CFE's 100 Science Fiction Film Countdown

[spider-neil]

Nice review of Metropolis...I'm glad Star Wars didn't turn out to be #1.

why's that?

 

[Figs]

why's that?

As much as I love the original trilogy(I grew up watching it and wore out a few VHS tapes), I just think overtime it's reached the status of(I hate using this term too)being overrated.

They're still fun films but I think there are other sci-fi films that deserve the #1 spot way more.

 

[-Arya-]

I still need to watch Metropolis. And soon

 

[Aesop Rocks]

Love this movie. I shy away from discussions about which is better, Alien or Aliens because they are totally different films just set in the same universe.

My aunt told me a story where her and my dad and a few others went to see Alien at the movies. My aunt remembers begging my dad to leave. Eventually after the chest buster scene, half the theater was either crying from fear or passed out from the gore of the scene. My aunt told me she remembers seeing the Alien for the first time and never being so terrified, she actually told me that's the most scared she's ever been. I asked my dad about it, he said "it's the best, I loved the film, I never thought I'd see such a truly amazing film. They don't make them like like they used to".

 

[Doctor Jones]

I thought Metropolis is hard to find.

 

[TruerToTheCore]

You can buy it everywhere

 

[Evil Twin]

Yeah, I believe it's public domain, although various scores and other features on a DVD likely will not be. I believe Kino has the best version out.

I've been lucky enough to see Metropolis on the big screen. Once in a movie palace dating from the 1920s. It truly is an amazing accomplishment. Quite an influence too. Brazil, Blade Runner, and Batman in particular. Heck, Batman borrows part of its climax with the villain battling the hero atop a cathedral.

I do find the theme of the heart mediating between the head and hands to be a little trite. And plotwise it sometimes leaves something to be desired. But visually and in raw ideas it's a masterpiece years and years ahead of its time. Arguably unequalled since.

 

[thejon93]

All I can say about 'Metropolis' is that Hollywood damn well better not try and remake it, because 'Metropolis' is a perfect movie. Sheer genius.

 

[CFE]

#2

STAR WARS EPISODE V:
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980)

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Directed by ... Irvin Kershner
Story by … George Lucas
Screenplay by … Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan
Based on characters created by … George Lucas

Executive Produced by … George Lucas
Produced by … Gary Kurtz, Robert Watts and Jim Bloom
Cinematography by ... Peter Suschitzky
Production Design by … Norman Reynolds
Art Direction by … Leslie Dilley, Harry Lange and Alan Tomkins
Visual Effects by … Industrial Light & Magic
Costume Design by … John Mollo
Editing by … Paul Hirsch, Marcia Lucas and George Lucas
Original Motion Picture Score composed by ... John Williams

Mark Hamill ... Luke Skywalker
Harrison Ford ... Han Solo
Carrie Fisher ... Princess Leia
Billy Dee Williams ... Lando Calrissian
Anthony Daniels ... C-3PO
David Prowse ... Darth Vader
James Earl Jones … Darth Vader (voice)
Peter Mayhew ... Chewbacca
Kenny Baker ... R2-D2
Frank Oz ... Yoda (voice)
Alec Guinness ... Ben 'Obi-wan' Kenobi
Jeremy Bulloch ... Boba Fett
John Hollis ... Lobot
Jack Purvis ... Chief Ugnaught
Des Webb ... Snow Creature
Clive Revill ... Emperor (voice)
Ian McDiarmid … Emperor Palpatine
Kenneth Colley ... Imperial Force Admiral Piett
Julian Glover ... Imperial Force General Veers
Michael Sheard ... Imperial Force Admiral Ozzel
Michael Culver ... Imperial Force Captain Needa
Bruce Boa ... Rebel Force General Rieekan
Christopher Malcolm ... Rebel Force Zev - Rogue 2
Denis Lawson ... Rebel Force Wedge - Rogue 3 (as Dennis Lawson)
Richard Oldfield ... Rebel Force Hobbie - Rogue 4
John Morton ... Rebel Force Dak - Luke's Gunner
Ian Liston ... Rebel Force Janson - Wedge's Gunner
John Ratzenberger ... Rebel Force Major Derlin
Alan Harris … Bossk
Ralph McQuarrie … General McQuarrie​

It is a dark time for the
Rebellion. Although the Death
Star has been destroyed,
Imperial troops have driven the
Rebel forces from their hidden
base and pursued them across
the galaxy.

Evading the dreaded Imperial
Starfleet, a group of freedom
fighters led by Luke Skywalker
has established a new secret
base on the remote ice world
of Hoth.

The evil lord Darth Vader,
obsessed with finding young
Skywalker, has dispatched
thousands of remote probes into
the far reaches of space….

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The Star Wars Saga Continues...​

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No discussion…
No debate…
No doubt…

This is, hands down, the best that the “Star Wars” saga has to offer.

As if there was any question in your mind.

After the massive positive response to the original “Star Wars,” a sequel was all but inevitable…much to the relief of both the fans and creator George Lucas, who now felt confident that his galactic fairy tale would be able to play out to its conclusion.

However, there was no time to waste as the battle between the struggling Rebel Alliance and the dreaded Galactic Empire raged on through 1980’s “The Empire Strikes Back.”

A few undetermined years have passed since Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) destroyed the Death Star battle station. Pursued across the galaxy by Darth Vader (David Prowse/James Earl Jones) and his relentless Imperial forces, the band of Rebels have staged a base of operations on Hoth…a desolate ice planet at the far reaches of the outer rim.

Despite the continuing conflict, smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford) has decided to leave the Rebellion to deal with his affairs with Jabba the Hutt…much to the dismay of Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) who wants him to stay; supposedly for purely militaristic reasons as the two butt heads…and flirt as a budding romance begins to manifest.

