Memory Lane time again. Looking at the Cassini Website over the weekend while nursing the flu, I was reminded of 2001: A Space Odyssey (in the book ,Discovery goes to Saturn, not Jupiter), so this morning I am watching the movie on the little DVD player in my office. Even after all these years, and nit-picky little details aside, I consider this movie still to be the best Space/Science-fiction movie ever made, bar none. Nothing else even comes close. I sure am glad of my age, for once. I saw this movie when it first came to theaters, on the big screen. I was about ten or eleven and the country was in the middle of the Apollo program as well. What a great time to be a kid with your head in the stars. Anything and everything was possible. You just had to be there. You folks 45+ know exactly what I'm talking about. Any other great movie suggestions? Inspirations? __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - now with 250MB free storage. Learn more. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250
I have to agree, Chuck. I saw 2001: A Space Odyssey with a friend when it was playing at the Villa Theater. Since we were about the only persons in the theater, I think it might have been a matinee. I was 14. (OK, so now you know my age.) Compared to 2001, most other "sci-fi" space-based films, such as the Star Wars saga, are just silly. I've been trying, but I can't think of another film that compares, not even the sequel, 2010. (Was 2010 a Kubrick project?) A bit of back-peddling... I have to rate Forbidden Planet pretty high. For the date (1956, I think) it is a pretty good flick and I still find it entertaining. As a child, I was both terrified and intrigued when I first saw it on TV. BTW, I seem to remember a lot more footage in the original release of 2001: A Space Odyssey than I saw in the 2001 re-release. Anyone know details? I also found some interesting factoids at the following site: http://www.sciflicks.com/2001/facts.html<http://www.sciflicks.com/2001/facts.html>. Thanks for starting yet another interesting thread, Chuck. Kim Hyatt Architect 1849 East 1300 South Salt Lake City, Utah 84108 Tel: 801.581.0561 Mobile: 801.631.5228 kimharch@msn.com<mailto:kimharch@msn.com> serius est quam cogitas ----- Original Message ----- From: Chuck Hards<mailto:chuckhards@yahoo.com> To: Utah-Astro<mailto:utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2005 9:46 AM Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Best space/sci-fi movie ever Memory Lane time again.
For science fiction movies in general, I have always loved the original screen version of The Time Machine, though it's not very true to Wells' book. I even like the new version but with the caveat that we should watch it as a new sc-fi flic and not expect much connection to H.G. or the 1960 movie. As far as space operas go, I think the original Star Trek crew is lots of fun and the next bunch is OK in one or two movies. Should we talk about TV? Then Star Trek (original only) and Dr. Who. -- Joe
Chuck As a "kid" I really loved "This Island Earth" and "Voyage to the Red Planet" and "Forbidden Planet" for the dreams they lead me on and now for the funky depiction (and "special" effects) of space travel ;^) aloha Rob
As a kid, mine was War of the Worlds. As adult, clearly 2001 ! Rob Ratkowski <ratkwski@hawaii.rr.com> wrote:Chuck As a "kid" I really loved "This Island Earth" and "Voyage to the Red Planet" and "Forbidden Planet" for the dreams they lead me on and now for the funky depiction (and "special" effects) of space travel ;^) aloha Rob _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com the Perfect You "inside and out" Insightful Seminars, Workshops & Coaching Increase SelfAwareness - Know Who You Are...REALLY! Discover the NEW "Inner You" http://www.theperfectyou.us
War of the Worlds was good too. I always find it hard to select the "Best" when there are so many that have the moment. I guess a test for the best would be the ability to watch the same film for 20 showings straight or everyday for a year and still wanting to see it again. I would prefer to have favorites, variety is the spice of life. Can we conduct a poll as to what the favorites (sci-fi ) would be between the "red and blue" states ?? see what I mean .........?? :^) it's like naming the BEST astronomical object to look at and that'd be another interesting poll. Aloha from SUNNY Maui Rob
Best lines from 2001: Hal. Just what do you think you're doing, Dave?...Dave... I really think I'm entitled to an answer to that question...I know everything hasn't been quite right with me, but I can assure you now, very confidently, that it's going to be alright again...I feel much better now, I really do...Look, Dave, I can see you're really upset about this...I honestly think you ought to sit down calmly, take a stress pill and think things over...I know I've made some very poor decisions recently, but I can give you my complete assurance that my work will be back to normal...I've still got the greatest enthusiasm and confidence in the mission, and I want to help you...Dave...stop...stop, will you...stop, Dave...will you stop, Dave...stop, Dave...I'm afraid...I'm afraid, Dave...Dave...my mind is going...I can feel it...I can feel it...my mind is going...there is no question about it...I can feel it...I can feel it...I can feel it...(slows down) I'm afraid...Good afternoon, gentlemen. I am a HAL 9000 computer. I became operational at the H.A.L. plant in Urbana, Illinois, on the 12th January 1992. My instructor was Mr Langley, and he taught me to sing a song. If you'd like to hear it, I can sing it for you. Dave. Yes, I'd like to hear it, Hal. Sing it for me. Hal. It's called...Daisy. (Slowing and deepening into silence) Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do. I'm half crazy, all for the love of you. It won't be a stylish marriage, I can't afford a carriage, but you'll look sweet upon the seat of a bicycle built for two... Kim Hyatt Architect 1849 East 1300 South Salt Lake City, Utah 84108 Tel: 801.581.0561 Mobile: 801.631.5228 kimharch@msn.com<mailto:kimharch@msn.com> serius est quam cogitas
