Amazon.co.uk Review
Confirming that art and commerce can co-exist, 2001: A Space Odyssey was the biggest box-office hit of 1968, remains the greatest science fiction film yet made and is among the most revolutionary, challenging and debated work of the 20th century. It begins within a pre-historic age. A black monolith uplifts the intelligence of a group of apes on the African plains. The most famous edit in cinema introduces the 21st century, and after a second monolith is found on the moon a mission is launched to Jupiter. On the spacecraft are Bowman (Keir Dullea) and Poole (Gary Lockwood), along with the most famous computer in fiction, HAL. Their adventure will be, as per the original title, a "journey beyond the stars". Written by science fiction visionary Arthur C Clarke and Stanley Kubrick, 2001 elevated the SF film to entirely new levels, being rigorously constructed with a story on the most epic of scales. Four years in the making and filmed in 70 mm, the attention to detail is staggering and four decades later barely any aspect of the film looks dated, the visual richness and elegant pacing creating the sense of actually being in space more convincingly than any other film. A sequel, 2010: Odyssey Two (1984) followed, while Solaris (1972), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), The Abyss (1989) and A.I. (2001) are all indebted to this absolute classic which towers monolithically over them all.
On the DVD: There is nothing but the original trailer which, given the status of the film and the existence of an excellent making-of documentary shown on Channel 4 in 2001, is particularly disappointing. Shortly before he died Kubrick supervised the restoration of the film and the production of new 70 mm prints for theatrical release in 2001. Fortunately the DVD has been taken from this material and transferred at the 70 mm ratio of 2.21-1. There is some slight cropping noticeable, but both anamorphically enhanced image and Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack (the film was originally released with a six-channel magnetic sound) are excellent, making this transfer infinitely preferable to previous video incarnations. --Gary S Dalkin
Customer Reviews:
the next stage of human consciousness.......2008-01-31
Kubrick's seminal masterpiece is a true work of art - the cinematic equivilent to Beethoven's 5th symphony or Picasso's Guernica. What Kubrick managed to convey so exquisitely is man's seemingly eternal quest for truth crystalized through the development of human consiousness and evolution - from the dawn of humanity in pre-history through to space exploration, culminating in humanities apparent conquering of technology and, by extension, mortality itself.
Having been removed of his technological armoury by HAL in the final act, man races towards infinity to face his ultimate challenge - death. For what is man without technology?
Finally, man confronts himself on the stage between mortality and beyond. This stage is represented as a white room. Man knocks to the floor a glass of red wine represented as the spirit of man. The wine remains in the glass, therefore the spirit of man continues. The light does not die and man is ready for the next stage of his evolutionary leap. The star child is born.
Kubrick's meditation on the quest for the meaning of existence simply has to be seen.
A space Oddity.......2008-01-23
I can't express how disappointed I am with this much respected and written about science fiction movie. I never saw the film when it was released and have never seen it advertised for showing on any of the tv channels since. So, I was looking forward to something rather special when I purchased a copy recently.
I can't honestly say that I am a sci-fi buff but I have always been interested in a good story and man's advancement in space. My number 1 'encounter' film which 2001 A Space Oddysey can be classified as, will always be Spielberg's 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' (1977).
Okay, 2001 was made in the 60's and we're now forty years on - please don't try and convince me that the ape scenes or the space scenes are as realistic as a film made today - they're not. For the 60's, I would agree that the quality and detail of the space scenes is very, very good though.
The pace of the film is incredibly slow (even for an old guy like me!) and would even put a glass eye to sleep. To stop you falling asleep, the images are backed by incredibly annoying vocals from a choir similat to that now employed on the Honda advert! Occasionally, we get a nice bit of classical music such as the Blue Danube, but even this is taken to the extreme and I'm sorry but I had to turn the sound down!
Towards the end of the film we get the psychadelic images - which would have made those of the flower power era when the film was made feel 'way out man'. I'm sorry, it didn't do anything for me.
The plot - oh yes! Is there one? Well, let's try - some superior planet hopping intelligent beings leave a monolith on earth x billion years ago which is discovered by a pack of apes who learn how to knock hell out of each other by touching it. From that time on man evolves, and eventually travels to the moon to find another monolith. Curious to know more, they set up a mission to find another on Jupiter in a spacecraft with a super intelligent computer HAL. Of course, it all ends in tears when the astronauts threaten to shut down HAL because it has made a mistake, and it trys to bump them all off! Fortunately, one astronaut - Dave who is still more intelligent than the computer and the only one left alive, outwits HAL, and does in fact shut it down whilst it (yes, HAL) sings "Daisy, Daisy, tell me your answer do"!!! How does it end - God knows or should I say ET knows.
Take my advice - only watch this film with a large box of Maltesers and a suitable bottle of something - your choice.
Kubrick's Masterpiece. In my top ten (of everything!).......2008-01-22
The first time I saw it I hated it but I was only about 9 or 10 years old. I rediscovered it as a teenager and it actually changed me as a person. If you saw it like me originally as a youngster and didn't enjoy it, give it another go, even if you don't like Scifi. This is a true masterpiece and even now it hasn't aged or dated. People are still inspired by it, not just film-makers but scientists.
One interesting point the most "human" character in the film is HAL (an artificial computer intelligence). You'll understand what I mean if you've seen it - maybe you disagree?
MIND-BLOWING.......2008-01-17
The greatest science-fiction film ever made.
You've seen it, you sort of know the plot: extra-terrestrial guidance, via ANCIENT MONOLITH, shapes Mankind in preparation for his next stage of evolution. For many, it's the quintessential love-it or hate-it experience.
And since we haven't been able to catch STANLEY KUBRICK's masterpiece in a cinema - much less a digitally-equipped one - for over thirty years, I'm assuming that you already possess a HIGH-DEFINITION WIDESCREEN TV, a PS3 (or similar) and want to know if this BLU-RAY edition of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY lives up to expectations, yes?
