Get better friends.
I prefer The Duelists myself.
And I think I kind of agree with Sage Rat—watching characters in a Kubrick film is like having Asperger’s Syndrome for two hours. And for a nerd/geek like me, that’s about like having 140% of Asperger’s Syndrome for two hours.
Why was this movie perceived as a flop and lemon when it came out, both in terms of box office and critical reception? Did it simply not fit in with the zeitgeist of the time?
To the best of my knowledge it wasn’t perceived as a flop and a lemon when it came out. Kubrick was still riding high on the success of 2001 and A Clockwork Orange. The film played for quite a while in the major cinemas. And it made the front cover of Time.
It made a fairly good amount of money but it wasn’t a blockbuster by any means:
This article claims that it was “an object of widespread derision” when it came out:
http://www.villagevoice.com/2007-05-15/film/barry-lyndon/
Unfortunately, there’s no way to find more than a couple of the reviews that were written when the film came out (or, at least, without more searching skills than I have). Incidentally, the Rotten Tomatoes rating doesn’t tell you anything, since nearly all the reviews that it’s averaging over are recent reviews of it, not ones written at the time it came out.
And rated a Mad magazine parody, which is always a sign of epochal cultural significance. 
Count me in as someone was was intrigued by it and came to love it.
It’s an astounding directorial vision, with numerous details that keep the attentive film goer thinking about the film for a long time.
I agree with “get better friends.” 
I think his other movies (except Eyes Wide Shut) are good and generally accomplish their goal. A Clockwork Orange is an amazing film, regardless that its main character is also a dickwad. The film makes it clear enough what the topic for discussion is and presents an interesting view on it. The character’s motivations are clear enough from his narration, so you’re not asked to come up with the one yourself.
I’D love to get ‘better friends’. Where do you get them?
We’ll you’re on the SDMB, already an excellent start. 
Off topic - what was Stanley Kubrick’s problem with widescreen and stereo audio?
I’ve got a new-ish DVD of The Shining and it is amazing with its 5.1 remixed soundtrack.
Just wish I had Barry Lyndon in 5.1 widescreen as well.
It’s one of my favourite films. So many wonderful scenes including that scene with the courteous yet highly ruthless highway man which manages to be hilarious and scary in equal measure.
And just masterful use of music throughout - the first and last scenes with Marisa Berenson, meeting Ryan O’Neal’s eyes across the card table, and then again right at the end with her looking at the bills are both just so breathtakingly perfect that when I see them, it brings tears to my eyes that anyone could make such moments of genius.
My favorite part was the last panel.
“We’ll give you this money if you’ll go away.”
“But Lord Bullington was broke. Where did you get the money?”
“The audience took up a collection.”
And all the while you see Ryan O’Neal’s foot protruding from the bottom of the mattress.