2001: A Space Odyssey (DVD)

In the mid-1960s Stanley Kubrick wanted to make a science-fiction movie which would deal with the space exploration and the prospect of the existence of extra-terrestrials. He had previously made the satirical DR. STRANGELOVE, which with its theme of nuclear destruction skirted the genre. Here however, working with the acclaimed science-fiction author Arthur C. Clarke, Kubrick came up with the science-fiction classic 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY. The film divides audiences, with some viewers believing it is the greatest science-fiction film ever made, whereas others end up baffled and bored. The movie is divided up into four episodes. The first is set millions of ...  Read the complete review

One of the landmark science fiction films of the twentieth century, ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ was a deliberate collaboration by successful director Stanley Kubrick and sci-fi author Arthur C. Clarke that intended to be precisely that; the ultimate space movie. Historically flawless by intent, ‘2001’ was released at just the right time to blow the minds of American cinemagoers, presenting a series of scientifically plausible portraits of a future envisaged during the ‘space race’ era. ‘A Space Odyssey’ exploits the universe of 2001 as an essential background and framework to explore the main plot, concerning humanity’s quest to solve an ancient, cryptic puzzle ...  Read the complete review

The back story for the production of '2001: A Space Odyssey' is an interesting one. It's one of the rare, perhaps only incidences where the film and novel were created at the same time. The brainchild of both director Stanley Kubrick and Sci.Fi writer Arthur C. Clarke. '2001' was originally going to be a collection of short stories much like 'How The West Was Won' a few years prior and based loosely on some of Clarke's existing work; including the short story 'The Sentinel'. This was then shaped to the structure that we now see today, an ongoing story told from different characters' experiences in different time periods spanning from the dawn of man to the twenty-first ...  Read the complete review

note: also appears on The Student Room and Flixster in part 2001: A Space Odyssey is one of the most divisive films of all time - it is hailed by some as an artistic, philosophical triumph, and by others as an art farty piece of pretentious twaddle. I don't sit on either side of the argument massively - it has its plusses and its minusses, but this is an artistically realised film with impressive direction, an almost hypnotic pace, and some intriguing philosophical questions about humanity. It's a film that's not particularly easy to summarise, because it's more an experience than anything else - it's got some entrancing visuals and expert use of ...  Read the complete review

2001: A Space Odyssey is a sci-fi film made in 1968, directed by Stanley Kubrick and written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke. One of the recurring themes in this film is evolution. The first 30 mins or so have no dialogue at all, and focus on a very distant point in our past, when a group of herbivore apes are attacked, and one is killed, by a leopard. They are also driven from their water hole by another tribe, so they sleep in a rock crater overnight. When they wake up, they notice that a huge black monolith has appeared in front of them. They are very curious as to what this is, and one of them touches it. Not long after, this particular ape remembers the ...  Read the complete review