5. Wasn't Afraid to Take Risks
Meticulous planning and going by the book didn't deter Kubrick from risk taking. His decision to produce a largely unfaithful adaptation of Stephen King's novel The Shining, to re-write Peter Bryant's deadly serious nuclear book Red Alert into a satire for Dr Strangelove or to ignore the traditional three-act structure in Full Metal Jacket meant Kubrick was just as confident going against the grain. He always made movies for himself first, audiences second.
6. Retained Complete Artistic Control
Following creative restrictions on his 'director for hire' project Spartacus and the BBFC cuts that were made to his black comedy drama Lolita, Kubrick vowed to retain complete artistic control over his films in the future. His films post 1962 may not have always been financially successful but (Clockwork Orange aside) they remained untarnished by interfering outside forces and completely retained the director's artistic vision.
7. Never Repeated Himself
Although he may have only directed a dozen complete films in his 50 year career Kubrick's reluctance to repeat himself meant that all his works remain uniquely fresh and individual. He was never a sequels man, nor a man who would repeat themes from film to film.
8. Never Made a Bad Movie
Some would argue that his modest debut Killer's Kiss was a little lean (it runs a mere 67 minutes), or that Full Metal Jacket's second act was lukewarm compared to it's exceptional first but even his minor efforts were mind blowing - putting the majority of Hollywood's contemporary output to shame. Simply put: Kubrick never made a bad movie, period.
9. Paid as Much Attention to Editing as he Did Filming
Kubrick claimed he was never more at home than in the editing suite. He spent as much time and attention overseeing the post-production stage of his projects as he did the production. As a result his films were flawlessly cut. The prime example of Kubrick's meticulous attention to detail is the cutting of the Hallway scene in The Shining... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFVyAjj3Bs0