I was so fortunate yesterday to experience a miracle in the cinema. While thousands were flocking to see the latest installment of the HARRY POTTER series, I instead traveled over thirty miles to catch Stanely Kubrick's 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY on the big screen. I've seen it several times on cable, video, and DVD. But watching it yesterday on the big screen was a whole new experience, a experience that I will never forget. Some people will call 2001, Kubrick's best film. I would disagree, I personally like A CLOCKWORK ORANGE as my favorite. But 2001 is a hair-line fracture behind CLOCKWORK. Both films are on my top 20 films of all time. I would have personally like to see 2001 on the Cinerama screen at the Hollywood Archlight Cinerama dome on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, but beggars can't be choosers. Seeing it on a big enough screen was pleasing enough. How can I describe 2001 to those who have never seen it before? 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY is a film before it's time. It's the most influental Science Fiction film of all time! Yes, 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY is more of a influence than STAR WARS and MATRIX. In fact, when George Lucas was directing STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE, he kept asking his crew about the space scenes in A NEW HOPE: "is it as good as 2001?" This is a movie that was released before David Lynch's career began, that required several viewings to understand the meaning of the film. Like I said before, I saw the film several times, and watching it on the big screen last night, I discovered new things with the plot. What other person could think of directing a movie in 1968, where a computer is the most reliable and intelligent instrument on a space ship? And thirty-three years later, in the year 2001, the computer is the most reliable instrument on the international space station. Or who else could think of showing a video game of a man playing chess on and with a computer, in 1968? Remember that this movie was released when The Beatles were still putting out new music, the Vietnam War was going on, and San Fransico was psychedlic central. Speaking of which, this is the film that is dubbed, "The Ultimate Trip." Since people who watched 2001 when it was first released, would drop acid, run up to the front of the theater to lay down and look up at the screen. I pity Warner Bros. for not giving a full re-release of this film last year in 2001, (or at least a one screen per city re-release). But instead releasing SCOOBY-DOO and BALLISTIC on thousands of screens across the nation, I guess money talks. But why should I mention those pieces of garbage with this film review? I told people for years, and I'll tell you now that I would consider placing a video screen continiously showing 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, with a picture frame around the screen and putting it in a art museum. When hundreds of years eariler, artists like DiVinci, Monnet, Van Gough, and 20th century artist like Picasso and Dali would express their art though paintings, Kubrick did his expressing through film. This is one of the best movies of all time. If you ever hear or find out that 2001 is playing on a cinema screen in your area. I highly urge you to catch it the way it was always ment to be seen, on the big screen. And I'm sure, Kubrick would agree with me. This is one of the best films of all time, so giving it ***** (out of five) is to little for the praise it deserves. But see the film yourself and be the judge, and I hope you'll agree with me.
Review of 2001: A Space Odyssey
