2001: A Space Odyssey (2 Disc Special Edition) DVD

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TITLE : 2001: A Space Odyssey (2-Disc Special Edition)

RATING: *****

CAST: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, Daniel Richter, Leonard Rossiter, Margaret Tyzack, Robert Beatty, Sean Sullivan, Glenn Beck, Vivian Kubrick, Douglas Rain (voice).

DIRECTOR: Stanley Kubrick

SCREENWRITERS: Stanley Kubrick & Arthur C. Clarke

BASED ON NOVEL: "2001: A Space Odyssey" ...
...time, then it would be 2001: A Space Odyssey, hands down. The late Stanley Kubrick's groundbreaking achievement remains a movie milestone, and it inspired countless other sci-fi films to follow, including Star Wars, The Abyss, Contact, Alien, and the Star Trek films. The film was also timely upon its release, being just one year before the U.S. sent astronauts to the moon, and when outer space exploration was still considered fantasy. The unique ... more

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TITLE : 2001: A Space Odyssey (2-Disc Special Edition)

RATING: *****

CAST: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, Daniel Richter, Leonard Rossiter, Margaret Tyzack, Robert Beatty, Sean Sullivan, Glenn Beck, Vivian Kubrick, Douglas Rain (voice).

DIRECTOR: Stanley Kubrick

SCREENWRITERS: Stanley Kubrick & Arthur C. Clarke

BASED ON NOVEL: "2001: A Space Odyssey" by Arthur C. Clarke

STUDIO: Metro Goldwyn Mayer

DVD DISTRIBUTER: Warner Bros.

RUNNING TIME: 148 min

RATED: G (US) & U (UK); no objectionable material, though not really a film for children.

DVD AVAILABILITY: 5 GBP from Amazon; ASIN #B000056WOM

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INTRODUCTION
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"In an infinite and eternal universe, the point is, anything is possible." --- Stanley Kubrick

If I were going to vote for the greatest science fiction film of all time, then it would be 2001: A Space Odyssey, hands down. The late Stanley Kubrick's groundbreaking achievement remains a movie milestone, and it inspired countless other sci-fi films to follow, including Star Wars, The Abyss, Contact, Alien, and the Star Trek films. The film was also timely upon its release, being just one year before the U.S. sent astronauts to the moon, and when outer space exploration was still considered fantasy. The unique marriage of music, images, and effects remains a staggering experience even almost 40 years later, and what it has to say on man's reliance on technology is still frighteningly real and contemporary. Although the film has gotten previous DVD treatments (by both MGM and Warner), complete with palatable but hardly worthy transfers, Kubrick's film is finally getting a deluxe package courtesy of Warner Home Entertainment, with a fine array of special features. All in all, 2001 looks and sounds better than ever before (particularly on Blu-Ray), and while the concept of double-dipping sounds unnecessary, there is much to relish here on the brand new 2-Disc Special Edition. Open the pod bay doors please, HAL…

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HISTORY IN THE MAKING
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The film opens up at the Dawn of Man, a time when our evolution has passed the Neanderthal era, yet our ancestors still haven't emerged past the hairy ape stage. It is in this opening sequence in which Kubrick presents to us and intriguing question: how did we acquire thought? When did we start to use our minds rather than depend on what is limited to us by the environment and other creatures? When a tribe of apes is attacked by rivals over an all-important watering hole, they are forced to flee and settle somewhere else. During the night, one of the apes wakes up and sees something they have never seen before: a huge, black Monolith. The apes are obviously intimidated and go into a panic, as they have no idea if this object is threatening or not; it is when they touch it that they calm down. The next scene is just one of the many iconic images to follow: an ape curiously looks at a bone, picks it up, and starts hitting it on the ground and other bones. It was at this very moment when Man began to think rather than depend on instinct, and it would open up the door to inventions, scientific discoveries, and six seasons of "I Love Lucy".