But the time for personal issues comes to an end when the Empire discovers the Echo Base.

After a massive snow battle on the surface of Hoth, Han, Leia, C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) make their escape…evading the Imperial Fleet while attempting to seek refuge on the planet Besbin, where scoundrel turned political leader Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) oversees Tibana Gas Mine operations while running the majestic Cloud City.

Meanwhile, Luke and R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) journey to the swamp planet Dagobah after Luke is instructed to do so by a vision of Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness).

There they meet Yoda (Franz Oz), an elderly and wise Jedi Master who is meant to continue Luke’s training and education of the ways of the Force.

But with Vader and his Emperor weaving a plot to turn Skywalker to the dark side, the dangers and risks are greater than ever before.

Released to colossal anticipation and high acclaim, “The Empire Strikes Back” is, in my own opinion, the greatest sequel of all time…and for one reason only.

It went out of its way to NOT be a sequel.

Directed by Irvin Kershner (known for his character-driven pieces such as “The Flim-Flam Man” and “Eyes of Laura Mars&#8221 from a script by Leigh Brackett and “Raiders of the Lost Ark” scribe Lawrence Kasdan, “Empire” isn’t so much a sequel as it is a 2nd chapter in the ongoing adventures of Luke Skywalker.

As commented on by both Kershner and Kasdan, the “Star Wars” trilogy is very much the cinematic equivalent of a three-act play or a symphony composed of three distinct movements.

And if history has taught us anything, it’s that the 2nd act, the 2nd movement…is arguably the best piece of the puzzle.

“Empire” not only defined what it means to be a sequel…by giving you everything you loved about “Star Wars” while boldly advancing the plot forward in a way that feels both satisfying and fresh…It also broke the rules of the sequel in every way possible which, much to its credit, now affords it the opportunity to tower above its predecessor the way no other sequel can (only “Terminator II” and “The Dark Knight” are arguable to be in the same position).

Certainly the most difficult film in the series to conceive, “Empire” had to deal with the fact that, unlike the other two installments of the trilogy, it had no beginning and no end (the story points of “Empire” wouldn’t be resolved until “Return of the Jedi&#8221. Very much the middle chapter, the film still manages quite effectively in that regard.

Out of all the films in the saga, “Empire” is far and away the darkest installment (with “Revenge of the Sith” trailing just behind). Where everything is uplifting and happy and positive as the Rebels claim victory in “A New Hope,” everything and I mean EVERYTHING in “Empire” goes right straight to hell.

Our heroes walk away from the film, defeated and in ruin…and not a single character achieves his or her goal in the film (well, okay…I suppose Boba Fett manages).

As comically referenced by writer/director Kevin Smith in “Clerks,” “it [“Empire”] ends on such a down note. And that’s what life is…a series of down endings.”

However, “Empire” isn’t all gloom and doom…per say.

There’s the wonderful recurring gag of the Millennium Falcon’s failing Hyper drive…as well as the constant berating between Han and C-3PO…and who can resist the malicious badassness of Vader as he continuously kills his stuffy Imperial officers via force-choke while restructuring the chain of command at every turn (just how many ‘Admirals’ can one Dark Lord go through!?)

It’s this emotional undercurrent of character and depth and dilemma that Kershner brings to the project that makes it work so unbelievably well…and while the novelty of “Star Wars” did in fact wear off after the first film, I appreciate the passion and effort put into retaining the magic of that galaxy far, far away.

Much like “Star Wars,” a bevy of cues from mythology, fairy tales, philosophy and history make their way into the saga once more.

The sub-plot of Vader seducing Luke to join the dark side is eerily parallel to Lucifer tempting Jesus Christ on the mount.

The Millennium Falcon finding itself in the belly of a giant space creature is akin to ‘Jonah and the Whale.’

Yoda and his beliefs of the Force are reminiscent of ancient Asian beliefs that the key to victory is not combat of the physical sense…but peacefulness of the metaphysical sense.

And, most obviously, the image of Luke having his hand cut off is very symbolic in several cultures around the globe.

And just as he began his ‘Heroes Journey,’ Luke must continue it…seeking out a new mentor (Yoda) in order to train him in the ‘Hero Trials’ that will lead and prepare him for the conflict at hand.

The cast of the original film that can return does as they are accompanied by new and equally talented faces.

As a result of Luke being in a period of transition (from “Episode IV”s naïve farmboy to the fully fledged Jedi Knight of “Episode VI&#8221, Mark Hamill has one of the biggest arcs of character development in the film. A vast improvement over the initial performance, Hamill now presents Luke as a worthwhile leader of the Rebellion…a boy still, yes, but one who’s got himself some teeth thanks to the battles he must’ve had between “A New Hope” and now. He has a stature now that fills the boots of being the protagonist focal point a bit better than before.

But, the way I see it, the central characters for “The Empire Strikes Back” are the trio of Han Solo, Princess Leia and Darth Vader…who all carry the bulk of the film on their shoulders.

Where “A New Hope” was told from the point of view of the droids and “Return of the Jedi” very much focuses on Luke, Han and Leia are the ones to watch here…first and foremost for the fact that this is where they begin their romance with one another.

I was wondering when they were going to get around to some romance!

The entire film is built, at least for me, on the precipice of changing relationships; between both Han and Leia as well as Luke and Vader (also Han and Lando to a certain extent).

Right from the beginning of “Empire” you can feel Han and Leia’s attraction towards one another, although at first Leia seems hesitant. Both Harrison and Carrie break the tension of their mounting flirtation quite well with their constant bickering throughout the film’s first two acts.

“Why you stuck up…half witted…scruffy looking…Nerf Herder!”

“Who’s scruffy-lookin’?”

