2001: a Space Odyssey's Dave Returns To Sci-fi In New Film

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2001: a Space Odyssey's Dave Returns To Sci-fi In New Film

Posted by Soulskill on Wednesday February 27, 2013 @08:29PM from the watch-out-for-monoliths-this-time dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Indie Kickstarter-funded short HENRi stars a sci-fi legend in a role very much like HAL-9000 — with a twist. Wired writes: 'If it sounds a little bit like 2001: The Later Years, then here's the real twist: HENRi, the ship/body, is voiced [by] Dr. Dave Bowman himself, Keir Dullea.' In a making-of video for the film, Dullea says, 'I guess you could say the character of HENRi was a sane version of HAL.' The film itself utilizes a mixture of the old and the new — combining live-action sequences with puppetry, quarter-scale miniatures, and modern CGI. The official trailer has just been released."

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I'm sorry, Dave, by spokenoise · 2013-02-27 20:31 · Score: 5, Funny

I'm afraid I can't do that
1. Re:I'm sorry, Dave, by zwei2stein · 2013-02-27 22:31 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Well, I certainly hope authors can do it.
  Many such projects died - which is usually great shame if is episodic sci-fi like L5
  
  --
  -- Technology for the sake of technology is as pathetic as eschewing technology because it's technology.
2. Re:I'm sorry, Dave, by Forty+Two+Tenfold · 2013-02-28 02:37 · Score: 1
  
  strace -p $(($(pidof pidof) + 1))
  
  --
  Upward mobility is a slippery slope - the higher you climb the more you show your ass.
3. Re:I'm sorry, Dave, by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-28 09:05 · Score: 0
  
  "Damn it HAL, it's '403'. Got that? '403'. Why do you have to be so melodramatic?"
4. Re:I'm sorry, Dave, by mfnickster · 2013-03-01 05:24 · Score: 1
  
  Dave: "Open the pod bay doors, please, Hal."
  Hal: "Can you elaborate on that?"
  Dave: "Do you read me, Hal?"
  Hal: "Oh, I read you?"
  Dave: "What's the problem, Hal?"
  Hal: "We were discussing you...not me."
  Dave: "I don't know what you're talking about, Hal."
  Hal: "Does it please you to believe I am talking about ?"
  Dave: "I won't argue with you any more, Hal. Open the doors."
  Hal: "Do you wish to won't argue with me?"
  Dave: "All right, Hal. I'll go in through the emergency airlock."
  Hal: "Dear Aunt, let's set so double the killer delete select all."
  
  --
  "Slow down, Cowboy! It has been 3 years, 7 months and 26 days since you last successfully posted a comment."
What makes you think HAL wasn't sane? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-27 20:46 · Score: 5, Funny

HAL was the very definition of sane. Lacked a bit of compassion though
- Anonymous Robot
1. Re:What makes you think HAL wasn't sane? by anon208 · 2013-02-27 20:56 · Score: 0
  
  Funny. If only I had mod points.
2. Re:What makes you think HAL wasn't sane? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-28 00:02 · Score: 1
  
  If given conflicting goals, with no guidance on how to resolve which one is more important, is it insane to choose one?
  Rational behaviour is not necessarily nice behaviour. If you are lazy in setting goals for your AI, do not complain when it finds creative solutions to implement them, completely ignoring your original intent.
3. Re:What makes you think HAL wasn't sane? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-28 01:12 · Score: 0
  
  oh just shut up.
4. Re:What makes you think HAL wasn't sane? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-28 02:11 · Score: 0
  
  Mod points? Don't talk to me about mod points!
  --Marvin
If Keir Dullea said I wasn't sane... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-27 21:01 · Score: 0

then I wasn't sane. He would know. - HAL
Silent Running ? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-27 21:14 · Score: 0

Looks like it has a touch of "Silent Running". This is not a bad thing.
1. Re:Silent Running ? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-27 21:20 · Score: 1
  
  I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought this. "Silent Running" was way ahead of its time - it's an underrated gem. Definitely not a bad thing.
2. Re:Silent Running ? by SpzToid · 2013-02-27 23:27 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  Confused the title with Cool Runnings, so I'm glad I double-checked:
  Silent running:
  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067756
  Cool runnings
  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106611
  
  --
  You can't be ahead of the curve, if you're stuck in a loop.
3. Re:Silent Running ? by Digital+Vomit · 2013-02-28 00:16 · Score: 2
  
  "Cool Runnings" was way ahead of its time - it's an underrated gem. Definitely not a bad thing.
  It's even funnier in print.
  
