"I think it was better than Star Wars" ...Myself, 1978

Rating: 9/10 (27 October 1999)

I remember the day my older sister took me to see the film, playing in the local cinema as part of a festival in 1978. I was 14, still measuring every movie I saw against the biggy: Star Wars. But this was a vision of OUR future... not in some galaxy far, far away but here.. 23 years away. I toyed with the idea that in the year 2001, maybe the movie on the PanAm flight to the space station would be, well, 2001.

I at first had trouble following the story, after all, I was expecting the occasional laser blast, or the hideous appearance of the aliens, but I sat there captivated... not missing the expected action at all. I really felt for Bowman and Poole, and the isolation of the Discovery was tangible, and the sound of Bowmans breathing gave me the shivers.
I got home, sat at my bedroom window and stared at the moon for hours.
I have the movie at home, and recently saw it on the big screen (in a 70mm print, Dolby sound if you don't mind) and will be the first DVD I purchase.