Their chemistry undeniable, Harrison and Carrie create a great emotional anchor for the film, capping it all off with that now iconic final exchange just before Han gets frozen in carbonite:

“I love you.”

“I know.”

Han…what a bad ass!

The new characters, despite being new, seem to fit right into the universe quite easily.

Billy Dee Williams almost out-charms Harrison as Lando, which is own charisma giving the character an almost pompous like quality that thankfully dissipates by the film’s end. His betrayal of our heroes yet simultaneous concern for them is greatly handled by Billy in a fashion that’s subtly effective until its revealed where, in the end, his loyalties truly lie.

There’s also the new villain in our midsts…the kick ass bounty hunter Boba Fett. Prior to being taken out like a total whimp in “Jedi,” Fett…despite being a man of few words and scenes…managed to successfully capture Han Solo for the Empire. How many bounty hunters can say they did that? And all while sporting a sweet helmet and armor ensemble to…

The most talked about new character is that of Yoda…and for good reason; he’s a puppet.

Under the control of Puppeteer Frank Oz (a Jim Henson alum who had performed with properties such as “The Muppet Show” and “Sesame Street&#8221, who also provided the vocal performance, the Jedi Master is beautifully brought to life in a way that no other artificially created character had achieved at the time. In many ways, the original Yoda still stands as such an achievement over the likes of CG characters such as Gollum, Davy Jones…even Yoda himself when digitally conceived for the Prequels.

As with all tangible effects, there’s an honesty and weight to Yoda…to his facial expressions that, when coupled with Frank’s world-weary approach to the voice, makes him a fully immersive character that I can believe exists within that frame.

Thanks to the performance, Yoda became an instant hit with fans and audiences…especially with his soft-spoken words of wisdom.

“No…try not. Do…or do not…there is no try…”

Words to live by, Yoda…words to live by.

Of course, as the title obviously suggests, this chapter is the Empire’s time to shine…and let me tell ya…Darth Vader never shone brighter than here.

The Dark Lord of the Sith comes back with a vengeance as he pursues, force chokes, tortures, and soul-shatters his way into villain glory. The film is Vader’s defining moment as we get the feature-length opportunity to completely revel in his character.

But of course, this isn’t just because of his own evil actions.

Needless to say, the success of “The Empire Strikes Back” is also the result of the fact that it did something sequels can rarely do.

It left audiences speechless…with the shocking reveal that not only changed the “Star Wars” universe forever…but also made motion picture history as one of the most unexpected and outrageous plot twists ever conceived.

“Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father.”

”He told me enough…he told me you killed him.”

“No…I am your father.”

Whoa…I mean WHOA!

I can’t imagine what it must’ve felt like to sit in those theatres in 1980 and hear that for the very first time. Reportedly some people couldn’t handle it…and chalked it up to a dirty lie on Vader’s part. Others were just stunned, flabbergasted.

In many ways, it remains the perfect and pinnacle twist shocker in motion pictures.

 

[CFE]

Part II


As far as action goes, “The Empire Strikes Back” ups the ante from the first film with gusto.

The massive Battle of Hoth is beautifully refreshing by taking place on the ground (and in snow no less!) and its use of white, frozen terrain makes it stick out prominently among the other battles of the “Star Wars” saga. The thrill of the giant AT-ST Imperial Walkers remains just as palpable seeing it today as when I first saw it and I remember always being a fan of the Rebel Snowspeeders (and the fact that, in terms of design and color scheme, they kept in line with the X-Wing fighters). Truly, the Battle of Hoth is a cornerstone of the “Star Wars” films.

Then you’ve got the Empire’s pursuit of the Millennium Falcon through the Asteroid Field…which is ten times more kinetic than any of the Falcon sequences in the original film thanks to ILM’s improvement of blue screen photography.

Now, as opposed to the Falcon’s maneuvers just being a lazy swerve to the left (“Family Guy” absolutely got that right in their “Blue Harvest” special!) the ship truly does have it where it counts as it dodges TIE fighters and asteroids alike in its escape…fueled with a wonderfully dynamic rhythm and pace that makes it abundantly fun and tense.

That great shot of the Falcon turning on its side to safely maneuver through the rocky terrain of an asteroid while the TIE fighters explode in a fireball? Awesome!

There’s also the dramatic escape from the giant space worm as well.

“This is no cave.”

And who doesn’t love that moment of the Falcon escaping…only to see that Han stuck the ship on the back of a Start Destroyer to prevent tracking!!?

A more emotional beat comes from Luke’s training on Dagobah…which includes his dream-like confrontation with Darth Vader in the cave only to reveal that Luke is in the suit; reflecting that the thing he fears the most isn’t just Vader…but becoming that very evil which he fears.

One of the film’s most iconic moments also comes from the Dagobah training as Luke unsuccessfully attempts to submerge his sunken X-Wing from the murky waters through using the Force. Believing the ship to be too large and the task to be too impossible, Yoda takes a calm breath…and, with an outstretched hand, effortlessly raises the ship from the depths, planting it right in front of an astonished Luke.

I just love that moment…and the message that when you put your mind to it, anything is possible.

All of the dynamic sequences of “Empire” are capped by the final battle we had all been waiting for as Luke challenges Vader to a vicious lightsaber duel on Cloud City.

I love the visual metaphor of their fight starting in the Carbon Freezing chamber…heading down below the chamber…and then ever further into the massive air shaft beneath the city.

It’s a representation of a descent into hell (ironically amidst the heaven of Cloud City)…a dangerous trap that Luke, because of his conflicting emotions and mounting anger, enters into unprepared and continues falling into, with it becoming increasingly hopeless that he’ll manage to escape.

Aside from the metaphor, the duel just kicks ass.