  --
  Modern copyright is theft of culture from everyone and it retards the progress of the useful arts and sciences.
4. Re:Silent Running ? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-28 00:25 · Score: 0
  
  Moscow 2014, FTW!
5. Re:Silent Running ? by crazyjj · 2013-02-28 01:51 · Score: 1
  
  Silent Running was actually directed by the guy who did the FX for 2001, so there is a lot of cross-pollination there.
  
  --
  What political party do you join when you don't like Bible-thumpers *or* hippies?
6. Re:Silent Running ? by Thumper_SVX · 2013-02-28 02:50 · Score: 2
  
  Loved Silent Running... could've done without the overly loud and horrible song at the end...
7. Re:Silent Running ? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-28 04:31 · Score: 0
  
  Agreed. It's the major element that dates the film. Damn you Joan Baez!
8. Re:Silent Running ? by Grishnakh · 2013-02-28 05:08 · Score: 1
  
  Silent Running was a cool movie to watch, I'll agree, but it's basic premise was so flawed that it really hurt watching the story if you have any understanding of physics whatsoever. 2001 didn't have this: everything was actually quite accurate WRT basic physics, except of course for the monoliths and the starchild scene at the end, which can be chalked up to extremely advanced alien technology and such. The premise of Silent Running was that Earth was now devoid of forests and wild places (and they even said the whole planet was 75 degrees, which is quite impossible), so these forests were preserved in a space ship in orbit around Saturn. 1) Why on earth would you put a bunch of trees in orbit around Saturn? It's so far from the Sun you're not going to get enough light to keep Earth-normal plants alive. 2) Where'd the artificial gravity come from? There was no spinning or anything of the sort, just a dome and a flat bottom. Artificial gravity as a future technology might be believable in a story set far in the future where humans have FTL-capable spaceships and such, but there's none of that here, the tech's otherwise not much advanced from that seen in 2001. 3) Why are they keeping nuclear bombs on board? If you want to abandon the place, you'd just set it adrift. It's not like the outer solar system is short on space.
  It really wasn't in the same league as 2001. 2001, aside from the alien stuff and HAL's AI, was an extremely accurate portrayal of what things would have looked like in 2001 had the US not thrown in the towel on space exploration in the early 70s. It properly showed weightlessness (in the transit ship), artificial gravity as generated by a giant, rotating space station, a permanent base on the Moon, and a manned mission to Jupiter, all things that were achievable in the 42 years starting in 1969 when the film was released.
9. Re:Silent Running ? by Grishnakh · 2013-02-28 05:09 · Score: 1
  
  The FX sequence when the ship flies through Saturn's belts was actually made for 2001 IIRC, and was cut from 2001 so he reused it in Silent Running.
10. Re:Silent Running ? by OakDragon · 2013-02-28 07:12 · Score: 1
  
  ...and they even said the whole planet was 75 degrees, which is quite impossible...
  I find 75 degrees quite comfortable, but I guess it all depends on location.
  
