The Westport Cinema Initiative will host a screening of “2001: A Space Odyssey” on Saturday, March 25.
The trailer for “2001,” released in 1968 YouTube.com
The film starring Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood and William Sylvester, and directed by Stanley Kubrick, will be shown at 4 p.m. in the Town Hall auditorium. Tickets are $10.
It will be followed by a discussion of the film by Keir Dullea and WestportNow film critic Susan Granger.
The film was written by Kubrick with Arthur C. Clarke and was inspired by Clarke’s story “The Sentinel.”
Released in 1968, the film received four Oscar nominations including Best Direction and Best Screenplay, winning one for Best Art Direction.
The film is considered a cinematic classic and was hailed by many critics, including Roger Ebert, who considered it a masterpiece.
“Only a few films are transcendent, and work upon our minds and imaginations like music or prayer or a vast belittling landscape…Alone among science-fiction movies, 2001 is not concerned with thrilling us, but with inspiring our awe,” said Ebert.
The film initially received mixed reactions from critics and audiences, but it earned a cult following, becoming the highest-grossing North American film of 1968 and is frequently cited as one of the most influential films ever made.
It is notable for its innovative use of classical music taken from existing commercial recordings. A sequel, “2010: The Year We Made Contact” was released in 1984.
For tickets or more information, visit: http://www.westportcinema.org.