There’s a wonderful shot in the fight where Vader lunges at Skywalker surprising him and causing him to back up towards camera where Luke looks so small and weak and Vader looks absolutely massive…great shot!

Now confronted with a younger opponent, Vader goes to town with his lightsaber skills as blades of red and blue clash more furiously than before. It’s a tremendous fight and, along with the duels of “Jedi” and “Sith,” it ranks among my favorite lightsaber confrontations throughout the saga.

The technical achievements of “The Empire Strikes Back” were placed at a higher priority than the first film…since it was the first “Star Wars” that they now had to top.

Luckily…I think “Empire” succeeded tremendously.

The model construction and visual/optical photography of ILM is at its best here…giving a power and weight to the various ships and creatures of the picture.

The Tauntauns are a wonderful edition to the resources on Hoth and haven’t dated at all thanks to some wonderful stop-motion animation. All of the scenes on Hoth, thanks to it being an ice planet, were immensely tricky thanks to shooting blue screen with white surfaces in mind. However it’s pulled off spectacularly, making the Hoth battle just as groundbreaking as the battle of Yavin.

The asteroid field sequence, as I said, looks great with a strong current of momentum running through the entire course of the scene.

As far as models go, the team outdoes themselves ten-fold…primarily with both Cloud City, in alls its vast majesty…and Darth Vader’s new flagship…the Executor; a Super Star Destroyer that makes the original Star Destroyers look like specs of space dust.

Another well-done facet of the film’s creative design lies in the use of matte painting…making the various settings of Cloud City and Dagobah look absolutely grand.

The film’s production design (overseen by “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “Alien III” designer Norman Reynolds) keeps the aesthetic integrity of the original “Star Wars” intact while, along with the story, advancing the galaxy into new territory.

Yoda’s hut comes to mind instantly as a stark difference to any other set in the film. It’s small, cramped, dirty...and yet has such texture to it, such character in its molded walls and that tiny little fire place (I wonder what the hell Yoda was eating…Luke clearly didn’t approve).

The Executor set also rocks with its angular design work and cold uncompromising landscape of steel and black gloss flooring. Vader’s meditation chamber aboard the ship also always stood out for me (remember when General Veers gets a peak at the back of Vader’s exposed head? CREEPY!)…and I loved those consoles sitting on either side of the bridge’s main walkway, so that Vader would tower before the officers working feverishly beneath his feet.

Completely 180 to the Super Star Destroyer is Cloud City, rendered in art deco whites and sweepingly romantic curved architecture that truly belongs among the clouds.

The impressive (“most impressive&#8221 set for me comes courtesy of the Carbon Freezing chamber…a twist of metal and smoke with those giant illuminated staircases capped in brooding orange-red light. Coupled with the almost ‘noir’ like atmospheric quality of Peter Suschitzky’s lighting that set just comes to life so vibrantly, standing out for me personally.

Everything in “Empire” just feels of such passion and quality in its conceptualization and production that it’s no wonder the film made a sweep at the Oscars for outstanding technical achievement.

“The Empire Strikes Back” is given a thousand CCs of adrenaline with the incredible score from the always magnificent John Williams.

Taking a darker approach to the atmosphere of the film with cues such as “The Asteroid Field” and “Clash of Lightsabers,” the maestro provides the picture with three standout themes.

The most iconic of the themes is Vader’s now classic motif, appropriately dubbed “The Imperial March.”

As opposed to the almost cliché movie serial music approach to the Empire in the first film, this brand new march is just drenched in malaise…but it also retains a sense of morbid nobility, reminding the galaxy that while the Empire is in fact evil…they are also the law.

The march, with its triumphantly depressing brass, also brings back memories of the Third Reich...echoing the percussive marches played for the Axis Powers in World War II (this is no coincidence…from the Imperial crest, which looks like symmetrical semi-futurist Swastika, to the fact that the soldiers are actually called ‘Stormtroopers,’ the correlation between the Empire and Nazis is quite clear).

To counter balance all of the dread in the film, Williams brings a sliver of hope to the galaxy in the form of “Yoda’s Theme”…which is both playful, harkening on Yoda’s first appearance to Luke where he seems to be nothing more than a mischievous imp…yet operatic in detailing Yoda’s wisdom and knowledge of the Force.

Finally, it’s all wrapped up by “Han and Leia’s Love Theme,” an engrossing display of romantic strings and woodwinds that lyrically confirms my belief that Han and Leia are one of the film’s centerpieces.

Another stand-out cue for me is “The Rebel Fleet/End Credits” which carries the film out to its non-conclusion with traces of “Ben’s Theme” and a strong display of “Han and Leia’s Love Theme” before breaking into the “Rebel Fanfare” and then leading us on a final musical excavation of the territory just covered through “Yoda’s Theme,” “The Imperial March” and a final cue of “Han and Leia’s Love Theme” before giving us an iconic Williams flourish of magnificently powerful brass…making it my favorite “Star Wars” End Credit cue out of all six episodes.

It’s a wonderful score full of suspense and revelations that fill the voice of “Empire” the only way John Williams can.

In the end, “The Empire Strikes Back” will always be the best “Star Wars” film, from my perspective.

It showed the heights of what could be achieved in sequel storytelling…delighting fans of “Star Wars” while continuing the adventure in a bold fashion that chose not to step on the toes of “A New Hope” but, instead, chose to stand on its own two feet.

A wonderful film for the ages, “The Empire Strikes Back” will surely continue to be held in the utmost of regard.

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[Iceman]

Now we're talkin!!

What a film! Personally my no.1 sci-fi film & also easily the best Star Wars film.

No.1 on CFE's list is obviously going to be the Family Guy version.

