2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY || FIRST TIME WATCHING || CHATTY COMMENTARY REACTION

#2001spaceodyssey #stanleykubrick #moviereaction #reaction #reactionvideo #couplereacts
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From Wiki
2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick. The screenplay was written by Kubrick and science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke, and was inspired by Clarke's 1951 short story "The Sentinel" and other short stories by Clarke. Clarke also published a novelisation of the film, in part written concurrently with the screenplay, after the film's release. The film stars Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, and Douglas Rain, and follows a voyage by astronauts, scientists and the sentient supercomputer HAL to Jupiter to investigate an alien monolith.
The film is noted for its scientifically accurate depiction of space flight, pioneering special effects, and ambiguous imagery. Kubrick avoided conventional cinematic and narrative techniques; dialogue is used sparingly, and there are long sequences accompanied only by music. The soundtrack incorporates numerous works of classical music, including pieces by composers such as Richard Strauss, Johann Strauss II, Aram Khachaturian, and György Ligeti.
The film received diverse critical responses, ranging from those who saw it as darkly apocalyptic to those who saw it as an optimistic reappraisal of the hopes of humanity. Critics noted its exploration of themes such as human evolution, technology, artificial intelligence, and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. It was nominated for four Academy Awards, winning Kubrick the award for his direction of the visual effects. The film is now widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made. In 1991, it was selected by the United States Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry. In 2022, 2001: A Space Odyssey placed in the top ten of Sight & Sound's decennial critics' poll, and topped their directors' poll.

[@robocad]

The monolith was buried as an alarm set to go off when man was evolved enough to dig it up and when the sunlight hit it, it gave off the radio signaling the aliens that we evolved that far. It's based on a short story called "The Sentinal"

[@motodork]

And it needs to be stressed that moon monolith is not another one, it’s the same one early man encountered.

[@joemahoney7870]

@@motodorknot true

[@motodork]

@@joemahoney7870 Yes that is true

[@losmosquitos1108]

„The Sentinel“ by Arthur C Clarke

[@losmosquitos1108]

@@motodorkthat is never really explained in the novel. There are at least two at the same time: the giant one in Jupiter‘s orbit and the one on moon. The one on Earth was never discovered by men and is only known to the reader/watcher. And after the vanishing of the Jupiter monolith there is again another one on Europa to watch over it which is existent at the same time as the one on the moon. But it could be that they all are one as you say. Clarke wrote in his novels: their dimensions are 1:4:9, which are the squares of the first three prime numbers 1,2,3 and it wouldn‘t possibly stop there. So it could be that these continue in higher dimensions, which is invisible to us of course. And Clarke said too, that it is a form for something that simply has no form. So it is thinkable that they all are manifestations of a high dimension tool that exists out of 3 dimensional space and is only visible as projection in our 3 dimensions. And it could exist out of time, which makes it thinkable that they all are one…. 🙄🤷‍♂️

[@motodork]

The black screen and music is called an overture. Films used to have an overture, which allowed people to filter into the auditorium and find their seats.

[@weebitreacts]

Ooh I love that

[@AlanCanon2222]

When I see "2001 First Time Watching", I click. It's my drop dead favorite film of all time.

[@randyshoquist7726]

"Why is there a big floatin' baby in space?" We've all been asking that for 55 years now.

[@weebitreacts]

😂😂

[@zaftra]

not for poeple who read the book.

[@Quwucuqin]

It's a next form of human evolution a super intelligent being far superior then any human it's called a star men

[@yeahOkayrecords]

2001 = 1968 Star Wars = 1977 It also came out before we’d gone to the moon. What I really like is the way it not only inspired every futuristic movie going forward. But it also it inspired a lot of real life technology. Oh and my fav.. HALs eye being exactly the same as the terminators. Two badass scary MFs

[@weebitreacts]

Yeah the eye was V creepy

[@Mrwhomeyou]

@@dudermcdudeface3674 HAL is just a child with a gun

[@MrThumbs63]

Started filming in late 1965.

[@wheelmanstan]

it's such an impressive movie that it's like those stone artifacts in Egypt or elsewhere they find that shouldn't exist, Jurassic Park is another one of those films, there's just no space movie or dinosaur movie that's ANYTHING like it and then BOOM there it is basically in all its glory and damn near perfection, and these films basically never age, this film inspired so much, Kubrick's films are just as quality as it gets

[@MsAppassionata]

@@MrwhomeyouA very dangerous child with a gun and a body count greater than some horror movies.

[@ChrisRowe]

2001 is more than a movie. It's an attempt to try to get at that feeling of introspection you get when you contemplate the meaning of existence in your shower. The film is purposefully designed to allow you to interpret it. It hints at feelings we all have but can't quite explain in words. And while the film doesn't change, you do, so each time you revisit it, it can have a different meaning for you. The key thing is you're meant to let it wash over you, in deep focus and introspection, so try watching it again wihtout asking "what does it mean", just let the emotions guide you. It's not about a monolith or a rogue computer. It's about mankind and our relationship to the universe and endless quest to seek out answers. To quote Kubrick: "“The most terrifying fact about the universe is not that it is hostile but that it is indifferent, but if we can come to terms with this indifference, then our existence as a species can have genuine meaning. However vast the darkness, we must supply our own light.”

[@diogenesagogo]

Spot on. Excellent comment.

[@jazzmaan707]

There is no CGI in this movie. Stanley was way ahead of his time. It was all done in camera and lots of models. We saw this movie in 1972, and when it was over, in the Lobby, everyone was saying, "What the hell did we just see?" 50 years later, we still say, "What the hell did we just see?" George Lukas, Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Peter Jackson, and Christopher Nolan, to name a few, attributed this movie, 2001 A Space Odyssey as the movie that made them want to become movie directors.

