act of grooming

[@jungtwinkie6196]

How is asking about a Christmas gift grooming?

[@andrewpankiw2144]

@@jungtwinkie6196 you haven't watched the full film with enough attention have you sir?

[@jungtwinkie6196]

@@andrewpankiw2144 I have watched it multiple times. The question was in general not jsut about the movie. Alls I'm not a boy.

[@andrewpankiw2144]

@@jungtwinkie6196 okay then none specific gender. If you really have watched it then why isn't it grooming?

[@jungtwinkie6196]

@@andrewpankiw2144 dawg you cant answer a question with a question, but I'm getting the feeling you're stubborn so to answer yours it wouldn't be because it could just be someone tryna be nice. People do that often for little people.

[@noahbythelake]

it's a metaphor for the film industry

[@chaosriddenyears]

those 2 well dressed old dudes in the scene where helena is supposedly kidnapped are actually the old dudes who are sitting around a table in ziegler's christmas party. they can be seen when one of ziegler's butlers calls bill upstairs to see ziegler. 12:56 in the movie.

[@streetcleaner2794]

Is there a way to email you? I have a very very lengthy Wordpress document explaining all the Masonic ties and symbolism found in the film and explaining in great detail how Bill traverses through all 33 degrees of SR Masonry. Very interesting stuff and I think you’ll find it an interesting read. Loved this video series btw it has completely opened my eyes to this great film that can mean so many things on the surface level and taking a deeper look is often revelatory. EWS has cemented its place in the top 4 of my letterboxd account indefinitely.

[@laprincessa9787]

I'm listening. Please copy and paste it here. Be safe bro. Like seriously.

[@GM-wu7cn]

Post it

[@Trivelakick]

Bro is dead 😢

[@Writer341]

Post it

[@TimWing23]

Check out Joe Rogans recent podcast with Quinton Tarentino and Roger Avery who talks about a missing narration and gets into some interesting stuff about Eyes wide shut. He says they changed his script after he passed away.

[@etcot8220]

You forgot quite a few fun facts about the movie. Kubrick hired an actor to the sole purpose of being a real journalist, the newspaper article (not necessarily related to the story) by the ‘actor’ shows an interesting real life story. The newspaper shot is very important. Also, the villain is clearly the red cloak because the actor that played the role was convicted of something shady (not YT friendly term) . Both, the red cloak actor and Kubrick knew each other for working together in previous movies. Kidman and Cruise were a well established couple in the industry at the time and they divorced shortly after the release of the movie, that tend to be forgotten over the years. Every attention to these real life details reinforces the context of the movie taking place n real life, what you see is what you get with Kubrick, there’s no jj abrams shenanigans that is left for interpretation. That is not how Kubrick did things.

[@NITE_SHIFTING]

12:35 Tom looks like hell in this shot. Must've been a 50+ take of the same scene day.

[@insidemymindinc]

Unless Kubrick shot the missing minutes that wasn’t in his script. The studio didn’t know until they watched the first cut

[@sladelebens7288]

It blows my mind you didn’t mention at the end when the daughter walks away that the two old men in the background are in the beginning of the film at the party !!! Like that’s a fact. Can make your own ending there but literally the director intended for those actors to be in that ending shot, just should have been noted is all. Anyways nice video

[@RoxieC607]

Exactly, this has always been pointed out. It’s the same old men sitting at the party! No Coincidence!

[@runarvollan]

- Was she the woman at The Party? You called it fake! * Ziegler called The House fake.

[@eddyrose8596]

Great deconstruction on some popular theories. I wasn't even aware of the one regarding the kidnapper... Hard to prove any theory really but I like your rational approach to weighing each of them. That said, EWS will probably go down as one of the most enigmatic movies of all time. And that speaks a lot of the mysteries & questions that lay within this film.

[@uneedtherapy42]

This is a great video. I’m going with number 3…. All the scenes post Alice’s confession of wanting to have sex with the naval officer seem like a dream like state. The lighting, the cinematography, even the Christmas trees in most scenes never seem quite real. Bill embarks on a dream like trance of a journey that never quite seems real. Even the contrast of the night scenes with the striking scenes of the day time add to this. Plus the characters Nick Knightengale and the costume shop owner seems dream like not quite “ reality”. The way Stanley had the actors say the lines to with a kind of slow, repetitive quality to them adds to the unrealistic nature of Bill’s nocturnal adventure. Overall this film is vastly underrated and I think will get more attention over time like most of SK’s movies do.

[@shophet125]

2:57 some of that comes from transference - she is angry at the loss of her job and transfers that anger over to her successful husband, Dr. Bill. Did he ruin her job? No. But she can be angry at him anyway.

[@karimbarakat3066]

Yes I do think that Alice is in from the beginning and on the movie cover it shows only one of her eyes which represents that is in a cult

[@DFMoray]

News flash, the lover is always the opponent in a love story, tragic, happy, horrific or otherwise.