Well, it does. The picture is fantastic, the level of detail is incredible. THE DAWN OF MAN sequence has astonishing depth of field, which is all the more amazing when you discover that the skyscapes were in actuality stills, or plates, front-projected onto the backdrops of an outdoor studio near Shepherd's Bush. A place, or a moment, in 'pre-historic' 1968 where the ordinary became truly extraordinary.
As we reach outer space, and fractured bone becomes brushed metal, pinpoints of stars twinkle like never before, the exterior cladding of ships, satellites and moon shuttles rendered with similar clarity to allow us the ultimate space vehicle inspection tour. And isn't THE USS DISCOVERY the most beautifully designed ship of them all?
JUPITER AND BEYOND THE INFINITE is where we get to take the ultimate trip in every sense. This is where the high-definition image really earns its money, as far as I'm concerned, and it's the showcase moment let loose in all its glory, a sequence that had much the same effect when I saw it in 70mm Cinerama. Completely mind-blowing.
Soundwise, the film has a very centre-speaker feel but don't be put off too much by that. The dialogue is well placed and significantly superior in uncompressed 5.1 to the regular DVD, right down to the oft-present oxygen hiss in the EVA sequences or the infamous moment when DAVE BOWMAN literally pulls the plug on the "incapable of error" HAL 9000 series. I wonder whether Daisy would have had such a heartless response to his distortion of information?
Music is used sparingly but to brilliant effect. For example, STRAUSS's THE BLUE DANUBE and KHACHATURIAN's haunting GAYNE'S ADAGIO sound wonderful and complement perfectly their out-of-this-world setting (a quite audacious leap of faith on the director's part, incidentally, seeing as both pieces were only intended for use as guide tracks on the rough cut).
Whichever way you look at it, this REGION FREE BLU-RAY DISC is a stunning example of what the format stands for.
Did I also mention that the film's pretty good, too?
UNRESERVEDLY RECOMMENDED
Unique.......2008-01-04
This film won't be everyone's cup of tea especially if your looking for loads of action. There is not much dialogue but there is a lot of amazing images set to some great classical music. If you've seen this film you will know what its basically about. If you haven't I'm not going to spoil it for you. But you will come away with some questions. This film has got to be the first realistic Sci Fi and certainly one of the best. If your planning to see this beautiful and unique film watch it in the dark on the biggest screen possible.
Customer Reviews:
The Obelisk.......2008-02-24
I was fortunate once in the 1970's to meet Arthur C Clarke. I asked him "What does the black obelisk mean?".
His reply was, "What ever you want it to mean"
Now that's food for thought!
Customer Reviews:
2001 a space odysset blu- ray 1968.......2008-03-01
read the book, seen it on tv, a film i much add too my collect this is a great film,much have.
Amazon.co.uk Review
A daring experiment in unconventional narrative inspired by Arthur C Clarke's short story "The Sentinel", 2001: A Space Odyssey is a visual tone poem (barely 40 minutes of dialogue in a 139-minute film) that charts a phenomenal history of human evolution. When Stanley Kubrick recruited Clarke to collaborate on "the proverbial intelligent science fiction film", it's a safe bet neither the maverick auteur nor the great science fiction writer knew they would virtually redefine the parameters of the cinema experience with the result. From the dawn-of-man discovery of crude but deadly tools in the film's opening sequence to the journey of the spaceship Discovery and metaphysical birth of the "star child" at film's end, Kubrick's vision is meticulous and precise. In keeping with the director's underlying theme of dehumanisation by technology, the notorious, seemingly omniscient, computer HAL 9000 has more warmth and personality than the human astronauts it is supposedly serving. (The director also leaves the meaning of the black, rectangular alien monoliths open for discussion.) This theme, in part, is what makes 2001 a film like no other, though dated now that its post-millennial space exploration has proven optimistic compared to reality. Still, the film is timelessly provocative in its pioneering exploration of inner and outer-space consciousness. With spectacular, painstakingly authentic special effects that have stood the test of time, Kubrick's film is nothing less than a cinematic milestone--puzzling, provocative and perfect. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
Customer Reviews:
the next stage of human consciousness.......2008-01-31
Kubrick's seminal masterpiece is a true work of art - the cinematic equivilent to Beethoven's 5th symphony or Picasso's Guernica. What Kubrick managed to convey so exquisitely is man's seemingly eternal quest for truth crystalized through the development of human consiousness and evolution - from the dawn of humanity in pre-history through to space exploration, culminating in humanities apparent conquering of technology and, by extension, mortality itself.
Having been removed of his technological armoury by HAL in the final act, man races towards infinity to face his ultimate challenge - death. For what is man without technology?
Finally, man confronts himself on the stage between mortality and beyond. This stage is represented as a white room. Man knocks to the floor a glass of red wine represented as the spirit of man. The wine remains in the glass, therefore the spirit of man continues. The light does not die and man is ready for the next stage of his evolutionary leap. The star child is born.
Kubrick's meditation on the quest for the meaning of existence simply has to be seen.
A space Oddity.......2008-01-23
I can't express how disappointed I am with this much respected and written about science fiction movie. I never saw the film when it was released and have never seen it advertised for showing on any of the tv channels since. So, I was looking forward to something rather special when I purchased a copy recently.
I can't honestly say that I am a sci-fi buff but I have always been interested in a good story and man's advancement in space. My number 1 'encounter' film which 2001 A Space Oddysey can be classified as, will always be Spielberg's 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' (1977).
Okay, 2001 was made in the 60's and we're now forty years on - please don't try and convince me that the ape scenes or the space scenes are as realistic as a film made today - they're not. For the 60's, I would agree that the quality and detail of the space scenes is very, very good though.