[@friendofbaphomet]

The main theme is "Also Sprach Zarathustra" by Richard Strauss

[@davesilkstone6912]

The music to the space plane/space station sequence is 'the blue danube' by Johann Straus II. Aparently they were still discussing what to do for the sound in this sequence and they went into the booth that the film editor was using to edit that days 'rushes', and the editor was listening to the music while he was performing the editing.

[@weebitreacts]

Oooh thanks!

[@gradepoint]

IIRC, Kubrick used Strauss to fill in the music while Jerry Goldsmith was working on the original score, but then thought Strauss' music fit so well that he decided to leave it in.

[@louismarzullo1190]

Kubrick used classical composers Johann & Richard Strauss for this soundtrack, so yes, the music came well before the film... "Lasso the moon"? Why, "It's a Wonderful Life", of course! One of your favorites? Ah Lorna, just when I thought I couldn't possibly like you any more than I already do! Has Colin seen it? Will you do a reaction? It should be an exception to the "we've already seen it" rule🌕

[@michaeltucker5805]

2010 is a sequel to 2001. it's very good and very approachable.

[@tigqc]

True science fiction is about the discovery of the unknown, which this film epitomizes. Back in the old days, long epic films would have several minutes of music play to let the audience know the movie would be starting soon so they could take their seats and be ready. 10-15 minute intermissions were included in the middle to let people go to the bathroom and such before the second part started. The presence of the Monolith is what caused the apes to begin evolving. By touching it and seeing how smooth it was compared to the rough, rocky terrain around them, the realization came into their minds that it was something that was "made." So later one of the apes had an epiphany. Basically, it was "If someone made that giant rock become smooth, what could I make this large bone into?" and figured out that he could take the animal bone and wield it as a weapon. All the consequences that came with that new knowledge followed afterwards. You'll notice the ape throws the bone into the air and then it match cuts to the future with an orbiting nuclear bomb in space in the fictional year 2001 as seen from the 1960s. It's a weapon to weapon cut. The film came out in 1968 but was so accurate in its depiction of outer space and the moon that astronauts afterwards said being on the moon made them feel like they were in the movie. As far as the ending is concerned, Kubrick stated that Dave is transported by the Monolith through a star-gate to an alien world inhabited by a god-like, higher alien intelligence. To them, Dave and the rest of Humanity at that point, are still just a more evolved version of apes (you'll notice Dr. Floyd touched the Monolith on the moon the same way the apes did millions of years prior). So, the aliens basically put Dave in a cage in a zoo to study him. You might notice in our zoos that we tend to dress the animal's cages to try and match the environments that they are used to being in to make them feel more comfortable. Kubrick said that the aliens gave it their best shot and essentially dressed Dave's cage with decor that they figured a human would find aesthetically pleasing and comfortable to live in. The off-screen noises you hear while Dave is in his cage are like the equivalent of what animals might hear when people are watching and talking about them from the opposite end of the glass. So, Dave basically lives out the rest of his life in his cage with a disjointed sense of time and then at the end he is transformed by the Monolith into a super being (officially referred to as the "Star Child") and sent back to Earth for reasons unknown.

[@weebitreacts]

Thanks for sharing this with us! Love the phrase Star Child much better than our space baby ahaha

[@louismarzullo1190]

Loved when Lorna credited Colin with his pre-watch prediction that story involved A.I. gone bad. May seem like a trifle but actually heart-warming to see couples mutually respect & support each other, without getting mushy😁

[@NoelleMar]

Also when she was right about Jupiter!

[@timothyhedrick5295]

I love this film. So much is left to interpretation at the end. My theory was always that Dave made contact with the "creators" of the obelisk and the experience was so far outside his experience as a human it is incomprehensible to us as the witnesses (who's human minds also can't comprehend such an alien experience either). Finally, the fetus shown at the end is the "new being" that Dave has evolved into from making contact. The sequel to this "2010: The Year We Make Contact" doesn't compare as a film to the first, however, helps explain a lot and confirms this interpretation. It's worth a watch for sure. Plus Hal and Dave return!

[@losmosquitos1108]

I really recommend reading all 4 novels by A.C.Clarke. It is a revelation and all‘s gonna fall into place…..

[@BigGator5]

"Open the pod bay doors, HAL." "I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that." "What's the problem?" "I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do." Fun Fact: At the beginning, the prehistorical African landscapes are just photographs and not actual clips. Family Affair Fact: The daughter of Stanley Kubrick, Vivian Kubrick, cameos as Dr. Floyd's (William Sylvester) daughter. Movie Magic Fact: Stanley Kubrick worked for several months with effects technicians to come up with a convincing effect for the floating pen in the shuttle sequence. After trying many different techniques, without success, Kubrick decided to simply use a pen that was adhered (using newly invented double-sided tape) to a sheet of glass and suspended in front of the camera. In fact, the shuttle attendant can be seen to "pull" the pen off the glass when she takes hold of it. Voice Play Fact: Frank Miller, who plays the mission control voice, was a member of the U.S. Air Force in reality and a real mission controller. He was hired because his voice was the most authentic the producers could find for the role. Inexperienced and nervous, he could not keep from tapping his foot during recording sessions, and the tapping sound repeatedly came through on the audio tracks; Stanley Kubrick folded up a towel, put it under Miller's feet and told him to tap to his heart's content. Make-Up Effect Fact: To create the facial make-up for the australopithecines, technicians first made a plastic skull substructure with a hinged jaw. After making molds of the actors' faces, the make-up men applied rubber skin to their faces and added hair one strand at a time, as if they were making a wig. Lip movements were achieved by using false teeth and tongues to hide the actors' real mouths. This freed the actors to use their tongues to operate remote controls that moved the lips. Only the actors' eyes were visible, and the masks were made up right to the eye-lids.

