I've always been a huge fan of Kubrick, ever since I saw A Clockwork Orange for the first time. The visual self-confidence and the usage of classical music just blew me away, it felt like watching film for the very first time, like it should be. Also, watching 2001: A Space Odyssey still gives me goosebumps. It's just unbelievable that it was made in 1968, it still looks better than many sci-fi films being made today! I think he is one of the reasons I got so attached to films, becoming a movie buff and even studying film theory later. For me (and lots of other people), he is THE director, bringing the filmmaking to its very best and extreme. Oh, I wish he'd lived a little longer. I remember getting the sad news in 1999, I was 16 and in school, during math or biology I think. I was devastated. It felt like losing a friend, sounds cliché, but it really did. Especially when being a teenager, when escapism might be one of the most important things in your life. I decorated my room with Kubrick posters; I even bought an original Full Metal Jacket poster. Later I spent my savings on a Kubrick DVD-box, which was stolen a few years ago, on a party. I remember being sad and very angry at first, but then I couldn't resist being happy for the thief's taste in film. I hope he or she still is a Kubrick fan.