The pace of the film is incredibly slow (even for an old guy like me!) and would even put a glass eye to sleep. To stop you falling asleep, the images are backed by incredibly annoying vocals from a choir similat to that now employed on the Honda advert! Occasionally, we get a nice bit of classical music such as the Blue Danube, but even this is taken to the extreme and I'm sorry but I had to turn the sound down!
Towards the end of the film we get the psychadelic images - which would have made those of the flower power era when the film was made feel 'way out man'. I'm sorry, it didn't do anything for me.
The plot - oh yes! Is there one? Well, let's try - some superior planet hopping intelligent beings leave a monolith on earth x billion years ago which is discovered by a pack of apes who learn how to knock hell out of each other by touching it. From that time on man evolves, and eventually travels to the moon to find another monolith. Curious to know more, they set up a mission to find another on Jupiter in a spacecraft with a super intelligent computer HAL. Of course, it all ends in tears when the astronauts threaten to shut down HAL because it has made a mistake, and it trys to bump them all off! Fortunately, one astronaut - Dave who is still more intelligent than the computer and the only one left alive, outwits HAL, and does in fact shut it down whilst it (yes, HAL) sings "Daisy, Daisy, tell me your answer do"!!! How does it end - God knows or should I say ET knows.
Take my advice - only watch this film with a large box of Maltesers and a suitable bottle of something - your choice.
Kubrick's Masterpiece. In my top ten (of everything!).......2008-01-22
The first time I saw it I hated it but I was only about 9 or 10 years old. I rediscovered it as a teenager and it actually changed me as a person. If you saw it like me originally as a youngster and didn't enjoy it, give it another go, even if you don't like Scifi. This is a true masterpiece and even now it hasn't aged or dated. People are still inspired by it, not just film-makers but scientists.
One interesting point the most "human" character in the film is HAL (an artificial computer intelligence). You'll understand what I mean if you've seen it - maybe you disagree?
MIND-BLOWING.......2008-01-17
The greatest science-fiction film ever made.
You've seen it, you sort of know the plot: extra-terrestrial guidance, via ANCIENT MONOLITH, shapes Mankind in preparation for his next stage of evolution. For many, it's the quintessential love-it or hate-it experience.
And since we haven't been able to catch STANLEY KUBRICK's masterpiece in a cinema - much less a digitally-equipped one - for over thirty years, I'm assuming that you already possess a HIGH-DEFINITION WIDESCREEN TV, a PS3 (or similar) and want to know if this BLU-RAY edition of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY lives up to expectations, yes?
Well, it does. The picture is fantastic, the level of detail is incredible. THE DAWN OF MAN sequence has astonishing depth of field, which is all the more amazing when you discover that the skyscapes were in actuality stills, or plates, front-projected onto the backdrops of an outdoor studio near Shepherd's Bush. A place, or a moment, in 'pre-historic' 1968 where the ordinary became truly extraordinary.
As we reach outer space, and fractured bone becomes brushed metal, pinpoints of stars twinkle like never before, the exterior cladding of ships, satellites and moon shuttles rendered with similar clarity to allow us the ultimate space vehicle inspection tour. And isn't THE USS DISCOVERY the most beautifully designed ship of them all?
JUPITER AND BEYOND THE INFINITE is where we get to take the ultimate trip in every sense. This is where the high-definition image really earns its money, as far as I'm concerned, and it's the showcase moment let loose in all its glory, a sequence that had much the same effect when I saw it in 70mm Cinerama. Completely mind-blowing.
Soundwise, the film has a very centre-speaker feel but don't be put off too much by that. The dialogue is well placed and significantly superior in uncompressed 5.1 to the regular DVD, right down to the oft-present oxygen hiss in the EVA sequences or the infamous moment when DAVE BOWMAN literally pulls the plug on the "incapable of error" HAL 9000 series. I wonder whether Daisy would have had such a heartless response to his distortion of information?
Music is used sparingly but to brilliant effect. For example, STRAUSS's THE BLUE DANUBE and KHACHATURIAN's haunting GAYNE'S ADAGIO sound wonderful and complement perfectly their out-of-this-world setting (a quite audacious leap of faith on the director's part, incidentally, seeing as both pieces were only intended for use as guide tracks on the rough cut).
Whichever way you look at it, this REGION FREE BLU-RAY DISC is a stunning example of what the format stands for.
Did I also mention that the film's pretty good, too?
UNRESERVEDLY RECOMMENDED
Unique.......2008-01-04
This film won't be everyone's cup of tea especially if your looking for loads of action. There is not much dialogue but there is a lot of amazing images set to some great classical music. If you've seen this film you will know what its basically about. If you haven't I'm not going to spoil it for you. But you will come away with some questions. This film has got to be the first realistic Sci Fi and certainly one of the best. If your planning to see this beautiful and unique film watch it in the dark on the biggest screen possible.
Amazon.co.uk Review
To date Stanley Kubrick remains one of cinema's most controversial film-maker. This box set highlights some of his greatest work, from the visionary 2001:A Space Odyssey, the violent and highly-debated A Clockwork Orange, the chilling adaptation of The Shining, the acclaimed war drama Full Metal Jacket, to his final piece, the controversial Eyes Wide Shut. And to top it off, the treat of this box set, the fascinating Stanley Kubrick: A Life In Pictures.
Stanley Kubrick was one of the most acclaimed and controversial filmmakers of his generation, but he was also an intensely private man who rarely gave interviews and produced most of his films under a shroud of secrecy, which tended to foster a great deal of rumour and speculation about his working methods. Jan Harlan, who worked as Kubrick's assistant and executive producer on several projects directed this feature-length documentary. Narrated by Tom Cruise, this offers a rare in-depth look into Kubrick's career as a filmmaker, structured around interviews with a number of actors, writers, technicians, composers, friends, and family who speak on the record about his relentless perfectionism, his creative vision, his life both on and off the set, his relationships with actors, his unrealised projects, and his importance and influence as an artist.
