The Plot Thickens

Channeling his own growing anxiety, Stanley realizes that the only way to make a movie about nuclear war is to make it a comedy. Calling it Dr. Strangelove, Stanley pushes his talented cast and world-class crew to their limits, resulting in a riotous, polarizing satire that became a counterculture classic.
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Stanley adapts the most shocking book of its time, a purported love story between a middle-aged man and a 12 year-old girl named Lolita. To escape censors, Stanley shoots the movie in England. But it still ends up stirring plenty of controversy, which propels it to become a major hit.
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Kirk Douglas offers Stanley a massive paycheck to take over directing a historical epic called Spartacus. Against his better judgment, Stanley agrees, and gets roped into one of the most difficult productions of his career. Despite the film's success, Stanley regrets his involvement and learns a painful lesson about Hollywood hierarchies.
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Stanley heads to Hollywood to direct The Killing, a crime caper with a famous cast and a confusing storyline. The film tanks at the box office but attracts the attention of movie star Kirk Douglas, who agrees to star in Stanley's next project. Stanley decides to adapt the antiwar novel Paths of Glory, which he films in Germany and unexpectedly meets the love of his life.
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Stanley takes his first crack at filmmaking, starting with shorts and moving up to low-budget independent features. His family bankrolls his productions and his friends act as cast and crew, but his efforts fail to turn a profit. As his first marriage begins to crumble, Stanley plays chess for quarters, until a new friend gives him a shot at the big time.
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