50 years beyond the infinite

3 April was the 50^th anniversary of the release of 2001: a space odyssey.

So...2001 story time.

It's 1977.

I was 4 years old, and while watching Saturday morning cartoons i saw advertisements for a movie called Star Wars. To say I was transfixed would be the understatement of the year. I had no idea what I was seeing exactly, but... I knew I wanted to see more of it. I convinced my parents to take me. TBH I think they wanted to see it too so it wasn't too difficult.

Until we got to the theatre, and saw the line around it. Said line wrapped round the place fully two times. This was pre-multiplex days. They were concerned, but I talked them into waiting. I kept occupied playing kick the can soccer with kids, and finally we got inside.

The movie was...

I mean, it was Star Wars, innit? It was amazing. It's the reason why stubbornly I refuse to watch A New Hope and have a copy of the Silva Screen de-master w/o the CGI and Greedo shooting first. Anyway, it was amazing enough that I talked them into going again. And again. And again. Like, 7 times on first run? I could recite the lines with the actors, knew everything that happened, yet I was as lost in the world the 7th time as the first. I was begging for the toys. I was wanting to watch anything that had the words science and fiction in the description.

And so it was that one day I picked up the TV Guide and saw a listing for a science fiction movie.

It was 2001: A Space Odyssey.

I begged to watch it.

My mom and dad were...let's say...they were unconvinced by my ability to enjoy the movie. and they said as much. but I was adamant, and made my argument like an intellectual. IOW: I stomped, threw things, screamed, and basically made an utter nuisance of myself. They finally gave in, with one admonition: we'd watch the first 20-odd minutes, and they'd ask me what was happening.

Ok. I was in. I won. I was gonna watch the thing.

So. 4 years old. 2001. And the first 20-odd minutes are the dawn of man sequence. There's no dialogue.

I am sure they figured I'd be bored out of my mind and beg them to turn it off. The sequence ends...y'all know how it ends. And my 'rents look at me as a commercial break starts (or was it a PBS fundraiser? It was one of the two, as this was pre-VCR for us).

'So,' they started...'so...you don't really want to keep watching, do you?'

I turn to them and go 'that...it's interesting...the caveman (listen I was 4 don't judge my limited knowledge of what was prolly homo australopithecus africanus, ok?) was using a bone as a tool...and then it turned into a spaceship.'

I paused.

'I...I guess a spaceship is a tool too, just one we use!'

And my 'rents looked at each other, resigning themselves to the fact that we'd be watching the whole thing...and that I'd explained a core thesis of the movie to them. At 4.

Now.

Today, as I was searching for some 2001 images for...for this actually, I came across this poster.

And it was a Fellini moment for me, as I realise that they actually...

Well, see for yourself:

(my god...it's full of stars...)

So there we go.

A look into the early days of Julie, geek and sundry.

And if you feel anything, feel this: sorry that my parents had to put up with this for 20-ish years...

So, pop the film on tonight.

And enjoy :-)