The Making of Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey

1968 was a landmark year for Science Fiction cinema. It was the year that brought us two of the genre's most enduring and compelling films of the 20th century: Planet of the Apes and 2001: A Space Odyssey. I was a mere six-years-old when I saw 2001, and while I didn't grasp the enormous complexity of its cosmically challenging plot at the time, I found enough in its futuristic imagery and later cat-and-mouse game with the malfunctioning HAL-9000, to hold my attention 'til the end. 2001's design and effects were state of the art in the late '60s, and it was this film that built the foundation for other films to come, especially the original Star Wars. This is a fantastic look into the art and innovations that Stanley Kubrick and his team perfected to make the possibility of interplanetary travel and exploration seem all too real. And that other movie from 1968? Planet of the Apes? Well, I saw that later in the same year... and loved it. But that's a story for another day. ~Marty