Now utilizing bones as weapons, the apes beat one of their rivals to death and take back their watering hole. The sequence ends with a memorable transition: when the ape throws the bone up into the air, it cuts to a modern-day space station hovering over Earth's atmosphere; indeed, a lot has been accomplished over the centuries using different kinds of tools. The Space Age is now upon us, with the ability to travel to not only the moon but also other planetary bodies, and maybe even beyond. Kubrick takes his time showing us the details of what life like is in space, complete with video calls to Earth to keep in touch with loved ones, and a zero gravity toilet which has a set of instructions longer than most people would take sitting on the pot with the sports page. Scientists soon discover a mysterious force beneath the lunar surface, and decide to go and investigate; they are stunned to discover a Monolith, though they have no idea of its origin. When astronauts touch the colossal artifact, they are soon greeted by a deafening noise which is really a radio signal being sent to Jupiter.

Determined to find out where the transmission ends and what its purpose is, five astronomers volunteer to take an expedition to Jupiter on a spaceship called the Discovery. There is the captain Dave Bowman (Keir Dullea, Black Christmas, Bunny Lake is Missing), and his first officer Frank Poole (Gary Lockwood, Splendor in the Grass), who are both overseeing operations while the other crew members are in hyper-sleep. Oh, yes, there is also the HAL 9000 computer (voiced by Douglas Rain), a highly intelligent machine whose mission is to protect human life while on the journey. However, before the Discovery reaches Jupiter something goes wrong, horribly wrong. Bowman and Poole begin to get weary of HAL and his actions and strongly consider disconnecting him before reaching Jupiter; when Poole then leaves the ship to do some repairs, he loses control and flies out into space. While Bowman goes out to rescue him, HAL cuts all life support of the astronauts in hyper-sleep, and when Bowman returns with his dead comrade he asks HAL to let him in; the computer won't listen to him, and leaves him out there to die. Will Bowman be able to get back into the spaceship and shut down the murderous HAL? And even if he does, what will become of him once he reaches Jupiter and goes beyond the infinite?

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JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, DAVE?
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Before 2001: A Space Odyssey dazzled filmgoers in 1968, most science fiction films were escapist entertainments, usually involving some giant carrot from Venus or a gorilla in a diving helmet. Ok, to be fair, there were some good ones that remain classics in their own right, like Forbidden Planet, Them!, and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (and I'm referring to the 1956 version). The roots of science fiction in the cinema actually started with the 1902 French film A Trip to the Moon, which had borrowed ideas from such literary giants as H.G. Wells and Jules Verne. Those who saw that film in nickelodeons no doubt said after the film was over, "That will never happen!" For the next 60 years, science fiction was never really taken seriously, and for good reason; when you have Flash Gordon serials and men in rubber monster suits, you can see why. It was in 1962 when President John F. Kennedy stipulated that we would have a man on the moon before the end of the decade. Few believed it would ever happen, despite the fact that we now had craft like Sputnik crossing the skies and we actually had man enter space for the first time. As NASA was preparing to make the historic flight to the moon, Kubrick's film comes out of nowhere and for the first time, people actually took science fiction seriously. On top of all that, this was the first time where science fiction was made for a more intelligent, adult audience who was willing to think; to an audience in 1968, they forgot they were actually watching a film, but actually felt like they were travelling in space.

Kubrick himself was never a fan of science fiction, though he was interested in showcasing the evolution of Man from a different perspective, as well as showing outer space and space travel in a naturalistic fashion. It was common for 1950's sci-fi films set in space to have the actors pretend there was no such thing as zero gravity, as well as spaceships being so loud while travelling that you might even hear them from Earth. Riiight! 2001 was told completely from a scientific perspective, and thus it became the pinnacle of its genre; its impact remains unsurpassed, despite scores of imitations and clones. At the time, it also featured quantum leaps forward in terms of the technical achievements; the special photographic effects by Douglas Trumball still remain eye-popping, even though the industry has been digital for at least a decade. The cinematography by old school great Geoffrey Unsworth (Cabaret, Superman) is rich with color and expansive in scope, and the art direction by Anthony Masters, Harry Lange, and Ernest Archer received a well-deserved Oscar nomination, even if it some of it is a bit dated today---like the space station with the Pan American logo.

