Steven Spielberg joined James Cameron to talk about the sci-fi classic 2001: A Space Odyssey and how excited she and other moviegoers were about the film.
As part of the first episode of the AMC series James Cameron’s Story of Science Fiction (via IndieWire), the two world-renowned directors Steven Spielberg (Jaws, Jurassic Park) and James Cameron (Avatar, Titanic) talked about an acclaimed sci-fi film, which is considered an absolute classic of the genre: 2001 – A Space Odyssey.
Here’s a trailer for the 1968 sci-fi film:
Trailer for the sci-fi classic 2001: A Space Odyssey
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2001 – A Space Odyssey as a major inspiration for Spielberg
Steven Spielberg revealed on the AMC show that Kubrick’s film had a huge impact on him.
When he watched the sci-fi classic in the cinema, it was like a spiritual experience:
2001 had a profound impact on my life and everyday life. It was the first time I went into a film and really felt like I was having a religious experience.
Steven Spielberg via Indiewire
But James Cameron is also a huge fan of the sci-fi film. The director said he watched it 18 times in the first few years after it was released in all cinemas.
But not only the director, but also another moviegoer was extremely enthusiastic about the film and seemed to have a religious experience similar to Steven Spielberg.
“And I remember at one event there was a man running down the aisle screaming, ‘It’s God! It’s God!’ And in that moment, he meant it,” said James Cameron
If you want to have an extraordinary experience like Steven Spielberg next time you go to the cinema, our colleagues at Moviepilot have a list of the 10 must-see movies on the big screen here.
Steven Spielberg then shared a curious anecdote about how a visitor in the cinema caused a commotion at 2001: A Space Odyssey:
“And I had a guy who actually walked up to the screen and walked through with his arms outstretched. People went nuts because the person in the screen disappeared into, of all places [der Sternentor-Sequenz].”
The director of 2001 – A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick († March 07, 1999) is one of the most famous names in film history. He was considered an absolute perfectionist, for whom every scene had to fit right down to the smallest detail.
He even shot one scene so many times that it made it into the Guinness Book of Records:
A single scene in a popular horror film has been shot 148 times