A Few Words About A few words about...™ 2001: A Space Odyssey -- in BD & HD (1 Viewer)

[DP 70]

The ABC Shaftsbury Avenue was a great cinema to see a film, my brother was a projectionist there for 5 years and he showed a lot of 70mm
prints including The Deer Hunter, The Jazz Singer, Gone with the Wind and that classic Cant Stop the Music and A Star is Born.
I saw 35mm 4 Track magnetic prints of Genesis/White Rock and Xanadu and the sound was always really good, when they showed
The Deer Hunter in 70mm Dolby Stereo the Director Michael Cimino said it sounded better than anywhere in the world it had shown.

I did see 2001 in ABC 1 in the run and I remember it looked great, I also saw Ben Hur in 70mm in 1977 in ABC 2 and that looked ok
as well.

They had Phillips DP75 Projectors in both screens complete with doors, the only ones I have seen.

 

[johnmcmasters]

My ticket to see “2001: A Space Odyssey” at the brand new Cooper Cinerama in Denver, Colorado, was my 15th year birthday gift from my sister and her then-boyfriend. I had been obsessing over the film since it had been announced in production, going on and on about how great it was going to be. I idolized Kubrick back then – having seen “Paths of Glory” at age 5, “Spartacus” at age 7, “Lolita” at age 9, and “Dr. Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” at age 11. Each film was a powerful viewing experience for my young self (born in 1953) – and they all rearranged my subatomic structure in unique ways – especially “Dr. Strangelove.” I remember leaving the theater after “Strangelove” and feeling like a new reality had opened up for me. (My parents didn’t censor my movie going – after I turned 5, if it was considered something vaguely “adult” and I was interested in it, they’d go along with me, as in “Paths” and “Lolita”.) The Cooper opened its doors to the public for the first time with a gala showing of “2001” which was covered by the local media (this news coverage was seen by me in Nebraska as all of my town’s cable TV channels came from Denver). The trip to see the film was an overnight excursion – getting to Denver, seeing the film that night, and then driving back the next day to my home town.

I have never in my experience (theaters in Chicago, Omaha, and New York) seen a more perfect presentation of a film. As the theater was new, on its own terms it seemed like a building out of a science fiction tale:

http://www.historicmoderndenver.com/the-cooper-theatre-of-tomorrow/

The screen was enormous – and, as I recall, was made of vertical slats that were slightly rotated to help correct image distortions caused by curvature of the screen (or is this a fantasy created by my memory?). My sister and her boyfriend apparently had connections with the person managing the theater and they’d gotten tickets for the theater’s “sweet spot” seats.

It is impossible to describe to anyone who hasn’t seen a pitch perfect, Cinerama, screening of “2001” just how mind-blowing, thrilling and disorienting it was. At times one felt suspended in deep space, at times one felt like the theatre itself was rotating, and, of course, at times one felt pushed back in ones seat as if traveling under tremendous speed. I have never felt anything similar while viewing another film.

I saw what was apparently a large format print in New York City at the old Dimension 150 Theater (now demolished) in Times Square in the 80’s. But that experience was non-Cinerama, and the print had issues.

What I wouldn’t give to take a time machine back to 1968 to Denver to revisit “2001: A Space Odyssey”.

The Denver Cooper Cinerama, alas, is also demolished.

Addendum: In reading the material about the Cooper Theater on the linked website above, I see that I am wrong about "2001" being the first film that it ever showed, nor was it "brand new" when I saw the film. I'm probably also remembering a trip with my parents to Denver earlier in the 60's when we must have gone to a Cinerama film there. Such is memory!

 

[john a hunter]

[QUOTE="Stephen PI, post: 4563146, member: 300539
John, I seem to have a distant memory of that screening you mention. I actually believe it was to do with the shutter blades set incorrectly out of alignment with the intermittent sprocket movement, that would have caused the ghosting effect.[/QUOTE]

You may correct Stephen although I especially remember being told my the manager that new lenses were installed.
Besides, if Derek's brother was projectionist I am sure he would have spotted the problem and tried to rectified it by adjusting the shutter.

 

[DP 70]

My brother did not start at the cinema to 1979 but they had a good Chief Projectionist called Bill and the EMI Pathe techs were close by.

