Needs the Cinema

Rating: Null/10 (29 July 2002)

I bought this DVD a year ago and I've just watched it. How I wish I had seen it in the movie theatre but for some reason I didn't. Everything I've heard about this movie is true, as I have never previously watched it anywhere. It is slow. It is thought-provoking. It does have awesome effects and seeing those, you can't help feeling that you're being a bit cheated 34 years on, when you see quite poor computer-generated effects in films such as 'Minority Report' which I otherwise enjoyed.'2001' is bound to be slow at home, but in the cinema I would just have been able to savour its momentous impact. I am a great believer in films being seen at the cinema and feel that a return to the days when movies were regularly re-issued (always in double-bills as well) would go a long way in rejuvenating the art. The guy who invented moving pictures didn't have someone's sitting-room in mind. A large auditorium is the only venue whereby a film such as this can fully be appreciated. As an artform this film must have few equals. Personally, give me 'Aliens' any day as a space epic, but I was definitely not disappointed. And, finally, how can this attract a 'U' certificate?! It scared the pants off me! Perhaps those censorship guys can't censor pure imagination. Or maybe they haven't got any.