 

[cerealkiller182]

Its in my sci-fi top 10, my favorite of the Star Wars

So far the top 10 seem uninspired safe choices, but then again they are safe choices for a reason, and that is they are very good movies. When it comes to fan lists, or any lists really, I like seeing more underdog/dark horse choices

 

[CFE]

Well then, I'll give you a bit hint about number one:

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

How's THIS for dark horse!?

 

[cerealkiller182]

I'd admire your passion for loving a much hated film

 

[Infinity9999x]

So you're not counting Jurassic Park as a sci-fi film then?

 

[Evil Twin]

This is obviously #1.

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[SuperFerret]

Seems so, and I'm fairly disappointed about it.

 

[Evil Twin]

As far as it goes, unless CFE goes really off the beaten path, I've seen 76 of his top 100. With the ones I've missed mostly towards the bottom.

I'd like to see CFE do Horror next, if he's up for the challenge.

 

[cerealkiller182]

I'd like to see CFE do Horror next, if he's up for the challenge.

Seems like a natural progression to me.

 

[El_Citrus]

Empire. Such a perfect movie. It's easily my top sci-fi film of all time and one of my favorites of all time. It's almost too perfect for words, and "The Imperial March" is one of my all time favorite pieces of score ever.

 

[CFE]

#1

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)

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Directed by ... Stanley Kubrick
Screenplay by … Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke
Based on the novel by … Arthur C. Clarke
Inspired by the short story “The Sentinel” by … Arthur C. Clarke

Produced by … Stanley Kubrick and Victor Lyndon
Cinematography by ... Geoffrey Unsworth
Production Design by … Ernest Archer, Harry Lange and Anthony Masters
Art Direction by … John Hoesli
Special Photographic Effects by … Stanley Kubrick, Tom Howard, Wally Veevers, Douglas Trumbull and Con Pederson
Costume and Wardrobe Design by … Hardy Amies
Editing by … Ray Lovejoy
Motion Picture Score composed of works by … Richard Strauss, Johann Strauss Jr., Aram Khachaturian and Gyorgy Ligeti

Keir Dullea ... Dr. Dave Bowman
Gary Lockwood ... Dr. Frank Poole
William Sylvester ... Dr. Heywood R. Floyd
Daniel Richter ... Moon-Watcher
Leonard Rossiter ... Dr. Andrei Smyslov
Margaret Tyzack ... Elena
Robert Beatty ... Dr. Ralph Halvorsen
Sean Sullivan ... Dr. Bill Michaels
Douglas Rain ... HAL 9000 (voice)
Frank Miller ... Mission controller (voice)
Bill Weston ... Astronaut
Edward Bishop ... Aries-1B Lunar shuttle captain
Glenn Beck ... Astronaut
Alan Gifford ... Poole's father
Ann Gillis ... Poole's mother
Edwina Carroll ... Aries-1B stewardess
Penny Brahms ... Stewardess
Heather Downham ... Stewardess
Mike Lovell ... Astronaut
John Ashley ... Ape
Jimmy Bell ... Ape
David Charkham ... Ape
Simon Davis ... Ape
Jonathan Daw ... Ape
Péter Delmár ... Ape
Terry Duggan ... Ape attacked by leopard
David Fleetwood ... Ape
Danny Grover ... Ape
Brian Hawley ... Ape
David Hines ... Ape
Tony Jackson ... Ape
John Jordan ... Ape
Scott MacKee ... Ape
Laurence Marchant … Ape
Darryl Paes ... Ape
Joe Refalo ... Ape
Andy Wallace ... Ape
Bob Wilyman ... Ape
Richard Woods ... Ape killed by Moon-Watcher​

Mankind finds a mysterious, obviously artificial, artifact buried on the moon and, with the intelligent computer HAL, sets off on a quest.

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Let the Awe and Mystery of a Journey Unlike Any Other Begin​

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Since the dawn, humanity has looked to the heavens with an eye for imagination and a mind ripe for wonder...

Wonder of the Future...the unexplained...the majestic, the thrilling, the terrifying...

All leading to the pinnacle question...

What's out there?

What awaits us beyond the stars, beyond the present day...beyond reality itself...

And thus mankind set out to answer and speculate these dilemmas for itself...within the realm...of Science Fiction.

And while “Voyage to the Moon” conceived of it…and “Metropolis” gave birth to it.

The genre as we know it today…with all of its technical splendor, its visual majesty and its sophisticate storytelling…would not exist without the dedication, passion and vision of Stanley Kubrick…

And 1968’s “2001: A Space Odyssey.”

The story quite literally opens up on the dawn of man…the primitive ape-based lifeforms that generations later would give rise to Homo sapiens. They spend their time instinctually; sleeping, fighting and gathering at the nearby watering hole.

Then one day, a mysterious object…a black monolith...appears. The apes, unsure what to make of it, are terrified and intrigued by the presence of the monolith. Is it an enemy? A god? Who knows…

But one day, something extraordinary happens that begins to alter the course of life forever…as a lone ape (Daniel Richter) accidentially pitches the bone of a long dead animal, striking another bone.

Inquisitive, he contemplates the event that has just occurred and…in a flourish…he picks up a bone and wields it as the first weapon in history. Tasting the sweet nectar of flesh and blood, a group of apes begin to give in to violent tendencies.

Thus man is born…with the ability to stand on hind-legs and kill for survival.

Jump millions of years into the future…the supposed present day of 2001.

Dr. Haywood R. Floyd (William Sylvester) is on a Pan-Am Shuttle flight to Clevius, a giant rotating space station hanging and turning above the earth on a mission to the surface of the moon…where a mysterious artifact has been discovered beneath the lunar surface.

Visiting the excavation, the good doctor and the team analyze the artifact…the same black monolith that was discovered by the apes. As they approach, the rays of the sun strike the monolith, which then emits a high-frequency transmission. The only possible reason for a solar-powered transmitter to be buried underground is as a warning or signal of when it is unearthed.

