Back to The Future ... Again

by Diane Rhodes

Recently, OASIS members took a trip back in time to the future by attending a showing of the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Display of props from film 2001: A Space Odyssey. Photo Steve Bartlett.

Earlier in the year, several chapters of NSS, including OASIS and Orange County Space Society, petitioned Warner Brothers to re-release the film during its title year. The film, by the late director Stanley Kubrick, had been digitally remastered but the studio had no announced plans for release of the classic this year.

Apparently, writing letters works: A limited release schedule in a few selected cities was announced for the end of 2001, and the local showing in the OASIS area took place at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.

Moviegoers were greeted in the lobby of the theatre with a large model hanging from the ceiling of the Discovery (the Jupiter spacecraft) used in the filming of 1968. As "movie miniatures" go, it was huge, about 8' long. There was also a display of models and props by the OCSS chapter in the lobby. Following the film, the group met at a classic local restaurant for lunch and film discussion.

OCSS display of memorbilia of movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. Photo Steve Bartlett.

It's a shame that the real 2001 does not match Kubrick's 1968 film vision; we would have orbiting space hotels, space liners, moon bases (and video phones!) by now. Still, it gives us something to aim for!

Photographs of the outing are also in the Gallery.