[@weebitreacts]

Thanks so much for all this! We have loved reading them ❤️

[@BigGator5]

You're welcome. I'm collecting the trivia for the immediate sequel, which I highly recommend. Go in Peace and Walk with God. 😎 👍

[@jerryfick613]

I worked with a dispatcher named David and got no end of pleasure in telling him "I'm sorry, Dave, I'm afraid I can not do that" Lol

[@louismarzullo1190]

I talk to myself constantly, too! We call it "thinking out loud" over here, at least I do🤓 Like "Grippy-Grabbers": You MUST trademark that, Lorna, STAT!!

[@weebitreacts]

Grippy Grabbers patent loading....

[@martinishot]

2001 began filming in 1966 before filming began of the first episode of star trek. Star Trek was the most expensive show to produce on television. But it was clear then and today that it's budget was just not sufficient at all for what they were trying to do. This has some people in later generations thinking that in mid late sixties that that's all they were capable of producing. People watching 2001 the first time are usually very shocked to see what a project of that era can do when serious money was behind it.

[@joelds1751]

Yes, came out during the Apollo moon program, space exploration was a popular topic of conversation. Also Planet of the Apes came out the same year, 68. The nuclear age, Vietnam war, space, peace and love, and warnings about technology going too far. See Colossus The Forbin Project from 1970, about AI, the warning about it.

[@lindaeasley5606]

The late 1960s were a fascinating time for escapism / SciFi films. So much going on that the films reflected

[@robocad]

The movie was released in 1968. It took a lot longer to make that MGM was comfortable with. The music at the beginning was used while people took their seats and the intermission was common back then to give people a chance to use the restroom, get snacks or a quick smoke.

[@weebitreacts]

I would love an intermission now! - Lorna

[@leslieturner8276]

The soundtrack of the film was Kubrick's temporary soundtrack that he used for editing. Another composer Alex North was hired to produce the actual soundtrack. However, Kubrick liked his soundtrack so must that he kept it and Alex North's soundtrack was never used, the parts of the soundtrack that Alex North did complete was ultimately released on a CD. Kubrick and Clarke stated if a person understood 2001 after a first viewing then they would have failed, I saw 2001 when it was released, my Father took me to see it, as he knew I was interested in space, the stargate sequence scared me and I had absolutely no idea what the hell was going on at the end. I did read Arthur C. Clarke's novel which was partly based on the screenplay. I have seen the film numerous times since, including various special screenings - one in 2001, one at the BFI south bank of the special remastered edition, I a number of different home video releases. The film itself has spawned a huge number of books that analyse and examine it, a few that I own, plus other books that consider how close are we to creating a real life HAL 9000 that demonstrates "strong AI". As for myself after my Computer Science degree I have continued to work with computer, so you could say in that respect 2001 did influence me. BTW a very strong recommendation for a more recent film that involves AI is Ex Machina.

[@weebitreacts]

Oooh loving all the information! Thanks for sharing not only that but also your story of seeing it with your father. Cheers

[@michaelg2529]

Interesting that today we're so used to seeing astronauts in zero-G that the reactors didn't even comment on the weightless effects as being a remarkable.

[@weebitreacts]

We were too busy participating in the fever dream that is this movie! We did think the effects were amazing especially for the time ^^

[@adaddinsane]

Just discovered your channels, nice one guys. So many questions to answer. The weird vocal music is called Atmospheres by the composer Ligetti, who wasn't impressed to find his music in the film because no one had asked him .... and that was because they just assumed he was dead and the music out of copyright. (Maybe not true? But it's a good story.) No CGI, all practical and model work. Kubrick worked with the SF writer and scientist Arthur C Clarke to get the details as accurate as possible (for the time). Getting hit by meteors and asteroids isn't really a thing - only in movies. Even for real asteroid belts you can fly straight through at full velocity. You won't hit anything. But micro-meteors are an issue, a grain of sand travelling at high speed.

[@weebitreacts]

Heeey! Thanks! Yeah the "Atmospheres" music was freaky 😳 Mental that they just used it and a good story if true 100%

[@malcolmdrake6137]

A point on the scaling. You have to remember their "living" deck isn't the same as the upper Control Deck, or the Space Pod Bay. Their Main deck is on its side. The "floor" is the circumference of the sphere, so they are standing on the "wall" that wraps around the ball. Overall it's a very confining ship. As far as the astronauts not tethering themselves when they go from pod to the ship, actual astronauts have discussed how confident it feels to do that, also, we have EVA Chairs, like in "The Martian", which is why that scene in The Martian is SO Annoying...I won't go over it, in case you haven't see it. 😂

[@1957Shep]

You are not supposed to completely understand the ending. Dave just encountered something much more intelligent than humans are. He sees things happening, but he doesn`t understand what he is seeing. Think of a house cat. The cat sees you doing things, like reading a book. But the cat has no comprehension of the concept of abstract communication, let alone that it could be conveyed by printed word. As far as the cat can tell, you are just blindly staring at a piece of paper. In this movie the human race is the cat. It`s not just that they don`t understand the alien monolith, it`s that they are not capable of understanding it anymore than your cat understands how electric lights work.

[@weebitreacts]

Yeah we realise now that we weren't supposed to really get the end. I really loved the movie - Lorna

[@harlanginsberg7269]

@@weebitreacts If you search on KZbin there is a clip of Stanley Kubrick explaining the end of the movie. To him it definitely meant a certain thing. I saw it a long time ago but I believe the story was the momolith represent a god-like knowledge of everything at the end was the astronaut becoming that Godlike energy (seeing himself at all ages of his life).. I could definitely be wrong but thats what I remember. If you are truly interested you could probably google youtube for the interview.