The one responsible for the story is Arthur C. Clarke, who co-wrote the screenplay with Kubrick, with much of the elements inspired by a 1948 story called "The Sentinel" and the incorporating of details from other Clarke stories. One of the themes in which Clarke comments on is the advancement of technology, and HAL is a symbol of how computers have come to dominate our lives, even though now we computers the size of laptops. Could computers indeed gain enough intelligence that they could exhibit human emotions? What's for sure is that the intelligence of computers is now increasing at an alarming rate, and it's not hard to imagine that the memory of an average laptop could exceed human intelligence within a decade or two. In the film, HAL's mission is to protect human life, but why does he contradict that by essentially murdering all the crew members? Did HAL simply malfunction? Did HAL want to get revenge over Dave Bowman and Frank Poole threatening to shut down "his" memory? Those who have read the book (which came out the same year) by Clarke and those who have studied the film enough know exactly why, though it is just one of many mysteries in which 2001 explores. (Bear in mind that HAL says that its series has never made any errors, and that "human error is something practiced every day".)

Remember that it is not the story or dialogue that propels the film but rather the music and imagery. Instead of opting for a traditional score, Kubrick wisely decided to go with classical music and the use of Richard Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathustra" and the "The Blue Danube" (as well as melodies by Gyorgy Ligeti) perfectly compliments the outer space sequences, as well as the iconic images of the Monolith and the Star Child (brilliantly done by Liz Moore). Why classical music? It gives the film an operatic tone which is hard to resist, and while there is elegance to some of the music, there is also a haunting mood that is created as well. The final 30 minutes of 2001 has some of the most breathtaking images ever captured on film, and the odd sounds and music that is employed give the film a texture that is both chilling and beautiful. If there was one gripe (or two) that I had about 2001 is that the acting by the actors are rather unimpressive, but then again the greatness of this film doesn't come from the performances, as I've stated several times already. Keir Dullea is competent and occasionally compelling in his role of Dr. Dave Bowman, though he never really rises above average; while it was wise to play the role extremely subtle, he could have at least taken advantage of some of the more quiet moments when nothing much more than breathing is being heard. Vivian Kubrick, the director's daughter, appears briefly (and unbilled) as the girl on Earth who wants a bush baby. Incidentally, the one that really stands out is Douglas Rain, whose monotone voice of HAL 9000 is pulse-pounding, to say the least.

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THE FINEST SPECIAL EDITION DVD OF THE YEAR
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As with most of Kubrick's films, while 2001 has remained a staple on every serious filmmaker's education, those who have seen it can be split into two camps: those who think it's a masterful work of art, and others who think it is boring, slow, and utterly incomprehensible. According to critic Patrick Naugle of DVD Verdict: "I'm declaring a new rule when it comes to outer space movies: you must have one drooling, razor-toothed reptile in the film. I don't care if he is in the end credits, dancing during the opening theme song, or in a background doing laps in a pool. I just want to see him somewhere got it?" In other words, he was upset that there were no aliens being seen as with many other science fiction films. He's entitled to that opinion, but the truth is that this film doesn't show any aliens for a number of reasons, and the primary one is that it doesn't have to. It leaves everything to the imagination and doesn't really explain what happens to Dave Bowman because Kubrick and Clarke want the viewers to have their own interpretation. Not everyone goes for these deliberately paced and ambiguous films, I understand that; my sister liked Broken Flowers overall but the ending pissed her off because it left everything unexplained. As for me, I love these types of films because they are a challenge to study (while also being entertaining) and that is part of the reason why I will be attending film school next year.

