Only days after the initial screening of his latest film “Eyes Wide Shut” director Staley Kubrick died at the age of 70 in his London home today as a result of natural causes according to his family. The reclusive director of such landmark films like “2001: A Space Odyssey”, “Clockwork Orange” and “Full Metal Jacket” finished work on “Eyes Wide Shut” only a few days ago. He will be sorely missed by the entire film industry for his inspired work. Here’s a look what Steven Spielberg had to say following the director’s death.

Stanley Kubrick was the grand master of film-making.

He created more than just movies. He gave us complete environmental experiences that got more, not less, intense the more you watched his pictures.
He copied no one while all of us were scrambling to imitate him.

“2001: A Space Odyssey” was the Big Bang that inspired my generation’s race to space.

He had a tremendous skill for making his films relatively inexpensively and still maintaining the complete control of the true perfectionist.

He was terribly misunderstood as a recluse just because he didn’t do a lot of press. He actually communicated more than many people I know. When we
spoke on the phone, our conversations lasted for hours. He was constantly in contact with hundreds of people all over the world.

He was more than generous when he loved someone’s movie. He would pick up the phone and call a complete stranger to say how much his or her movie
impressed him. To those of us who were lucky enough to know him, he was a teddy bear – kind and passionate. He was constantly on a high fiber diet of
movie-making.