2001: SpaceOd is the worst "best" movie EVER

[factorPlayer]

What part of the space travel? The empty PanAm flight? The 30 minutes of walking to establish their weightlessness?

The first space scene (with The Blue Danube playing) elegantly demonstrates the importance of rotational motion for bodies in space.  The famous jogging scene shows how spacecraft reproduce gravitational effects via cetrifugal motion.  These days even well-regarded movies have totally given up on depicting any kind of realism regarding space travel; there is always perfect gravity, ships travel in a straight line, etc.

I'm not confused, just disapointed. I heard so many great things about this film, the masterpiece from the master Kubrick, the best SciFi film ever, and what I got was not that good. The special effect still hold up, the apes look great, the ships look great, weighlessness is well done, but...

Really, the airlock scene? Back the egg up, push a button, get inside, and push the other button...?

Maybe I'm too young (32) I'm sure in 68 this movie blew make the beast with two backsing minds, but in 08 its just kinda annoying.

what exactly where you expecting?  I first saw it when I was 19 and it took a few times for it to grow on me.

[Speeddog]

<tangent>

I remember when there was a *long* time of rumors/speculation/panting about Dune being made into a movie.
Ended up as what, 8 of the pivotal parts of the movie strung together?
OK, if you'd read the book, but if not, it made no f'n sense whatsoever.
However, a movie doing the book justice would have been 10 hours long....

</tangent>

IMO, like many critically acclaimed movies, it's an acquired taste, at best. 

[supafly]

<tangent>

I remember when there was a *long* time of rumors/speculation/panting about Dune being made into a movie.
Ended up as what, 8 of the pivotal parts of the movie strung together?
OK, if you'd read the book, but if not, it made no f'n sense whatsoever.
However, a movie doing the book justice would have been 10 hours long....

</tangent>

IMO, like many critically acclaimed movies, it's an acquired taste, at best. 

Which version of the movie? There are at least three I know of, with the 4 hour version that come on SciFi channel being the best IMHO.

[Speedbag]

Yeah, the movie version of Dune totally sucked balls.   Paled big-time compared to the book.

Maybe I need to rewatch 2001. Maybe I wasn't high enough to fully appreciate it when I last saw it a bazillion years ago.  

[supafly]

The first space scene (with The Blue Danube playing) elegantly demonstrates the importance of rotational motion for bodies in space.  The famous jogging scene shows how spacecraft reproduce gravitational effects via cetrifugal motion.  These days even well-regarded movies have totally given up on depicting any kind of realism regarding space travel; there is always perfect gravity, ships travel in a straight line, etc.

what exactly where you expecting?  I first saw it when I was 19 and it took a few times for it to grow on me.

To be honest I was expecting something like Blade Runner, to be impressed, immersed, entertained, all the things a great movie does. I guess I saw the HAL clips to much over the years and thought the whole movie was that with a flying bone in the beggining.

No more viewings for me. One and done.

[Speeddog]

Which version of the movie? There are at least three I know of, with the 4 hour version that come on SciFi channel being the best IMHO.

I'm assuming the one I saw was the 1984 version shown in theatres, Lynch/De Laurentiis.

[supafly]

I'm assuming the one I saw was the 1984 version shown in theatres, Lynch/De Laurentiis.

The film was not well received by critics and performed poorly at the American box office at the time. Upon its release, director David Lynch distanced himself from the project, stating that pressure from both producers and financiers restrained his artistic control and denied him final cut.

Fans of the Dune series are polarized by the movie, although in the years since its release, the film has become a cult favorite, and at least three different versions have been released worldwide. In some cuts of the film Lynch's name is replaced in the credits with the name of a fictional director Alan Smithee, a pseudonym used by directors who wish not to be associated with a film for which they would normally be credited.

I need to see the dvd cut still. And I need to read the book

[eyeboy]

...you should start practicing [old man voice] "Get off my lawn!!!" 

i've been doing that one for years... next up 'honey! what are those kids doing in the lane, two streets over??'

[abby normal]

What part of the space travel? The empty PanAm flight? The 30 minutes of walking to establish their weightlessness?

Uh, lets see.  space shuttle (10 years pre-dating the real deal), orbital space platform, TLI with a non-atmospheric vehicle,
the flight to jupiter.  apart from liftoff and re-entry, space flight has proven to be (as was correctly predicted) mostly boring
with long stretches of nothing happening.  there's no high G turns, no 'warp' speed or artificial gravity (apart from that induced
by acceleration).  clarke / kubrick were exactly on the money except on the subject of lunar topography ... they showed steep
craggy mountains instead of the smooth worn features actually present.  

the press and the public didn't (and mostly still don't) like it 'cause it required thinking.  the answers weren't laid out nice and
neat with a tidy conclusion and the bad guys getting zapped by ray guns.  

no other space-based film has even come close.

[BWClark]

Uh, lets see.  space shuttle (10 years pre-dating the real deal), orbital space platform, TLI with a non-atmospheric vehicle,
the flight to jupiter.  apart from liftoff and re-entry, space flight has proven to be (as was correctly predicted) mostly boring
with long stretches of nothing happening.  there's no high G turns, no 'warp' speed or artificial gravity (apart from that induced
by acceleration).  clarke / kubrick were exactly on the money except on the subject of lunar topography ... they showed steep
craggy mountains instead of the smooth worn features actually present.  

the press and the public didn't (and mostly still don't) like it 'cause it required thinking.  the answers weren't laid out nice and
neat with a tidy conclusion and the bad guys getting zapped by ray guns.  

no other space-based film has even come close.

And don't forget the hibernation of the crew, and artificial intelligence. Pre "Alien" and "Terminator".

[Speedbag]

I love movies that require thought.

It's just that this one wasn't all that interesting to me. The effects and such were top-notch (still are), but if I want to be bored as hell for two to three hours I'll paint a wall and watch it dry.

[factorPlayer]

well suit yourselves - if anything as always that movie is not for everyone. 


I liked the 1984 Dune movie myself, it was a noble effort. 

Aronofsky's The Fountain a year or two ago reminded me of both strangely. 

[eyeboy]

well suit yourselves - if anything as always that movie is not for everyone. 


I liked the 1984 Dune movie myself, it was a noble effort. 

Aronofsky's The Fountain a year or two ago reminded me of both strangely. 

+1, great film. didn't remind me of the other flicks mentioned, but still awesome.

[zarn02]

i dig 2001, and i'm 24. so not just for the old farts.

definitely requires patience, though. if i'm not in the mood for it, it can be maddeningly slow-paced.

and like 'apocalypse now,' watching it requires me to have at least three hours i want to kill.

[NeufUnSix]

Well, I have to dig it out and watch it again, now that you have rekindled my interest.

I thought Dr. Strangelove was a bit corny and not that funny when I first saw it. Then I picked up on some of the subtle humour, things that I missed or didn't understand until I got further into my history degree. Now I laugh my ass off at some scenes where the back and forth banter is just so perfectly scripted and the quotes are hilarious.

Shining is still my top Kubrick pic with FMJ coming a close second. Clockwork Orange was interesting but not my favourite. Paths of Glory is worth watching too, it's a different take on the war film and is one of his early works (and you'll never see a younger Kirk Douglas).