Kubrick's Game

  “Babe, I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I think we need to check out the first clue again.”

  “End our journey at the beginning?”

  “Exactly.”

  Later that morning, surrounded by his friends in the movie theater room, Shawn told them the details he remembered about his dreams, and how both he and Desiree had an inkling to examine the first clue again. He brought up the first part of the puzzle—the post-it note attached to the FDR photo.

  Ivan, I loved my stay at the strange hotel in New York last summer. However, I believe I left a script behind. Please tell the concierge to hold it for me and to call you when it’s found.

  “Call Ivan when it’s found,” said Sami.

  “Ivan Letta?” said Desiree. “Stanley’s long-time personal assistant?”

  “Right,” said Shawn. “It might just be that simple. But how would we be able to find Ivan’s contact information?”

  “Got it,” said Wilson. “The dude’s still a working actor in London and, like many actors, he posted his personal contact information on the usual actor directories so producers can get in touch with him.”

  They dialed from Danny’s phone.

  A man with a Cockney accent answered. “Hello?”

  “Is this Ivan Letta?” said Shawn.

  “Speaking. And who might this be calling from the States?”

  “My name is Shawn Hagan. I’m calling regarding Stanley Kubrick’s game.”

  “Bloody hell. You’re sure this isn’t Martin Scorsese?”

  “No. You see there’s this game we’ve been—”

  “Relax, son, just takin’ the piss out o’ ya. Be here at 10 a.m. on Tuesday and you’ll have first crack at the prize. Took you long enough. I kept telling that prick that he made the game too difficult for bloody Einstein to sort out. Looks like I was wrong, as usual. Cheers ‘til then, mate.” Ivan hung up the phone.

  “Wait,” said Shawn. “Where do we meet?”

  Ivan was already gone.

  “I think the answer to that is also on this first clue,” said Desiree. She pulled out the envelope sent to each film school postmarked from the Kubrick estate in Hertfordshire.

  Shawn shrugged. “Looks like we’re going to England.”

  The six teammates were on a British Airways flight to London the next day.

  Shawn had used the rest of his father’s cash to purchase tickets for himself, Sami, and Wilson.

  Danny had paid for tickets for the rest of the team.

  Shawn knew the ticket money was supposed to go toward rent, but he hadn’t thought twice about the decision. He needed his friends there. Besides, he had already decided to take up Strauss on his offer of apprenticeship. What better way to complete his film education than to be surrounded by the greatest films ever made?

  Desiree sat next to Shawn on the plane, leaning her head on his shoulder and caressing his arm.

  “I still don’t understand,” said Shawn. “How did you know to go back to the first clue? What did you dream about?”

  “I have a bit of a dirty secret,” she said. “I don’t remember my dreams. Never have. I guess that’s why I love movies so much. The movie theater is where I can dream.”

  “Perhaps your subconscious still found a way to speak to you?”

  “Perhaps.”

  Tuesday morning, the group took a cab from a bed and breakfast in Leavesden to the Kubrick country estate several kilometers away.

  On the way, Shawn received a text from Tony Strauss. Attached was a picture of him in his hospital room. Posing beside him were Solomon Meeks and his family, dressed in superhero costumes.

  “I can’t believe it worked,” he said.

  “What did you do?” asked Desiree.

  “I messaged Strauss’s estranged best friend via Facebook. Looks like they took a detour on their way to Comic-Con.”

  Beneath the picture it said:

  Fat Batman and Fat Robin have reunited. Villains and doughnuts, beware!

  When they arrived at the Kubrick manor, three other college-aged kids stood at the front gate—two girls and a guy.

  They eyed one another cautiously.

  The male was bordering on obese and wore a heavy metal T-shirt. The girls looked to be twin sisters with matching arm tattoos, nose rings, and colorful streaks in their hair.

  Each group stood in silence for several moments, not sure what to make of the situation.

  “Are you tourists?” asked Wilson.

  “No,” said the twins disdainfully.

  “Neither are we,” said Wilson. “Are you here for the game?”

  “Yes,” said the guy. “You are as well?”

  “Yep.”

  “For the record, we got here first. Name’s Logan.”

  They shook hands and introduced themselves awkwardly. The girls were Megan and Molly.

  How have I not heard of this team until now? Are they that skillful a team that they could go unrecognized the entire time?

  “What school are you from?” asked Shawn.

  “Cal Arts,” said Megan. “What about you?”

  “We’re UCLA.”

  “And USC,” said Danny. “We’re working together.”

  “How cute,” said Molly, sarcastically.

  Beyond the gate, the front door to the main house opened. A man with shoulder-length brown hair pulled back by a tie-dyed headband appeared and walked toward them.

  Shawn recognized him from his headshots as Ivan Letta.

  The actor’s old jeans and leather jacket gave him an Easy Rider aura. “Hi-ya, mates. Found the place all right, did you?”

  The gate creaked open.

  Letta turned and began walking back toward the house. “Well, follow me, then!”

  They ran to catch up to him.

  “Excuse me,” said Logan. “You did see that we were here first, right?”

  “What difference should that make?” said Ivan.

