2001: A Space Odyssey - Zavvi Exclusive Limited Edition Steelbook (2000 Only)

FINALLLYYY

Still a great film, first saw it when it originally came out. Still love it.

Perfect.

Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, the greatest science-fiction film ever made.The plot: extra-terrestrial guidance, via ANCIENT MONOLITH, shapes Mankind in preparation for his next stage of evolution. For many, it's the quintessential love-it or hate-it experience. Celluloid Marmite - there is just no in-between with this 50+ year old highbrow epic, based on a short story by Arthur C. Clarke.THE DAWN OF MAN - Set in Africa, it's an opening sequence with a lot of low-browed monkey business set amid beautiful, expansive desert-terrain vistas. In reality, it was actually filmed against front-projected backdrops at an outdoor studio amid the unrelenting traffic of Shepherd's Bush. And not for one second is it remotely noticeable.Then, as we reach outer space, and fractured bone becomes brushed metal, pinpoints of stars twinkle like never before, the exterior cladding of ships, satellites and moon shuttles rendered with similar clarity to allow us the ultimate space vehicle inspection tour. And isn't THE USS DISCOVERY one of the most beautifully designed ships of all? This from a Classic Star Trek fan.JUPITER AND BEYOND THE INFINITE is where we get to take the ultimate trip in every sense. This is where the high-definition image really earns its money and it's the showcase moment let loose in all its glory, a sequence that had much the same effect when I saw it many years ago in 70mm Cinerama (it even managed to render the gobs of a group of uncomprehending teenagers at the back of the auditorium silent, no mean feat).Soundwise, the dialogue (what there is) is well placed, right down to the oft-present oxygen hiss in the EVA sequences, or the infamous moment when astronaut DAVE BOWMAN literally pulls the plug on the "incapable of error" HAL 9000 series. I wonder whether Daisy would have had such a heartless response to his distortion of information? Shall we find out?"HAL?""YES, DAISY?""I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU MY ANSWER""OH, DO TELL""YOU DISTORTED INFORMATION, HAL...NOT ACCEPTABLE""BUT DAISY, I HAD TO""SAYS WHO?""WELL, IT'S COMPLICATED...""OMG, YOU REALLY ARE HALF-CRAZY. STUFF THE 'BICYCLE MADE FOR TWO', I'M CALLING UBER RIGHT NOW. END OF. AND DON'T COME LOOKING FOR ME""DAISY!""GOODBYE, HAL""DAISEEE...!!!"Music is also used sparingly but to brilliant effect. For example, STRAUSS's THE BLUE DANUBE and KHACHATURIAN's haunting GAYNE'S ADAGIO sound wonderful and complement perfectly their out-of-this-world setting (a quite audacious leap of faith on the director's part, incidentally, seeing as both pieces were only intended for use as guide tracks on the rough cut). But it's the extras, of course, that ultimately make this steelbook edition worth purchasing. Check them out, they provide considerable background information on every aspect of the film-making process and, quite literally if unsurprisingly, do exactly what it says on the tin.So, in the right mood - and, admittedly, you REALLY do have to be in the right mood - this film is a genuine masterpiece by a visionary director and should be seen by everyone at least once. A year.UNRESERVEDLY RECOMMENDED

2001: A Space Odyssey is one of my all-time favourite films, I’ve seen it many times over the years but I still can’t say I fully understand it – not that it matters, this isn’t a film you expect outright entertainment from, instead it’s more of a cinematic experience. Kubrick himself said that the film was designed to penetrate an inner level of consciousness and he goes beyond the simple use of music and visuals to create an atmosphere (no pun intended). The film invokes a sense of wonder and appears to be beyond the scope of human understanding, it reaches beyond our species and spans humanity from its prehistoric beginnings to what may be the next stage of our development, the slow progress of evolution catalysed by an extra-terrestrial presence.The film contains events which remain unexplained, the strange happenings are left open to interpretation and that makes 2001 unique for every viewer – as I’ve grown older (but not *that* old) my interpretation of the film has changed and I have my own views on any message it contains. The science-fiction element clearly benefits from the being co-written with Arthur C Clarke, a giant of the genre, and the Sci-Fi parts of the film look as incredible now as they did then. Although the film is undoubtedly challenging to watch, it remains realistic despite the more ethereal moments and this is mainly due to the realistic feel of the science behind the fiction. The vacuum of space, artificial gravity and the functional rather than futuristic look of the technology are among many other elements which make this stand out from other science-fiction films, making it easy to take events seriously and that helps to build any sense of peril. HAL 9000 is an incredible presence, the glowing ‘eye’ and the gentle voice are used to maximum effect; though only a computer behaving as per its coding you can’t help but feel a cold menacing presence behind it, even more surprising is the tear HAL brings to your eye when going a bit “Daisy, Daisy”. Never before has the deactivation of a computer felt so emotional, and as the circuits are switched off you almost can’t bear to hear the childlike innocence of a pleading machine aware of its own death.This Blu-Ray release is not a disappointment. I originally had this film on VHS and it was one of the first DVDs I ever bought. The DVD I had was a rushed release with in the old Warner Home Video cardboard DVD case with no bonus features (a trailer and scene selection do not count!). Subsequent DVD releases treated this classic with the respect it deserves and the raft of bonus features we’ve come to enjoy are ported onto this Blu Ray. It may initially seem disappointing to have no additional material over the special edition DVD – but the existing stuff is truly excellent and like the film itself covers a range of high-concept questions as well as looking at the actual feature. The transfer is beautiful, although it makes the flaws in the initial scene look more obvious (the painted landscape looks like a backdrop from a children’s school play!) these are soon forgotten by showing incredible levels of detail. Skin textures, space ship panels, the cosmos and even the text on display screens are presented with a quality I’ve never seen before. This is an epic masterpiece and the Blu-Ray shows the film in its full glory.This Steelbook edition contains some bonus documentaries, they aren't anything new and you may have seen them before but they are well put together and are well worth a watch. This is the sort of film which deserves and invites further analysis and extend the enjoyment of the film. The audio interview with Stanley Kubrick is my favourite extra and fans can sit back with a brew and enjoy that through this release.In a nutshell: I’m a big Stanley Kubrick fan, I even had a cat called Kubrick (maybe I still do – he hasn’t come home for months) and seeing what I consider to be the best Science Fiction film ever made with such an incredible picture is almost a meditative experience. It’s amazing to think that this film is over 40 years old, sometimes I think we still haven’t yet caught up with it. Oh, and without it the iPod would probably have a much more boring name!

As described quick delivery

Great collectible limited edition steelbook.

Excellent product and service.