2001

[silvermoon383]

Well, after a long time of getting looks of amazement from people when they learn that I've never seen it, I have finally sat down and watched 2001: A Space Odyssey. This wasn't from a lack of interest, it was a lack of availability (I don't have a VCR and for the longest time the library only had it on VHS, until now).

I thought it was a neat film at the end, but it had 2 things going against it: 1. I had read the book already so I had nothing but story in my head; 2. I had just seen Iron Man, so I was all pumped up on action films.

So anyways, I was wonder what others thought about 2001.

 

[doppelganger]

It's brilliant. One of the greatest movies of all time, with many layers of meaning and incredible subtlety. Every time I watch it I find out something new. And it's not necessarily anything like the book. Kubrick often regarded his source works as merely a place to start.

 

[Somkid]

I have tried to watch it on many occasions (I own a copy) but I can never get through it, it's just too slow for me.

 

[Nanda]

I have tried to watch it on many occasions (I own a copy) but I can never get through it, it's just too slow for me.

Me too. And I love Kubrick.

 

[Nanda]

Kubrick often regarded his source works as merely a place to start.

Just ask Stephen King sometime what he thought of "The Shining."

 

[doppelganger]

Just ask Stephen King sometime what he thought of "The Shining."

I've read his comments. But then . . . King is no Kubrick. The Shining is much-maligned, but also brilliant.

It's one of my all-time favorite romantic comedies.

YouTube - The Shining - A Romantic Comedy

 

[Magic Man]

I have tried to watch it on many occasions (I own a copy) but I can never get through it, it's just too slow for me.

Cool, I thought I was the only one. I tried to watch it once with a friend who was a huge Kubrick fan, and we turned it off about 30-45 minutes in. I've always meant to try again, but haven't yet. It really is excrutiatingly slow.

 

[Nanda]

I've read his comments. But then . . . King is no Kubrick.

Apples and Oranges.

 

[Magic Man]

Well, I finally got through. I fast-forwarded through a bunch. I probably ended up finishing it in about an hour and 45 minutes, instead of the running time of 2 hours and 20 minutes.

It was waaaayyy too slow, and had way too much unimportant stuff. I understand the effects were groundbreaking and all, but that doesn't make a good movie. The story could have been interesting, but it took too long. If they told the story in an hour and a half or so, it might have been OK. Also, the whole "interpret it as you want" thing just strikes me as modern art, where a guy throws buckets of paint on a canvas and says it's a masterpiece, and you're supposed to feel like a moron for not "getting it".

This goes on my list as one of the worst movies of all-time.

 

[Trey of Diamonds]

I never enjoyed it as much as some folks did, it was too cryptic. I felt like it was trying to tell me something but not doing a very good job of it. Of course that could just be me not being smart enough to get it but still, very annoying either way.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

It's alright. I like the realistic portrayal of physics in space - particularly for when the movie was made. But, I didn't find the story particularly profound or compelling, and the esoteric, ambiguous ending didn't make it any better. I've read the book as well, and it's slightly better, but not much.

 

[Magic Man]

I agree, ATS. I read that the book is supposed to go along with the movie. They were written at the same time, actually.

 

[rojse]

2001 is a brilliant movie. Slow, certainly, but it was meant to be a slow movie - it takes a long time to travel through space. It was quite intelligent, and thoughtful, and I liked that.

And this is one of the few movies that I would single out the music as being excellent. Usually I don't notice music in a movie, but the music used for the scene where they approach the space station, or the monolith, were both excellent.

I think I might watch 2001 again, and after that, 2010, which I have never seen. Thoughts on the near-unknown sequel?

 

[Magic Man]

2001 is a brilliant movie. Slow, certainly, but it was meant to be a slow movie - it takes a long time to travel through space. It was quite intelligent, and thoughtful, and I liked that.

I'm curious what you thought was intelligent and thoughtful about it.

Yes, it takes a long time to travel through space. That doesn't mean I need to see all of it. In a lot of movies it shows an entire lifetime. I don't need to see the entire lifetime, even though technically it takes a long time. I just need to see the important or relevant parts.

And this is one of the few movies that I would single out the music as being excellent. Usually I don't notice music in a movie, but the music used for the scene where they approach the space station, or the monolith, were both excellent.

I will definitely give it that. That sound when it shows the monolith is creepy, scary and unsettling. It could be the most haunting sound I've ever heard. The rest of the music would be better to me, if it wasn't so cliche now.

 

[Wandered Off]

And this is one of the few movies that I would single out the music as being excellent.

The rock group Pink Floyd was initially approached to do the soundtrack but turned down the offer.

I can scarcely imagine how different the film would have been.

 

[rojse]

I'm curious what you thought was intelligent and thoughtful about it.

The idea of early humans being manipulated to encourage intellect. The monolith changing Bowman into something that is not human at all. The precarious existence was of the astronauts involved, emphasised by the constant break-down of one component of the signal dish. Yes, I thought it quite intelligent.

Yes, it takes a long time to travel through space. That doesn't mean I need to see all of it. In a lot of movies it shows an entire lifetime. I don't need to see the entire lifetime, even though technically it takes a long time. I just need to see the important or relevant parts.

It's been a while between viewings, but the trip through space was eventful in it's own way.

I will definitely give it that. That sound when it shows the monolith is creepy, scary and unsettling. It could be the most haunting sound I've ever heard. The rest of the music would be better to me, if it wasn't so cliche now.

I also loved the monolith music. But the classic music in space, with the crescendo coinciding with the coupling of the spacecraft to the orbiting station has been stolen by so many other shows and films, from the Simpsons to Wall-E. It's hard to fault 2001 for that when it was the original.

 

[Magic Man]

The idea of early humans being manipulated to encourage intellect. The monolith changing Bowman into something that is not human at all. The precarious existence was of the astronauts involved, emphasised by the constant break-down of one component of the signal dish. Yes, I thought it quite intelligent.

I'm not trying to be flip. I seriously don't understand where the intelligence is in all of that. I'm not saying it's stupid, I just don't see it as anything special.

It's been a while between viewings, but the trip through space was eventful in it's own way.

A good example is when one of the astronauts goes out to get the piece of the satellite dish that is supposed to be faulty. It takes over 6 minutes from the time he tells Hal to open the pod to when they are back checking the piece over for problems. During that time, all that happens the guy goes and gets that piece. It could have had the same effect of being slow and been condensed to about 1.5 minutes. That's the kind of thing I mean.

I like Kubrick's other stuff, A Clockwork Orange, Ful Metal Jacket, especially, and I like some slower movies like The Age of Innocence and Deer Hunter, for instance. But at least in them, stuff happened.

I also loved the monolith music. But the classic music in space, with the crescendo coinciding with the coupling of the spacecraft to the orbiting station has been stolen by so many other shows and films, from the Simpsons to Wall-E. It's hard to fault 2001 for that when it was the original.

To a degree it might have been ruined by the parodies and homages to it, but so many other movies have had the same treatment, but still hold up.

 

[Riverwolf]

I liked it, though I wouldn't put it among the greatest movies of all time.

At points, it does seem to artificially drag on with nothing important happening.

 

[Willamena]

I just watched this movie. Haven't seen it since drive-in theatres were all the rage. I still don't get it. Alien babies are us--is that the message?