 

[Charles Smith]

Beautiful. And, as these things usually are, heartbreaking.

 

[OliverK]

I saw 2001 in several 35mm and 70mm versions and despite the fact that it is a great movie I never found it to be as sharp and stunning as I was told it should look, not even in a vintage 70mm print.

So I am looking forward to seeing this in an upcoming 4k UHD version and maybe then I will see the detail that others have been telling me about

 

[ArnoldLayne]

http://www.collativelearning.com/2001%20chapter%202.html

 

[Dave Moritz]

I am wondering what the chances are that 2001 will see a 4K blu-ray HDR or Dolby Vision release in the next 3-4 years?

 

[RJ992]

My ticket to see “2001: A Space Odyssey” at the brand new Cooper Cinerama in Denver, Colorado, was my 15th year birthday gift from my sister and her then-boyfriend. I had been obsessing over the film since it had been announced in production, going on and on about how great it was going to be. I idolized Kubrick back then – having seen “Paths of Glory” at age 5, “Spartacus” at age 7, “Lolita” at age 9, and “Dr. Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” at age 11. Each film was a powerful viewing experience for my young self (born in 1953) – and they all rearranged my subatomic structure in unique ways – especially “Dr. Strangelove.” I remember leaving the theater after “Strangelove” and feeling like a new reality had opened up for me. (My parents didn’t censor my movie going – after I turned 5, if it was considered something vaguely “adult” and I was interested in it, they’d go along with me, as in “Paths” and “Lolita”.) The Cooper opened its doors to the public for the first time with a gala showing of “2001” which was covered by the local media (this news coverage was seen by me in Nebraska as all of my town’s cable TV channels came from Denver). The trip to see the film was an overnight excursion – getting to Denver, seeing the film that night, and then driving back the next day to my home town.

I have never in my experience (theaters in Chicago, Omaha, and New York) seen a more perfect presentation of a film. As the theater was new, on its own terms it seemed like a building out of a science fiction tale:

http://www.historicmoderndenver.com/the-cooper-theatre-of-tomorrow/

The screen was enormous – and, as I recall, was made of vertical slats that were slightly rotated to help correct image distortions caused by curvature of the screen (or is this a fantasy created by my memory?). My sister and her boyfriend apparently had connections with the person managing the theater and they’d gotten tickets for the theater’s “sweet spot” seats.

It is impossible to describe to anyone who hasn’t seen a pitch perfect, Cinerama, screening of “2001” just how mind-blowing, thrilling and disorienting it was. At times one felt suspended in deep space, at times one felt like the theatre itself was rotating, and, of course, at times one felt pushed back in ones seat as if traveling under tremendous speed. I have never felt anything similar while viewing another film.

I saw what was apparently a large format print in New York City at the old Dimension 150 Theater (now demolished) in Times Square in the 80’s. But that experience was non-Cinerama, and the print had issues.

What I wouldn’t give to take a time machine back to 1968 to Denver to revisit “2001: A Space Odyssey”.

The Denver Cooper Cinerama, alas, is also demolished.

Addendum: In reading the material about the Cooper Theater on the linked website above, I see that I am wrong about "2001" being the first film that it ever showed, nor was it "brand new" when I saw the film. I'm probably also remembering a trip with my parents to Denver earlier in the 60's when we must have gone to a Cinerama film there. Such is memory!

My ticket to see “2001: A Space Odyssey” at the brand new Cooper Cinerama in Denver, Colorado, was my 15th year birthday gift from my sister and her then-boyfriend. I had been obsessing over the film since it had been announced in production, going on and on about how great it was going to be. I idolized Kubrick back then – having seen “Paths of Glory” at age 5, “Spartacus” at age 7, “Lolita” at age 9, and “Dr. Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” at age 11. Each film was a powerful viewing experience for my young self (born in 1953) – and they all rearranged my subatomic structure in unique ways – especially “Dr. Strangelove.” I remember leaving the theater after “Strangelove” and feeling like a new reality had opened up for me. (My parents didn’t censor my movie going – after I turned 5, if it was considered something vaguely “adult” and I was interested in it, they’d go along with me, as in “Paths” and “Lolita”.) The Cooper opened its doors to the public for the first time with a gala showing of “2001” which was covered by the local media (this news coverage was seen by me in Nebraska as all of my town’s cable TV channels came from Denver). The trip to see the film was an overnight excursion – getting to Denver, seeing the film that night, and then driving back the next day to my home town.

