Ahem........ - danj - Films/DVD Asylum

Ahem........

Posted by danj (A) on July 8, 2003 at 21:46:55

In Reply to: Yep... for lack of better films posted by Victor Khomenko on July 4, 2003 at 10:09:13:

I have had "2001" on my best films list for more than 30 years. I've seen it many times and never cease to be amazed at the insight and sheer genius of the film and its message.

Excessive reliance on technology dehumanizes. Notice how Heywood Floyd was only comfortable when he was talking to his daughter, who was on Earth, from a private booth aboard the space station? At all other times he was formal and stiff, albeit friendly. Conversations were trivial and guarded. People were more comfortable with machines and computers (gadgets) than with other persons. Notice how Poole and Bowman (the Jupiter-bound astronauts) almost never talked except when they had to. They did have conversations with HAL. Even their conversations with their families were terse.

The focus on HAL and his breakdown say that technology is dangerous when it is over relied upon. HAL was supposed to be perfect. "Computers don't make mistakes." But computers are designed and programmed by human beings, which means the insistence of perfection is specious and self-deceiving. It is impossible to forsee every possibility and, because of this, no machine, no matter its sophistication, is or can be perfect.

What is the monolith? Did it plant ideas into the apemen's heads, starting that evolutionary path toward space travel or was it merely a sentinel?

What is the Starchild? New Messiah or new man, "Ape, Man, Superman?"

Who cares? It asks questions and present rhetorical and/or metaphorical answers to some and leaves others entirely unanswered or with several possible answers. It makes one think. It is entertainment for the intellectual rather than the emotional.

Some people don't get it. Some think it silly and shallow. Some, like me, find it brilliant yet disturbing.

Some prefer Sartre while others prefer Robert Ludlum. Some like challanges while others just want to be entertained.

And, before you condemn the story, why not read Arthur C. Clarke's "The Sentinel."

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - 2001 once again - edta 09:27:09 07/04/03 (34)

Revolutionary. For once, - tinear 06:39:13 07/13/03 (1)

Films we watch more than once or twice - edta 16:37:19 07/13/03 (0)

Re: 2001 once again - TPBrown 11:33:02 07/11/03 (1)

It is a great flick, thanks. - edta 19:36:23 07/11/03 (0)

Re: 2001 once again - patrickU 04:45:59 07/07/03 (17)

Barry Lyndon? Oh, c'mon. It's - tinear 05:52:24 07/13/03 (3)

Re: Tom Jones is that the LadyÂ´s singer... - patrickU 06:05:16 07/13/03 (2)

Le remote? - tinear 06:22:10 07/13/03 (1)

Re: Le remote? le pages scrolling... - patrickU 06:40:28 07/13/03 (0)

At the edge of human experience - edta 16:40:27 07/07/03 (7)

Re: At the edge of human experience - patrickU 00:24:03 07/08/03 (6)

Let me know - edta 17:28:47 07/08/03 (5)

Re: Let me know - patrickU 01:04:01 07/09/03 (4)

Re: Let me know - edta 21:37:02 07/09/03 (3)

Re: Let me know - patrickU 00:30:12 07/10/03 (2)

Re: Let me know - edta 19:29:22 07/11/03 (1)

Re: Let me know - patrickU 03:02:40 07/12/03 (0)

Barry Lyndon is bottomless, as the human mind study - Victor Khomenko 06:45:46 07/07/03 (4)

You two wanks just got twisted up over Marisa! That's all. n - albee33 17:40:51 07/08/03 (2)

Isn't she something?! (nt) - Victor Khomenko 05:08:03 07/09/03 (1)

Oh yeah. me twisted up, too . . . n - albee33 13:15:19 07/09/03 (0)

RE : YOU SAID IT. nt - patrickU 07:06:49 07/07/03 (0)

Re: 2001 once again - old geezer 23:55:15 07/04/03 (1)

The God Concept and - edta 06:37:18 07/05/03 (0)

Yep... for lack of better films - Victor Khomenko 10:09:13 07/04/03 (9)

Ahem........ - danj 21:46:55 07/08/03 (0)

There are still questions about it. - edta 12:14:37 07/04/03 (7)

Re: There are still questions about it. - TA 10:54:48 07/05/03 (1)

HAL, the most "human"? - edta 20:48:01 07/05/03 (0)

Those are all *plot* related questions - Victor Khomenko 12:47:51 07/04/03 (4)

Nope , the special effects are the biggies - edta 20:33:56 07/04/03 (2)

Homo Faber the Book? - Victor Khomenko 06:16:14 07/05/03 (1)

Ahem, the musical! - edta 06:43:08 07/05/03 (0)

Re: Those are all *plot* related questions - JDK 13:45:44 07/04/03 (0)

Follow Ups

Ahem........ - danj 21:46:55 07/08/03 (0)

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