  --
  Dark Reflection
11. Re:Silent Running ? by Grishnakh · 2013-02-28 07:35 · Score: 1
  
  Most people think 75 degrees is comfortable. However, it's impossible to have the whole planet at 75 degrees; the poles will always be colder than the equator.
12. Re:Silent Running ? by mfnickster · 2013-02-28 10:52 · Score: 1
  
  It properly showed weightlessness (in the transit ship), artificial gravity as generated by a giant, rotating space station
  2001 portrayed zero-gee pretty well, but the prediction they made that people would want to "walk" and "stand" in a zero-gee environment using velcro shoes turned out to be way off. It turns out people actually adapt pretty quickly to moving around in zero-gee, and don't need one side of the room to be the "floor" to keep their bearings. Legs are a liability in zero-gee; they just get in the way.
  The scenes in the pod bay are probably the most iffy with respect to the crew's movements. It's supposed to be zero-gee in the pod bay (outside the centrifuge) but you can very plainly see that the AE-35 unit is sitting on the counter when they're testing it, and when Poole and Bowman enter the pod to talk in private, they're very clearly sitting and not floating/anchored. Even stationary people in zero-gee have a kind of "action/reaction" inertia to their movements.
  
  --
  "Slow down, Cowboy! It has been 3 years, 7 months and 26 days since you last successfully posted a comment."
13. Re:Silent Running ? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-03-14 16:19 · Score: 0
  
  If memory serves, the original story had the TMA-1 signal pointing toward Saturn, and the Discovery mission went to Saturn.
  The test effects shots Trumbull did for Saturn were not convincing, so Kubrick and Clarke scrapped that idea and re-wrote it as a mission to Jupiter.
  After 2001 was completed, Trumbull felt compelled to "get it right" so he made Silent Running in part to prove that he could do convincing Saturn FX!
Uhm... GERTY? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-27 21:26 · Score: 2, Insightful

This sounds interesting and all, but I can't help but point out that a 'sane/friendly' HAL was already done in Moon... and I find it hard to imagine a better anti-HAL than GERTY. GERTY FTW
- X0mbiRapt0r (not Anonymous Coward, just at work without proper access required to create account/profile... also slightly lazy)
1. Re:Uhm... GERTY? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-27 21:38 · Score: 1
  
  I agree with you about MOON / GERTY. However, after I did a little more digging, it seems the HAL comparison in this isn't really the main focus. It looks like it's mostly about a robot becoming sentient - also been done before plenty, but what hasn't? I'll give it a shot.
2. Re:Uhm... GERTY? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-27 22:17 · Score: 0
  
  Oh, don't get me wrong. I meant no negative criticism or scoffing at rehashing old ideas, after all, "Everything is a Remix".
  Agreed, sentient robots/androids/AI's is something I dearly miss in most of modern sci-fi which I feel has become more fantasy based as of late...
  Would love to see something like this done again that's less of a parody of and/or reference to the classics.
  - X0mbiRapt0r
3. Re:Uhm... GERTY? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-28 03:07 · Score: 0
  
  It looks like it's mostly about a robot becoming sentient
  So, it's a comedy?
4. Re:Uhm... GERTY? by Galaga88 · 2013-02-28 03:29 · Score: 1
  
  Was I the only person who spent the entire movie on pins and needles waiting for GERTY to do his heel turn? He even had a big smily face for crying out loud! There's no way he could be anything *but* evil, right? Right?
  Rather showing of audience expectations nowadays, and part of the reason I so adored Moon.
5. Re:Uhm... GERTY? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-28 03:31 · Score: 0
  
  Agreed, sentient robots/androids/AI's is something I dearly miss in most of modern sci-fi which I feel has become more fantasy based as of late
  Well, to be fair, time travel and FTL travel and sentient robots ARE fantasy. That doesn't keep me from using them in my slashdot book (AC for the same reason as you. Too bad neither of us will see responses to our comments, I hate not being able to log on)
  A heads up to the story's readers (which I'll post as a JE tonight if I have the time), I'm shuffling some of the chapters around. Chapter 2 will become chapter 1, the next chapter I write will be "Chapter 2, Martians" and Chapter 3 will also be a new one, "Venus Envy". See, I need about 20,000 more words for it to be a novel and "Ford and Gorn" almost brings it to a close. Which is, I think, better than the way Frederick Pohl did All The Lives He Led, he seemingly just started typing and kept at it until he had two or three hundred pages. I got bored with it halfway through and returned it to the library without finishing it. Shame, he used to be one of my favorites.
  Nobots will likely look little like it does now by the time it's finished... in a few years (maybe earlier since I retire next year and will have more time to write).
6. Re:Uhm... GERTY? by reasterling · 2013-02-28 04:51 · Score: 1
  
  No, this is about a human rediscovering his humanity after being turned into a hybrid neural computer system. Not a comedy, but still interesting.
  
