IMDb > 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
2001: A Space Odyssey
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2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) More at IMDbPro »

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Lawrence of Arabia (1962) -- AFI's 10 Top 10 - The 10 Greatest Films in 10 Classic Genres
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) -- Mankind finds a mysterious, obviously artificial, artifact buried on the moon and, with the intelligent computer HAL, sets off on a quest.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) -- Movieplayer.it - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 2% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Stanley Kubrick (screenplay) &
Arthur C. Clarke (screenplay)
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Contact:
View company contact information for 2001: A Space Odyssey on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
6 April 1968 (USA) more
Tagline:
Let the Awe and Mystery of a Journey Unlike Any Other Begin more
Plot:
Mankind finds a mysterious, obviously artificial, artifact buried on the moon and, with the intelligent computer HAL, sets off on a quest. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 10 wins & 6 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(28 articles)
Blade Runner Named Top Sci-fi Movie
 (From WENN. 5 August 2009, 5:11 AM, PDT)

Berlin Film Fest To Spotlight 70mm Classics
 (From Studio Briefing - Film News. 30 October 2008, 2:37 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
My god, it's full of stars more (1314 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
How the Solar System Was Won (USA) (working title)
Journey Beyond the Stars (USA) (working title)
Two Thousand and One: A Space Odyssey (USA) (alternative spelling)
more
Runtime:
141 min | 160 min (premiere cut)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
4-Track Stereo (35 mm magnetic prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | DTS 70 mm (2001 re-release)
Certification:
Spain:T | Italy:T | Netherlands:AL (DVD rating) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia) (original rating) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (2007) | New Zealand:PG | Malaysia:U | Argentina:13 | Israel:PG | Canada:PG (Alberta) (2009) | UK:12 (blu-ray) (2009) | Australia:G | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Finland:K-8 | France:U | Norway:11 | Norway:12 (1969) | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:U | USA:G | West Germany:12 | Ireland:G | Brazil:Livre

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The phrase "See you next Wednesday" is heard for the first time during the scene in which Poole receives birthday greetings from his parents. The phrase would become a trademark of director John Landis who would use it in many of his movies. more
Goofs:
Continuity: In the 70mm version you can see passengers moving inside the illuminated windows of the Pan Am space shuttle enroute to the space station. However, the following interior shot shows that Dr. Floyd is the sole passenger. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Aries-1B stewardess: Here you are, sir, main level please.
more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
Thus Spoke Zarathustra more

FAQ

What is that dramatic music used in the opening and closing?
Did Kubrick use drugs?
What is a "bush baby?"
more
523 out of 709 people found the following comment useful.
My god, it's full of stars, 20 April 2003
10/10
Author: drn5 from Canada

For all those bewildered by the length and pace of this film ("like, why does he show spaceships docking for, like, 15 minutes?"), here's a word you might want to think about:

Beauty.

Beauty is an under-rated concept. Sure, you'll often see nice photography and so on in films. But when did you last see a film that contains beauty purely for the sake of it? There is a weird belief among cinemagoers that anything which is not plot or character related must be removed. This is depressing hogwash. There is nothing wrong with creating a beautiful sequence that has nothing to do with the film's plot. A director can show 15 minutes of spaceships for no reason than that they are beautiful, and it is neither illegal nor evil to do so.

'2001' requires you to watch in a different way than you normally watch films. It requires you to relax. It requires you to experience strange and beautiful images without feeling guilty that there is no complex plot or detailed characterization. Don't get me wrong, plots and characters are good, but they're not the be-all and end-all of everything. There are different KINDS of film, and to enjoy '2001' you must tune your brain to a different wavelength and succumb to the pleasure of beauty, PURE beauty, unfettered by the banal conventions of everyday films.

"All art is quite useless" - Oscar Wilde.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
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Other movies that make you think? superdaveydavedavid
did anyone else find the movie slightly scary? gregyb-92
The decor in the space station...I have found it! jamie147
Please Help! Need questions answered for college paper n_cullen14
Last meal steve-544-31268
Watched it for the first time today adamjoshjay
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