Among those who share their thoughts in Stanley Kubrick: A Life In Pictures are actors Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Malcolm McDowell, Peter Ustinov, and Keir Dullea; writers Arthur C. Clarke and Michael Herr; special effects artist Douglas Trumbull; composers Wendy Carlos and Gyorgy Ligeti; filmmakers Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Paul Mazursky, and Sydney Pollack; and Kubrick's spouse Christiane Kubrick.
The choice of titles is undeniably spot on, and the extras really give a sense of who the man was, what his legacy is, and the privilege it was for the people who collaborated with him on his cinematic journey. -- Jennifer Kilchenmann
Customer Reviews:
Stanley Kubrick Special Edition Box Set DVD Review .......2008-03-04
2001: A Space Odyssey (2 Disc)
Disc 1:
*Commentary by Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood
*Theatrical trailer
Disc 2:
*Channel 4 documentary: 2001: The Making of a Myth (43:04)
*Standing on the Shoulders of Kubrick: The Legacy of 2001 (21:23)
*Vision of a Future Passed: The Prophecy of 2001 (21:30)
*2001: A Space Odyssey - A Look Behind the Future (4:3 - 23:10- vintage clip)
*What is Out There (20:40)
*2001: FX and Early Conceptual Artwork (9:26 with Christine Kubrick)
*Look: Stanley Kubrick! (3:14)
*Audio-only interview with Stanley Kubrick (1:16:24)
A Clockwork Orange (2 Disc)
Disc 1:
*Commentary with Malcolm McDowell and historian Nick Redman
*Theatrical Trailer
Disc 2:
*Channel Four documentary: Still Tickin': The Return of Clockwork Orange (43:35)
*Featurette: Great Bolshi Yarblockos!: Making A Clockwork Orange (28:15)
*Career Profile O Lucky Malcolm! (1:26:05)
Eyes Wide Shut (2 Disc)
Disc 1:
*Full uncensored version
*Theatrical trailer
Disc 2:
*Featurette - The Last Movie - Stanley Kubrick and Eyes Wide Shut
*Featurette - Lost Kubrick: The Unfinished Films of Stanley Kubrick
*DGA - D.W. Griffith Acceptance Speech, 1998
*Interviews with Nicole Kidman (17:45 min), Tom Cruise (08:23 min) and Steven Spielberg (07:49 min)
Full Metal Jacket (1 Disc)
Disc 1:
*Commentary by Adam Baldwin, Vincent D'Onofrio, R Lee Ermey and Jay Cocks
*New Featurette Full Metal Jacket between good and evil
*Theatrical Trailer
The Shining (2 Disc)
Disc 1:
*Commentary by Garrett Brown and John Baxter
*Theatrical trailers
Disc 2:
*View from the Overlook: Crafting The Shining (30:12)
*The Visions of Stanley Kubrick (17:15)
*The Making of The Shining with optional commentary by Vivian Kubrick (34:58)
*Wendy Carlos, composer (7:30)
Stanley Kubrick A Life in Pictures (1 Disc)
*142 minutes long version
Not 6 discs, but 10 discs..........2008-03-04
I was initially a little confused that all the online stores I could find were listing the Region 1 version of this box set as 10 discs and the Region 2 version as only 6 discs. Never fear though, this is indeed the full 10 Disc set that includes the same brand new special editions that are also available individually.
I am a little disappointed that the DVDs do not feature the new minimalist covers (as featured in the Region 1 version) which I think look great together as a set. Instead, we get the standard artwork for each with the new little icons featured only on the outer box itself.
Still, when you have a host of excellent new extras, proper anamorphic widescreen transfers and some of the greatest films ever made - all for under £40, you can't really complain!!
a great film maker.......2008-03-01
Quite simply this box set contains some of most thought provoking and fascinating stories ever put on film. Sadly there is no one like Kubrick working in movies today. He was a visionary who took great risks and I doubt we will ever see the likes of him again as long as cinema is controlled by accountants instead of artists.
Where is Barry Lyndon?.......2008-02-26
There is no Barry Lyndon in this box set - why not? Surely it deserves the same treatment as the films that are included.
Classic Kubrick!.......2008-02-15
at last the late great Stanley Kubrick films are together in a box set format, great films with extras. the most influential film maker of all time!
Customer Reviews:
Very realistic and fascinating demonstration about future voyage to the planets.......2008-02-01
I enjoyed watching this DVD a lot and stretched my imagination. Anybody interested in astronomy and manned space flights must watch this DVD. As the DVD says it is based on science fact not science fiction. It is not a monotonous documentary that piles up facts. In addition to facts there is the Hollywood type of acting which really makes it more interesting. The picture and sound quality are very good.
In addition to the movie the DVD has videos that explain how each part of the movie was produced, how the actors prepared for them etc. I knew that astronauts had to go through vigorous physical training but I did not know that actors who play in a movie like Space Odyssey also have to go through the same kind of training, eg managing themselves in zero gravity, for months as if they were real astronauts.
There's an additional video about the history of unmanned space flights to the planets which is also very interesting, educating and entertaining. Given the price the DVD is really worth the purchase and can be watched many times over from time to time.
A good view of the future.......2006-10-01
What I like about Space Odyssey is that it doesn't go to over the top in space ship design; like artificial gravity to the extent of Star Trek or light speed travel. I like the fact it takes them ages to reach the planets rather than just blasting off through a wormhole. This is a good, realistic view of what the future of space travel may hold, and it's enough to get excited about!
