Stanley Kubricks best films, from 2001 to The Killing [Video]

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Part secular creation myth, part technophobic allegory, and totally unprecedented in its time both as a special-effects showcase and big-screen spectacle, Kubrick’s magisterial Arthur C. Clarke adaptation casts a long shadow (it’s impossible to imagine contemporary sci-fi, from “Star Wars” to “WALL-E,” without it) and belies its reputation as a chilly technical triumph. The scene in which the charismatic supercomputer HAL 9000 begs his human operators for his “life” only grows more tragic — and chilling — as we journey beyond the infinite potential of artificial intelligence.