2001 on the Big Screen

[Hambone]

The local (Madison, WI) Sundance Theater had a special showing of "2001" this week and I was fortunate enough to see it. A couple of thoughts:

-The film holds up remarkably well; special effects look better than ever. The smooth, subtile movement of the space ships is very relaxing compared to the current trends.

-The audience was overwhelmingly male, but there was a wide span in ages. There were teenagers and 70-somethings. I hasten to add that most of them looked like they hadn't seen a shower or a razor in weeks, which I found slightly humorous.

-If you have an active bladder, it might not be the best idea to buy the 72-ounce soda for a 2-1/2 hour film. The guy sitting in front of me had to get up 4 times to pee.

-My girlfriend had never seen 2001. It was her idea to go. She sat patiently through the whole thing. On the way out, her only comment was "What the fuck was that?" BUT...on the way home, she started asking questions, indicating that the film had worked its legendary magic on her imagination.

 

[Duane]

Lucky you. My favorite film of all time.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Mine as well.

Fun fact: The centrifuge set in the Discovery was 'real', in that it was actually built complete, all the way around, and rotated just like a real life version would.

 

[Procutus]

The best science-fiction film ever made, IMO. I haven't seen in for close to a decade now, so your comments are likely to make me pull out my DVD and view it again. I can't tell you the number of times I read Clarke's novelization, probably more times than I've seen the movie.

Yeah, it does have a magic of its own, totally different from sci-fi movies today.

 

[Procutus]

Mine as well.

Fun fact: The centrifuge set in the Discovery was 'real', in that it was actually built complete, all the way around, and rotated just like a real life version would.

I either didn't know that, or had forgotten that fact. There was an excellent book on the making of the movie that was in print, way back in the 70s, and it's likely that was mentioned. The book also contained various script elements that Clarke had written, but were ultimately left out of the film.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I also liked 2010 a lot, as well. It's a completely different kind of film, of course, but you've got to expect that, given the decade it was released in. Besides, Roy Scheider is automatic coolness.

 

[The Mirrorball Man]

Yeah, it does have a magic of its own, totally different from sci-fi movies today.

Actually it's even more different from what science fiction movies were back then.

 

[Set Harth]

I hasten to add that most of them looked like they hadn't seen a shower or a razor in weeks, which I found slightly humorous.

It's not their fault. Bane trapped them underground. ( And the shower thing would be a smell issue, not a "look" issue. )

-If you have an active bladder, it might not be the best idea to buy the 72-ounce soda for a 2-1/2 hour film.

Wait, you're asking modern audiences to think about the consequences of actions? That ship has sailed, my friend.

 

[Andrew_Kearley]

If you have an active bladder, it might not be the best idea to buy the 72-ounce soda for a 2-1/2 hour film. The guy sitting in front of me had to get up 4 times to pee.

Wow! Couldn't even wait until the intermission?

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Mine as well.

Fun fact: The centrifuge set in the Discovery was 'real', in that it was actually built complete, all the way around, and rotated just like a real life version would.

I either didn't know that, or had forgotten that fact. There was an excellent book on the making of the movie that was in print, way back in the 70s, and it's likely that was mentioned.

IIRC, when Dave goes to get his meal from the food slot, Frank is sitting at the table eating. But since it's not really zero-g while they were filming, Gary Lockwood had to be strapped into his seat upside down, because Keir Dullea was on the other 'side' of the centrifuge where the food slot was...

 

[Duane]

If you want to see a photo of the 2001 centrifuge set, just google "2001 centrifuge."

 

[Set Harth]

Gary Mitchell would have showed that HAL who's boss.

 

[Klaus]

I saw it on the big screen in 1972, the summer between 5th and 6th grade at a local college theater... same summer I read LotR for the first time. Never been the same since.

Though I had to go to the library and read the book to figure out what the end meant.

 

[Set Harth]

And then the sequel retconned it.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

You have been drinking your whiskey from Kentucky!

 

[Christopher]

Fun fact: The centrifuge set in the Discovery was 'real', in that it was actually built complete, all the way around, and rotated just like a real life version would.

Well, not just like. The real thing would've rotated at a constant velocity to create a sensation of weight in freefall conditions, with "down" being outward from the axis in every direction. The centrifuge set only rotated as needed when the actors were walking or jogging through it, so that they'd stay on the bottom; when they were standing still, so was the centrifuge. So it was using real gravity to fake the appearance of fake gravity.

 

[JustAFriend]

Saw it when it premiered in 1968. In 70mm Cinerama.

The moon and Jupiter sequences looked 3-D in 70mm.

I've seen it in re-releases on standard movie screens and you just have no idea how much less you're seeing. Shame that Cinerama didn't stick around.

 

[Procutus]

Inspired by Hambone's original post, I have just placed my DVD into the player and have settled in to enjoy!

 

[tighr]

I've always wanted to see 2061 on the big screen, maybe one day they'll get around to filming it. Although, I want it to be good. 2010 was a disappointment.

 

[Christopher]

I liked Hyams's 2010, although his decision to make it more topical by ramping up the Cold War tensions made it very dated in retrospect, and I could've done without the bits where people were standing around normally in the zero-gravity parts of Discovery.