The missions are pretty good; the equipment they use doesn't look like it's miles ahead in the future, more like something we could develop in 5 or 6 years time. It's interesting how they explain all of the ideas with the astronaut health and how bad space travel actually is on the human body. Typically for BBC miniseries, the characters are developed really well, especially my favourite Russian cosmonaut Yvan Grigorev (Rad Lazar). I suppose if they did a newer version of this series, it would be more correct to add in a few more Russians and a couple of Chinese, but things change so quickly.
The conditions on the planets are emulated pretty well with the information we have on them. The mission to Venus was quite scary, as was the one to Io and when you get pretty attached to the characters, it becomes a great story. The special effects are brilliant and the script is pretty good too. If you liked the series when it was on TV, then it's certainly worth getting the DVD.
A taste of what future space exploration will really be like.......2006-06-11
Other reviewers mention Space Race and one reviewer says it is better than Space Odyssey. I have to disagree. I have seen 'Space Race' and I can assure readers that Space Odyssey is superior. Space Race suffers from trying to cover too much ground in a four hour time slot, and while the special effects and acting in both series are comparable, Space Odyssey does what it does without making the viewer feel that the story is rushed or lacking in detail. This program was originally to be titled 'Walking With Spacemen' which I think would clue most people in on the level of professionalism that they can expect from the 'Walking With Dinosaurs' team.
This film does what its predecessors ('Walking With Dinosaurs', 'Chased By Dinosaurs') did - it attempts to present the viewer with the latest knowledge about our solar system in a 'you are there' style of drama. I think they achieved this admirably and on an incredibly tiny budget. I'd rather watch this film ten times over than watch the awful garbage that a massive budget Hollywood blockbuster would give us - does anyone remember the appalling drivel that was 'Armageddon' or 'Mission to Mars'?
One thing I did think was a bit far-fetched was the amount of risk involved in the mission - would a crew land on a planet on which pressure suits would only last two hours? I doubt it. Would a manned space ship go into a star's corona? I doubt it. Would humans land on a moon that was being bombarded with huge amounts of radiation? I doubt it. Also, the ship seemed overly sturdy. Would a ship designed like that risk atmospheric flight to slow it down? I doubt it. Would it survive being hit by comet debris? I doubt it. I think in both cases the stresses on the structure would be too much. But all-in-all, the unlikely scenarios were compensated by some nicely done special effects, good editing and production, and some good acting, especially by the actors portraying the ship's commander and the Russian cosmonaut.
Even with the minor inaccuracies and the stretching of possibilities that the movie includes, this film fulfills its intentions admirably, and matches the 'wow!' factor of films like 'Chased by Dinosaurs' and 'Walking With Dinosaurs'. If you don't see this movie, you're missing out on a taste of what space exploration will be like long after most of us are dead and gone.
If you Like Real Space Exploration You'll Like this.......2006-02-28
I can't vouch for the quality of other BBC presentations alluded to by a previous reviewer but I found this to be utterly absorbing. If you have a modicum of interest in astronomy/the current state of space exploration and/or advances in technology not too far around the corner then I think you will like this also.
It's refreshing to see a change in format for space documentaries from the by now jaded celebrity/funky scientist standing around an amazing holographic machine in a high tec lab. Perhaps you won't like all the characters, perhaps there isn't really time to make them your nearest and dearest soap opera star...but then again at least it's a recognizably human crew involved. This is a theme which runs throughout and in my opinion works well if you keep in mind that this IS a genuine effort to inform the viewer and not just to provide melodrama.
The science is solid and not burdened by the tremendous CGI effects. When you're on the respective planets, there is an unnerving sense of oh my God, this is what it may actually look like If I were there. Starkly simple but utterly alien. The best way I can put it is that it is the difference between seeing something through the highly processed eyes of Hollywood cinematography and watching a report on the evening news. It just has more of an authentic feel to it.
The only thing I was incredulous to was the scale of the mission this hypothetical crew were undertaking. Virtually the entire solar system and a comet landing to boot? Now thats not a mission any sane space agency is about to undertake in one launch anytime soon. Don't let this put you off, I did'nt. This is after all, a grand tour of the solar systems sights for those of us who can only dream of what it will (hopefully!) be like for those who would undertake such a journey. Well worth a viewing or two.
not quite right.......2006-01-12
Not as good as other bbc production of the type such as "Space Race", "Space", "The Planets" etc. Firstly the crew and mission control are frankly not credible. The cast seems to have been chosen by the PC brigade. If anyone has ever seen documentaries about real astronauts, its amazing what utter geeks they are, depite NASAs best efforts to purport them as steely-eyed fly boys. Here they seem like hairdressers and students. They are almost like the crew in channel 4s "Space Cadets". Its not bad really, the effects are good, i just expected it to be better.
Amazon.co.uk Review
A daring experiment in unconventional narrative inspired by Arthur C Clarke's short story "The Sentinel", 2001: A Space Odyssey is a visual tone poem (barely 40 minutes of dialogue in a 139-minute film) that charts a phenomenal history of human evolution. When Stanley Kubrick recruited Clarke to collaborate on "the proverbial intelligent science fiction film", it's a safe bet neither the maverick auteur nor the great science fiction writer knew they would virtually redefine the parameters of the cinema experience with the result. From the dawn-of-man discovery of crude but deadly tools in the film's opening sequence to the journey of the spaceship Discovery and metaphysical birth of the "star child" at film's end, Kubrick's vision is meticulous and precise. In keeping with the director's underlying theme of dehumanisation by technology, the notorious, seemingly omniscient, computer HAL 9000 has more warmth and personality than the human astronauts it is supposedly serving. (The director also leaves the meaning of the black, rectangular alien monoliths open for discussion.) This theme, in part, is what makes 2001 a film like no other, though dated now that its post-millennial space exploration has proven optimistic compared to reality. Still, the film is timelessly provocative in its pioneering exploration of inner and outer-space consciousness. With spectacular, painstakingly authentic special effects that have stood the test of time, Kubrick's film is nothing less than a cinematic milestone--puzzling, provocative and perfect. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
Customer Reviews:
the next stage of human consciousness.......2008-01-31
Kubrick's seminal masterpiece is a true work of art - the cinematic equivilent to Beethoven's 5th symphony or Picasso's Guernica. What Kubrick managed to convey so exquisitely is man's seemingly eternal quest for truth crystalized through the development of human consiousness and evolution - from the dawn of humanity in pre-history through to space exploration, culminating in humanities apparent conquering of technology and, by extension, mortality itself.
