Kubrick’s Monolith

Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is re-examined in a post-millennial context in this heavily researched, highly detailed study of the making of the landmark film. Its artistic and mythic pedigrees are of special interest. Kubrick and writer Arthur C. Clarke faced a number of challenges in producing an intelligent and innovative A-list movie in what—almost a decade before Star Wars—was considered a second-class genre, science fiction. The author explores the film’s enigmatic storyline and offers a fresh perspective on several artistic elements such as production design, special effects and the use of music.

Joe R. Frinzi wrote the monthly film column, “The Art of Cinema,” for the Lehigh Valley Arts paper, The Easton Irregular for 18 years, and was a contributing writer to the AOL Internet news service, Patch.com. He lives in Easton, Pennsylvania.

Joe R. Frinzi
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 224
Bibliographic Info: 20 photos, appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2017
pISBN: 978-1-4766-6442-2
eISBN: 978-1-4766-2867-7
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments ix
Preface 1
Introduction 5
1. Vision of the Cosmos: The Minds and Philosophy Behind 2001 7
2. The Art of Monoliths: Symbolism in 2001 31
3. Science and Technology: The Future That 2001 Predicted 45
4. Very Special Effects: 2001 Sets the Standard 65
5. The ­Star-Gate Explained: 2001’s Most Unique Sequence 88
6. Music of the Spheres: 2001’s Awesome Soundtrack 102
7. Watching Kubrick’s Odyssey: The Cinematic Experience 124
8. The Odyssey’s Children: 2001’s Influence on Cinema 148
9. 2001’s Legacy in the 21st Century: A Look Ahead 165
Afterword—Stanley Kubrick’s Odyssey: A Cinematic Legend 185
Appendix—View from the Year 2000: A Look Back 193
Chapter Notes 203
Bibliography 207
Index 211

• “With enthusiasm and efficiency, Frinzi covers how Arthur C. Clarke’s short story turned into what now is a classic”—Flick Attack
• “Kubrick’s Monolith is the most profound and best written analysis of 2001: A Space Odyssey I’ve come across since the movie was released in 1968. It’s almost as if Joe Frinzi had resided for a time in director Stanley Kubrick’s brain. Through this book, I learned more about the film that I was in, than I ever knew from having been in it. Enjoy a fabulous read.”—Keir Dullea, actor 2001: A Space Odyssey