Today - But in the Past

I was picking up some of my DVDs that had scattered around, and one title made be think back to a spring day twelve years ago. On this day, in 1996, I was sitting in a theater watching what I consider the "Best Comedy Film of the Year."

The movie? Twister.

I can't actually remember who I saw it with, but I remember going into the theater and trying to get a discount on my ticket because I was a storm chaser. I had my card from the NWS (National Weather Service) out to show the people, but they didn't care. So I got a ticket, walked into the theater, and waited for the film to start.

Which it did. And it was funny right from the first few minutes.

There were so many errors, in time, technology, and other areas the film was a laugh-riot. For supposedly having "experts" assist with the filming, the director and producers obviously didn't listen to them (which is typical for Hollywood, of course). In fact, some of the guys I knew who were the technical advisers publicly trashed the film, and distanced themselves from it.

Sure, the normal, uninformed public might not notice all the mistakes, but anyone with a small interest in tornadoes, weather, storm chasing, etc. would point out these inaccuracies in a second: which I did. Throughout basically the whole film. In fact, we were laughing so hard that we were told by the theater people to keep it quiet or leave, because other people were being bothered by us. Sure, because they believed everything in the film.

So I plan on watching this DVD today, and getting more laughs out of it.

2001: North vs Kubrick

So to bring everyone up to speed.

When Stanley Kubrick was making the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, the studio forced him to use Alex North to score the film. Now, North scored Kubrick's Spartacus, so they had worked together before. But this time, Kubrick had it in his head what he wanted already, and didn't want anything North had to compose.

So Kubrick lead North on, letting him compose a score for the film, while all the time not even planning on listening to it, let alone using it in the movie. And North didn't even find out until the movie premiered.

Years later, North's music was finally released on CD, so we could all enjoy it. And what's better, the liner notes make it pretty clear where the music was going to be in the film.

So, a friend of mine mixed the music to the specific scenes in the film, and gave me a copy to watch, just to see if it would work. And here's what I think:

The music itself is wonderful, but in the film, it just doesn't work. I guess I'm going to have to give Kubrick his due. now, to be fair, I'm working on a nearly 40 year bias, as I've only seen 2001 one way all these times, and can never see it "for the first time" with North's music.

With the original North cues, the film takes on a very different tone. It's not as "deep" or "dramatic" as it was, and as I watched it, I seemed to not be able to immerse myself in the imagery as I could before. The music took me out of the experience.

Some places, like part of the Space Station Docking and Moon Rocket Bus do work to some extent, but it now - after knowing the film as I have - it takes away from the experience.

So I will continue to enjoy Alex North's music as it is on the CD - and wish he had scored more of the film - but I will continue to enjoy 2001 (the film) as Kubrick made it. And I won't wonder (much) anymore about "how it might have been."

"The Greatest Enthusiasm and Confidence in the Mission"

Prophetic words, spoken by an AI.

Those were spoken by HAL, as astronaut David Bowman was entering the computer's logic core to shut off HAL's higher functions.

The only reason I bring this up is that I got a CD in the mail today. It's the original score to the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, written by Alex North. He composed this music for the film, unaware that the film's director, Stanley Kubrick, had no intention of using it. So it sat unused and (basically) unheard for decades.

A bunch of years ago Mr. North gave Jerry Goldsmith a listen to the music, and Jerry convinced him that it should be recorded. The Varese Sarabande label put out a CD in 1993. It was marvelous music, even though a mistake was made, and the first track was actually for a different North score: the film Africa.

A few months ago word came out that the Intrada label was going to release the actual tracks from the score. Many people in the film score fan community were critical of this, as it wasn't going to be in the "new millennium super-duper-surround-sound-ultra-stereo." Didn't care: I wanted it. Trouble is, I couldn't really afford it, as I'm still unemployed. However, my friend - and fellow film music buff Ed - bought it for me for Christmas (even though it wasn't released until the end of January 2007).

I finally received it today, uploaded it into iTunes for my iPod, andwas going to listen, but...

While I was getting the computer going with iTunes, I found out that TCM channel was showing 2001 as part of their "31 Days of Oscar." So I just had to watch it; it's like a personal law to me.

So I still haven't been able to listen to the CD, but I will. And when visitors' nights at the observatory start up in the spring, this music, plus the music used in the film, the Varese issue of North's score, and the score to 2010 will be playing as I show people the wonders of the universe.

Kong!!!

Had some fun tonight. Got to see a sneak preview of King Kong, because I won passes from the GR Press.

It's three hours long, but it's really good. I figured that Peter Jackson would do a good job, but this is amazing. And it's got so much more emotion than the LOTR films. You are really sucked into the experience. Of course, the "pit of creepy crawlies" gave me the wiggings, but I managed to watch it.

I hope to see it a few more times before it's gone. I think it's the best film of the year.

And then, Depression set in

This recent underappreciated feeling came from this past Tuesday night. Last week I had gotten a bunch of free passes to a sneak preview of the movie "Serenity" - a good old fashioned science fiction film. Since I knew a bunch of people online who would like to go, I put them up for grabs on the Yahoo group we frequent. They got snapped up just fine, and I had a couple left for my br other and some of his friends.

Come the night of the movie, we all meet up at Studio 28, and I read off the list of names and hand out the passes. Everything's shiny. Except for one thing: except for Tom (Slager), only one person thanked me for the passes. I gave out 30 passes good for 2 people each. Later I did get an email from one of the people on the group thanking me, but still. And then, when I said somethin g to my brother, he even *posted* to the group thanking me (they don't know we're related) for the passes. He got two replies to that - people thanking HIM for the passes!!

So these people were very eager to accept my offering of the passes, but not grateful enough to thank me. And it just made me feel like I do every once in a while about the astronomy club. I do all this work: website, newsletter, publicity, Inside Orbit, etc., and nobody gives a darn or goes out of their way to thank me. I don't *need* to do all that stuff, but I just do it. But it would be nice to get some recognition once in a while.

Now, I'm not talking about vanity or pride or any of the other deadly sins, but just would like to hear it sometime. It just feels like I'm being taken advantage of by everyone. Tell me. Is it too much to ask? No wonder I get depressed sometimes about it.

And it didn't help the week before agonizing over what to charge John and Paula for Alice's photos. And even now, I still think they don't want me around anymore. I don't know.

Oh well, guess there's nothing to be done about it. If I say something - or if someone else does - it will sound like I'm whining about it, or I made them say something about it. So it's a no win situation all around.

Serenity Again

Well, the screening went well tonight. Handed out the passes to everyone just fine. Only problem was with the special "Blogger Passes" that I was supposed to get. But, oh well.

And except for 2 people, not one other person thanked me for the passes. Sheesh. I guess they didn't appreciate them. Why the heck did I bother then? I have no damn clue.