The destination of the transmission was determined to be Jupiter…and so, 18 months later, the Jupiter Mission has set out to continue investigation into the black monolith and the events on the moon.
Powered by a HAL 9000 (Douglas Rain), a sentient computer being, the ship is operated by Drs. Frank Poole (Gary Lockwood) and Dave Bowman (Keir Dullea).

Five scientists are aboard altogether…and none of whom know the exact purpose of their mission. During the trip, HAL claims to detect an impending hardware failure in the ship's communications system. Dave and Frank replace the component, but find no fault in it. Concerned about HAL's reliability, they meet in secret and agree that if the component does not fail, they will disconnect HAL. HAL is faulty, endangering their lives and their mission. However, because HAL is an essential member of the team, this eventuality is problematic.

However, things go horribly wrong when HAL, in his own paranoia, determines that Dave and Frank are no longer fit to carry on the mission…fearing that his recent actions will lead to the human occupants of the ship to proceed in shutting him down. As a result, he begins to conspire against them.

From there, the film takes a drastic turn as it spins into a journey of mounting tension and ultimately of self-discovery for Dave Bowman…a journey the likes of which no one could ever comprehend.

Conceived by Stanley Kubrick and Science Fiction author Arthur C. Clarke, “2001: A Space Odyssey” is a seminal masterpiece in every sense of the term.

Not just of Science Fiction filmmaking…but of filmmaking, pure and simple.

It’s sense of storytelling, visualization, character study, technical achievement and emotional resonance continue to this day to be a benchmark by which all other Science Fiction films post-release are undoubtedly compared.

Simultaneously, it achieves a sense of advancement in filmmaking that makes nearly all Science Fiction film pre-release look light years behind.

For me, Kubrick isn’t so much a ‘filmmaker’ as he is an outright artist…an artist who’s preferred medium just so happens to be film, though distinct patterns in his work suggest that he could’ve been (and, through his work, actually quite was) equally successful as a master musical composer or painter or graphic designer.

Thanks to film being a melting-pot of all the aforementioned, we can be grateful that it was the medium he chose to revel in.

As a film being developed, shot and released in the late 1960s, “2001” is absolutely groundbreaking…revolutionary…captivating and completely ahead of its time; in some ways it still is.

For one thing, “2001” foretold the idea of space-travel at the zenith of the space race between the United States and Russia…depicting a lunar landing a year prior to the 1969 Apollo 11 mission headed by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. Despite not having the photographic reference of the moon that that mission provided, Kubrick and his production team got the look of the lunar surface very nearly right (though it does look better from Kubrick’s own imaginative perspective than what the moon actually looks like).

The film painted a sweeping romantic portrait of space travel, most likely the result of the wishful thinking and dead dreams of a country who earlier in the decade had not been brutalized by the harsh cynical realities of radical counter-culture or Vietnam.

Perhaps the film’s biggest triumph lies in special and visual effects. You have to understand that prior to “2001,” space craft for Science Fiction was very much the product of Hollywood imagination with the admittedly charming yet ultimately absurd ‘Saucer’ design for spaceships.

Here, the meticulous detail of the model work…the paneling, the texture, the density…was the first time that space craft for film was handled in such a manner. More in line with the design aesthetic of NASA than some pristine, spherical bauble on a string, the model work of “2001” would go on to obviously influence the crafting of the ships for “Star Wars” as well as several others.

For many people, “2001” isn’t their cup of tea…

For some, the film is far to0o sterile…visualist and presentational, cold and calculated.

Others, in their own infinite wisdom, simply decree that there’s no story…no emotion…and that it’s, simply, boring.

Sometimes I wonder what it’s like to have the attention span of a brick-wall…must be nice to not have a care like that. In the end I’m quite thankful that that’s not the case.

“2001” certainly has a story, people.

The thing is, the story and its messages and undertones are so ambiguous that you have to decide what they mean for you and you alone.

Oh my god…a film that actually requires you to think; how novel!

Now I’m not about to assume I can make a general claim on what the film’s about; as I just stated, you have to make up your own mind on what it means to you.

That said I personally found “2001” to be about themes of change…change in structure, change in livelihood, change in beliefs, change in sense-of-self.

The backbone of the film is built on this underlying current of evolution. The audience follows with the evolution from ape to man…then from man to machine…and finally, on a more internal level, from a being grounded in reality to a being unbound by those parameters, becoming an extension far beyond that of mortality, time and space.

As far as the dawn of man sequence, I was intrigued by the idea that what makes the ape human is the discovery of his own capacity for violence. It’s not until Moon-Watcher kills one of his own that the genesis of mankind flourishes. I think that’s entirely appropriate given the blood-soaked past that humanity at large must now be burdened with.

Then, in the bulk of the film…the Jupiter Mission…Kubrick is able to delve into the increasing concerns of technology getting out of hand and how far must technology advance and become human until it can be regarded as human?

This pre-dates the use of that core element in the “Terminator” series, the “Matrix” series and “Blade Runner” by no less than 14 years! Clearly, Kubrick was always on the cusp of what would eventually come after his work.

In the climactic scene where Dave, after successfully making it back onboard the ship, decides to enter the nerve-control of HAL’s mind and deactivate him by pulling out his memory control function circuit boards despite HAL’s pleas it can be argued very much so that Dave isn’t so much pulling the plug on a machine as he is murdering a member of the Jupiter crew.

Of course one can argue that Dave is doing so in the name of survival and there in lies the dilemma…one that we obviously haven’t solved in millions of years.

As Dave must primitively kill HAL to survive, it rings echoes of Moon-Watcher primitively killing his ape brethren to survive.

How far must we detach ourselves before we’re no longer human?

