Wednesday, October 24, 2018

2001: A Space Odyssey

The last time I watched it, I was in a movie theater in 1968. Even on the small screen, it is amazing.  The final high-speed journey on acid had such a powerful sensation of speed in the theater that I could not lift my arms, much less rise from my seat.  That and the rest of the ending make far less sense than the strangely mystical end of Arthur C. Clarke's novelization of it.  Still, an amazing film.  Watching it today it is still masterpiece of film; with amazing special effects; all before the wonders of CGI.  And of course Also Sprach Zarathustra and the Blue Danube Waltz, both by Strauss.

Oh yes the little cultural symbols now gone, like PanAm and the Bell Phone logo in the videophone booth.

3 comments:

  1. ... but not the same Strauss: Richard vs. Johann

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  2. They also managed to predict iPads/tablets decades in advance.

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  3. The actor who voiced HAL in 2001 & 2010, Douglas Rains died a few days ago. Some of the obits mentioned Stanley Kubrick picked him because of his narration of a movie about the Universe made in 1960. You should check it out: https://www.nfb.ca/film/universe/

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