About the Author

Julian Rice, now retired, was professor of English at Florida Atlantic University. He is the author of Kubrick’s Hope (Scarecrow, 2008) and The Jarmusch Way (Scarecrow, 2012).

Reviews

Rice, a retired English professor, takes a deep dive into the 2001 film A.I. Artificial Intelligence, concentrating on its background as a Stanley Kubrick project taken over by Steven Spielberg after Kubrick’s death. The writing is dense and scholarly, yet consistently inviting to the non-specialist. Throughout the text, Rice teases out the film’s thematic concerns and their resonances with other films in both Spielberg and Kubrick’s oeuvres, particularly Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the work that created the initial bond between the two filmmakers; 2001: A Space Odyssey, Kubrick’s other, notably bleaker reflection on artificial intelligence; and the apocalyptic vision of Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove. Rice’s work is eclectic and wide-reaching, with equal insight brought to bear on A.I.’s roots in Arthurian legend, Joseph Campbell’s concept of the hero’s journey, and Jungian archetypes, as well as its legacy as a cautionary tale about global warming. This eloquently written book will foster a deeper appreciation for a unique posthumous collaboration between two celebrated filmmakers, even for readers who aren’t fervent fans of the film itself.
*Publishers Weekly*

If there was ever a movie with a back-story worthy of a fascinating book, it's A.I….[I]t's a deeply detailed analysis of each director's narrative and visual ideals, delving deep into both filmographies to pull out similar imagery and themes which may have ultimately shaped the film that was finally released (two years after Kubrick's death). The author's recurring argument is that the directors shared more common ground than their reputations suggest. While A.I. is indeed analyzed in great detail - both narratively and aesthetically - other chapters look back to such work as Close Encounters, Dr. Strangelove, even the original novel of Pinocchio, in search of recurring themes like the apocalypse and parent/child relationships…. [For] those whose appreciation of either director extends beyond their films' mere entertainment value.
*Free Kittens Movie Guide*