Rating: 
Summary: I feel very sorry for HAL9000...
Review: This story tells me the meaning of killing human. I love HAL and don't like "that baby", because the baby know nothing but killing perfecter who know everything. After all "human" kills HAL, who is rather kind, and smart. 3 people killed by HAL means a power of that we have to let us be. HAL was a symbol of God and the best.While It's a little educational story, which say "human" must be modest in deeper space. HOWEVER, there's something indescribably appealing on that!
Rating: 
Summary: Sci-Fi filmmaking was never the same after "2001"
Review: In the summer of 1969, when I was all of ten years old, Mom & Dad bundled all us kids into the white Oldsmobile stationwagon and drove to the Rockville (Maryland) Drive-In to see "2001: A Space Odyssey." I didn't know much about the film, but as a budding sci-fi fan I was already champing at the bit to see it. Needless to say, "2001" rearranged my universe. I can't say I understood the movie completely at the time, but I do recall talking my parents' ears off about the film during the drive home. "2001" is personally my favorite movie of all time. I've seen it more times than I can count, purchased the soundtrack several times (vinyl and tape wear out, you know), read Arthur C. Clarke's novelization several times, and read every other piece of literature about the film I've been able to get my hands on. And recently my partner Greg purchased this "Stanley Kubrick Collection" DVD from Amazon, and it was just last night that we sat down to watch it on our new 32-inch TV and in 5.1 digital sound. What a treat! First of all the print is about as pristine as anything I've ever seen; this movie probably looks better today on DVD than it did in many suburban movie theatres back in 1969. I was immediately struck my how sharp the image was, especially the clean lines of the monolith that appears mysteriously amongst our australopithicine ancestors 4.5 million years ago. While watching this film last night, Greg lamented the fact that kids today who grow up on nothing but CGI effects in science fiction movies may never have a true appreciation for the fine art of model-building; the Orion shuttle, the Discovery ship and its attendant space pods, are stunning examples of elegance in design. The Aries 1-B moon shuttle looks like it ought to have been built and flying by now. The docking sequence with the rotating space station, to the oddly appropriate strains of "The Blue Danube Waltz," look just as clean and modern as anything being filmed today. The pop cultural impact of "2001" cannot me overstated. Is it any wonder that over 30 years after the film's initial release, Richard Strauss' tone poem "Also Sprauch Zarathustra" is still associated with space travel? That having been said, my only qualm with this edition is that the sound editors involved with the DVD transfer may have taken a few too many liberties. The most glaring example is during the closing credits of the film: In the original print the "Blue Danube" reprise ends with snare drum roll and finish when we see the words "THE END." ... But in this edition the waltz continues merrily on its way long after the screen fades to black. Amazon's website notes that Stanley Kubrick approved all this audio tweaking; I guess I'm just going to have to take their word for it. Granted, the sound is very nice and crisp, the conversations are clear, the bass has a lot of extra "oomph" during Gyorgy Ligeti's atmospheric score. If you are not too much of a Kubrick purist and can overlook the tweaking of the sound, you'll have to admit that this edition of "2001" sounds damned good. "2001: A Space Odyssey" was released at a time when there was still a huge sense of wonder and optimism about space travel and exploration. Alas, in the intervening years shifting economic, political and military priorities have eroded much of that wonder and optimism. I wonder if any of us will ever again be able to look up at the stars with as much hope and exhilaration as we had when "2001" first hit the screens.
Rating:
Summary: Epitome of film
Review: This film is undoubtedly the greatest ever made. From the technical wizardry of top-notch special effects (especially for the late 60's!) to the deep and epic plot, 2001 really shines. Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke are two of the greatest visionaries and artists of our lifetimes. Their combined efforts on this movie / book have made filmmaking history. 2001 has a perfect blend of music and imagery, all symbolic of the various layers of themes within this movie. This beautiful film is also technically and scientifically accurate. 2001 puts the science back in science fiction. The way the film is shot and progresses really gives a feel for space travel. All this more than a year before men even landed on the moon! (and I must say that given the time period which the film was shot, the lunar sequences are AMAZING). To date, I have yet to see a science fiction movie to even come close to attaining the calibre at which 2001 stands. Come to think of it I have yet to see any other movie that attains those standards. (though Kubrick's other works come to mind... :) )
Rating: 
Summary: Mind-numbingly boring.