Guess I'm nuts, but I HATED 2001. Probably because I just didn't get it, back when it came out as a teen, and years later as an adult when I thought I might finally understand it, I hated it just as much the 2nd time as the first! Guess you just have to read the stupid book to get a clue what's going on (I never did). I suppose if you were dropping acid or had the bong under your seat it would have been pretty trippy for its time, but not much of the story made (or makes) any sense to me... I did enjoy the Clarke short story that started it all however: "The Sentinel", great little science fiction short, much like the one that launched "The Thing" (John Carpenter version, the one with Kurt Russell, in my top 10 list of Sci Fi movies) called "Who goes there?". Classic! On the subject of Sci Fi horror, nothing has ever scared me as much as the first "Alien" movie; saw it opening day in San Diego, knew nothing about it (except that it was a Sci Fi thriller), and came out of the theater shaking for an hour afterward! It COMPLETELY unhinged me and my fertile imagination. I also loved WoW as a kid, and also HIGHLY recommend Contact. Jodie Foster is one of my favorite actresses. As a kid, the Outer Limits was a favorite show, and the "Zantie Misfits" (don't know if I spelled that right) also scared the daylights out of me. I'm with Joe -- still a Trekkie (Trekker?), though I enjoyed STTNG as much as the original. I'm also enjoying the current "Enterprise" series, FWIW. Sorry to ramble... I'll shut up now. --- Chuck Hards <chuckhards@yahoo.com> wrote:
Memory Lane time again.
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Richard Tenney wrote:
Guess I'm nuts, but I HATED 2001.
You are not alone. I first saw it in Tokyo (in English with Japanese side titles) while on R&R from Vietnam. Didn't understand it then but I did like the special effects which, for 1969, seemed pretty advanced. Zoom forward to last year when a couple of months ago I MC'd a Science Movie Night up at the U of U. Being the MC I got to choose the movie so I picked 2001 thinking I might understand it. I didn't (and judging from the audience reaction most of them did not either). So, while I can't say that I hated 2001 (maybe we could start a "worst space/sci-fi movie ever" thread) I sure didn't understand it. Patrick
Kubrick said that if movie goers understood 2001, then he had failed. He wanted the film to be somewhat ambiguous and to stimulate the imagination. Kim Hyatt Architect 1849 East 1300 South Salt Lake City, Utah 84108 Tel: 801.581.0561 Mobile: 801.631.5228 kimharch@msn.com<mailto:kimharch@msn.com> serius est quam cogitas
Kubrick left off the lines in the book that tied the whole thing together... "he would think of something." That line was at the end of the ape sequence and at the end of the novel with the baby God. It ties the concept of a new, higher evolved being at the end of the learning process. The newer ape-man would think... of something to do with his new power; the baby God would think... of something to do about the missiles. (I forget whether they were being fired at him or from nation to nation.) These steps were quantum leaps in evolution. If there ever was a movie where you had to read the book to enjoy the movie, this was it. The movie was vague indded. Siegfried Quoting Kim Hyatt <kimharch@msn.com>:
Kubrick said that if movie goers understood 2001, then he had failed. He wanted the film to be somewhat ambiguous and to stimulate the imagination.
Kim Hyatt Architect 1849 East 1300 South Salt Lake City, Utah 84108 Tel: 801.581.0561 Mobile: 801.631.5228 kimharch@msn.com<mailto:kimharch@msn.com>
serius est quam cogitas _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com
Siegfried wrote: Kubrick left off the lines in the book that tied the whole thing together... "he would think of something." That line was at the end of the ape sequence and at the end of the novel with the baby God. It ties the concept of a new, higher evolved being at the end of the learning process. The newer ape-man would think... of something to do with his new power; the baby God would think... of something to do about the missiles. (I forget whether they were being fired at him or from nation to nation.) These steps were quantum leaps in evolution. If there ever was a movie where you had to read the book to enjoy the movie, this was it. The movie was vague indded. I was 14 when 2001 was released. Sure, I had some questions, but I "got" most of it. I'm not pretending to be smarter than everyone else, but when I read the book, at least 20 years later, it didn't provide much more insight. I think you just had to pay attention and "think outside the box" to have understood and enjoyed the movie. However, even if the more esoteric evolution/god-baby part of the plot didn't make sense, the rest of the story and special effects were so compelling that I could have enjoyed the movie for those reasons, alone. Kim Hyatt Architect 1849 East 1300 South Salt Lake City, Utah 84108 Tel: 801.581.0561 Mobile: 801.631.5228 kimharch@msn.com<mailto:kimharch@msn.com> serius est quam cogitas
participants (8)
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Chuck Hards -
Jim Stitley -
Joe Bauman -
Kim Hyatt -
Patrick Wiggins -
Richard Tenney -
Rob Ratkowski -
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