[@TTM9691]

Awwww, this is not an easy movie to "react" to, you guys did a great job! Listen: it was NEVER a movie every single person loved! I'm happy you knew going in a little bit what to expect. It's one of the only movies I don't send people blind into! Great American accents, by the way! And I see you quoted Jimmy Stewart in "It's A Wonderful Life". And a good impression of him it was!

[@weebitreacts]

Thanks so much! Honestly I really enjoyed this, the ending was of course a wild ride but I keep thinking about how creepy HAL was and think Kubrick absolutely nailed that. Also 10 points!! Lorna

[@TTM9691]

@@weebitreacts Just so you know: not all Kubrick movies are slow, this was obviously deliberately slow to give you the sense of space, but his next movie - the demented and disturbing "A Clockwork Orange" (also futuristic and dystopian) - moves very fast. That might be TOO disturbing of a movie though!!

[@TheNeonRabbit]

Next up: the sequel: "2010: The Year We Make Contact" (1984) It answers lots of questions. It's paced like a modern movie and I promise it makes sense.

[@weebitreacts]

Thanks for the recommendation 😀

[@losmosquitos1108]

@@weebitreactssecond it… 👍

[@vplusah]

I really love this movie. I read that Kubrick didn't know how exactly to show aliens, and Carl Sagan advised him not to show them at all, but only to hint that they exist. And this causes a really creepy reaction - you don’t see them, but you know that they are there and they are completely different from you. And this is what delights and frightens at the same time.

[@michaelbuhl4250]

If the movie is about human evolution, then the baby at the end would represent the next stage of that evolution. My guess is that the baby is the result of the merging of human kind (in the person of Dave) with the forces that have guided us (the monoliths). What I've always liked about the movie is the role of tools. It begins with the discovery of tools, which allows us to evolve to our modern state. Then we reach a point where tools become so sophisticated that there is a conflict in which either we overcome our tools or they overcome us.

[@losmosquitos1108]

If you think about it: there was a composer named Richard Strauss, writing „Also sprach Zarathustra“ in 1895. would he have thought, that 73 years later it would be known by millions and associated with space travel? 😊

[@tbirdparis]

You guys should also try out the film A.I. which was (more or less) a Kubrick/Spielberg collaboration. It's not quite as out there in terms of being something in between a movie and an art installation like 2001 can be at times, but it definitely deals with similarly big and hefty themes about existence and the future of humanity. It's a very underrated film. In fact, it's the _only_ film where the legendary film critic Mark Kermode actually (quire recently) made an apology for the review he gave it when it came out, admitting he really didn't get it at the time and in retrospect had come to realise what a masterpiece it really is.

[@NoelleMar]

AI is an interesting one. I liked it far more than I expected. Don’t think it’s a spoiler to note the Pinocchio themes!

[@stevesheroan4131]

Maybe the only movie ever made that is nearly impossible to “spoil”. You can tell someone everything they are going to see and they will still not know what to expect.

[@weebitreacts]

Haha yeah exactly! You could try to spoil and still fail 😂

[@Curien247]

The reason for HAL killing everybody will be explained in the sequel. 2010: the year we make contact.

[@zaftra]

it was explained in the film.

[@subversivelysurreal3645]

Is It’s A Wonderful Life wonderful? ‘Lasso the moon’ is what James Stewart said in Bedford Falls, but what a creepy film! Essentially plastics, a petroleum by product, gets them out of hot water. If at the end you’re not wondering why they don’t give back all of the money from their neighbors, then you’re missing something big.

[@malcolmdrake6137]

The classical music was used for filler, for studio screening of scenes, until the soundtrack could be completed. The soundtrack was completed late and the first public screenings kept this music, and Kubrick liked it and decided not to use the finished soundtrack, which is available on youtube (or it Was, before youtube became such a propaganda platform, so it might be gone now). The classical music has helped to make 2001 such an iconic film.

[@eschiedler]

I want my 10 points for "It's a Wonderful Life" line "I'll lasso the moon"

[@weebitreacts]

Take them 10 points!!

[@malcolmdrake6137]

And one last post. The three main points Kubrick was making with this film are 1) Human evolution had a "jump" through Alien intervention. (See Zachariah Sitchins work) 2) We have far more advanced technology to go into space than is known. And it is easy to make convincing film. 3) That when humans begin to explore the stars, we will be like children (the fetus, at the end) when we take our first steps.

[@weebitreacts]

Thank you for sharing all you have! We Do appreciate it, really interesting

[@maxmarkus6202]

Thank you for this reaction. I think on KZbin a short extract from a radio interview with Kubrick in which he explained the ending is available.

[@weebitreacts]

Ooh thanks! We will check it out

[@iliketostayhome]

The Dawn of Man, Space Travel, Artificial Intelligence, Metaphysical Ascension. I don't think it's too many movies in one. I hope this grows on you in time. I appreciate a film that makes you think and wonder. Spoon fed is suitable most if the time, but it's nice to be challenged and with so much style and foresight. Enjoying the channel. Love that I can't understand you sometimes ❤️

[@weebitreacts]

I really liked the movie, the ending was a little out there but I defo liked it - Lorna

[@mrtveye6682]

@pixiesyay So true. I love straight, easy to follow movies too. But now and then, something that really leaves you with just a lot to think about, to come to your own conclusions, is great too. I saw 2001 first when I was about 12-13 and expected some classic SciFi, like space battles and stuff. It was completely over my head. But watching it again some years later, I started to appreciate it more and more with every rewatch. It's more of a meditation and a trip about being human than really a "genre movie". And I think it's sad that there are not more movies theses days that dare to be "different" and "challenging" for the viewer. Sure, you have to be in the right mood to watch such stuff, it's not an easy watch. But if you can let loose and be there just for the ride, it's awsome. Another movie that to me has a similar vibe is "Apocalypse Now". On the surface, a Vietnam War movie, but so much more.