Having been removed of his technological armoury by HAL in the final act, man races towards infinity to face his ultimate challenge - death. For what is man without technology?
Finally, man confronts himself on the stage between mortality and beyond. This stage is represented as a white room. Man knocks to the floor a glass of red wine represented as the spirit of man. The wine remains in the glass, therefore the spirit of man continues. The light does not die and man is ready for the next stage of his evolutionary leap. The star child is born.
Kubrick's meditation on the quest for the meaning of existence simply has to be seen.
A space Oddity.......2008-01-23
I can't express how disappointed I am with this much respected and written about science fiction movie. I never saw the film when it was released and have never seen it advertised for showing on any of the tv channels since. So, I was looking forward to something rather special when I purchased a copy recently.
I can't honestly say that I am a sci-fi buff but I have always been interested in a good story and man's advancement in space. My number 1 'encounter' film which 2001 A Space Oddysey can be classified as, will always be Spielberg's 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' (1977).
Okay, 2001 was made in the 60's and we're now forty years on - please don't try and convince me that the ape scenes or the space scenes are as realistic as a film made today - they're not. For the 60's, I would agree that the quality and detail of the space scenes is very, very good though.
The pace of the film is incredibly slow (even for an old guy like me!) and would even put a glass eye to sleep. To stop you falling asleep, the images are backed by incredibly annoying vocals from a choir similat to that now employed on the Honda advert! Occasionally, we get a nice bit of classical music such as the Blue Danube, but even this is taken to the extreme and I'm sorry but I had to turn the sound down!
Towards the end of the film we get the psychadelic images - which would have made those of the flower power era when the film was made feel 'way out man'. I'm sorry, it didn't do anything for me.
The plot - oh yes! Is there one? Well, let's try - some superior planet hopping intelligent beings leave a monolith on earth x billion years ago which is discovered by a pack of apes who learn how to knock hell out of each other by touching it. From that time on man evolves, and eventually travels to the moon to find another monolith. Curious to know more, they set up a mission to find another on Jupiter in a spacecraft with a super intelligent computer HAL. Of course, it all ends in tears when the astronauts threaten to shut down HAL because it has made a mistake, and it trys to bump them all off! Fortunately, one astronaut - Dave who is still more intelligent than the computer and the only one left alive, outwits HAL, and does in fact shut it down whilst it (yes, HAL) sings "Daisy, Daisy, tell me your answer do"!!! How does it end - God knows or should I say ET knows.
Take my advice - only watch this film with a large box of Maltesers and a suitable bottle of something - your choice.
Kubrick's Masterpiece. In my top ten (of everything!).......2008-01-22
The first time I saw it I hated it but I was only about 9 or 10 years old. I rediscovered it as a teenager and it actually changed me as a person. If you saw it like me originally as a youngster and didn't enjoy it, give it another go, even if you don't like Scifi. This is a true masterpiece and even now it hasn't aged or dated. People are still inspired by it, not just film-makers but scientists.
One interesting point the most "human" character in the film is HAL (an artificial computer intelligence). You'll understand what I mean if you've seen it - maybe you disagree?
MIND-BLOWING.......2008-01-17
The greatest science-fiction film ever made.
You've seen it, you sort of know the plot: extra-terrestrial guidance, via ANCIENT MONOLITH, shapes Mankind in preparation for his next stage of evolution. For many, it's the quintessential love-it or hate-it experience.
And since we haven't been able to catch STANLEY KUBRICK's masterpiece in a cinema - much less a digitally-equipped one - for over thirty years, I'm assuming that you already possess a HIGH-DEFINITION WIDESCREEN TV, a PS3 (or similar) and want to know if this BLU-RAY edition of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY lives up to expectations, yes?
Well, it does. The picture is fantastic, the level of detail is incredible. THE DAWN OF MAN sequence has astonishing depth of field, which is all the more amazing when you discover that the skyscapes were in actuality stills, or plates, front-projected onto the backdrops of an outdoor studio near Shepherd's Bush. A place, or a moment, in 'pre-historic' 1968 where the ordinary became truly extraordinary.
As we reach outer space, and fractured bone becomes brushed metal, pinpoints of stars twinkle like never before, the exterior cladding of ships, satellites and moon shuttles rendered with similar clarity to allow us the ultimate space vehicle inspection tour. And isn't THE USS DISCOVERY the most beautifully designed ship of them all?
JUPITER AND BEYOND THE INFINITE is where we get to take the ultimate trip in every sense. This is where the high-definition image really earns its money, as far as I'm concerned, and it's the showcase moment let loose in all its glory, a sequence that had much the same effect when I saw it in 70mm Cinerama. Completely mind-blowing.
Soundwise, the film has a very centre-speaker feel but don't be put off too much by that. The dialogue is well placed and significantly superior in uncompressed 5.1 to the regular DVD, right down to the oft-present oxygen hiss in the EVA sequences or the infamous moment when DAVE BOWMAN literally pulls the plug on the "incapable of error" HAL 9000 series. I wonder whether Daisy would have had such a heartless response to his distortion of information?
Music is used sparingly but to brilliant effect. For example, STRAUSS's THE BLUE DANUBE and KHACHATURIAN's haunting GAYNE'S ADAGIO sound wonderful and complement perfectly their out-of-this-world setting (a quite audacious leap of faith on the director's part, incidentally, seeing as both pieces were only intended for use as guide tracks on the rough cut).
