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Movie: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood Star in Stanley Kubrick Sci-Fi Film
Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood travel to Jupiter in Stanley Kubrick's 1968 sci-fi classic, 2001: A Space Odyssey. Co-starring is HAL 9000, the Discovery One's computer.
Director Stanley Kubrick brought 2001: A Space Odyssey to the silver screen in 1968. One of science fiction's most revered films, 2001 starred Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood, with William Sylvester and Leonard Rossiter in support. Arthur C. ClarkeThe 2001 fable begins with science fiction master Arthur C. Clarke (1917-2008), whose short stories "The Sentinel" and "Encounter at Dawn" formed the basis of the movie. Screenplay, Director, MusicThe screenplay for 2001 was written by Arthur C. Clarke and director Stanley Kubrick. In a bit of a twist, both the screenplay and the novel were crafted concurrently. Clarke's subsequent novel, 2001: A Space Odyssey (New American Library, 1968), was actually published after the release of the movie. The movie's soundtrack was a classical music feast. Featured as the film's opening was Richard Strauss' distinctive, heart-pounding "Also Sprach Zarathustra," performed by Herbert von Karajan and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. 2001 CastKeir Dullea plays Dr. Dave Bowman and Gary Lockwood is Dr. Frank Poole. Other cast members include William Sylvester (Dr. Heywood R. Floyd), Daniel Richter (Moon-Watcher), Leonard Rossiter (Dr. Andrei Smyslov), Margaret Tyzack (Elena), Robert Beatty (Dr. Ralph Halvorsen) and Sean Sullivan (Dr. Bill Michaels). Frank Miller -- an acutal mission controller -- is the authoritative voice of Mission Control while Douglas Rain provides the voice for HAL 9000 -- short for Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic computer. Budget, Filming LocationsCosting $10.5 million, 2001 was primarily filmed at Shepperton and British MGM's Borehamwood Studios in England beginning in December of 1965. Outside locales included Monument Valley in Utah and South Harris in Scotland. Sets, Costumes, Special EffectsAs befitting a big-budget science fiction movie, 2001 could boast of an elaborate set depicting the Discovery One spacecraft, which aircraft maker Vickers-Armstrong constructed for $750,000. In the "Dawn of Man" sequences, actors in ape costumes portrayed man's early ancestors. In all, 205 special effects scenes were shot, with "Slitscan photography" used to render the kaleidoscopic images Dave Bowman encounters at Stargate. Dawn of Man, Discovery One, HAL 9000Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey opens with a sequence titled "Dawn of Man," in which prehistoric ape-men fight to survive in an African desert. One creature discovers that he can use a discarded bone as both a tool and a weapon. Hurling the bone into the air, the object becomes a ceremonial link to the future. Fast forward to a futuristic moon base, where scientists have excavated a strange alien monolith. The dormant object, apparently activated by the sun's rays, begins to emit a high-pitched tone. A manned mission to Jupiter is now underway, with physicists Dave Bowman, Frank Poole, three other hybernating astronauts and the supercomputer HAL 9000 on board. The latest in artificial intelligence, HAL proves to harbor murderous intentions. 2001 Release, Reviews2001: A Space Odyssey premiered at the Uptown Theater in Washington, D.C., on April 2, 1968. "The fascinating thing about this film is that it fails on the human level but succeeds magnificently on a cosmic scale," wrote Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times (4/12/68). Box Office, DVD2001: A Space Odyssey grossed $25.522 million at the box office, earning the #2 slot (behind Funny Girl) on the list of the top moneymaking films of 1968. A two-disc special edtion DVD is available from Warner Home Video (2007). "Will someone tell me what the hell this is about?" a befuddled Rock Hudson asked after walking out on 2001's Los Angeles premiere. Gladly, but it might take light years...
The copyright of the article Movie: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) in Sci-Fi/Fantasy Films is owned by William J. Felchner. Permission to republish Movie: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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