2001 A Space Odyssey Movie

He vaulted to screen stardom a generation ago in Stanley Kubrick's science fiction epic "2001: A Space Odyssey," stealing scenes with his mesmerizing stare, tranquil voice and neurotic behavior. He had no face, but he had a name: HAL 9000. He had a birthplace: the HAL plant in Urbana, Ill. And a birth date: Jan. 12, 1992 (although the novel "2001" claims it was 1997).

He vaulted to screen stardom a generation ago in Stanley Kubrick's science fiction epic "2001: A Space Odyssey," stealing scenes with his mesmerizing stare, tranquil voice and neurotic behavior. He had no face, but he had a name: HAL 9000. He had a birthplace: the HAL plant in Urbana, Ill. And a birth date: Jan. 12, 1992 (although the novel "2001" claims it was 1997).

Rock Hudson may have walked out of the Los Angeles premiere of "2001: A Space Odyssey" in confusion but Stanley Kubrick wasn't there to witness it, as Deborah Hornblow contends in "Kubrick's '2001' Still Holds Lofty Spot in Film Universe" (Jan. 5). The director was actually in New York trimming 19 minutes from his epic, surrounded by the critical and distribution whirlwind that accompanied its opening.

Rock Hudson may have walked out of the Los Angeles premiere of "2001: A Space Odyssey" in confusion but Stanley Kubrick wasn't there to witness it, as Deborah Hornblow contends in "Kubrick's '2001' Still Holds Lofty Spot in Film Universe" (Jan. 5). The director was actually in New York trimming 19 minutes from his epic, surrounded by the critical and distribution whirlwind that accompanied its opening.

When Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" made its premiere in Los Angeles in 1968, reactions were mixed. The director was in the audience, having traveled from his adopted home in England by ocean liner and train, editing his film throughout the journey. (New York-born Kubrick had as much trouble flying in airplanes as he did observing production deadlines.) But Kubrick's presence had little effect on the audience in Tinseltown, some of whom left before it was over.

It wasn't as bad as Bill Gates' computer crashing during a recent trade show demo of Windows 98, but it was close. Science fiction guru Arthur C. Clarke was scheduled to join in a panel discussion about "2001: A Space Odyssey," the landmark science fiction movie based on his writings. Clarke was to link up to the Beverly Hills event from his home in Sri Lanka via the Internet.

Dawn of the new year, 2001: A mysterious steel monolith appears on a windswept hilltop in a public park. Its orientation is the line between sunrise and sunset. Its dimensions: 1 foot by 4 feet by 9 feet--the square of the first three prime numbers. Then, as suddenly and inexplicably as it appeared, the monolith vanishes.

The Opinion Survey The movies have long offered a refracted view of America. When Federico Fellini won his honorary Oscar, he explained the phenomenon: "I come from a country, and I belong to a generation, for which America and the movies were almost the same thing." If you were explaining the American character to a foriegner, what three movies best sum up the national persona, and why? A selection of responses: * John Baldessari, artist. "Hud"--Ambivalence--having your cake and eating it, too.

When Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" made its premiere in Los Angeles in 1968, reactions were mixed. The director was in the audience, having traveled from his adopted home in England by ocean liner and train, editing his film throughout the journey. (New York-born Kubrick had as much trouble flying in airplanes as he did observing production deadlines.) But Kubrick's presence had little effect on the audience in Tinseltown, some of whom left before it was over.

Dawn of the new year, 2001: A mysterious steel monolith appears on a windswept hilltop in a public park. Its orientation is the line between sunrise and sunset. Its dimensions: 1 foot by 4 feet by 9 feet--the square of the first three prime numbers. Then, as suddenly and inexplicably as it appeared, the monolith vanishes.

It wasn't as bad as Bill Gates' computer crashing during a recent trade show demo of Windows 98, but it was close. Science fiction guru Arthur C. Clarke was scheduled to join in a panel discussion about "2001: A Space Odyssey," the landmark science fiction movie based on his writings. Clarke was to link up to the Beverly Hills event from his home in Sri Lanka via the Internet.