BOONE, NC – The next screening of the Cinema Classic Sci-Fi Film Series at the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country is Stanley Kubrick’s epic “2001: A Space Odyssey” (1968). The Academy Award-winning movie will be shown at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 18 in the historic theatre on King Street in downtown Boone.
Kubrick produced and directed the film in 1968 and co-wrote the screenplay with revered science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke. The enigmatic plot was inspired by Clarke’s 1951 short story “The Sentinel” and other of his short works. “2001: A Space Odyssey” stars Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, and Douglas Rain, and follows a voyage to Jupiter with the sentient supercomputer HAL after the discovery of an alien monolith. The imposing black structure provides a connection between the past and the future.
When Dr. Dave Bowman (Dullea) and other astronauts are sent on a mysterious mission, their ship’s computer system begins to display increasingly strange behavior, leading up to a tense showdown between man and machine that results in a mind-bending trek through space and time.
“2001: A Space Odyssey” is noted for its scientifically accurate depiction of space flight, pioneering special effects, and ambiguous imagery. Kubrick avoided conventional cinematic and narrative techniques; dialogue is used sparingly, and there are long sequences accompanied only by music. The soundtrack incorporates numerous works of classical music, by composers including Richard Strauss, Johann Strauss II, Aram Khachaturian, and György Ligeti.
The film received diverse critical responses, ranging from those who saw it as darkly apocalyptic to those who saw it as an optimistic reappraisal of the hopes of humanity. Critics noted its exploration of themes such as human evolution, technology, artificial intelligence, and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. It was nominated for four Academy Awards, winning Kubrick an Oscar for his direction of the visual effects.
Kubrick is widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. His movies, almost all of which are adaptations of novels or short stories, cover a wide range of genres and are noted for their innovative cinematography, dark humor, realistic attention to detail and extensive set designs. Kubrick’s filmography includes ”Spartacus,” “Lolita,” “Dr. Strangelove,” “A Clockwork Orange,” “Barry Lyndon,” “The Shining,” “Full Metal Jacket,” and “Eyes Wide Shut.”
“2001: A Space Odyssey” is now widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential films ever made. In 1991, it was deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
The film has a family-friendly start time of 7 p.m. with a budget-conscious general admission ticket price of just $5 per person. The running time for “2001: A Space Odyssey” is two hours and 19 minutes. PLEASE NOTE that films @TheApp are shown without trailers, so please arrive a few minutes before the listed start time to secure tickets and purchase concessions.
The Cinema Classic Sci-Fi Film Series is generously sponsored by Nancy and Neil Schaffel and consists of four movies suggested by audience members and the general public. The remaining film on the popular series is “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” on October 25.
While the App Theatre’s online ticketing system is accessible 24/7, customers can avoid the online service fees by visiting the lobby box office between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. from Tuesday through Friday, or one hour prior to showtime for each film. For a complete performance schedule of all upcoming events, or to sign up for the theatre’s e-blast distribution list, visit the organization’s website at www.apptheatre.org
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