As Dr. Spock would say regarding the Monolith and the viewer's perception of it, "There are many other forms of life out the there and only human arrogance would think that the Monolith's meaning was meant for man." I've met many people over the years who have begged for me to explain what exactly the Monolith is; instead, I turn the tables and ask them what they think the Monolith is. From your perspective, what is its function and purpose? The universe is so full of unexplained mysteries, and 2001 exemplifies that more than any other film in history, and it should be taken for what it was meant to be: a film for the eyes and ears, and not really for the ones looking for overproduced junk like Mission to Mars that suspends disbelief at every turn and is so by-the-numbers that a kindergartener could understand it. This is exactly why many viewers were upset with the 1984 follow-up called 2010: The Year We Make Contact (which Kubrick had nothing to do with by the way), because it offered an explanation and a lot of people didn't care.

I think Warner Bros. is now the leading studio in terms of film restoration and remastering, and now they are bringing back many Kubrick films on DVD with all-new treatments, with the others being A Clockwork Orange, The Shining, and Eyes Wide Shut. The 2001print on the special edition is practically the same one as the one on the previous DVD, with one small exception: it is now in anamorphic widescreen 2.20 instead of 2.35, as well as being available on Blu-Ray and HD for the first time. The audio mix is remastered in Dolby Surround 5.1 which should give your system a workout with all the Strauss tunes. The other carry over from the previous DVD is the grainy theatrical trailer, which basically uses the music and several scenes to fine effect. What is new here in terms of bonus features is an excellent audio commentary from Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood. Even though they were recorded separately, they still provided plenty of information about the making of the film as well as working with Kubrick, who they both agreed was a very unorthodox director. They were thrilled to be working with him as both became fans of the master's breakthrough film Paths of Glory upon its release. It would have been nice to have another audio commentary with, say, Douglas Rain and Arthur C. Clarke, though I guess you can't have everything.

On Disc Two of the special edition, we are treated first to a documentary by Channel Four done back in 2001 (how fitting) called "2001: The Making of a Myth." Although they don't use the original artists in terms of the musical supplements which comes off rather crude, this is still an adequate narrative which provides an overview of the history of the film. Then we come to the brand new featurettes, starting with "Standing on the Shoulders of Kubrick: The Legacy of 2001", which includes interviews with filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, William Friedkin, Sydney Pollack, Peter Hyams (director of 2010) and, of course, George Lucas who says he saw it in film school and told himself, "Hey, if he could do it then I could do it." Also included are practically all the biggest special effects artists in the business (most of them Oscar winners themselves), who appropriately say that they wouldn't even have jobs if it wasn't because of 2001. They all became obsessed with building on the cutting edge of effects which Kubrick had essentially laid a framework for. The discussion ranges from Kubrick's organic storytelling to staying true to the science to depicting the future to how influential 2001 has been in terms of its visual grandeur and effects.

The second featurrette "Vision of the Future Passed: The Prophecy of 2001," interviews many of same people in explaining how, despite the dated elements (i.e. optimism of the late 1960s), the movie still has a credible look of the future and how it paralleled the space race. Film critic Roger Ebert (before he lost his voice), Douglas Trumbull, Arthur C. Clarke and other film historians talk about the accuracies that survived in terms of how the celestial bodies looked, as well as the dangerous evolution of computer technology. On a side note, I have a very critical attitude when it comes to technology, because the more the human race has done to make life easier, the more complicated he has made it. While computers are great in some ways, we have now come to depend on them for a lot of tasks and it just seems like right around the corner we could deal with a HAL 9000 computer that will gain enough intelligence to control or maybe even take over the human race (if you're not convinced, see Colossus: The Forbin Project which came out just two years after 2001 took the scary notion of man vs. machine to a higher level). Granted, Clarke and Kubrick had no idea that everything would be miniaturized decades later when it comes to computers, but that still doesn't negate the fact that eventually computers will become more intelligent than humans.