Review: This film is a prime example of how ridiculous films most people thought were "deep" and "conceptual" in the 60s have proven themselves to be nowadays. This movie can be accurately summed-up in one word: boring. It is unbelievably dull, with "arty" subject matter, and entire passages of film up to 20 minutes long without anyone speaking! Who would ever want to watch this if they weren't hopped up on drugs of some kind? The answer: nobody sane.
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Summary: Boycott this awfull DVD !
Review: I saw the orginal of this film at the Grumman's Chinese in Cinerama, the first week it showed. This DVD is a ripoff and a travesty, an insult to the original film. It's got a lot to look at: 1. Grainy shots (like cheap Kodak camera shots) in the beginning. 2. Shimmering and herringbone effects on stars and complex scenes. 3. Ghosts. Yep. Somehow they managed to record TV style ghosts onto the disc. 4. Werid vertical "bars" in the dark shots. In the end shots, these turned green and were more interesting to watch than the film. I have since learned that this is an amateur DVD encoding error. Last, but not least: 5. This film, more than any other film on or off this planet, needs to be encoded in proper anamorphic widescreen ! Boycott this incredibly bad, amateurish attempt at a DVD. The studio can make another. They can afford more than the $100 it must have taken to make this disc.
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Summary: A Space Odyssey
Review: This is to cinema what The Mona Lisa is to art. A masterpiece. This movie is just as much a work of art as the da Vinci, and perhaps much more. First of all, this is not a shiny, happy action movie, like Star Wars, or a scary movie as in the Alien series. This is a movie which defies such rigid specifications. This is cinema at its best. The basic premise of the film is perhaps the least basic thing about it. The film opens with an oblique mention of setting, simply put as "The Dawn of Man". Here we see a group of early man-monkey hybrids fighting off other wild animals and another group of enemy monkeys, and generally losing in the process. As the next day dawns, the first monkey to waken begins shrieking in fright. As the camera pulls back we see that a giant black, rectangular object has for no obvious reason appeared in the middle of the area in which they were sleeping. As the monkeys circle the strange and foreign structure, on of them touches it. Later, after the monkeys have left the object, the same monkey finds a pile of bones. Remembering the object, the monkey somehow gets the idea to pick up one of the bones. As he begins to hit the other bones, he suddenly realizes what he has found. The scene then shifts to the next day. Enemy monkeys are once again encroaching into the territory of the monkeys who found the object (which is commonly referred to as a monolith). The enemies, however, are shocked when they find the damage caused by the new weapons which their targets are using. As they run away, we see the a single monkey fling his bone in the air, which suddenly changes to a spaceship gently turning. That's all I'll give away. The reason that this movie succeeds so well is the fact that its makers didn't try to turn the story into something that it's not. They didn't add any action, and the suspense that does exist is very subtle and not just cheap thrills. The pacing of the film is slow in the extreme. The movie lasts 2hr and 15 min, but only 40 or so minutes have dialogue. While this would seem to be horribly boring, the lack of dialogue actually helps. It allows viewers to get a real sence of how outer space really is. Another great thing about this movie is it's flare for psychologically intense subject matter. For instance, throughout the movie, the two main characters evoke a much less emotional reaction that the HAL 9000 computer who speaks in a monotone voice and has no real physical embodiment other than that of a glowing red electronic camera lens. Also, there is a definite sense of awe accompanied by the monoliths, which do nothing but just stand there. Also, something that I found odd, when the camera is in space and there is no sound whatsoever, it is almost impossible for anyone in the room to make a sound. It takes a huge amount of will to force any noise throughout most of the movie, as though no one wants to break the seemingly hypnotic serenity of the scene. Now, anyone who has seen Kubrik's older works knows that one of the defining factors of his works have been music. From the bizarrely cheery theme to Dr. Strangelove to the chilling "Singing in the Rain" of A Clockwork Orange. This movie is in no way different. From the main theme of "Also Sprach Zarathustra" to the light but oddly fitting "The Blue Danube", the music in this movie fits the scene flawlessly every time. Odd when you consider the fact that most of the soundtrack was planned to be temporary. In fact, this soundtrack is perhaps the best fitting selection I have ever heard. All in all a proud entry into the Kubrik Collection. Now, this is the part at which I would put some of the downsides to this movie. Well, here goes: Some people haven't seen it. That's the only downside I can find. Sorry to dissapoint. In summation, I would like to offer this: some things just can't be described. The allure and draw of this movie is like that of a great piece of art. Though seemingly mundane, if you look beneath the surface, you may just find something amazing that you never expected to find.