[@oatlord]

As far as your kidnap scene down playing, you should go watch the Roger Avery / Joe Rogan interview where Avery confirms that's what was going on and that a whole lot of the movie was cut.

[@bertsides6960]

And the guy “holding the bag” he’s Literally “Holding the bag” & the Most important thing is his height. He’s the same size as the man in red.

[@leshasavchenko7672]

I love love your channel. I would like you to move on to other films and get more videos on "Alien". I never thought about "Alien" as a masterpiece, but you made me realize the hidden aspects of it that excite my imagination. I wish you a great success. Unfortunately, your videos are rather rare but I can understand that. Your channel doesn't pay off at the moment considering its age and your investment in the work vs the number of subscribers. But I believe one day things will turn to better.

[@CineG]

I am thinking about returning to discuss more Alien and its sequels. I’ve delayed because I’m unsure if the demand is there. I will push it up in my queue.

[@runarvollan]

Alice could've been married to the brotherhood of death, but can't because instead she's married to the fruits of her life.

[@Serene_Haze]

There is a typo in the newspaper article. "She knew important people" Its written twice. Not sure if that's intentional. Also, most of the women he encountered look very much like his daughter. Especially the OD victim

[@godstomper]

Alice wasn't part of the secret society, she was the creator of the secret society. This film goes wayyyyyyy deeper . It goes way beyond the source material into a tell all by Kubrick. This movie is the occult and who controls the world we live in.

[@andrelegeant88]

I'm pretty confident that the daughter is not just taken, but given to the cult, and I ascribe to the view that the film was recut because the studio and Tom wasn't going to go that far with Kubrick dead.

[@vitus6302]

Helena being kidnapped is only a theory if everything in a movie that isn’t spoonfed to you is a theory.

[@Guiltyangel605]

Excellent video. Excellent voice. ❤❤

[@Reggaebeatman]

When is the 4k ULTRA High Def Disk gonna get released?

[@coconutpete5207]

The two old men at the toy store are also sitting together by the stairs in the first party right after bill and Alice arrive.

[@jimjo8541]

Those dudes at the end aren’t going to kidnap her. They’re not the point of the scene by any means. And, if you draw any conclusion that’s adjacent to this dumb theory, it may be that “they’re” capable of being anywhere, knowing everything, etc. That you’re being watched. I don’t think this is the case at all but there’s no indication that his kid is about to be abducted. They already sent their message to Bill. They already BROKE him. He spilled the beans to his wife. It’s over. At least according to the narrative in this movie.

[@explosivetwist]

they're not the point of the scene but kubrick put them in it for the heck of it? are you kidding me? she was most likely abducted as part of retribution for Cruise getting too close.

[@iggy_92]

Also when Helena runs off in the direction of those two old men, they are also the same old men seen at the bottom of the staircase at Ziegler’s party. So not only was the waiter from Ziegler’s party at the toy store but ALL THREE of them, the two old men and the waiter, were both at Ziegler’s party and then the toy store. Coincidence? There are none in Kubrick films.

[@runarvollan]

Bill forgets the mask in the bag while hiding everything else inside the cabinet. Of course Alice finds it.

[@SteveJustice-i6u]

The two old men near Helen are also sitting at the table during the xmas party.

[@AshleyHunter-lh9tc]

You left out that the two older men in the final scene were also in the first part of the movie. Obviously she was to be trained in the society, in exchange for Bill's life

[@Belenus3080]

I think you should elaborate on the missing scenes. There was one recounting of the missing final scene that seemed plausible, but was incredibly sickening, so I have my doubts. On the other hand, it would lend itself to the first two theories of Alice being a villain.

[@rebelrouser184]

There are a lot of nearly's in the film. Things nearly happen but don't. All the women have red hair, red carpet red pool table, red is natures way of saying danger. When he visits the dead patient, the daughter basically repeats what his wife had told him, that she was ready to throw her future away to have him. The "party" shop was about normalising underage sex. No-one was fazed except him. It is possible that his friend Nick was set up to set him up. Just happened to be called with details while together? Good film.

[@johnh1824]

Crazy thoery😊 its a spiritual war being fought by the elites. Before every encounter that cruises character has he superimposes a mix of colours in the scene. Red is associated with the lowest level of consciousness greed desire. Thats exactly where they end up. The little girl is kidnapped by desire not any literal person.

[@neilkirk2003]

. . . Theory #2 is exactly what I have been thinking since first seeing this Kubrick MASTERWORK. -- Yes. She was there. She wakes from her dream/nightmare and tells her husband about a sexual situation that mirrors what she saw there. It seems very clear. -- well, in an extremely Kubickian subtle way. ✔ ✔✔ A superb Film easy vid!!!!!

[@DavidGarcia-zu3hl]

I think the two older men in the toy store were present at Ziegler's party, sitting at the table next to the statue at the bottom of the stairs. The table, the men, and the two women with them, were not at the bottom of the stairs next to the status the first time it was shown. They appeared the second time the stairs were shown.

