On the 23rd of October, Kino Lorber is putting Kubrick's first film on Blu-ray. It has never been released properly on home video, including the days of VHS and Laserdisc. A full restoration was done by the Library of Congress' Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation. I've only seen it via low-quality bootlegs.

For some time, a self-conscious Kubrick blocked its release, spending decades acquiring every print in existence or blocking screenings to prevent it ever being seen again. Kubrick made Fear and Desire when he was 24, and his burying of it came from what has proven to be misplaced embarrassment. It got positive critical notices upon release from the likes of Variety. It has been praised in the decades since, and featured in prominent retrospectives in the rare instances that screenable prints are found.

The movie really is pretty damn good. It's generally compared (rightfully) to Paths of Glory, which is one of his best if you ask me. I can only imagine how amazing Fear and Desire must look after a proper 35mm restoration. There are few things as striking as well-done 1950's black and white cinematography. Kubrick's photography background is one of the reasons that his films look so damn good.

Fear and Desire is a classic men-on-a-mission story that follows a team of men downed behind enemy lines. They find the opposing camp and conspire to kill the enemy commander. Kubrick shot it with a skeleton crew and controlled nearly every aspect of production. It features the screen acting debut of Paul Mazursky, who went on to act in all sorts of stuff, including the original Twilight Zone, as well as write and direct (Bob & Ted & Carol & Alice, Moscow on the Hudson, Down and Out in Beverly Hills).