Rating:
Summary: A Movie You Look At Instead Of Listening To
Review: This above statement no make no sense to many of you out there,but let me explain. This is my feelings of this film. When watching many different movies it's important that you pay close attention to what you HEAR instead of what you SEE. The dialogue is the most important thing in the movie. Think of the films of Martin Scorsese or Spike Lee. If you miss certain parts of the dialogue you'll be lost for the whole rest of the story. But that's not the case with this masterpiece by Kubrick. There is I believe only 40 minutes of dialogue. So basically your just looking at your screen and watching something you'll never forget. The screenplay done here by Kubrick and Clarke is amazing. This will turn our to be a one of a kind movie you will never forget.Which is all due to the astonishing images projected on screen. Kubrick really out did himself and set a very high standard for others to try and reach. A must for movie fans!
Rating: 
Summary: This movie is kind of strange!
Review: I cannot say that Stanley Kubrick's 2001 A Space Odyssey is either a great or horrible film. It is only good at best. Keep in mind when watching this, that this movie was made in 1968...32 years ago. The imagery used for this time period would have been ground breaking to say the least. Kubrick, as he has done in his other films, used imagery to set this movie apart from all others. You will notice the contrasting yet vivid colors in many scenes throughout the film. The classical music certainly helped the feel of this movie and was a nice touch. The problem with this film lies in its slow pace. You better drink some coffee before seeing this one. You will waddle through 26 minutes before any dialogue is heard (unless you count the grunts and groans of the apemen in the inital sequence.) Overall, when finishing this 2 hour 20 minute marathon you will either love or hate this film. Its a trippy, psychadelic look at First Contact, made in an era when space exploration was as close of a reality as Home Computers, or VCR's. This one is by far for the Science Fiction fans, all others may want to rent this one first!
Rating:
Summary: 2001: A Space Odyssey on DVD
Review: This DVD of 2001: A Space Odyssey is a terrific presentation of the film. There are three special features worth mentioning. First, the aspect ratio of the film is exactly how it was when 2001 was first released! Awsome! Second, the original theatrical trailer and the trailer for 2010 are both great to see. The last major extra feature is the interview with Aurthur C. Clarke. It is a very interesting interview in which Clarke talks about colaborating with Kubrick, Nasa's involvement in the film, and other things along these lines. This print of 2001 is the clearest I've ever seen. This is a must-have for any Kubrick or sci-fi fan.
Rating:
Summary: visionary and awe-inspiring
Review: Kubrick brings Clarke's novel to the screen with an incredible flair. If you've seen "The Shining" or "Eyes Wide Shut," you're familiar w/ Kubrick's signature pauses and slide-show segues. They are even more pronounced in the long, often slow-paced film... but when things happen, DON'T BLINK! The long pauses and slow moving scenes exacerbate the loneliness and emptiness of space. It is essential that this film be seen from the beginning to the end. Whenever it was on TV, I'd catch a few minutes of it and almost pass out from the pauses... but that's because I missed out on so much of the underlying story. Clark envisioned a video-telephone with text messages... much like Internet phone today... and the ship itself is quite an amazing vision to behold. The film ponders the dawn of mankind, the awareness of self and the evolution of thought that eventually goes full circle when we willingly abandon our intellect to the idols of technology we've created. Astronauts venturing into deep space on an important mission experience technological set-backs en route to their destination and the remainder of the film becomes a battle of the wits between the human crew and the HAL 9000. The HAL 9000 computer watches the crew sleep, eat and talk... and makes "mental" notes on who's a threat and the best course of action to take when parts of the ship mysteriously stop functioning properly. He controls the ships functions, including life support, and while he may not be as wise as a human being, his knowledge and break-neck speed of calculating decisions makes the human crew almost non-essential. A strange rectangular monolith is never quite explained, which makes it far more compelling and really makes you think about the film long after it's over. Don't let the slow pace discourage you from seeing this film. I prefer non-stop action in films like "The Matrix," but this film makes all the difference in how you perceive sci-fi films that came after it. It is a cerebral experience to be sure. The DVD includes a press conference with author Arthur C. Clarke which is very enlightening. You get to hear the press ask questions about the film and the future of technology and space travel... many of which are science fact and no longer a topic idle fantasy. You really grow to appreciate the visionary mind of Clarke married to the artistic hand of Kubrick.
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