(8.29) This may be a limited run . . . not sure. At any rate, there are multiple screenings today, and Wednesday, August 29, at Providence Place Cinema. This is a newly restored version is playing in IMAX for the film’s 50th anniversary. Released in 1968, Stanley Kubrick filmed the futuristic “2001: A Space Odyssey” before C.G.I. even existed. Douglas Trumbull, one of four special photographic effects supervisors on the film, was responsible for one of the most riveting sequences.
Trumbull’s most memorable contribution was the development of the slit-scan photography process, used in the “Stargate” sequence. “… I just happened to be in the right place at the right time … We were struggling with the Star Gate. Nobody knew what a Star Gate was; but, I came up with some ideas that I didn’t even know at the time were based on some things I was learning as a young guy about street photography and weird photographic techniques …”.
That scene alone makes this worth the price of admission. Trumbull wrote about the experience in American Cinematographer, “Creating Special Effects for 2001: A Space Odyssey.” (The article should probably be read after watching the movie. This IMAX screening is a cool opportunity — just let the visuals wash over you.)
Running time: 2 hours, 19 minutes. Screenings both days: Noon, 3:20pm, 6:40pm, and 10pm.
‘2001: A Space Odyssey,’ Providence Place Cinemas, Francis Street, (directions)