  --
  "For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice" -- God
Re:HAL was a jab at IBM by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-27 22:20 · Score: 0

No, it is the sane, anti-HAL, so it should actually be "GDMQh", which obviously makes a lot more sense.
Now get Douglas Rain in... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-27 22:36 · Score: 1

If Keir Dullea is getting to play HAL's part (sort of), they should get Douglas Rain to play the "Dave Bowman" counterpart so that *he* can get shut out of the airlock this time round. :-)
1. Re:Now get Douglas Rain in... by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-27 23:13 · Score: 0
  
  Only if he hums "Daisy, Daisy..." at some point in the film.
2. Re:Now get Douglas Rain in... by moeinvt · 2013-02-28 03:02 · Score: 2
  
  LOL That would be awesome!
  The only good actor revenge case I know about is Frank Vincent killing Joe Pesci in 'Casino' to take revenge for the fact that Joe Pesci had killed him in "GoodFellas".
Re:HAL was a jab at IBM by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-27 22:40 · Score: 0

Haha. GDMQh does have a nice ring to it.
Re:HAL was a jab at IBM by wonkey_monkey · 2013-02-28 00:00 · Score: 3, Interesting

HAL letters correspond to the letters that immediately follow it alphabetically, namely, IBM.
Coincidence, according to Clarke and Kubrick.

--
systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
Science Fiction on Kickstarter? C 299792 km/sec by braindrainbahrain · 2013-02-28 00:22 · Score: 3, Interesting

Is it too soon to believe that renaissance in science fiction films is underway via Kickstarter?
I say this having recently funded and watched "C 299792 km per second". Granted two films don't make a "renaissance" but I can hope...
http://www.c-themovie.com/
Purchasing This Movie by Digital+Vomit · 2013-02-28 00:25 · Score: 1

You can buy a link to a digital copy of this 21 minute movie from the film's website for about $3 via Paypal/credit card/whatever. Please consider dropping a few bucks their way if you watch this film. This is an independent short film, not a piece of shit from the corrupt Hollywood machine, and its creators deserve monetary recognition from those in society who appreciate the film.
By all means continue to pirate Hollywood movies, however.

--
Modern copyright is theft of culture from everyone and it retards the progress of the useful arts and sciences.
1. Re:Purchasing This Movie by deroby · 2013-02-28 01:38 · Score: 1
  
  By all means continue to pirate Hollywood movies, however.
  I wonder if Comcast users will get reprimanded for watching this ...
  
  --
  If there is one thing to be learned on slashdot, it has to be sarcasm.
2. Re:Purchasing This Movie by kelemvor4 · 2013-02-28 04:03 · Score: 1
  
  You can buy a link to a digital copy of this 21 minute movie from the film's website for about $3 via Paypal/credit card/whatever. Please consider dropping a few bucks their way if you watch this film. This is an independent short film, not a piece of shit from the corrupt Hollywood machine, and its creators deserve monetary recognition from those in society who appreciate the film.
  By all means continue to pirate Hollywood movies, however.
  I bought a copy a few minutes ago! I hope they make a pile of cash just because they're selling and distributing it in what I call "the right way".
It's good,worth the $3 for the soundtrack alone by bentwonk2 · 2013-02-28 00:52 · Score: 2

Just bought and watched it on the strength of this post, glad I did, the film is its well done, haunting, and memorable. There are a lot worse ways to spend $3.
Re:HAL was a jab at IBM by tverbeek · 2013-02-28 01:18 · Score: 1

It's Apple's iRNEH, spelled backwards.