[@jontastic]

This was the pioneer of what scientists thought space travel would be like. The first moon landing was less than a year before this film. For the moon missions and space shuttles, nasa would show how the various systems worked. So the lingering is to let people see what space travel is like. For modern films, Avatar lingers on landscapes, etc to give people more of a unique experience. This film is more science fact than science fiction films like Star Wars, Star Trek, etc.

[@saintpatrick7673]

The film actually came out in 1968 (a year before the moon landing), the intro song was also originally from 2001 (but literally every other movie stole the song and the sequence *Barbie/Toy Story* and others). The U.S. and the U.S.S.R. actually have/did have a space plane called shuttles named the STS-1 Columbia and the Soviet Buran respectivly, like in the movie. The U.S is currently making a new one called the X-37, the song that was playing during the flight scene was created by Johann Strauss II and the songs name is the Danube Walts it was made in 1867.

[@stevetheduck1425]

The intro music (titles, not the overture) is 'Sunrise' from 'Also Sprach Zarathustra' a tone poem, an early 20th century classical / experimental piece. Much of the other music is classical; 'On the Beautiful Blue Danube', or 'The Gayaneh Ballet Suite', but the most extraordinary music is by Ligeti, 'Atmsopsheres', amongst others.

[@yeahOkayrecords]

Aww, I remember when my dad used to take me to the movies and we went to an oldschool cinema that still had an interval/intermission. Needless to say it was a long time ago now. It was his favourite bit as a lady used come round with ice creams on a little trolly. A bit like on a plane 😂 great stuff

[@mrwidget42]

Well, first off this film came out in 1968, one year before Apollo 11 landed on the moon, so this is Kubrick and Clarke's idea of what would be happening 33 years afterward. The moon monolith is the very one that taught our ancestors about tools and such. So when it was dug up the scene shows the first time it was exposed to sunlight in 4M years. This was the point. The actual aliens wanted to know definitively when humankind achieved the next stage of development by actually living in space. Humans will never grow until we actually leap out of the cradle we're in.

[@dominicschaeffer909]

The black screen at the start is us looking at the monolith on its side. the soundtrack is us hearing it.

[@brianmatthews1736]

I enjoyed this reaction by you guys much more than the first one I viewed. "2001 A space Odyssey" was meant to make you as an audience/person think, and have a dialogue, and it worked for you guys. The monoliths were representatives of an alien race who were creationists. They looked for planets where life was becoming sentient, and advanced enough to go on to another phase. The monoliths were sentinels, they monitored, and did communications, and gave man a reason to be curious, and gave them a push to explore and learn, and to evolve on to another phase of evolution...IF you guys choose to watch the sequel to this one... "2010 the year we make contact" that movie answers a TON of questions that this one left you with as a viewer. It basically tells us what the people of the monolith were planning. I won't tell you why, but HAL isn't really bad, watch the sequel "2010, the year we make contact" for WHY he really wasn't bad.

[@k1productions87]

"HAL's a liar" Yes, and that is exactly what he is not supposed to be capable of doing. What happens when you tell a computer who cannot distort information to deliberately withhold information from the crew? Essentially a mechanical paradox.

[@robocad]

If you notice, all of the areas that are in zero gravity, there are black straps and panels so that the boots can grip and keep the astronaut secured to the floor. Only the spinning centerfuge has normal gravity.

[@weebitreacts]

Oooh didn't notice that!

[@seansmith7252]

“Lasso the moon.” It’s a wonderful life.

[@DavidHayes56]

Imagine the 1st race to reach a space age and feeling lonely as a species. They build a 'highway system' through the universe entered through the large slabs in different solar systems. The slabs are like a universal machine that can do anything required of them. Finding no other races, they start a program to drop monitors on planets that look promising. Did the race that started this project die out and leave the monitors to function by themselves? Did they evolve and not really focus on the project anymore? No one knows. So, if the slab notices a species with the possibility to evolve, it pushes it in a direction to evolve. Then they provide puzzles to test if the species is ready to go forward and evolve further. The monolith on the Earth probably got lost to time or moved elsewhere once its task was completed. The one on the moon was buried. Test 1: Get to the moon. Test 2: Be able to detect the field it emanated and dig it up. Test 3: Be able to realize that the signal it sends when discovered points them towards Jupiter. Now the species has to be able to get to Jupiter. Once there, a member of the species is taken through the interstellar highway system to a place where the person is allowed to live out its natural life while its evolution is determined. Then the person is transformed and sent back to observe and monitor the species further. Despite being greatly evolved, this new being is still basically no more than a pet or lap-dog compared to the beings that started the project. Not to spoil the 2060 movie, but HAL and another species is found as alternative species to humans for future control of Earth's solar system and further evolution/education.

[@lunacougar]

It was 1968, the scenes started shooting in 1966! Three years before the Moon Landing. I was glued to my seat the entire movie, some numbsculls walked out but i got it first time.

[@kimpanattoni]

The best summary of this movie is given in the movie 5-25-77 by Patrick Read Johnson. These themes are all expanded upon throughout that movie, and there is a very complete explanation of what this movie means. And it is a good movie, too. 😉 But the explanation is completely accurate according to both Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke.