  “To decide which team wins the prize.”

  “You were playing entirely different games. You’re not receiving the same prize.”

  “Different games?” said Shawn.

  “That’s right. Which one of you was from UCLA and USC?”

  Shawn and his friends raised their hands.

  “You won the dream game. Cal Arts won the art game.”

  “What was involved in your game?” asked Shawn to Logan.

  “Mostly decoding the hidden meanings within all the artwork shown in Kubrick’s films, and tracking them down through the current owners to obtain each clue. What about you?”

  “Ours was a bit more complicated,” said Shawn.

  “I can’t believe there were two games this entire time,” said Desiree.

  “Two games?” Ivan scoffed. “You’ll find many games to be played, should you care to dig deep enough.”

  The Cal Arts team was guided down a hallway by another assistant.

  Ivan led Shawn and his friends through the house in the opposite direction. There were beautiful large paintings throughout, and in the backyard, which they were now entering, easels with works in progress stood in various locations.

  “So, which one of you is the director?” asked Ivan.

  “Director?” said Danny. “What does that mean?”

  “Which one made it to the end of the dream?”

  Shawn raised his hand.

  “You?” Ivan raised an eyebrow in surprise. “So be it. Here’s your tool.” He pressed a large shovel to Shawn’s chest. “You’ve earned the right to dig out the prize and decide what you want to do with it. You’ll know where to start. The rest of you may not cross beyond this point without my permission. Would anyone care for tea?”

  Ivan gave Shawn a look. “With those scrawny arms, it may take him a while.”

  Shawn gazed across the expansive yard. There were smatterings of evergreens and flowering trees across a lush grass field. In the distance, a poster-sized black monolith rose out of the ground.


  Shovel over his shoulder, he marched toward the monolith.

  He noticed an egg-shaped white stone resting near a tree, with a bed of smaller stones in front of it. He took a closer look.

  It was Stanley’s gravestone. On it was inscribed:

  Stanley Kubrick

  Here lies our love Stanley

  Born in New York City on

  26 July 1928

  Died here at home

  7 March 1999

  Shawn touched the rock with his fingertips, the reality of his death somehow finalized by the solidity of the small monument. He felt the loss as if it were yesterday.

  Gathering himself, he continued to the monolith. There was no writing upon it, only a small patch of dirt at its base. He reached out and touched the stone. It was cold, but no great wisdom or evolution seemed to fill his soul.

  He laughed.

  Then he began to dig. After he had dug two feet down, he hit something solid.

  He removed a small black box. It bore no lock. Inside was a note in Stanley’s handwriting.

  Shawn sat on the grass, crossed his legs, and read it quietly to himself.

  To my worthy opponent,

  I congratulate you on conquering the challenging quest that was laid before you. You have proven that not only is your mind of the highest caliber, you also possess a tremendous creative spirit that likely could use a little nurturing.

  As such, there awaits for you in an escrow account the sum of 20 million American dollars, the sole condition of its removal being that it be used toward fulfilling your dreams as a filmmaker. You may use it toward one large film or several small ones, but all must go toward the effort of film production, or the funds will become unavailable to you. My staff will guide you through the procedures henceforth.

  If there has been a change in the economic realities since my death and 20 million dollars is no longer a feasible sum to produce a film, I sincerely apologize, but it was all I could spare. And remember, a good film can change your life forever. A great one can change the course of human history.

  To have found my gift is a testament to your ingenuity and passion. I am certain you will make me proud. And one day, I look forward to discussing your work as peers somewhere beyond the infinite.

  Yours truly,

  Stanley Kubrick

  Shawn turned to his friends, who were waiting expectantly in the distance, and waved them over.

  Ivan nodded his approval and they ran to him as fast as they could.

  Shawn gave the note to Desiree and they all read it as one.

  “Well,” said Sami. “Looks like you can cancel that apprenticeship with Strauss.”

  Shawn was crying too hard to respond. Tears that had been bottled up for years were pouring out onto the grass.

  Desiree and Sami rushed to embrace him, but Desiree tactfully pushed Sami away as Shawn buried his face in her shoulder.

  “He cared.... He really cared about us,” was all Shawn could manage.

  Danny and Austin patted him on the back.

  “Congratulations. You deserve this,” Danny said.

  “So, buddy,” said Wilson, “Looks like Strange Brain is officially greenlit. If you need an assistant director, I’m available.”

  “No” said Shawn. “Not just my film. All of our films. We’re splitting this equally among all of us. I wouldn’t be here without you.”

  “Tea’s ready!” said Ivan, appearing over their shoulders. “How do you take it?”

  They laughed and followed him back toward the house.

  As Shawn walked hand-in-hand with Desi, something Stanley had said popped into his brain. “Wait! Don’t you remember what Kubrick said in his filmed message to us? Always dig deeper. Hold on!”

  He grabbed the shovel from Ivan and rushed back to the monolith.

  He continued digging until he struck another hard object, pulled out a spherical stone, and cleaned it off on his shirt.

  His friends gathered around and marveled at it.

  “It looks like... a moon rock?” said Desiree.

  “That’s exactly what it is,” said Wilson.

