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Is there a 2001 reference in AOTC?

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There's that pod from Discovery visible in Watto's junkyard in Episode I, and that beautiful shot when Obi-Wan lands on Polis Massa at the end of Episode III. Is there something related to 2001: A Space Odyssey in Episode II?
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You know, I'd heard about both of those, but it never occured to me that it was... something that they might all three have...

I've only seen the end of 2001... so I'm not really certain... but from what I remember, I can't think of anything...


Is it not sad that in this time, we are more surprised by acts of love than acts of hate?
-Me

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The opening shot of AOTC has the PanAm plane from 2001.
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I'd never heard about those 2001 references before. Interesting that someone in Lucasland saw fit to reference a movie that Lucas has previously criticised for dwelling too much on its own set design accomplishments rather than drive the story forward (I forget his exact quote, I think it's in Star Wars to Jedi: Making of a Saga or in Pollock's Skywalking). I often felt that the PT was masterbating over "look at what we can do" rather than driving the story forward ....
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Originally posted by: miker71
I often felt that the PT was masterbating over "look at what we can do" rather than driving the story forward ....


Dude I'm gonna print that on a t-shirt.
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a movie that Lucas has previously criticised for dwelling too much on its own set design accomplishments rather than drive the story forward


I'm pretty sure it was his idea, on the Episode III commentary Rob Coleman says that Lucas asked for it to be put there as an homage to Kubrick. I'm also sure that he loves 2001. Lucas was interviewed for the new Kubrick collection, and appears on a few of the documentaries in that set. The longest segment with Lucas is on the 2001 documentary, where he explains that he loves 2001 because its a mainly visual film, and that he found it inspiring that someone could make a successful visual film. Lucas says that he probably would not have made Star Wars if Kubrick hadn't made 2001 (or something to that effect).
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I know that the original intent for Star Wars was somethign Similar to 2001. The problem was he wasn't Kubrick and didn't have the money and studio so it was very difficult. Things fell away and were streamlined and broken apart.

Even the idea of using a film score was not Lucas'. It was Speilbergs. Lucas originally wanted to use classical music such as Mars from Holtz The Planets and such, similar to how even though 2001 had a score by Alex North, Kubrick only had him compose music because the studio forced him to and he used none of it. Only classical.

But when Lucas heard Williams score he opted for using it.


Is it not sad that in this time, we are more surprised by acts of love than acts of hate?
-Me

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A story I heard about 2001 was that they were using Blue Danube to edit to and Kubrick liked it so much that's how it stayed. Dunno about the rest of the 2001 score, I'm not familiar with it.

And Lucas was in awe of 2001 according to page 142 of Skywalking ... but he considered it too obscure and downbeat. The quote about the production design and the camera lingering on it must be from another source.
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The pod from 2001 and the escape pod from ANH look almost exactly the same from behind. Coincidence?

http://i.imgur.com/7N84TM8.jpg

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2001 is a huge influence on Star Wars. Maybe Lucas found it slower back in the day but i find that hard to believe--THX 1138 is clearly mimicing the same abstract style as Kubrick's film. On the new DVD Lucas says that 2001 was one of the most profound influences on his life because it made him realise he could make THX.

As for AOTC--thats a tough one. If here are any starship hanger shots then one might count those--for instance the ones on the Death Star, with the white glowing rim, are taken directly from 2001. I never knew the pan-am ship was in there though, I'm sure thats just the ILM guys having fun/getting bored.
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A story I heard about 2001 was that they were using Blue Danube to edit to and Kubrick liked it so much that's how it stayed.


The way I remember it was that MGM was getting worried about the film. Kubrick had been working on it since 65, so they needed a progress report so to speak. So Kubrick finished off a rough cut (for MGM) using music from his personal collection, and he liked it so much it stayed. Or something like that.

GoodMusician, I've always wanted to get my hands on that Alex North score. I'd heard that it was officially released, but I can't seem to find it. Do you know if the release is out of production or something?
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Alex North's score is still available.

http://www.amazon.com/Alex-Norths-National-Philharmonic-Orchestra/dp/B0000014T6/ref=pd_bbs_sr_3?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1196538659&sr=1-3
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These kinds of threads are useless without some pictures.

The pod in Episode 1
http://www.egosystem.com/starwars/images/tpm/not_a_long_time_ago.jpg

The supposed PanAm transport in Episode 2 would look like this:
http://homepages.tesco.net/d.sisson/articlepic3/mz2%209.jpg

And here's the moon base and Polis Massa
http://www.starwars-holonet.com/holonet/dictionnaire/photos/planete_polis_massa_1.jpg
http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/imagenes_aliens/odtssey2001_06.jpg
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Originally posted by: Owen-Lars-Kenobi
This is the one I was talking about.

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/635/2001starwarslk3.jpg


I can see the similarity I’ve noticed I before. I wonder if Lacus is paying homage to 2001.
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w118/Brainstorm3417/saberwalker.gif
Only the originals from the 70mm six-track Dolby stereo Dolby format 42 will sound better on DVD.
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Wait a second, whereis that in AOTC? Granted I haven't seen the original in at least 3 years (ADM's edit may have cut it out)... any help?

A Goon in a Gaggle of 'em

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I can see the similarity I’ve noticed I before. I wonder if Lacus is paying homage to 2001.


Its very much intentional. As I stated earlier in this thread, the reference is mentioned on the Episode III commentary. Apparently Lucas asked for it to be put there.

bkev, Fang Zei says its in the opening shot (as already mentioned earlier in this thread!?). I think its there, just very small.