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Post by erik on Apr 2, 2018 21:50:04 GMT -5
STAR WARS; BLADE RUNNER; INTERSTELLAR; GRAVITY; E.T.; CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND; READY PLAYER ONE; JURASSIC PARK...and tons of other films. What do these films each have in common, besides being highly evolved science fiction or futuristic fantasy masterpieces? None of them would have been possible had not a film been released 50 years ago today, creating a firestorm of controversy and changing the way Hollywood made films forever. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, director Stanley Kubrick's massive and epic science fiction film masterpiece, done in collaboration with legendary sci-fi writer Arthur C. Clarke (and taking its cue from Clarke's short story "The Sentinel"), marks its fiftieth anniversary release today. And Hollywood has never been the same since.  |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2018 15:58:02 GMT -5
Still unexcelled,which is really saying something given advances in technology...
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Post by erik on Apr 3, 2018 19:04:22 GMT -5
Quote by robertaxel:
I think it was a whole host of things that made 2001 such a big deal.
For one, it was the first true science fiction film that truly speculated about Man's place in the cosmos and the future of humanity and technology, not to mention the very real possibility/probability that ours is not the only intelligent life in the universe. In this aspect, Kubrick's collaboration with Clarke was incredibly important.
For another (and this will be pretty hard for some to believe), none of that groundbreaking special effects work was done by any big-name special effects company. All of that was done in the studio by special effects masters Wally Veevers, Douglas Trumbull, Con Pederson, and Tom Howard, with Kubrick's enthusiastic approval. Trumbull's idea of using a process known as "Slit Scan" for the famous Star Gate sequence was especially important. Even without the use of fancy CGI and computer technology, that singular sequence was the first true high-tech sequence in Hollywood history.
There is also the fact that this is not a film where you should expect a whole lot of sound and fury, let alone typical Hollywood dialogue, or even much dialogue at all. In this two-and-a-half hour masterwork, there's only maybe 40 minutes of dialogue in all; and much of it is fairly close to the way people would actually talk.
And finally, there was Kubrick's decision (though at the expense of a very good original score by Alex North) to utilize works of classical music on the soundtrack, including the portentous "Dawn" sequence of Richard Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathustra" (as the film's musical calling card), and Johann Strauss' beloved "Blue Danube Waltz" (for the aerial ballet docking sequence between a Pan-Am spaceplane and the wheel-shaped Space Station V in the second part of the film).
And all of this for what seems like a pauper's sum by today's Hollywood standards but what was a huge amount in the late 1960s, at $12.5 million!
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Post by rick on Aug 1, 2018 20:19:11 GMT -5
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Post by erik on Aug 1, 2018 20:43:29 GMT -5
I would seriously consider 2001 worthy of an IMAX release, though I would advise folks that 2001 is about sight much more than it is about sound, which was Kubrick's intent. As the director once said: "Those who are not using their eyes won't be able to appreciate this film."
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