[@eZTarg8mk2]

Kubrick pretty much exclusively used music that had been written before that he'd thenselect to fit the mood of the scenes, rather than having music written for the films. The 3 minutes of black screen in the beginning middle and end of the film has a purpose. The monolith is a sort of teaching device, (rotate it 90 degrees and you'll see what it's representing) and you are watching one with this movie. There's a surface story of aliens "helping" us advance, firstly by teaching early man to use tools, later leaving a monolith somewhere we'd have to have developed space travel to find, then reach their third one where the human who finds it is transformed into a higher lifeform. When they find the second, the alarm goes off when the lense flare aligns with the camera filming the monolith..sort of a feedback loop of our screen (or monolith) lining up with the monolith on screen. There's several subtly different stories happening at the same time depending on the cues you follow, one that's very optimistic about space travel but some accidents like the computer malfunctioning happen, another where the world you are seeing is deeply cynical, secretive and authoritarian, and another that is a 4th wall breaking commentary on cinema, Kubrick's anti authoritarian world view, and cinema's power to teach and expand peoples' minds or conversely brainwash them, with the Dave character becoming aware of being within a movie and breaking out of it's confines (that last one might feel like a reach, but the film has a lot of visual references to film reels and other processes of film making, like the trippy stargate sequence using the colour grades from the films previous scenes...like an abstract sped up blur of the movie we've just seen. The original cut even had a moment where the film literally breaks and stutters when Dave reaches for the border of the screen he's within...that got cut as too many audience viewers complained that the film they'd watch was broken). There's an interesting subtlety with Frank's death. You're not shown the pod hitting him, and as the pod turns round a reflection of something kinda rock shaped shoots past, so it's possible HAL was trying to save Frank from being hit, rather than killing him. It's one of the things i love about Kubrick's films is that he does leave scenes very ambiguous but with enough cues to piece together a coherent interpretation that tracks. Your comment about Dave possibly being in the cryogenic capsule is very on point. The Jupiter sequence is very blurry and dreamlike, and each little shot of dave shaking is described in the revival process for those sleep capsules (there's a shot of the instructions earlier and what he experiences follows that sequence)

[@stevetheduck1425]

The blank three minutes is the 'overture' which plays before the lights go down and the curtain rises. It is part of the movie and comes before the MGM logo, this ve3rsion designed especially for this film, by the way. Yes, Kubrick often designed and shot his movies to fit inside the shape of a movie screen. Even the space helmets in 2001 fit this; though as most astronauts have discovered, being able to see up is very useful, especially when in zero-g conditions.

[@NoelleMar]

But honestly, I do feel so sorry for HAL as he fades away. It’s the eeriest thing. He becomes childlike again, singing the first song he learned so to speak. It’s extremely “human,” in a way like when he was bargaining for his life. In a way, he is just this simple almost childlike thing. Or it’s like we see through the film, many stages of man as an individual and a species. I like your note about the planet at the end being faintly reminiscent of earth at the beginning, which is sort of in line with the er embryo we see after Dave ages. An older memory becomes more predominant. He seems to be afraid and slows down. And then it’s like we experience someone’s death from inside, hearing their last breath and experiencing their last thoughts. 🔴

[@NoelleMar]

And I hadn’t noticed the mush being the food he eats at the end! Well you do have some idea if you think about it. Or some ideas. You came up with many of them while watching! You don’t need to have a single answer to what a piece of art means. You don’t need to like it. But not needing or delivering that isn’t necessarily overestimating or being self-indulgent. It can be or it can feel that way to you. But no, you don’t NEED to do anything in a movie. When it came out, a few people described it as more of a ballet than a film. We need to have a variety of movies as we do music and painting etc. Of course this could have been three far (ok somewhat) more traditional films. But it wasn’t, and that’s what makes it special.

[@Matej_Sojka]

Point of the movie is that any contact with a higher civilization would be so far removed from our experience we would have no frame of reference for it. What basically happened is that aliens took a sample of humanity for testing and further improvement and then sent the result back home. As we might with lab animals. They wanted to know how we ended up due to their meddling with our development at the dawn of man.

[@robocad]

There is an Easter egg in Star Wars Episode 1 the phantom menace. In Watto's junk yard, one of the Pods can be seen in the background amongst a pile of other junk. A pod also shows up in the background of Ready Player One in the garage scene.

[@altaclipper]

At the very end, the Starchild whichmwas the higher evolution of man was rturned to earth and he detonated all the satellite-based weapons that were orbiting the planet. It's in the book, but Kubrik didn't feel any pressure to make it clear. He didn't feel any pressure to expalin anything at all, actually.

[@csw3287]

The First Monolith, TMA-0, which You see at the beginning was discovered buried under rock in Africa in 2513.

[@chrismartino3519]

The big baby in space is the next evolution of man. apes turned into man, man turned into space baby.

[@user-fl1dj7hx5n]

A Clockwork Orange & Dr. Strangelove are both Kubrick classics.

[@mark-nm4tc]

Kubrick never went to Africa, he sent a stills photography unit. The ape scenes were all done in a studio on a very brightly lit set with the African backgrounds front-projected onto a screen. And that zebra?....a dead horse painted with stripes. Apparently, it stank pretty bad!

[@kzintilord6145]

The lesson of the movie is simple: Don't go to Jupiter unless you want to become a giant space baby. -- Right. Now you can tick that off your list.

[@weebitreacts]

Right!? I don't think I'll be off to Jupiter any time soon

[@robertblades6209]

2001:A Space Odyssey came out in theaters in 1968 and lasted until 1972.

[@weebitreacts]

Oh really! That's nutty - thanks for sharing

[@philipturner9087]

No CGI No Internet came out 1968 1 year before Armstrong set foot on the moon. It was still in the cinemas 3 years later in 1972 . ..

[@motodork]

This film was released in 1968. There is no CGI. Everything is practical effects.

[@weebitreacts]

Incredible 💛

[@eschiedler]

Before home video, movies in cinema often had "overtures" or music before they started as people settled into the experience after the lights dimmed.

[@portland-182]

Big movies used to have an overture while the audience came in and sat down. Long films also used to have an intermission for a snack opportunity. West Side Story is another example. You can skip if you have physical media as they have chapters. 'Planes into space' 1981 the space shuttle. It about aliens uplifting the apes and moving evolution on. 4 million years ago they alter vegetarian apes into tool using meat eaters. They leave a solar powered 'alarm' buried on the moon. The alarm will trigger when it is dug up, meaning the apes have enough technology to get to the moon and trigger the alarm. They take an evolved ape 'Dave' and uplift him further into a being that can live in space unaided. It's a baby, suggesting more growth is to come.

