Space Odyssey

ByMichael Benson

Release Date: 2018-04-03
Genre: Film

Score: 4.5

4.5

From 36 Ratings

Description

The definitive story of the making of 2001: A Space Odyssey, acclaimed today as one of the greatest films ever made, and of director Stanley Kubrick and writer Arthur C. Clarke—“a tremendous explication of a tremendous film….Breathtaking” (The Washington Post).

Fifty years ago a strikingly original film had its premiere. Still acclaimed as one of the most remarkable and important motion pictures ever made, 2001: A Space Odyssey depicted the first contacts between humanity and extraterrestrial intelligence. The movie was the product of a singular collaboration between Stanley Kubrick and science fiction visionary Arthur C. Clarke. Fresh off the success of his cold war satire Dr. Strangelove, Kubrick wanted to make the first truly first-rate science fiction film. Drawing from Clarke’s ideas and with one of the author’s short stories as the initial inspiration, their bold vision benefited from pioneering special effects that still look extraordinary today, even in an age of computer-generated images.

In Space Odyssey, author, artist, and award-winning filmmaker Michael Benson “delivers expert inside stuff” (San Francisco Chronicle) from his extensive research of Kubrick’s and Clarke’s archives. He has had the cooperation of Kubrick’s widow, Christiane, and interviewed most of the key people still alive who worked on the film. Drawing also from other previously unpublished interviews, Space Odyssey provides a 360-degree view of the film from its genesis to its legacy, including many previously untold stories. And it features dozens of photos from the making of the film, most never previously published.

“At last! The dense, intense, detailed, and authoritative saga of the making of the greatest motion picture I’ve ever seen…Michael Benson has done the Cosmos a great service” (Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks).

Reviews

Fascinating look at the personalities and conflicts
4
By Jay_in_Mass
This is a heavily researched and well-written account of the journey from inception to completion of one of the greatest and most confounding films ever made. More than anything it’s a story of how the many different personalities involved found a way to mesh together, like gears in a machine, to pull it all off. I came away with the impression that Kubrick was like a symphony conductor, and his instruments were the people who worked for him. He knew how to play them off one another to realize his vision, which was constantly evolving. Some parts of the book are a bit redundant, as if the author assumes you’ve forgotten earlier sections. But outside of that it’s a very enjoyable read for anyone interested in filmmaking or the entertainment industry.