Rounding out the featurrettes is "2001: A Space Odyssey: A Look Behind the Future," a vintage documentary from the late 1960s which opens up with an interview with Vernon Myers, the publisher of Look magazine, who announces: "within the next year the three stage Saturn 5 rocket will transport three astronauts to the moon." Soon, the featurrette becomes a behind-the-scenes making-of doc, showing some space scientists driving to the MGM studios in England to assist Stanley Kubrick in the making of 2001. There are several consultants that talk about designing the space outfits worn by the actors, and how they are "looking at 35 years in the future." Truly a fascinating documentary for those that are interested, though it does show its age, with nicks and scratches at times; as a matter of fact, this feels like one of those films you would watch in a 1960s science class. While you can see Kubrick briefly only working, it does provide original interviews with Arthur C. Clarke and Keir Dullea during the film's production. Oh, yes, it does end with Myers stating that he intends on running a full-scale article in his magazine promoting the film and also exploring the possibilities of space exploration based on assessments made by Werner Von Braun.

Wait, there is actually more stuff that Warner Bros. was able to conjure up for this Special Edition, including a mini-documentary called "What is Out There?," hosted by star Keir Dullea (apparently reading from something he typed on paper) who talks about Kubrick's approach to and views of aliens and Gods. Like the other docs, it runs about 20 minutes long, and includes more original interviews with those involved in the film, including yet another interview with Clarke. Douglas Trumbull has much to say during the feature "2001: F/X and Early Conceptual Artwork," in how they did many of the groundbreaking visual effects, and we even get to hear Christiane Kubrick (who actually served as a uncredited designer) talk about her husband's contribution to the special effects; there are also many paintings and drawings shown which the filmmakers originally envisioned the picture to look like. The final two bonus features are devoted to the director himself: "Look: Stanley Kubrick!" is a collage of photographs and anecdotes in biographical form and, finally, there is a 1966 audio interview of Kubrick by Jeremy Bernstein. The interview runs a whopping 77 minutes, and Kubrick talks a bit about how he got into filmmaking, and what led him to work with Arthur C. Clarke on his "latest project."

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TAKE A JOURNEY BEYOND THE INFINITE!
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So, why is 2001: A Space Odyssey considered a masterpiece? You could say it was ahead of its time. You could say it broke a lot of rules and invented a lot of new ones. You could say it depicted our future more accurately than any other film. You could say it went beyond the medium in all terms visual. Regardless of the possibilities, one thing is for sure: it changed how movies were made. Can you imagine us having Star Wars and Independence Day today if 2001 wasn't made? Could you imagine computer technology getting to the point of matching human intelligence and even overcoming it? Those who don't understand 2001 should understand that you don't need to understand it, lol; it is meant to defy understanding and allow the viewer to come up with their own perceptions of the universe and what lies beyond our solar system. It immerses the viewer on a journey beyond the stars and into the unknown, while at the same time questioning our evolution as human beings and when it may end. Whether we will ever be able to travel beyond the solar system is impossible to say; we must recall, however, that Congress is establishing a program to where anyone could pay money to go up into space "at your own risk." WANNA TAKE A RIDE?

The one disadvantage to watching 2001 on DVD is that this is really an experience for the big screen, and much of the impact is diminished on the small screen. In addition, for those of who have never seen the film before but are now intrigued to check it out, I would recommend a definite rental…and if your local video shop doesn't have a copy, then it is run by a bunch of idiots, lol. Thank you for reading, and have a great day! Chris :)

1) 2001: A Space Odyssey (Novel) by Arthur C. Clarke --- Available from Amazon for 5.50 GBP; ISBN: 1857236645.

2) 2001: A Space Odyssey (Bare Bones DVD) --- Available from Amazon for 5 GBP; ASIN: B000056WOM.

3) 2010: The Year We Make Contact (DVD) --- Available from Amazon for 4 GBP; ASIN: B00004R84H.

4) 2001: A Space Odyssey (Original Soundtrack) --- Available from Amazon for 12.50 GBP; ASIN: B0000033WB.

5) 2001: A Space Odyssey (2-Disc Special Edition) --- Available from Amazon on Blu-Ray, HD DVD, and Standard formats for 17 GBP; ASIN: B000Q66J1M. 

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