[@weebitreacts]

I would 100% love an intermission to go to the bathroom. I always drink so much at the cinema - Lorna

[@gradepoint]

Embrace the uncertainty of the ending. 🙂 Some movies are left intentionally ambiguous, and our uncertainty of the origins of our species, space travel and extra terrestrial life certainly fit well with this enigmatic ending.

[@robocad]

There are a lot of interpretation in this film that you can read online. The end in my mind is about Dave being observed in an alien zoo. He was placed in an environment the Aliens figured would be comfortable and familiar to Dave. Like we do in zoos around the world. The rebirth at the end represents the next step in our evolution. Thw monolith shows up every time mankind stagnated and needs a little push. The apes and tools to fight over the water source for example.

[@Roller-Ball]

Kubrick's movies are to make you think and provoke a conversation about what you have just seen. Dam. Now I have to think about what to say about Kubrick movies.

[@lagseova]

They aren't guessing. Just from their comments you know they've seen this before. Otherwise no way would they know about HAL or the monolith on the moon.

[@johnnie2638]

There was no CGI back in the 60s when this film was made. All fx were practical. The pig-like animals are called Tapirs.

[@stevetheduck1425]

Even the computer screen information was animation, projected onto the screen backs.

[@grodesby3422]

At a guess the light show etc at the end is meant to represent a technological environment beyond our understanding, just as the middle bit would have been beyond the ape's understanding. Presumably the overall story was the monolith transformating the apes into equally violent humans into a giant space baby, which maybe is peaceful at last.

[@itsmedrooms6071]

Unfortunately because of copyright concerns and KZbin in general this kind of format just doesn’t work anymore unless it’s just an advertisement for Patreon content which most of these reactions are at this point.

[@robovike]

The Sharks touched the Monolith and it gave them an intellectual leap to kosh tech, The Jets didn't get a Monolith meet and greet, so they didn't progress. You're not wrong about the proto-human pivot to weaponry: before the Monolith, we see them as potential prey to predators and hiding out in caves, awake and kinda scared of what might be out there. The bone toss to spaceship cut is maybe the best flash-forward in cinematic history. Famed film critic for The New York Times Pauline Kael kind of trashed this movie when it came out, but it's stood the test of time and many people revere it as one of the best films of the 20th century.

[@atro-city]

"saebskhraib and raeng da bail" 😂 I'm sorry, I had to.

[@diogenesagogo]

This film will never leave you.

[@ATN2USN]

I am subscribing because you chose to watch this film so early in the life of your channel. I saw this in the theatre when first released and I still have questions about this film. Thanks for doing this one. If you want to watch another esoteric sci-fi film check out "The Last Starfighter"

[@weebitreacts]

Heeey thanks for the sub, the kind words and the suggestion. Welcome in 😊

[@positivelynegative9149]

Interesting. I would not put 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Last Starfighter in the same category. 🤔 Both good films, though.

[@RandyHall324]

Fun fact: The name HAL was derived from IBM (each letter in HAL is just the previous letter alphabetically). Enjoyed your reactions!

[@weebitreacts]

ooh I like that! Thanks for the info!

[@Otokichi786]

I saw this Film Experience in the same ex-Cinerama theater that would show "Star Wars" (1977), "Alien" (1979), and "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981). We begin with Early Man, specifically a less successful Ape band that reacts to The Monolith and becomes The Killer Ape, taking over the water hole. "Modern Man" made orbiting satellites, described as armed with nuclear weapons in Arthur C. Clarke's novelization. Looking back from 2023, where are the commercial space liners? Where's "the wheel in space" station? Where's the Moon base? Oh well, space travel is done by robots, instead. The OST made of "place holder" Classical music compositions became a Pop music sensation. For a time, Richard Strauss' "Also Spracht Zarathustra" became an audio "something big is about to happen" theme in movies of the time.

[@weebitreacts]

Would have loved to have seen all those movies on release. I was born in the mid 80s so watch them all in the 90s on VHS 📼 - Lorna

[@Otokichi786]

@@weebitreacts Movie revivals happend all the time. If one comes to a theater near you, don't hesitate to "see the big picture.";)

[@Mantikal]

The intro is designed for people filing into a movie theater and settling themselves

[@TheNeonRabbit]

In 1968 most people smoked cigarettes and you couldn't smoke in the actual theater, only in the lobby. If a movie was longer than 90 minutes or so they had to either give people an intermission to go have a smoke or resign yourself to the fact that much of the audience won't really be paying attention to the last part of the movie.

[@stevetheduck1425]

Films are also designed to the average bladder capacity. 80 to 90 minutes for a film without an intermission.

[@zhubajie6940]

There is no more a single dark side of the moon than the dark side of the earth. The dark side of any body, that is shaded from the sun, we call it night.

[@tonyharmon8512]

You are both hitting on bits of the story in your intro. Where you are wrong however is that the movie was released in 1968, one year before man had walked on the moon. What you see in all the space shots is what they imagined in some of the earliest days of spaceflight. While the timeline is too short the ideas are actually pretty accurate. This is also before the days of CGI so all of the effects are basically all practical effects and are some of the best ever done.

[@kennyteeology3526]

Of course the end was very popular in the 1960's as it simulated tripping on drugs. To this day, people get high or drunk to watch that sequence.