Whichever way you look at it, this REGION FREE BLU-RAY DISC is a stunning example of what the format stands for.
Did I also mention that the film's pretty good, too?
UNRESERVEDLY RECOMMENDED
Unique.......2008-01-04
This film won't be everyone's cup of tea especially if your looking for loads of action. There is not much dialogue but there is a lot of amazing images set to some great classical music. If you've seen this film you will know what its basically about. If you haven't I'm not going to spoil it for you. But you will come away with some questions. This film has got to be the first realistic Sci Fi and certainly one of the best. If your planning to see this beautiful and unique film watch it in the dark on the biggest screen possible.
Amazon.co.uk Review
A daring experiment in unconventional narrative inspired by Arthur C Clarke's short story "The Sentinel", 2001: A Space Odyssey is a visual tone poem (barely 40 minutes of dialogue in a 139-minute film) that charts a phenomenal history of human evolution. When Stanley Kubrick recruited Clarke to collaborate on "the proverbial intelligent science fiction film", it's a safe bet neither the maverick auteur nor the great science fiction writer knew they would virtually redefine the parameters of the cinema experience with the result. From the dawn-of-man discovery of crude but deadly tools in the film's opening sequence to the journey of the spaceship Discovery and metaphysical birth of the "star child" at film's end, Kubrick's vision is meticulous and precise. In keeping with the director's underlying theme of dehumanisation by technology, the notorious, seemingly omniscient, computer HAL 9000 has more warmth and personality than the human astronauts it is supposedly serving. (The director also leaves the meaning of the black, rectangular alien monoliths open for discussion.) This theme, in part, is what makes 2001 a film like no other, though dated now that its post-millennial space exploration has proven optimistic compared to reality. Still, the film is timelessly provocative in its pioneering exploration of inner and outer-space consciousness. With spectacular, painstakingly authentic special effects that have stood the test of time, Kubrick's film is nothing less than a cinematic milestone--puzzling, provocative and perfect. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
Customer Reviews:
the next stage of human consciousness.......2008-01-31
Kubrick's seminal masterpiece is a true work of art - the cinematic equivilent to Beethoven's 5th symphony or Picasso's Guernica. What Kubrick managed to convey so exquisitely is man's seemingly eternal quest for truth crystalized through the development of human consiousness and evolution - from the dawn of humanity in pre-history through to space exploration, culminating in humanities apparent conquering of technology and, by extension, mortality itself.
Having been removed of his technological armoury by HAL in the final act, man races towards infinity to face his ultimate challenge - death. For what is man without technology?
Finally, man confronts himself on the stage between mortality and beyond. This stage is represented as a white room. Man knocks to the floor a glass of red wine represented as the spirit of man. The wine remains in the glass, therefore the spirit of man continues. The light does not die and man is ready for the next stage of his evolutionary leap. The star child is born.
Kubrick's meditation on the quest for the meaning of existence simply has to be seen.
A space Oddity.......2008-01-23
I can't express how disappointed I am with this much respected and written about science fiction movie. I never saw the film when it was released and have never seen it advertised for showing on any of the tv channels since. So, I was looking forward to something rather special when I purchased a copy recently.
I can't honestly say that I am a sci-fi buff but I have always been interested in a good story and man's advancement in space. My number 1 'encounter' film which 2001 A Space Oddysey can be classified as, will always be Spielberg's 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' (1977).
Okay, 2001 was made in the 60's and we're now forty years on - please don't try and convince me that the ape scenes or the space scenes are as realistic as a film made today - they're not. For the 60's, I would agree that the quality and detail of the space scenes is very, very good though.
The pace of the film is incredibly slow (even for an old guy like me!) and would even put a glass eye to sleep. To stop you falling asleep, the images are backed by incredibly annoying vocals from a choir similat to that now employed on the Honda advert! Occasionally, we get a nice bit of classical music such as the Blue Danube, but even this is taken to the extreme and I'm sorry but I had to turn the sound down!
Towards the end of the film we get the psychadelic images - which would have made those of the flower power era when the film was made feel 'way out man'. I'm sorry, it didn't do anything for me.
The plot - oh yes! Is there one? Well, let's try - some superior planet hopping intelligent beings leave a monolith on earth x billion years ago which is discovered by a pack of apes who learn how to knock hell out of each other by touching it. From that time on man evolves, and eventually travels to the moon to find another monolith. Curious to know more, they set up a mission to find another on Jupiter in a spacecraft with a super intelligent computer HAL. Of course, it all ends in tears when the astronauts threaten to shut down HAL because it has made a mistake, and it trys to bump them all off! Fortunately, one astronaut - Dave who is still more intelligent than the computer and the only one left alive, outwits HAL, and does in fact shut it down whilst it (yes, HAL) sings "Daisy, Daisy, tell me your answer do"!!! How does it end - God knows or should I say ET knows.
Take my advice - only watch this film with a large box of Maltesers and a suitable bottle of something - your choice.
Kubrick's Masterpiece. In my top ten (of everything!).......2008-01-22
The first time I saw it I hated it but I was only about 9 or 10 years old. I rediscovered it as a teenager and it actually changed me as a person. If you saw it like me originally as a youngster and didn't enjoy it, give it another go, even if you don't like Scifi. This is a true masterpiece and even now it hasn't aged or dated. People are still inspired by it, not just film-makers but scientists.
One interesting point the most "human" character in the film is HAL (an artificial computer intelligence). You'll understand what I mean if you've seen it - maybe you disagree?
MIND-BLOWING.......2008-01-17
The greatest science-fiction film ever made.
