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Thread: Interstellar & 2001: A Space Odyssey

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    Interstellar & 2001: A Space Odyssey

    As some of you may know, I am a huge SF geek. From Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and Frank Herbert to Iain M. Banks and comic books, I read them all. And few movies have made an impact on me as Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. As such, I was delighted to see Christopher Nolan's Interstellar.

    First things first -- I have tried to avoid blatant spoilers here, but if you haven't seen either, then this thread could potentially ruin it for you.

    With that out of the way, let me also add that if you lack the sufficient context of 2001 and other SF greats, then you will appreciate Interstellar a whole lot less. I have friends who are not SF geeks, and they think Interstellar does not make any sense whatsoever.

    Right at the beginning, you can see references to magical realism and post-apocalyptic settings -- the library has books by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Stephen King's The Stand. The library at the end is very reminiscent of Jorge Luis Borges' Library of Babel. There are references to Metropolis and several other little nuggets.

    Much like Kurbick's 2001, Interstellar has three acts. They are in lockstep with 2001, but end very differently. AI plays a role, but as a benign, almost human, companion. Ultimately, it's not about some magical alien super gods saving humanity, but rather humanity's own resilience.

    You see the monoliths, you see the library, the AI, the continuity of the story line. You have closure. And you have two civilizations, out of lockstep. The ending is not something fantastic, but something very... boring yet human.

    io9 had a phenomenal article comparing the two: http://observationdeck.io9.com/the-m...1-a-1659091453

    If you have not seen it, I strongly recommend that you do!


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  3. #2
    Watch Geek T Bone's Avatar
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    Having only read your title line, I'm going to reply. Saw the film today on IMax with a buddy, and one of my first comments to him on the way out was "it does have sort of a 2001 Space Oddessy thing about it, doesn't it". Now, back to read your post!

    ETA: Okay, now off to read the link you posted! (After I go return a Redbox rental, deadline approaching, hate to pay again for a movie I've already watched).

    Nice summary/comparrison of the IS movie BTW, and you caught some details I missed.
    Last edited by T Bone; Nov 18, 2014 at 01:03 AM.
    Regards, T Bone

    Even a broken watch shows correct time once or twice a day. I ought to know, I have a few!

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    Member wschofield3's Avatar
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    I too am a huge SF fan, Heinlein, McCaffrey and Asimov being my favorites with a bit of Bradbury and Clarke to round it out.

    This movie is one of the most polarizing of those that have seen it. I have seen some call it flat out bad...and I could not agree less. I thought it was brilliant, provoking the religious, political and human plight/success overtones that great movies such as 2001, Contact, Blade Runner (ok, now you know my three movies if caught on the proverbial desert island with solar power and a HT system) and others blend so well. I wanted to applaud at the end having sat through blunders like Gravity and After Earth in the last year.

    Loved it, and I hope to see it a few more times to unravel and drill down into the story line a bit more succinctly. I too highly recommend it.

  5. #4

    Interstellar & 2001: A Space Odyssey

    Off topic, but I have to ask.

    Did any sci-fi people here get a good laugh out of the Rosetta scientist who got slammed by US feminist groups for wearing the sci-fi-looking shirt with the women dressed in leather with guns to a press briefing about the comet lander? The critics claimed the women were dressed inappropriately and dehumanized. "It's BDSM and denigrates women".

    I really think the critics went too far. They don't understand sci-fi geeks at all.

    EDIT - classic Rob, endless run-on sentence there. My wife is trying to get me to put the iPad down and I'm losing grammar skills in the frenzy.

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    Dinger of Hum Chronopolitano's Avatar
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    Hmm...
    Another (former) Sci-fi geek here. Unfortunately for me, the best-written criticisms also happened to the ones that slammed the movie, for the very reasons I would too if I were to see it.
    I just don;t like the premise of the story: that we're going find another Earth... pristine, lightyears away... and mess that up too... instead of cleaning up the mess we created here. How noble is that?

  7. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Chronopolitano View Post
    Hmm...
    Another (former) Sci-fi geek here. Unfortunately for me, the best-written criticisms also happened to the ones that slammed the movie, for the very reasons I would too if I were to see it.
    I just don;t like the premise of the story: that we're going find another Earth... pristine, lightyears away... and mess that up too... instead of cleaning up the mess we created here. How noble is that?
    I do not believe that is the premise at all.

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    King of Mars bolaberlim's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chronopolitano View Post
    Hmm...
    Another (former) Sci-fi geek here. Unfortunately for me, the best-written criticisms also happened to the ones that slammed the movie, for the very reasons I would too if I were to see it.
    I just don;t like the premise of the story: that we're going find another Earth... pristine, lightyears away... and mess that up too... instead of cleaning up the mess we created here. How noble is that?
    We're not really noble, are we? More than 6 billion people, and only a handful of people really care about the planet. And not the ones with power to do something about it.

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    Dinger of Hum Chronopolitano's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by M. Montaigne View Post
    I do not believe that is the premise at all.
    I was just being controversial.
    I am fully aware that the premise is: Jessica Chest Stain is one smokin' hot babe.
    Usually will see anything with her in it.

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  11. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Chronopolitano View Post
    I was just being controversial.
    I am fully aware that the premise is: Jessica Chest Stain is one smokin' hot babe.
    Usually will see anything with her in it.
    Making shit up, I see.


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