Monday, April 2, 2018

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY 50TH & JUPITER MOON TONIGHT

Hey Space Placers!

50 years ago today, April 2, 1968, was the world premier of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey at the Hollywood Grauman's Chinese Theater.

I saw it at Grauman's and it was just incredible. It is my number 1 movie of all time. When I saw it in summer 1968 (school was out) I drove to Hollywood - my first time there. Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) was called in during the end of the movie due to some in the audience "tripping" on LSD, presumably caused by the sequence where Dave Bowman is being transported from Jupiter orbit to who knows where/when.

The sets used in '2001' are still unsurpassed. These were not computer generated - it was gorgeous paintings and spacecraft models. The view of the Earth from low earth orbit is easily surpassed today by movies such as 'Gravity' BUT NO ONE has captured the beauty and majesty of the Pan Am Clipper on final approach to the orbiting and rotating space station or the WONDER of the Moon's surface and the subsurface Moon base.



2001 is making a limited return to theaters in May 2018.

The National Air and Space Museum will have a special 2001 exhibit from April 8 - May 28, 2018.

 I am watching '2001' tonight on my Blu Ray. I will feel the longing to be on the Moon when I see the artistry and scenery depicted in the movie.

Jupiter figures prominently in the movie as well.

So tonight take a look in the SE at the Waning Gibbous Moon that is right above brilliant Jupiter around midnight. Think of the spaceship Discovery flying to Jupiter from Earth and encountering the monolith.........

See the movie. You'll be glad you did.

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