If a computer, who believes with absolute certainty that it has a soul (speaking of the date and place of its birth, singing a song) is begging us…pleading for mercy not to be ‘killed’…who are we to make a judgment call like that?

These are fascinating, thought-provoking questions to ask yourself.

And what of the ominous black monolith that re-appears throughout the film?

Beyond its obvious alien origin, what in the world does that represent?

Again, for me, it represents the coming of change.

It arrives before the apes, signaling their ascension to man. It’s discovered on the moon, signaling man’s changing curiosity. It appears before Dave on his deathbed, signaling the change from life to death…or perhaps something greater (from Earth to Heaven? from a primal, physical being to an enlightened and metaphysical one? who knows!?).

And it also identifies the multitude of ways that we as a species deal with such change.

Early Man, in his crudeness, fears it…eventually, without much choice, giving into it.
Man, in his curiosity, studies it…eventually, without much analysis, succumbing to it.
Dave, in his understanding, welcomes it…eventually, without much left, being enhanced by it.

But that’s just how I feel about the whole thing…you’ll have to make up your own mind.

The cast of the film is exceptionally well constructed, hinging on the two most dynamic performances provided by Keir Dullea and Douglas Rain.

Dullea’s minimalist approach to Dave, thanks more in part to a majority of the film essentially being a silent movie during a sound era, is one of pitch-perfect emotional touches and gesture-based quirks that make the character quite plausible. The peak of what makes his performance so visually rich lies within his face…the language that reads across his enthralling eyes as HAL kills Frank or his tightly knit mouth when HAL refuses him is completely engaging. When he DOES speak, he has a commanding quality in his voice that I admire.

“Open the bay pod doors, HAL.”

Gary Lockwood’s role as Frank Poole is quite small, but he does have the reward of being a focal point in one of the film’s most iconic shots; running along the length of the Jupiter’s central hub…jogging for exercise while boxing the air. To this day, many people find it breathtaking that that shot could be managed and it truly does remain quite a sight.

As for Lockwood, his take on Frank is a bit nonchalant…not all that concerned about anything, one way or the other. However, that does seem to inject a streak of world-weariness into his character that I can appreciate.

Then you’ve got the wonderful physicality of the ape performers, particularly the lead known as Moon-Watcher, performed by stunt-performer/dancer Daniel Richter. His approach to the ape, with his head tilts and body language, is exceedingly on point and there are many shots of the apes in the early portion of the film that actually look like apes!

Of course the single most talked about performance is that of Douglas Rain as HAL. The fact that for many people HAL, essentially a glowing red eye on a wall, can be the single most engaging character in the film speaks volumes of Rain’s vocal performance. His voice is tinged with creepy atmospheric indifference that makes his displays of emotion throughout the film very off-putting and unusual.

“Please stop…please stop Dave…will you stop…stop please.”

In many ways that’s even harder to bear than if he was shrieking or sobbing. It’s so cold and emotionless and yet, in a bizarre transference, that makes it almost MORE emotional and that’s all Doug.

That moment of HAL, with his logic failing, singing to Dave as his voice slowly gives out actually adds a dimension of sadness to the character!

“Daisy…Daisy… give me your answer, do…I'm half crazy…all for the love of you…”

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[CFE]

Part II

The technical achievements of “2001: A Space Odyssey,” as stated before, remain a pinnacle of the visual effects industry. Just as concepts and approaches are, from my perspective, given a nucleus before they are birthed, “2001” is very much that nucleus of visual effects advancement that “Star Wars” would eventually give rise to.

The models of the Clevius and the Jupiter Mission ship…along with other craft such as the Jupiter Pod…all have a sophisticated design quality the likes of which Science Fiction had never seen before until then.

The Clevius, like a giant orbiting wheel of technological splendor, is one of the film’s defining visual points and just looks absolutely marvelous…still holding up today amongst other CG effects of recent years.

But of course…who can forget one of the most spellbinding and visually stimulating visual effects displays in motion picture history?

Truly, the Stargate sequence remains an iconic flourish of dazzling optical brilliance and wonderful musical composition. It’s one of the most, shall I say, lyrical visual effects I’ve ever seen.

The works of “Blade Runner” visualist Douglas Trumbull along with Tom Howard, Wally Veevers and Con Pederson…as well as Kubrick himself…are still quite a benchmark.

The Production Design work of Ernest Archer, Tony Masters and Harry Lange (who would go on to provide art direction for “The Empire Strikes Back&#8221 is also quite wonderful to look it.

I love the interior of the Clevius…with its 60s deco designs and those striking red molded chairs.

Each set in the film looks pristine and exquisite.

One of the best sets in the film, among all those found on the Jupiter Ship, is HAL’s nerve-center. The way that set is lit by “Superman: The Movie” and “Cabaret” cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth is simply spectacular and it sticks out quite pervasively (true, the set dates the film…no longer would HAL’s mind need to take up so much space given how small microchips and hard drives have become).

Another favorite set is the final one…the final ‘resting place’ for Dave as he ages rapidly. The architecture of the set…with its gold-leaf, romantic crown moldings and that wonderfully lit symmetrical floor makes it stand out amongst all of the space-based locations that dominate the better middle of the film.

Finally, given his own passions for music (perhaps the filmmaker most in-tune with the use of music and images in a symbiotic relationship), Kubrick initially chose composer Alex North to weave the majesty of the film into lyrical delights.

However, fearing that his vision might possibly be diluted with music that could potentially trap it in its own time frame, Stanley chose instead to stick with the ‘temp-music’ tracks he himself had chosen and laid in initially for the project.

Of course, these pieces have now become synonymous with “2001.”

