In association with

2001: A Space Odyssey [1968]
from Warner Home Video
starring Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, Daniel Richter, Leonard Rossiter

Features:

• Dubbed
• PAL
• Widescreen

Editorial 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:

• Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0

• A monolith of a movie
  This is not just a movie. This is a mind-altering experience. I saw 2001 as a fifteen year old when it was re-released in the winter of '76 and I remember leaving the theater not quite sure what to think of it but convinced it would have a tremendous impact on my life. And, indeed, as with the reappearing monolith, each time I watch the film (unfortunately, not in the spacious, magical dark of the theater - why don't they show it there at least once a year?), I discover yet another aspect of its deep... more info

• Beautifully shot but complicated film
  A great film but looking its age with lots of 70's style over-the-top phychedelic effects. It's a good idea to read the book before watching the film though, it's very long on fancy effects but remarkably short on explanation. I've watched it many times and can honestly say that if I hadn't read the book first, I'd have little idea what on earth was going on.

• A Short Story Overstretched
  This film was made before men had walked on the moon and for its time the special effects were (forgive the pun) out of this world. Post Star Wars and CGI they remain good but not enough to carry the film - at least not on a TV screen. After that the story line's pretty thin but very drawn out, with an ending that leaves most people baffled. I suspect that the film's original success was based on the combination of ground breaking visuals and music -on a cinema sized screen with six channel sound (still a... more info

• the next stage of human consciousness
  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... more info

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