I have never in my experience (theaters in Chicago, Omaha, and New York) seen a more perfect presentation of a film. As the theater was new, on its own terms it seemed like a building out of a science fiction tale:

http://www.historicmoderndenver.com/the-cooper-theatre-of-tomorrow/

The screen was enormous – and, as I recall, was made of vertical slats that were slightly rotated to help correct image distortions caused by curvature of the screen (or is this a fantasy created by my memory?). My sister and her boyfriend apparently had connections with the person managing the theater and they’d gotten tickets for the theater’s “sweet spot” seats.

It is impossible to describe to anyone who hasn’t seen a pitch perfect, Cinerama, screening of “2001” just how mind-blowing, thrilling and disorienting it was. At times one felt suspended in deep space, at times one felt like the theatre itself was rotating, and, of course, at times one felt pushed back in ones seat as if traveling under tremendous speed. I have never felt anything similar while viewing another film.

I saw what was apparently a large format print in New York City at the old Dimension 150 Theater (now demolished) in Times Square in the 80’s. But that experience was non-Cinerama, and the print had issues.

What I wouldn’t give to take a time machine back to 1968 to Denver to revisit “2001: A Space Odyssey”.

The Denver Cooper Cinerama, alas, is also demolished.

Addendum: In reading the material about the Cooper Theater on the linked website above, I see that I am wrong about "2001" being the first film that it ever showed, nor was it "brand new" when I saw the film. I'm probably also remembering a trip with my parents to Denver earlier in the 60's when we must have gone to a Cinerama film there. Such is memory!

As one who saw 2001 at the NYC Cinerama, it still remains the most memorable and transformative cinema experience of my life. None of today's CGI-fests even come close.

 

[Alberto_D]

Actor Gary Lockwood had 3 space missions.

The first on Star Trek series second pilot (1966) :

The second in 2001 A Space Odyssey (1968) :

The Third in a Tv made film, Earth II (1971) :

Raise the hand who ever noticed they had a digital piano in Discovery Spaceship :

Keir Dullea as Dave Bowman playing on a piano keyboard in the Discovery centrifuge.

Who believe the revolution in scale model detail, set design and displays started with Star Wars, needs to see this page:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/2001archive/

 

[Dave H]

I am wondering what the chances are that 2001 will see a 4K blu-ray HDR or Dolby Vision release in the next 3-4 years?

View attachment 43242

I sure hope so.

The old transfer and old VC-1 encode just doesn't cut it for me.

 

[ArnoldLayne]

Holy Crap!
http://www.thedigitalbits.com/columns/my-two-cents/012918-1800

"Retail sources have begun telling us that Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is preparing to release a 4K Ultra HD version of director Stanley Kubrick’s landmark science fiction film 2001: A Space Odyssey. This is something we’ve actually known was coming for a few months now, having heard it off the record directly from studio sources. Now that we’re finally hearing the first word from retailers we feel comfortable confirming it. "

 

[ArnoldLayne]

OK, RAH, spill the details!

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Here's hoping that..

A) It's a new master, and not merely an upscale of the existing 2K transfer that's currently in circulation.

B) That this new master is made available on other platforms besides UHD, for instance, on regular Blu-ray and as a new theatrical DCP.

C) New special features.

 

[ArnoldLayne]

 

[Robert Harris]

OK, RAH, spill the details!

If this were to occur, chances are the aspect ratio would be 2.21:1.

 

[DP 70]

Great news the 4K UHD should look one of the best, if not the best.

 

[Craig Beam]

Between Blade Runner and this, I may finally take the 4K plunge.

 

[ArnoldLayne]

If this were to occur, chances are the aspect ratio would be 2.21:1.

So right between:

Video
Codec: VC-1 (13.39 Mbps)
Resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.22:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.20:1

Verrrry interesting.... ;-)

 

[Steve Christou]

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/h...odyssey-cannes-films-50th-anniversary-1098021

For the first time since the original release, the 70mm print was struck from new printing elements made from the original camera negative, without any digital tricks, remastered effects or revisionist edits.