The title track is the opening music from "Also Sprach Zarathustra" by Richard Strauss. Always associated during the film with the black monoliths and eclipses (fittingly since this part of the original music symbolizes sunrise), this music comes to represent monumental events in the history of mankind as orchestrated by these mysterious forces. By association, this music came to signify humanity's efforts in boldly going where no-one had gone before, and was used in similar situations such as the TV coverage of the Apollo Moon missions and landings in the late 1960s and 1970s. The particular recording used was the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Herbert von Karajan.

More unusual is Kubrick's choice for the space scenes between the Earth, the Space Station and the Moon. Though scientifically accurate in his lack of rocket sound effects in the vacuum of space, this void with little dialogue needs to be filled. The Blue Danube seems comical at first in this situation but, being the most famous Waltz by the master of Viennese waltzes Johann Strauss Jr., it certain suggests the dance of space craft under the slow inexorable influence of Newtonian gravity and mechanics. The Space Station pirouettes as the shuttle yaws into alignment, while inside a member of the cabin crew demonstrates walking under zero gravity conditions while objects like pens float off. This whole sequence is light and relaxed in mood signaled by an ape's bone turning into a space craft - a million years is just a brief instant to the mysterious monoliths.

The next section of the movie has a deep space craft traveling towards a signal's source from near Jupiter (Saturn in Arthur C. Clarke's book). Most of the crew travel in suspended animation while the craft covers millions of miles under HAL’s control. While the camera again makes a leisurely journey exploring this situation, the music aptly depicts the vast eerie emptiness of space, the bleak loneliness of the crew within and the huge distance from Earth. The music is an Adagio from the ballet "Gayane" by Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian. This ballet also includes the famous "Sabre Dance", and the theme from the TV Series "The Onedin Line" is the Adagio from another of Khachaturian's ballets called Spartacus. The choice of the Gayane Adagio for this sequence in the film is absolutely perfect and set the standard for many space movies to come such as the Alien series. While James Horner's music in Aliens is a straightforward copy, in Alien Jerry Goldsmith used the loneliness idea in an original way.

One further composer whose music is used extensively on the “2001” soundtrack is Gyorgy Ligeti. His contribution is a number of largely atmospheric pieces which are also associated with the black monoliths, and the inexplicable effects they create. This includes the primeval landscapes inhabited by the apes, the inspection of the mysterious artifact found on the Moon and the last section with its strange visual effects and dreamlike scenes. A Hungarian Jewish composer who survived World War II in a labor camp, Ligeti went on to join the ranks of the musical avant-garde where he led explorations into micro polyphony, or music without pulse and harmony, and especially atmospheric music such as "Atmospheres". The strange textures in "Lux Aeterna" or "Eternal Light" is created solely by unaccompanied voices. Ligeti's works create the suitably weird sound effects for the more "far out" trips of the movie.

When all is said and done, “2001: A Space Odyssey” remains a pioneer in the genre of Science Fiction filmmaking.

Kubrick approaches the camera frame like a blank canvas…meticulous in his design, passionate in his presentation…and, as a result, the impeccable craft of his films remains forever unmatched.

Truly “2001: A Space Odyssey” will live on as one of the greatest motion pictures of all time.

And, for me personally, it stands tall…as the greatest Science Fiction film of all time.

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[CFE]

For nearly the past 100 years, Science Fiction has remained a curiosity of a genre.

It has the capability to journey us to the most far off of worlds, catapulting us out of our theatre seats and out of our reality into alternate dimensions, new planets and futures both promising and haunting.

And yet, it does so while still…more often than not…effectively managing to cultivate a statement of the reality we leave behind, be it political, technological, economical, social, environmental, philosophical and psychological.

The mark of great Science Fiction is the ability to do so in an effective yet subtle fashion that will sneak its way into your thought process while you’re caught off guard being entertained and enthralled.

Science Fiction is among the genres of filmmaking that truly utilizes what it is that makes film such a worthwhile medium of creativity and entertainment…allowing our imaginations to soar in ways unhinged by the real world.

And yet, we can also connect with the characters that populate this range of films…relishing in the fact that their other-worldly surroundings don’t dampen the reverence and connection that can be made to their personalities, their actions, their thoughts, their mentalities and their emotions.

From space invaders to robots…from flying saucers to giant atomic ants…

From Running Men to Blade Runners…Last Starfighters to Starfleet Officers…Predators to Aliens…Terminators to Robocops…

From 1927 to 2009…

And from journeying to a Galaxy Far, Far Away to a Space Odyssey unlike any other.

Perhaps someday, conquests of technological advancement, contact with extra terrestrial life and interplanetary space travel will become as real as the world around us.

But until then, we can continue to be captivated, delighted, terrified, entertained, provoked and intrigued…by Science Fiction.

Thank you for taking this journey with me…


-------END TRANSMITTION-------

 

[CFE]

CFE’S 100 SCIENCE FICTION FILM COUNTDOWN

Written by … CFE

Opening Graphic designed by … CFE

Thread Layout designed by … CFE

Assistant to CFE … Jill Kirsten

Opening Graphic created by … Photoshop

Movie Posters Provided by … Photobucket

Movie Trailers and Video/Auditory Supplement Reference Provided by … YouTube

Special Thanks:

The Members of ‘Chas’ Countdown’ on Facebook
Garrett Graham
It’s Just Movies
Photobucket
Sean Gerski
The Frequent Members of the General Movies/Misc. Films section of Super Hero Hype
YouTube

And
The Blankenship Family​

 

[Figs]

Sorry to be a nitpicker(great review by the way)but in this sentence you put damn in stead of dawn.

"The story quite literally opens up on the damn of man…the primitive ape-based lifeforms that generations later would give rise to Homo sapiens. They spend their time instinctually; sleeping, fighting and gathering at the nearby watering hole."