2001: A Space Odyssey
Discussion
moribund said:
Just got back from the Pictureville in Bradford. What a film this must have been in the 60's.
Reading 2001 was my gateway to an obsession with "hard" sci-if from the age of 10 onwards. This is the first time I've seen the film in a proper cinema and it was excellent, except for them sticking an intermission in the middle which completely broke the spell for a while.
I came away thinking this must be the only on-screen example of proper science fiction. By that I mean a film that is driven by a plot based principally on ideas not just an emotional journey, with science that stands up to at least moderate scrutiny. Dave and Frank behaved exactly as you'd expect a professional astronaut to behave - task oriented, professional, they knew their ship and systems inside out and all their actions made sense in context. None of the gung-ho bulls
t that Hollywood apply to every other space movie I've ever seen.
I enjoyed the spectacle of Intersteller, but it's fundamentally dodgy story makes it a massive disappointment compared to 2001 even with its slow pacing and excessive discordant music.
I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'm really looking forward to it.Reading 2001 was my gateway to an obsession with "hard" sci-if from the age of 10 onwards. This is the first time I've seen the film in a proper cinema and it was excellent, except for them sticking an intermission in the middle which completely broke the spell for a while.
I came away thinking this must be the only on-screen example of proper science fiction. By that I mean a film that is driven by a plot based principally on ideas not just an emotional journey, with science that stands up to at least moderate scrutiny. Dave and Frank behaved exactly as you'd expect a professional astronaut to behave - task oriented, professional, they knew their ship and systems inside out and all their actions made sense in context. None of the gung-ho bulls
t that Hollywood apply to every other space movie I've ever seen.I enjoyed the spectacle of Intersteller, but it's fundamentally dodgy story makes it a massive disappointment compared to 2001 even with its slow pacing and excessive discordant music.
I am quite interested in your comments on the use of an Intermission. The Intermission in this film was put in from the very beginning. Intermissions in long films were quite common back then and I sometimes wonder if cinemas aren't missing a trick by inserting them in modern long running movies.
The tradition of an Intermission would have been inherited from the world of live theatre where an Interval has always been part of the performance. When cinema going started to become popular in the 1920s, the audiences would have been coming from a history of attending theatre and shows and would have expected a break part way through the performance.
Right up until the end of the 1960s the cinema interval was quite normal I remember "Grand Prix" having one as well - and if you watch a DVD of it today you will see where the fade out to the intermission break is.
Modern cinema audiences come to cinemas with TV as their main performance arts influence and, with TV, there isn't ever a formal "half-way" break (although there are lots of breaks for ads etc).
The "TV experience" is also what encourages people in cinemas to talk all the way through the picture. mess with their phones etc. They have forgotten the protocols of behaviour at public performances.
Cheers Eric. Cinema is ideal for 2001 because it's immersive - you have no distractions. I find the pace of the film errs too far to the slow side which makes it easy to be diverted when watching on the small screen.
At the cinema you relax into the pace and the whole experience of space flight but unfortunately just as the tension starts to mount and HAL has his breakdown we had a 15 minute break. I understand it might have been there from the 60's but last night it jarred and totally broke the spell.
At the cinema you relax into the pace and the whole experience of space flight but unfortunately just as the tension starts to mount and HAL has his breakdown we had a 15 minute break. I understand it might have been there from the 60's but last night it jarred and totally broke the spell.
Shows how times and expectations change.
Because they expected an intermission, it didn't cause them a problem - any more than an interval between Acts 1 and 2 of play or musical causes a problem for modern audiences.
I don't think people in the 1960s would have used the word "immersive" in describing a cinematic experience. I am sure that comes from computer gaming where the player becomes part of the story.
Because they expected an intermission, it didn't cause them a problem - any more than an interval between Acts 1 and 2 of play or musical causes a problem for modern audiences.
I don't think people in the 1960s would have used the word "immersive" in describing a cinematic experience. I am sure that comes from computer gaming where the player becomes part of the story.
Edited by Eric Mc on Sunday 30th November 10:41
Thought this might be a handy thread to leave this here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-30252...
Article on 2001.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-30252...
Article on 2001.
There was an interview with either Dullea or Lockwood on the BBC web site in which he said that when filming the sequences with HAL, they used a crew member to read HAL's lines (Douglas Raine's voice was looped in later). Said crew member had a Cockney accent, and Dullea or Lockwood said it was like working with Michael Caine in the part. Now THAT would be an interesting concept.
I also saw it this afternoon. The screen in which it was showing was very nearly full, Much better on the big screen and the sound was pretty good too, especially when the alarm sounds for 'computer malfunction' - perked me up!
It's aged very well. It must have really wowed the crowds when it was first released. Thanks for the heads-up Eric
Edit: also the excellent music score fits in well
It's aged very well. It must have really wowed the crowds when it was first released. Thanks for the heads-up Eric
Edit: also the excellent music score fits in well
Edited by tobinen on Sunday 7th December 21:13
I remember seeing it a few years ago on the big screen, with Keir Dullia & Garry Lockwood, with before hand them giving a most entertaining talk on production of the movie. I managed to get them both to sign for me copy of the pod bay scene. I remember as a young kid my father telling us about the film and the scene, from his favourite movie of all time, we were going to attend together, but he had to fly overseas for an emergency at the last minute. I then got framed for him for his birthday. the day before his birthday he returned, that afternoon he was diagnosed with an incurable brain illness, the parallel was painful. Made the movie far more poignant at the same time.
Found this on the BBC iPlayer. Again, well worth listening to -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p02crrv3/2001...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p02crrv3/2001...
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