  “Ivan, what does this mean?” asked Shawn.

  “Oh, I would tell you lads,” said Ivan, “but what’s life without a bit of mystery?”

  ---THE END---

  Dear Readers,

  I thank you sincerely for reading this book.

  As a token of my appreciation, I have created a real life game for you to take part in should you have the time and means.

  Please visit DerekTaylorKent.com/KubricksGame to begin your own adventure.

  If you are reading this a large span of time after publication, the game may already be over, so please check for updates. One warning: Having read the book will be necessary for completion of the game.

  Good luck!

  ~ Derek Taylor Kent

  1. Obsession is a major theme in the book. It affects each character to varying degrees, from obsession with the game, to Kubrick films, to conspiracy theories. In the end, how do you think the author feels about obsession and how has it changed the characters?

  ~~~

  2. In the absence of family that he connects with, Shawn has filled that void with movies, and even an idealized father figure in Stanley Kubrick. Is this an appropriate response? Does art/music/media fulfill any of your emotional needs?

  ~~~

  3. Sami was caught in a tricky situation with Shawn, who was unhealthily obsessed with her but whose friendship she desperately needed. Did she handle the situation well? What might you have done differently?

  ~~~

  4. Many famous Kubrick conspiracy theories play a part in the book—from the fake moon landing, to Freemason symbolism, and even to his possible murder. By the end, what stance has the author taken on those theories? Is there any particular theory that fascinated you the most?

  ~~~

  5. The book suggests there can be much more to viewing a film than simply being entertained. How has the book affected the way you view Stanley Kubrick’s films? Are you more interested in his films or less? If you haven’t seen any, has the book changed the way you will view them?

  ~~~

  6. Many of today’s greatest filmmakers cite Stanley Kubrick as one of their biggest influences. In which film or films have you noticed his influence on screen? Are there any filmmakers working today that you believe are trying to break through “creative norms” as Stanley did?

  ~~~

  7. Toward the end of the book, Shawn is faced with a decision of whether to complete the game by himself or bring his friends back into the fold. Did he make the right decision? What might you have done differently?

  ~~~

  8. Each of the three protagonists has had to deal with parents who neglected, abandoned, or betrayed them. How did this affect each of them and why do you think domestic issues are such a common trend among prominent artists?

  ~~~

  9. Subliminal messaging is used as a device by Kubrick in his films. The author uses it as a device later in the story to unravel the final clue. How did this affect your understanding or interpretation of the game?

  ~~~

  10. There are a lot of movies referenced throughout the novel that play into and accentuate the plot line. Did you react to the scene differently when it was a film you had seen versus a film you weren’t familiar with? Did it make you want to see the films you hadn’t yet seen?

  ~~~

  11. The novel contains many plot twists that force the protagonist to have to reevaluate the game and his role in it. Were you surprised by the plot twists? If so, how did they make you rethink the purpose of the game?

  ~~~

  12. Shawn’s journey follows the path of the hero’s journey where he is called to an adventure, faces challenges with the aid of helpers, and has a revelation that begins his transformation into a new person. At what point do you think Shawn experienced his revelation?

  ~~~

  13. Shawn used his kno
wledge and obsession with Kubrick to solve the puzzles, but he also benefitted from having a team member that thought outside the box. If you were in a team that had to play Kubrick’s game, which thought process would you use? What other strength would you bring to the team?

  ~~~

  14. With Shawn’s inability to pick up on social cues, his issues with authority, and his awkward interactions, did you find it easy or difficult to relate to him? Were there moments where you felt sympathy or empathy for his situation?

  ~~~

  15. In the novel, one of the clues is “Find Q’s identity that was lost.” Were you surprised to discover Q’s identity? If not, at what point did you figure out Q’s identity, and what helped you solve the clue?

  My sincerest thanks go out to these people who were of great help to me through the writing process:

  Bob Glouberman and Larry Toffler of FantasticRace.com, who consulted with me in the creation of many of the puzzles found in the story.

  Frederik Raphael, screenwriter of Eyes Wide Shut, who was kind enough to answer many of my questions about his personal time with Stanley and the creation of the script.

  Ernest Cline, author of Ready Player One and Armada, whose work was of the highest inspiration to me and who offered kind encouragement throughout.

  Thanks to Dave Lane and Evolved Publishing for believing in the book and for all the efforts put forth toward its release.

  Thanks to my great editor and USC Film School alum, Lina Rivera for her fantastic work in bringing the best out of me.

  ~~~

  The following works and authors were of great use through the research process:

  Kubrick: Inside a Film Artist’s Maze by Thomas Allen Nelson

  Eyes Wide Open by Frederic Raphael

  The collective online publications of Roger Ager at CollectiveLearning.com

  On Kubrick by James Naremore

  Stanley Kubrick: The Complete Films by Paul Duncan

  Online publication: Stanley Kubrick: Films and Symbolism by Chris Sheridan

  Symbols in Stanley Kubrick’s Movie ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ by Carlin Ruwe

  Kubrick by Michael Herr

  Kubrick by Michael Ciment

  Various articles from American Cinematographer magazine