Standing on the Shoulders of Kubrick: The Legacy of 2001

Standing on the Shoulders of Kubrick: The Legacy of 2001 (2007)

*** 1/2 (out of 4)

Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Dennis Muren, Ben Burtt, Jay Cocks, Roger Ebert, Peter Hyams, Anthony Frewen, Dan O'Bannon, Sydney Pollack, Ernest Dickerson and William Friedkin are among the people discussing their first impressions of seeing Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY and what impact it had on their careers.

If you're a fan of the Kubrick film or the filmmakers interviewed here then you'll certainly want to check out this 21 minute featurette that has all sorts of great stories told. The highlights are certainly hearing from filmmakers like Spielberg and Lucas as they talk about what their original thoughts were when they saw the film and how it would eventually influence something like STAR WARS. There's another great discussion where people talk about why Kubrick is perhaps the most important filmmaker in the history of cinema. There's a lot of great stuff here that fans will love.

It's a real treat to see big-name directors (including Lucas, Spielberg, Pollack) and cinematographers sounding like star-struck fans. 2001 has been analyzed to death, but this documentary wisely steps back and puts the film in an almost historical perspective, as these cinema pros talk about both their initial jaw-drop reactions to the film in 1968, and then discuss its influence on everything that came later.

Extremely well-selected clips and images are beautifully edited into a satisfying whole. If you love the movie, you have to see this doc. And younger film fans who may not understand what the fuss was (and still is) all about will gain terrific insight.