Product Description

First published in 1994 to critical acclaim, Piers Bizony's book is the classic account of the making of Stanley Kubrick's seminal movie 2001: a space odyssey. Hailed by Tom Hanks (in an unsolicited tribute) as 'without question, the best collection of not just information regarding the film, but also a chronicle of its inspiration', it has become the benchmark of writing about this cult movie.

Piers Bizony interviewed many of the team who created 2001, including Arthur C. Clarke, who co-wrote the screenplay (with Stanley Kubrick), special-effects supervisor Douglas Trumbull, technical advisers, production designers, model-makers, effects artists and contractors. He sourced never-before seen documents and production artwork to create an unprecedented picture of the making of a movie which was revolutionary in its development of special effects and cinema technology. 2001: Filming the Future gives a fascinating insight into the making of one of the most obsessively detailed productions ever.

Now, on the eve of the year 2001, this revised and updated version is filled with new material that came to light after first publication. Additional interviews explore Kubrick and his co-workers in greater detail, and we are taken behind the scenes during the filming of the apeman shots - for the first time, we learn about the men behind the ape masks. New material on the special effects and additional illustrations are included, with sources and references updated and relevant approved websites listed, making this the essential companion to the greatest science-fiction movie ever made.

Piers Bizony is an internationally successful writer on science-related subjects. His other books include Island in the Sky: Building the International Space Station, The Rivers of Mars and (with Jamie Doran) Starman: The Truth Behind the Legend of Yuri Gagarin.

'This is a fan letter. I truly loved your book.' - Tom Hanks

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #480454 in Books
• Published on: 2000-11-06
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

Synopsis
Filled with material that came to light after the publication of the first edition in 1994, this updated edition includes interviews, new material from effects supervisor Doug Turnbull and additional illustrations.

Customer Reviews

tightly edited homage to 2001
i have been wary of some film books which say more about the authors than the film, but this is a stonkingly compact and intelligently discussion book of the film. Although the 'star wars' films has more complictated special effects and and the A.I technological basis of 2001 is largely flawed (see 'Hal's Legacy', by Stork), the film still commands interest as is extreme science fiction may never date as it trancends boundaries of conventional story telling. The most revealing sections of the book were on the latter portions, which discussed the rise and fall of NASA popularity and Post Modernism thinking in film making. Another illuminating section was on the common threads of Mr Kubrick, how he used a chess analogy with the consequences of actions, and his facination with technology and his empathy with Napoleon ( for his multi tasking command of forces, that is ). Some of the early photos look like the balance of colour needs adjusting but each of the later photos has something to add to this well thought out book.

The future is here
Much has been made about how Stanley Kubrick's vision of the future in the film "2001: A Space Odyssey" didn't come to pass. But this film highlights mankind's dependance on computers and seems to even foreshadow the Y2K problem with the breakdown of "Hal." Bizony covers every facit of the filmmaking process and even goes into why Kubrick's masterpiece still enjoys an enormous following 30 years after it was made. This is the hallmark film that put the "special" in special effects and gave depth to the shallow film genre of science fiction, which to this day still seems unable to rise above its Saturday afternoon matinee origins. Kubrick reached new heights with "2001" and no one has successfully been able to surmount the standard set by this unusual and wonderful film.

best book since 1970
I searched for about 8 years for a book: Jerome Agel's "the making of Kubrick's 2001" and finally found 3 copies in a used books store in my own city.

I always tought that this book was the only one on the making of 2001. I was wrong, the book written by Mr. Bizony is excellent and very well documented. A suberb work of research written by a man who truly loves this movie. Agel's book is superior to this one only because it is part of history and out of print since (more or less) 1970.

In 30 years, mr Bizony's work will also be an historic work.