You've seen it, you sort of know the plot: extra-terrestrial guidance, via ANCIENT MONOLITH, shapes Mankind in preparation for his next stage of evolution. For many, it's the quintessential love-it or hate-it experience.
And since we haven't been able to catch STANLEY KUBRICK's masterpiece in a cinema - much less a digitally-equipped one - for over thirty years, I'm assuming that you already possess a HIGH-DEFINITION WIDESCREEN TV, a PS3 (or similar) and want to know if this BLU-RAY edition of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY lives up to expectations, yes?
Well, it does. The picture is fantastic, the level of detail is incredible. THE DAWN OF MAN sequence has astonishing depth of field, which is all the more amazing when you discover that the skyscapes were in actuality stills, or plates, front-projected onto the backdrops of an outdoor studio near Shepherd's Bush. A place, or a moment, in 'pre-historic' 1968 where the ordinary became truly extraordinary.
As we reach outer space, and fractured bone becomes brushed metal, pinpoints of stars twinkle like never before, the exterior cladding of ships, satellites and moon shuttles rendered with similar clarity to allow us the ultimate space vehicle inspection tour. And isn't THE USS DISCOVERY the most beautifully designed ship of them all?
JUPITER AND BEYOND THE INFINITE is where we get to take the ultimate trip in every sense. This is where the high-definition image really earns its money, as far as I'm concerned, and it's the showcase moment let loose in all its glory, a sequence that had much the same effect when I saw it in 70mm Cinerama. Completely mind-blowing.
Soundwise, the film has a very centre-speaker feel but don't be put off too much by that. The dialogue is well placed and significantly superior in uncompressed 5.1 to the regular DVD, right down to the oft-present oxygen hiss in the EVA sequences or the infamous moment when DAVE BOWMAN literally pulls the plug on the "incapable of error" HAL 9000 series. I wonder whether Daisy would have had such a heartless response to his distortion of information?
Music is used sparingly but to brilliant effect. For example, STRAUSS's THE BLUE DANUBE and KHACHATURIAN's haunting GAYNE'S ADAGIO sound wonderful and complement perfectly their out-of-this-world setting (a quite audacious leap of faith on the director's part, incidentally, seeing as both pieces were only intended for use as guide tracks on the rough cut).
Whichever way you look at it, this REGION FREE BLU-RAY DISC is a stunning example of what the format stands for.
Did I also mention that the film's pretty good, too?
UNRESERVEDLY RECOMMENDED
Unique.......2008-01-04
This film won't be everyone's cup of tea especially if your looking for loads of action. There is not much dialogue but there is a lot of amazing images set to some great classical music. If you've seen this film you will know what its basically about. If you haven't I'm not going to spoil it for you. But you will come away with some questions. This film has got to be the first realistic Sci Fi and certainly one of the best. If your planning to see this beautiful and unique film watch it in the dark on the biggest screen possible.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome.......2002-01-20
Video 1 was more amusing, but this video gives an excellent view as to what it's like touring. Has parts from the Freddie Mercury tribute concert in Wembley, and also shows footage from the Moscow concert, showing the heavy handedness of the Police at the time. Great buy, no Metallica fan should be without it!
The truest insight into Metallica's 'Black' Album tour.......2000-10-04
Not as funny as part 1 of this set, but still the definitive rockumentary about Metallica's awesome live shows. After making the 'Black' album in 1991, Metallica advanced on a gruelling tour promoting it. They travelled around the world more than once to make sure EVERYBODY saw them, and anybody who turned up would not go away disappointed. I was not lucky enough to see them this time around, but did attend Donington '95 and caught them promoting a couple of songs from 'Load' and 'Reload'. This video gives an amazing insight into the way Metallica work both on and off the set, and upkeeping with the style of the first video, provides the truest representation of the band. Great on it's own, but better with both videos together, so you can fully experience the journey they undertook in making 'Metallica'
Amazon.co.uk Review
A daring experiment in unconventional narrative inspired by Arthur C Clarke's short story "The Sentinel", 2001: A Space Odyssey is a visual tone poem (barely 40 minutes of dialogue in a 139-minute film) that charts a phenomenal history of human evolution. When Stanley Kubrick recruited Clarke to collaborate on "the proverbial intelligent science fiction film", it's a safe bet neither the maverick auteur nor the great science fiction writer knew they would virtually redefine the parameters of the cinema experience with the result. From the dawn-of-man discovery of crude but deadly tools in the film's opening sequence to the journey of the spaceship Discovery and metaphysical birth of the "star child" at film's end, Kubrick's vision is meticulous and precise. In keeping with the director's underlying theme of dehumanisation by technology, the notorious, seemingly omniscient, computer HAL 9000 has more warmth and personality than the human astronauts it is supposedly serving. (The director also leaves the meaning of the black, rectangular alien monoliths open for discussion.) This theme, in part, is what makes 2001 a film like no other, though dated now that its post-millennial space exploration has proven optimistic compared to reality. Still, the film is timelessly provocative in its pioneering exploration of inner and outer-space consciousness. With spectacular, painstakingly authentic special effects that have stood the test of time, Kubrick's film is nothing less than a cinematic milestone--puzzling, provocative and perfect. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
Customer Reviews:
the next stage of human consciousness.......2008-01-31
Kubrick's seminal masterpiece is a true work of art - the cinematic equivilent to Beethoven's 5th symphony or Picasso's Guernica. What Kubrick managed to convey so exquisitely is man's seemingly eternal quest for truth crystalized through the development of human consiousness and evolution - from the dawn of humanity in pre-history through to space exploration, culminating in humanities apparent conquering of technology and, by extension, mortality itself.
Having been removed of his technological armoury by HAL in the final act, man races towards infinity to face his ultimate challenge - death. For what is man without technology?
Finally, man confronts himself on the stage between mortality and beyond. This stage is represented as a white room. Man knocks to the floor a glass of red wine represented as the s