one of my tutors at film school was richard jenkins, the 2nd AD on 2001, who has some great kubrick anecdotes, including stanley spying on the crew to make sure that their cigarette breaks weren't going over time. my view of the film is that - if you watch it under the correct conditions (not drugs, but on a decent screen without distractions) - it can be a powerful and almost spiritual experience. two quotes have attached themselves to the film, which i sometimes deploy to naysayers; Arthur C Clarke's, "If anyone understands it on the first viewing, we've failed in our intention." (although i know Kubrick called Clarke on this) and the more playful (but very apropos), "The tedium IS the message." Eyes Wide Shut, on the other hand, is truly abysmal. apparently kubrick said as much privately to lee ermey when he was in post. arguably, the stress of knowing he'd produced such a turkey contributed to his fatal heart attack. now, let me tell you about my first experience of watching Three Men And A Baby in 1987. you have to remember that, at this time, steve guttenberg was considered a mere comic turn, rather than the actor with extraordinary range and gravitas that we know today...... (more later when i have time). neil
--- On Sat, 5/3/11, Richard Halegua Comic Art <[email protected]> wrote: From: Richard Halegua Comic Art <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [MOPO] My Friend Say 2001 is a "snorefest" To: [email protected] Date: Saturday, 5 March, 2011, 20:01 first time I saw 2001, I was at the NY Comicon 1973. My buddy Greg O'Malley who I haven't seen in 20+ years had gone to the show - without rooms - and stayed all weekend without leaving the hotel except for food (we probably only went across the street from the Statler Hilton, across from Madison Square Garden). One night we slept in the stairwell, one night on the floor of a friend's room and we probably didn't even sleep the other night. anyway, 2001 was being shown at midnight on Friday or Saturday, so we smoked a few spliffs, dropped some lysergic compounds and watched the film with a guy who had come out from San Fran. This guy was the first real weirdo I had ever met (outside of NY weirdos). He was talking about bi-sexual fun, drugs and the like, and he had 4 color hair - red, green, white and blue. I'd never seen anything like that previously, now you see it on every street corner. well, we had lots of fun, even if the film was totally confusing to us 16 year olds. During the light sequence, we were both wide-eyed and had our heads tilted back as if we were on a roller coaster. My pony tail was probably sticking out horizontally behind me too. I watched the film again maybe 6-8 years later and thought it was better than the first time.. again in a few more years and it got better again. Kubrick was brilliant. As Grey said, the film is fantastic for when it was made. We were at the tail end of Moon exploration which was a big moment in life for those of us who alive then. My generation knows what a big moment it was when we landed on the Moon. Now of course, space exploration is commonplace and the film still is relevant in that arena. 2001 was like a first person experience of what space exploration had hoped to be by now. Sadly, politics and the imbalance between rich & poor as well as a real lack of interest in "what's out there" have decimated our approach to space exploration. none the less, don't get on my buddy about his lack of understanding of the film, if you figure out who my buddy is (it's Sean) and you shouldn't send him flaming email.. My buddy (his name is Sean) I guess just isn't intellectual enough to enjoy the movie. :- ) At 08:09 AM 3/5/2011, peter contarino wrote: I saw this film when it was first released. My friend and I were 8 years old and my mother dropped us off at the Warner Theater in Lynchburg where I grew up. I remember waiting for her after the movie and my friend and I saying, “what on earth did we just see?â€�  I saw it again in college and loved it. All this discussion has made me want to see it again and see what I think it this point in time. -Peter From: MoPo List [ mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Smith, Grey - 1367 Sent: Saturday, March 05, 2011 9:44 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [MOPO] My Friend Say 2001 is a "snorefest" I agree, Phil, and with much of what is said here concerning one of my favorite films. I think Kubrick said something like, “You are welcome to speculate…â€� Yes, Bruce, it is uneven. But when Kus says “I think it is brilliant for its time,â€� that really is the essence of this film in my opinion. How many great works of art have to be looked at with that eye? Is it boring compared to the comic book Space epics of the late 70s on? Maybe. But remember that the script was co-authored by one of the greatest sci-fi writers Arthur C. Clarke and in an effort to make the film more accessible he published the book after-the-fact. I have the blessing of remembering my first viewing in the early 70s, its first official rerelease and I had read the book prior to. I was awe-struck and amazed!!! I just loved the experience and live in that moment whenever I seen the film since. Yes, I am a guy and perhaps that predisposes me. But isn’t that memory of first experience often what colors our love of anything thereafter, especially art. It is the moment of first viewing, awareness, etc… My opinion; true, true classic and great film by one of the greatest directors! From: MoPo List [ mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Phil Edwards Sent: Saturday, March 05, 2011 6:18 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [MOPO] My Friend Say 2001 is a "snorefest" Yes, but you READ SF. Over the years it has struck me that most people who dislike this film do so because they don't "get it." There's actually nothing to "get" but plenty to read into it, just like SF literature, if one has a mind to. ----- Original Message ----- From: Ari Richards To: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, March 05, 2011 9:49 PM Subject: Re: [MOPO] My Friend Say 2001 is a "snorefest" I have a good friend, whose taste I usually agree with, and he also HATES 2001. Actually its a shame more people don't hate it, cos then I could afford a nice poser for this WONDERFUL film. Ari From: bqjansen <[email protected] > To: [email protected] Sent: Sat, 5 March, 2011 9:17:17 PM Subject: Re: [MOPO] My Friend Say 2001 is a "snorefest" Let me chip in to say that 2001 not only is a snorefest and that you either have to be very lazy to not stand up and leave the cinema/room or too old and creaky, but also that you have to be visually challenged to enjoy the ludicrous posters of ET-embryo's or boring spaceships. Wim Op 5 mrt 2011, om 11:08 heeft Richard Halegua Comic Art het volgende geschreven: Freeman.. email me privately and I'll tell you who he is At 01:46 AM 3/5/2011, Sean Linkenback wrote: Don't keep us in suspense Rich - tell us who it is so Freeman can call him a "slime-ball, scum sucking, poop sniffing, warp minded, yeast infected, snot-nosed, yellow bellied, cold-blooded bullying jack-ass" ----- Original Message ----- From: Richard Halegua Comic Art To: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, March 05, 2011 4:38 AM Subject: [MOPO] My Friend Say 2001 is a "snorefest" yeah so I'm doing my usual thing (working on posters) when I get an email from one of my very best friends in the world and this email is titles "snorefest" and his email proceeds to tell me "just watched one of the boringest movies ever - 2001" of course I told him he makes me sick and that he isn't worthy of breathing air above ground if he doesn't think 2001 isn't one of the best movies of all time (because it is) well we banter back and forth and he points to these reviews by other obvious idiots http://movie2s.com/movie/18364968/2001:_a_space_odyssey.html I once again tell him how retarded he is and he says "it needs more lasers and explosions. if the spaceships could transform into robots it would be much cooler" Now I don't want to embarrass my buddy, especially because he is a member of MoPo, so I don't want to mention my buddy's name (Sean), because I don't want my buddy (Sean) to get nasty emails from people telling him what a lowbrow movie viewer he must be. It's too bad my buddy (Sean) can't see how intellectually stimulating 2001 is (as are the rest of Kubrick's films - each one is a gem). But to each his own, so I'm not going to mention my buddy's name (it's Sean), but I just wanted you folks to know there actually is someone in our group that doesn't get this film. Hey Sean.. I mean, Hey Buddy, should I get you a copy of the Last Airbender for Christmas?? Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [email protected] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. 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