Whether he tackled controversial subjects like sex and violence (“A Clockwork Orange,” 1971), injected stunning visual effects and innovative music into the sci-fi genre (“2001: A Space Odyssey,” 1968, left) or toyed with the film noir narrative structure (“The Killing,” 1956), director Stanley Kubrick’s style was always recognizable. It’s an amazing feat, considering that the notoriously detail-obsessed—and later reclusive—director had only 14 fiction films to his credit from 1953 until his death in 1999. You can see how Kubrick’s persistence and vision paid off in a series of his films at International House from June 16 through 20. The Directors in Focus series begins with “The Killing,” Kubrick’s compelling film about a group of thieves who attempt to pull off a daring racetrack heist. The series only gets better from there.
— H.A.D.

• IN FOCUS: : “The Killing” at 8 p.m. at I-House, 3701 Chestnut St. Check day-by-day listings for details. Info: 215-387-5125 or www.ihousephilly.org. Series continues through June 20.