Jumpin said:
You're not alone—I didn’t watch the film until relatively recently, although I remember my father watching it a few times when I was a kid (he’s a big Kubrick fan). Fair warning so you know what you're getting into: this is not a typical "movie"/rollercoaster-type Hollywood film. 2001 is an interpretive art piece and has elements of slow cinema (think Jean Dielman). While there are a few dramatic arcs in it, they’re not the focus. Think of other art films like Fantasia, The Wall, or Blowup (or really anything by Antonioni). Think of it as the cinematic version of music. I’d also recommend watching the film before reading the book - if you plan on reading the book - because the book is less a work of interpretive art and more an explicit narrative. And if you end up enjoying the book, in my opinion, Clarke’s Childhood’s End is the superior work—and it’s also the main inspiration for the PlayStation game Xenogears. When it comes to 2001, I've been watching this sequence of films: 2001 → Alien → The Thing → Aliens. There is a bit of a thematic continuity, and also a logical progression of style from a more artistic film into a Hollywood blockbuster style film. |
That sounds brilliant; since I started writing more seriously myself, I've discovered the medium in a whole new way. I no longer simply watch things, I experience them, and it's such an amazing way of watching movies and shows. I can watch movies for the visual spectacle alone, soundtracks have much more impact, and good writing sends shivers down my spine. Acting has also taken on new dimensions through this lens.
The Alien movies are among my favorites on the 4K format as well, their use of practical effects lends it a timeless look. And the crushing atmosphere (especially of the first two movies in the series) is still more or less unmatched.
Even Jurassic Park survived the tooth of time in 4K, Spielberg was genius in his decision to go half-and-half on effects. It still looks great!