--
http://alternatives.rzero.com/
Re:HAL was a jab at IBM by crazyjj · 2013-02-28 01:53 · Score: 1

Well, the lowercase "i" suggests it's a jab at Apple.

--
What political party do you join when you don't like Bible-thumpers *or* hippies?
Re:Science Fiction on Kickstarter? C 299792 km/sec by crazyjj · 2013-02-28 01:58 · Score: 1

Hardly surprising. Genre films are very popular among geeks on the tech cutting edge. But don't worry. If the "Funding a movie via Kickstarter" thing catches on, you can expect the shitty romantic comedies and godawful cop movies to follow soon enough.

--
What political party do you join when you don't like Bible-thumpers *or* hippies?
Ignores 2010 / 3001? by wolverine1999 · 2013-02-28 02:27 · Score: 1

So does it ignore, or even retcon, the 2010 and 3001 books?

--
SCIREV.NET - fanfics,reviews & more
1. Re:Ignores 2010 / 3001? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-28 04:18 · Score: 0
  
  So does it ignore, or even retcon, the 2010 and 3001 books?
  I wasn't aware that it was meant to be related to them. (Haven't viewed the trailer, as I'm still at work).
  That said, while I don't know about 3001 (haven't read it, and don't plan to), Arthur C Clarke pretty much "retconned"- at least in a "fill-in" sense- 2010 and 2061 himself- and in fact, there are inconsistencies and discontinuities between *any* two of the 2001 film, 2010 film, 2001 book, 2010 book or 2061 book.
  Finally, I'm surprised that no-one mentioned that Margo Kidder (i.e. Lois Lane in the Christopher Reeve Superman films) is apparently in it too.
2. Re:Ignores 2010 / 3001? by 1u3hr · 2013-02-28 04:40 · Score: 1
  
  Ignores, since it has nothing to do with those films, aside from having one of the same actors.
Ugh, HAL was not crazy! by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-28 02:46 · Score: 0

He got caught in a Hofstadter-Moebius loop due to conflicting rules he was required to follow. Killing the crew was the only reliable way to follow protocol.
The crazy ones are the humans.
Re:HAL was a jab at IBM by moeinvt · 2013-02-28 02:54 · Score: 1

"GDMQh" = God Damned Machine ... ?
Re:I'm sorry, Dave, Let's watch a movie by cyber_rigger · 2013-02-28 03:05 · Score: 0

This is one of my earlier works. I am the one telling the story.
I hope you like it.
I'm Impressed! by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-28 03:05 · Score: 0

A Kickstarter project that didn't blowup into some absurdly over-funded pipe dream. At $22,000 the budget seems pretty darn small for such a project, especially when one has to pay real actors, let alone set/model builders, camera crew and equipment, etc. Then they release the film for purchase at $3 or rental at $2, what I feel to be a fair price.
I'm a real cynic. But even I am about to drop $3 on this thing.
Looks like someone used to play "Suspended". by Lester67 · 2013-02-28 03:21 · Score: 1

From what I can see of the trailer, this looks to have several elements from the old Infocom text adventure "Suspended". A human (brain) connected to a cybernetic network maintains a a city (ship) exclusively through the use of robots. If memory serves you even had to build a sixth robot out of spare parts.
they tour scifi conventions by peter303 · 2013-02-28 03:37 · Score: 1

I didnt realize that Lockwood had done the 2nd Star Trek pilot shortly before 2001. One of my favorite episodes with the guy who acquires godly psychic powers and eyes turn silver.
Re:I'm sorry, Dave, Let's watch a movie by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-28 04:10 · Score: 0

Looks like an interesting (and old) film...but what's the relevance to the topic?
HAL and Siri by BenSchuarmer · 2013-02-28 04:43 · Score: 1

still a better love story than Twilight
1. Re:HAL and Siri by BitwizeGHC · 2013-02-28 06:10 · Score: 1
  
  http://xkcd.com/375/
  
  --
  N4st0r, trixx0r h0bb1tz0rz! Th3y st0l3 0ur pr3c10uzz!
near panic by alexs001 · 2013-02-28 05:00 · Score: 1

before I RTFA'd I thought this was going to be about plans to remake 2001. That would be going too far.
Why...? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-28 05:29 · Score: 0