[@anthonyzav3769]

The problem with a lot of these theories is that the movie was based on a 1926 novel - and it’s all there. It’s a very faithful adaptation.

[@highpoweredsupernova]

Foreshadowing when Alice says in act 1 that she would of gave anything, even her daughter, to be with the navy officer

[@zone07]

Alice had to be a member; why else would she tell him about the "dream" when he got home? The coincidence was too distinct. Then again why would she look so hurt after he told her everything? I think Kubrick's vision was ruined by the editing after his passing. There are too many holes in the story's dialog and some of the scenes; it wasn't intended to be such a mystery; it was just poor editing.

[@mercuriusmc213]

So glad to see a new video !

[@lordsidious83]

As much as i love good theories, i think the film is pretty straightforward, although brilliantly made to imply worse things.

[@johngraham-wg5bp]

If you watch Traumnovelle (1969) and read the novella you realise that the secret society aspect is only a passing speculation. Kubrick deliberately exaggerated it and moved the action to modern New York to avoid dealing with the Catholic/Jewish tensions prevalent in fin-de-siecle Vienna which are the background to the story and which are obliquely referenced by the masked ball and the narrator's interior monologue in the source novella. The little fat fellow on the left wrote about it.

[@TeleNikon]

As a parent living and working in NYC during the '90s, I visited every toy store across the city for years, and not a single one had anything close to the plush toy overload seen in the final scene. Most stores had only a small section for plush toys, nothing like the extravagant display here. This set feels like an exaggerated, surreal vision-classic Kubrick. It’s art direction dialed up to a fantasy level, far removed from the reality of Manhattan’s toy stores at the time. Just sharing some context for anyone wondering!

[@secretgoldfish]

A lot of the supposed nuance of this film was ironically torpedoed by the use of Tom and Nicole which took you out of the film and its bigger ideas instantly.

[@Oldsmobile69]

Goddamn, always happy to see a video posted by you!

[@DanielS-mc5go]

2:23 your right bill does look like tom Cruise 😂😂

[@fied8250]

You forgot something The 2 old gentlemen were shown also in the party when bill on his way to save mendy

[@HerveMendell]

When I first saw this movie I was totally mystified, I had no idea what it was about, what it was trying to get at. I only went because it was a Stanley Kubrick film. Later on, after I discovered the 9/11 Truth movement, and went down the secret society rabbit hole, then it was like an epiphany, it became so obvious. The Tom Cruise character had stumbled on a secret society, The Secret Society, The Illuminati. (the mansion scene is rumoured to have been filmed at a Rothschild property). So now everything made sense. Like many others in the actual world, the Tom Cruise character becomes fascinated, even obsessed. He infiltrates the party, which is actually a ritual. He is allowed to escape with his life. The mask on the pillow is a signifier, that this was not a fever dream, and more than that, we know where you live, we got into your house, so we can get at you and your loved ones anytime.

[@SydNixon]

The two men in the toy store were sitting down as Bill walks up the stairs right before he meets Mandy.

[@WickedMo13]

You have to donate your kid to join, they all hooking up with each others kids

[@ruterkung]

Actually something I noticed in the movie is that the two old men at the end of the movie were the same men who sat by the stairs by the Cupid statue at the beginning of the movie, when Tom Cruise walked up the stairs to help Ziegler. I think it has a connection with the prostitute Ziegler had, showing those two old men by the stairs right before that part. It made me think that by the end of the movie those same old men were there to take their daughter cause Cruise and Kidman both glanced for a second at them while the daughter walked towards them. That scene always made me sick to my stomach cause it felt like they trafficked their own daughter to these rich old cultists to get on their good side and to get a foot in and join the elites and their secret society. It’s a bizarre thing but they play to the fact that the elites are twisted and would use the victims as prostitutes or sacrifice for some satanic ritual or for some adrenochrome. Cause both Cruise and Kidman seem super somber at the end, full of regret and scared. Tom repeats the word forever (connection to the beliefs of staying young with adrenochrome maybe?), to which Kidman responds that she doesn’t like it, it frightens her.. and ends it with that she wants them to f***. It’s a perversion from two different perspectives, Tom for wealth, power and recognition among the elites to join the secret society. Kidman for sexual drive which is a huge part in that cult as we saw in the movie with the orgy, cause she just wanted that all along, no matter who it was with, as we saw in the beginning of the movie as well when she was flirting with Sandor. Tom saw what the guy with the mask store did, pimping his daughter to those wealthy men, having connection and maybe even a foot in with the elites since he rented those masks and cloaks to them. Tom probably got the idea from there. At the end, it’s sickening to think about if that’s the case. It’s truly a disturbing film, I wonder what was cut from the film. Read somewhere that it was a sacrifice scene, don’t know how credible that was tho. But yeah the waiter and those two old men were at Zieglers Christmas party in the beginning and then they were there at the end to take their daughter.

[@Jay-n262]

There was 30 minutes of footage removed from the film before it's release. The answers were probably in that.