[@mikebrown7799]

Hi Lorna & Colin!🙂I waited until I was in the mood for this one, as I know it is spacey.😉Oh Lorna, that is from "It's a Wonderful Life". A classic ahead of its time. There was very little space stuff on TV and movies in 1968. The original "Lost in Space" TV series was airing, but that was not very serious. I believe it was in the 60s and 70s that they had intermission breaks at the movie theaters for long films, so people could get food or use the restrooms without missing anything. It definitely leaves a lot of unanswered questions. Nice reactions kids, I wasn't sure how you would feel about this one!!!!🎬👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽There is a sequel "2010: The Year We Make Contact" (1984)

[@weebitreacts]

Hey pal! 10 points to you for it's a wonderful life. Lorna loves it so much, she makes us all watch it at least once a year... sometimes two haha.

[@losmosquitos1108]

Guys, just to be clear, in 1968 there was no such thing as CGI. Computers were big as rooms, slower than the worst gaming potato of the 90s and had a few kilobytes of RAM! They could do basic algebra and calculate, but no graphical work like rendering. Everything you saw here was practically done with purely optical tricks and mechanical contraptions…. Like miniatures, rotoscoping and slit screen photography. What a work and challenge. Kubrick at his finest… 🫢

[@kennyteeology3526]

The "wrong scale" effect is because of a phenomenon called "Forced Perspective" where objects that are far away seem to be just as close as objects nearby because of the the two-dimensional screen. This is more prominent in space where there are no other objects in view to compare the size of familiar object to. The makers of the Lord of the Rings movies use forced perspective very well to make people that are similar in size seem very short or tall compared to each other. This was probably done on purpose in the movie, 2001, under the guidance of scientist and author, Arthur C. Clarke, who wrote the novel at the same time.

[@bryanhorswell3772]

Fun Fact main theme tune was also for Ric Flair two different versions of it when he was in wwe early days then later on during his time

[@weebitreacts]

Oooh really? Wooooo

[@zburnham]

From what we know, it's estimated that a human can withstand exposure to vacuum for roughly 30 seconds. Holding your breath is actually a bad idea, because the air is going to come out of your lungs one way or another when the pressure drops, and a lot of the ways it comes out are not survivable. it's a stretch that Dave was able to do that, but it's in line with Frank And Dave being the most highly evolved humans that exist (witness their cool detachment, even under great stress, their double PhD status, their IMMACULATE grooming in every shot). My idea (no idea if anyone shares it) is that it's logical to assume the most highly evolved humans that exist are necessary for the next jump into the Star Child stage of human evolution. It's really the clean-shaven thing that is most visually striking. Best chance to see it is HAL reading Frank and Dave's lips.

[@weebitreacts]

Oooh thanks for the extra information! We always loved reading everyone's insights and expertise! 💖💖

[@eschiedler]

As a film fan, I'm here for the movie. As an American, I am staying for the accent! All in good spirit. Carry on.

[@DanJackson1977]

Hippies used to drop acid, then lay down at the front of the theater.. so that when it would kick in, it would be right around the star gate sequence. I wouldnt use LSD but Mushrooms would enhance this movie

[@randybass8842]

It's a Wonderful Life! George Bailey! Oh boy, 10 points!😂

[@weebitreacts]

Get those 10 points! HOTDOG!

[@macroman52]

I am sure glad I wasn't sitting behind these two chatterboxes when I saw it on the big screen in 1971.

[@weebitreacts]

Well we wouldn't be filming a reaction to it in a cinema...... That would be just silly.

[@ErikS101]

I subscribed to you because you’re Scottish. My ex wife is from The Glasgow area (Lanarkshire) and I learned to love the accent. I used to think it was kind of harsh. 2001 a space odyssey is amazing. It was made starting around when i was born 1967. Where are you located. When you said “I got such a fright” made me laugh because i used to hear that a lot😅😅.

[@weebitreacts]

Heeey welcome in! We are both from Glasgow. It's nice to have you on board ^^

[@MaikKellerhals]

I think you're actually supposed to "not get it" at the end. I'm not sure even Kubrick himself knew exactly what everything meant. He tries to convey a feeling, an idea. The next step in human evolution. It's impossible for us to understand. Only Dave understands. That's at least what I think, and if nothing else that's what this does. It makes you think

[@weebitreacts]

Yeah 100% gets you thinking!

[@TheNeonRabbit]

17:28 The zero-gravity toilet on the real International space station is basically a vacuum hose

[@weebitreacts]

Oh is it!? 🙈😂

[@stevetheduck1425]

No, it's ten paragraphs (this is a joke) about how to use a 'dalkron eliminator', without telling you what one is, and how to take a shower without breathing in water, and where to put your towels and eliminators afterwards. It was published as an image in 'The Lost Worlds of 2001' one of the first movie tie-in books, that covered the making quite well, even including different takes on the script. Kubrick liked a joke. It's also suggestive that as calm as Floyd is, he hasn't flown in space before... But as we know, now people are too cool to read the instructions. Those poor stewardesses.

[@positivelynegative9149]

Certainly not a film for everyone. 🤣 Good reaction & commentary. 👍

[@weebitreacts]

Thanks lovely as always!

[@csw3287]

Loved the 4 books.. 2001, 2010, 2061, and 3001

[@MicahMann]

My fave movie of all-time. Very deep and thought provoking. Glad you guys appreciated it. You should explore more Stanley Kubrick films. He was brilliant. Enjoy!

[@darena55]

No CGI in 1968!

[@neutrino78x]

I love this movie, it's one of my favorites! There was also a 2010: Odyssey Two. And Arthur C. Clarke continued the book series, but I believe 1 and 2 were the only ones made into movies. 🙂 If they ever show this movie in IMAX in Great Britain, that would be the best way to see it. I'm not old enough to have seen it when it first came out (my dad is a baby boomer, I'm generation X!), but when I was in the Navy I saw it at the Cinerama in Seattle, which is a huge movie screen also but unfortunately it ended up being closed down. But I think there is an original size IMAX at least in London. You gotta keep an eye out for any announcements that they are going to show it again in theaters....it does happen from time to time! 🙂