2001: A Space Odyssey

When it was released in a pre-moon landing 1968, 2001: A Space Odyssey was light years away from the science fiction filmmaking of the time. Based on stories by Arthur C. Clarke, it told its complex story through Academy Award-winning visual effects, classical music and ambient sound. Dialogue was scarce: the first 20 and last 23 minutes of the film have no speaking at all. The cinematography of the film is amazing. In the movie’s memorable opening scene, a group of ape-men are pictured fighting with primitive weapons. When one of them tosses a femur up into the air, it magically turns into a modern satellite.

The film takes place in the year 2001, two years after the discovery of a monolith in the moon. The SS Enterprise heads to the moon, equipped with HAL, a computer with artificial intelligence that eventually rebels against its instructions to guide the astronauts and turns against them with deadly consequences. The film successfully predicts a number of much later technological innovations, such as flat-screen monitors, portable flat-screen televisions, multiple TV stations, electronic chess and biometric identification. To achieve this stunning visual environment, 65% of the film’s $10 million budget was dedicated to special effects.