2001 as the beginning of a journey

Rating: Null/10 (20 August 1999)

I doubt that I will ever forget the day I first saw this film. The year was 1989 and I was 9 years old. I had come to the United States from Russia just two and a half months earlier and I was staying with an American cousin. Her son happened to be a big sci-fi buff and he introduced me to the legendary Kubrick masterpiece that he owned a copy of. I still recall the effect the film had on me. It was chilling, mind-boggling and altogether unforgettable. I have since seen it many times since I didn't know enough English to fully appreciate it in 1989. But not one viewing has equaled that first one in importance, relevance and ability to inspire awe. This is the film that helped me to discover Kubrick. This is the film that made me interested in the art of filmmaking. And above all, this is the film that incited my love for science fiction. The impact of 2001 was so overpowering that I was soon watching Star Trek, Star Wars and any other sci-fi material I could find. Thus began my journey into the unknown, the mythical, the unproven and the untested. And the catalyst for that journey was 2001: A Space Odyssey. Now, with the recent death of its amazing director, I again look back on that day in 1989 and realize how important it was to me and how important it probably is to many others.