That the end of Kubrick’s odyssey returns us to the beginning only reaffirms that purpose: We are, and have always been, the navigators of our destiny.
So much more than a speculative document about the human race colonizing the Solar System, 2001 asks why we do what we do-why, against so many oppositional forces, seen and otherwise, do we push outward, past the fringes of all that we know, all that we ever need to know? Amidst long shots of bodies sifting through space, of vessels and cosmonauts floating silently through the unknown, Kubrick finds grace-aided, of course, by an epic classical soundtrack we today can’t extricate from Kubrick’s indelible images-and in grace he finds purpose: If we can transcend our terrestrial roots with curiosity and fearlessness, then we should. And yet, despite its ambitious leaps and barely comprehensible scope, every lofty symbolic gesture Kubrick matches with a moment of intimate humanity: the sadness of a mighty intellect’s death the shock of cold-blooded murder the minutiae and boredom of keeping our bodies functioning on a daily basis the struggle and awe of encountering something we can’t explain the unspoken need to survive, never questioned because it will never be answered. Clarke (whose novel, conceived alongside the screenplay, saw release not long after the film’s premiere), 2001: A Space Odyssey begins with the origins of the human race and ends with the dawn of whatever comes after us-spinning above our planet, god-like, a seemingly all-knowing, hopefully benevolent fifth-dimensional space fetus-spanning countless light years and millennia between. Stars: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, Douglas Rain, William Sylvesterįifty years ago, Stanley Kubrick told the story of everything-of life, of the universe, of pain and loss and the way reality and time changes as we, these insignificant voyagers, sail through it all, attempting to change it all, unsure if we’ve changed anything. You may also want to consult the following, sci-fi centric lists: In fact, of all the major streamers, HBO Max likely has the library most focused on what you’d call older “classics,” rather than newer releases-fine with us, considering that segment tends to be less well represented. There are alien classics here, and sentient robots, and plenty of action and horror crossovers as well. That makes for an interesting sci-fi library indeed, one that balances total schlock with acclaimed works by the likes of Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott and Stanley Kubrick. Rather, almost everything here received a wide release at some point.
That’s because unlike the catalog of Netflix, Hulu or (especially) Amazon Prime, the bulk of the selections here aren’t made up of modern, straight-to-VOD, zero-budget productions with vague, one-word titles. The overall scope of the service might not be quite as broad as something like Netflix, but you’re likely to have heard of far more of these films. Read this NSFW list with someone you love.The first thing one notices, looking at the sci-fi genre as it exists on HBO Max, is that there’s an unusual level of genuine curation involved here. But the 3o films here all share one thing in common: They all come as close to being pornographic as mainstream films will allow. Some have been imported in as prestige foreign films, and others have been produced and distributed by Hollywood studios. They are designed to play in multiplexes and art houses. These films are cast with A-list movie stars and directed by world-class filmmakers. Rather, it’s the latest in a long line of films that have pushed the envelope in terms of what can be shown in “mainstream” films and not be considered the sort of movie that requires you to give your credit card to a Web site in order to watch. (LeBeouf even sent in a homemade pornographic videotape for his audition.)ĭespite the abundance of explicit sex on display, however, Von Trier’s film is not pornography. Though some stunt, er, parts were employed, you are basically watching actors like Charlotte Gainsbourg and Shia LeBeouf engage in the sort of unsimulated activities you associate with porn stars. 2 doesn’t arrive until April 4th, though you’ll be able to catch both chapters on video-on-demand starting on March 20th.) Never one to shy from provocation - he’s more likely to sprint towards it - the Danish director’s chronicle of one woman’s sexual awakening is littered with spankings, fellatio, a ménage à trois or two, sodomy, masturbation and good old-fashioned humping. Arriving on a wave of high anticipation, hype and bag-headed public appearances, the first “volume” of Lars Von Trier’s two-part, five-hour magnum opus Nymphomaniac will start rolling into theaters on March 21st.