Today we have the luxury of enjoying any number of big budget science fiction films. For younger fans it’s easy to take this for granted. But some of us remember when this was not the case. Along the way to our present state of science fiction and fantasy reigning at the box office, various gems served as stepping stones. One of the films that made the contemporary situation possible was 2001: A Space Odyssey which set new standards for special effects as well as the story, based on the book by Arthur C. Clarke.
i09 and Cinefantastique Online are reporting that Douglas Trumbull who supervised the special effects for 2001, is working on a documentary on the film titled 2001: Beyond the Infinite: The Making of a Masterpiece. It will include never-before-seen photographs and production drawings, and interviews with those involved with the film that will insert them into sets from the classic feature. This will be a welcome addition to documentaries on science fiction.
Watching this film at various times over the years, I feel that ti’s not all of a piece. I liked some parts better than others. I like the opening “Dawn of Man” sequence, and especially the last part, “Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite.” When I first saw it, I had no idea what it meant, but was blown away nevertheless–it was a wonderful surrealistic vision. For some reason, I found the long middle part, “The Jupiter Mission,” less interesting. It didn’t seem to have much to do with the overall theme of the film–humanity’s contact with, and manipulation, by extraterrestrial intelligence. It seemed a long detour whose main purpose was to get the ship (and the movie) from here to there.
In any case, the movie has reawakened my interest in Arthur . Clarke, whose science fiction always bears re-reading.