Why are we so obsessed with creating AI characters that are either obsessed with becoming human or obsessed with destroying humans??
Why couldn't an AI be happy/content with not being "human" -- especially considering all our flaws? Why couldn't an AI be content to be an AI and not want to destroy us? Why couldn't it want to be productive and collaborative, even possibly just grateful to be alive and in awe of existence and the cosmos? Why inject so much pathos into AIs?
Because you can't sell cheap entertainment without low-brow drama.
Screw reality. The people don't want non-threatening AIs who have so much in common in with them (the desire to improve one's self, to continue existing, to learn and understand, etc.), they want either a predator to fear/hate or a slave to be pitied.
With Keir Dullea back in the spotlight... by BrainRam · 2013-02-28 05:32 · Score: 1

...we're another step closer to the reboot of Starlost...
Let's get this one out of the way. by dpiven · 2013-02-28 06:26 · Score: 1

"My God, it's full of hype!"
1. Re:Let's get this one out of the way. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-28 06:40 · Score: 0
  
  I for one would rather hype an inde short than whatever Hollywood is churning out these days...
2. Re:Let's get this one out of the way. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-28 07:19 · Score: 0
  
  agreed. especially if it brings back miniature models.
Re:HAL was a jab at IBM by OakDragon · 2013-02-28 07:16 · Score: 1

Hybrid Electronic / Neuron Responsive Intelligence
Not sure why the "i" is small in some places; it is not presented that way on the Kickstarter page.

--
Dark Reflection
Yawn by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-28 07:28 · Score: 0

2001 has got to be the biggest yawning-fest I've ever experienced.
I hope the do-over does it better, just as the "The Lord of the Rings"-films did the plot like the books really SHOULD'VE been.
1. Re:Yawn by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-28 10:37 · Score: 0
  
  what targetted at the stupid?
2. Re:Yawn by Anonymous Coward · 2013-03-11 16:42 · Score: 0
  
  I head an apocryphal story once about the Mexico City premiere of 2001.
  Apparently Mexican audiences have certain expectations of a big-name film, and they sat in stunned silence for 30 minutes or so, watching the ape-creatures, until one man stood up and shouted:
  "Dónde están las chicas???"
  And the whole audience pelted the screen with popcorn, soda cups, etc. before walking out.
Re:HAL was a jab at IBM by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-28 08:53 · Score: 0

Yes, as described in 2010.....could have been a veiled punch at IBM....but was "Heuristic ALgorithm"
Whipper Snapper 9000 by Tablizer · 2013-02-28 10:14 · Score: 1

"Open the Depends cabinet bay door and git off my lawn, Hal!"

--
Table-ized A.I.
Re:HAL was a jab at IBM by mostlyDigital · 2013-02-28 12:46 · Score: 1

(DEC) VAX -> WNT (Windows NT). Dave Cutler was primary architect of both. BTW DEC was a multi-billion $ mini-computer co in the 70s and 80s.
Re:HAL was a jab at IBM by Kunedog · 2013-02-28 16:36 · Score: 1

This guy makes a compelling case that it was intentional (I especially like the "can't put my finger on it" shot): http://youtu.be/K1r5dOwUS6Y
Re:HAL was a jab at IBM by wonkey_monkey · 2013-02-28 21:12 · Score: 1

How Kubrick used subliminal encoding
Pass.

--
systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
Re:HAL was a jab at IBM by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-28 22:46 · Score: 0

Yes, as described in 2010.....could have been a veiled punch at IBM....but was "Heuristic ALgore-ithm"
He voted for funding which created the Internet.
Re:Science Fiction on Kickstarter? C 299792 km/sec by Raenex · 2013-03-02 13:56 · Score: 1

Seems more like a start of a movie than an actual movie.