If you have any questions concerning ambiguity in 2001 I'd recommend watching 2010.

@shallowhal said:

If you have any questions concerning ambiguity in 2001 I'd recommend watching 2010.

I have 2010. I don't remember anything in there explaining the attack of the billion ft space baby.

I figured that the movie depicts the theory of evolution. I dunno.

@april422 said:

I figured that the movie depicts the theory of evolution. I dunno.

Well, it says that aliens sparked evolution by placing that monolith in the ape community and exposure to it made them smarter. I just wanna know why it didn't make those pig like animals the apes were eating smarter too.

@movie_nazi said:

@april422 said:

I figured that the movie depicts the theory of evolution. I dunno.

Well, it says that aliens sparked evolution by placing that monolith in the ape community and exposure to it made them smarter. I just wanna know why it didn't make those pig like animals the apes were eating smarter too.

I thought that there is a jump in evolution every so often and that's what that monolith represented- or maybe I'm thinking of X-Men?

If you notice the ape evolved into man after direct contact with that monolith so that was the first jump in evolution. Next time we see the monolith it is on the moon and the astronauts had contact with it so the next jump in evolution was that AI intelligence Hal 1000. The next jump was when that astronaut in the end, traveled thru the wormhole and afterwards he developed the ability to see his future self. I didn't see any reference to alien contact especially not after the last scene showing a human baby as if to make his point that the movie is a story based upon the theory of evolution and we could also throw in survival of the fittest too (man vs Artificial Intelligence) because that astronaut outsmarted Hal's plot to kill him.

Or perhaps he is implying that humanity are the aliens on this planet? But I doubt that was his point. But to answer your question, the pig-like animals weren't effected because they didn't touch the monolith.

If you really want a movie that inspires deep discussion or debate about survival of the fittest an the theory of evolution, The Matrix is an excellent candidate. The Matrix also explores other themes as well. There is already a discussion happening on that board. It's quite interesting. I was planning to wait until the thread became longer until I weigh in my own opinions developed after having watched The Matrix trilogy dozens of times since it was released in theaters.

@april422 said:

@movie_nazi said:

@april422 said:

I figured that the movie depicts the theory of evolution. I dunno.

Well, it says that aliens sparked evolution by placing that monolith in the ape community and exposure to it made them smarter. I just wanna know why it didn't make those pig like animals the apes were eating smarter too.

I thought that there is a jump in evolution every so often and that's what that monolith represented- or maybe I'm thinking of X-Men?

If you notice the ape evolved into man after direct contact with that monolith so that was the first jump in evolution. Next time we see the monolith it is on the moon and the astronauts had contact with it so the next jump in evolution was that AI intelligence Hal 1000. The next jump was when that astronaut in the end, traveled thru the wormhole and afterwards he developed the ability to see his future self. I didn't see any reference to alien contact especially not after the last scene showing a human baby as if to make his point that the movie is a story based upon the theory of evolution and we could also throw in survival of the fittest too (man vs Artificial Intelligence) because that astronaut outsmarted Hal's plot to kill him.

Or perhaps he is implying that humanity are the aliens on this planet? But I doubt that was his point. But to answer your question, the pig-like animals weren't effected because they didn't touch the monolith.

If you really want a movie that inspires deep discussion or debate about survival of the fittest an the theory of evolution, The Matrix is an excellent candidate. The Matrix also explores other themes as well. There is already a discussion happening on that board. It's quite interesting. I was planning to wait until the thread became longer until I weigh in my own opinions developed after having watched The Matrix trilogy dozens of times since it was released in theaters.

Reading around it appears that the monolith represents the beings referred to as "Them". Basically, a far more advanced intelligent life that is the caretaker of mankind in a sense. They saw potential in the apes but also saw that they may not make it as predators (like the leopard) were just far too cunning and fast for them. So in steps in "Them" and provides the monolith to give them an intellectual boost so that they may survive and evolve.

Cut to the moon. Evidently, mankind is once again on the brink extinction due to nuclear war. In comes the monolith to the rescue. Mankind now investigates the monolith on Jupiter (or by Jupiter) and Bowman is once again "enlightened" by the monolith and goes into the next step of evolution as the "Star Baby" which means he will become a star which we see happen in 2010.

Love the Matrix and you should check out the Gnostic angle if you haven't already. Pretty interesting.

@movie_nazi said:

@april422 said:

@movie_nazi said:

@april422 said:

I figured that the movie depicts the theory of evolution. I dunno.

Well, it says that aliens sparked evolution by placing that monolith in the ape community and exposure to it made them smarter. I just wanna know why it didn't make those pig like animals the apes were eating smarter too.

I thought that there is a jump in evolution every so often and that's what that monolith represented- or maybe I'm thinking of X-Men?

If you notice the ape evolved into man after direct contact with that monolith so that was the first jump in evolution. Next time we see the monolith it is on the moon and the astronauts had contact with it so the next jump in evolution was that AI intelligence Hal 1000. The next jump was when that astronaut in the end, traveled thru the wormhole and afterwards he developed the ability to see his future self. I didn't see any reference to alien contact especially not after the last scene showing a human baby as if to make his point that the movie is a story based upon the theory of evolution and we could also throw in survival of the fittest too (man vs Artificial Intelligence) because that astronaut outsmarted Hal's plot to kill him.

Or perhaps he is implying that humanity are the aliens on this planet? But I doubt that was his point. But to answer your question, the pig-like animals weren't effected because they didn't touch the monolith.

If you really want a movie that inspires deep discussion or debate about survival of the fittest an the theory of evolution, The Matrix is an excellent candidate. The Matrix also explores other themes as well. There is already a discussion happening on that board. It's quite interesting. I was planning to wait until the thread became longer until I weigh in my own opinions developed after having watched The Matrix trilogy dozens of times since it was released in theaters.

Reading around it appears that the monolith represents the beings referred to as "Them". Basically, a far more advanced intelligent life that is the caretaker of mankind in a sense. They saw potential in the apes but also saw that they may not make it as predators (like the leopard) were just far too cunning and fast for them. So in steps in "Them" and provides the monolith to give them an intellectual boost so that they may survive and evolve.

Cut to the moon. Evidently, mankind is once again on the brink extinction due to nuclear war. In comes the monolith to the rescue. Mankind now investigates the monolith on Jupiter (or by Jupiter) and Bowman is once again "enlightened" by the monolith and goes into the next step of evolution as the "Star Baby" which means he will become a star which we see happen in 2010.

Love the Matrix and you should check out the Gnostic angle if you haven't already. Pretty interesting.

Aww how sweet of "them" to do that. Just kidding. "Them" as you call it, actions weren't really working in the best interest of mankind because scary music is played every time that monolith is shown.

@april422 said:

Aww how sweet of "them" to do that.

Yep, just like a sky daddy if you will.

@Invidia said:

@april422

scary music is played every time that monolith is shown.

MN and APRIL,

Please come join in on the MATRIX conversation.

You got a Matrix convo going? I will rewatch this weekend and join. Haven't seen it in a while and it is high time I rewatch.

As for the meaning of the MONOLITH ...

NOTE the way the first thing the APE like creatures do after they encounter it is pick up a bone and figure out how to use it as a WEAPON (as MN has already pointed out).

Then comes the creation of HAL who also uses it's intelligence to attack the CREW.

Well, it is explained in 2010 that HAL attacked the crew because he was inadvertently programmed to eliminate any elements that could possibly endanger the mission. I'm still having trouble grasping what happened that made HAL decide that the crew endangered the mission. I know that when he eavesdropped on Bowman and Poole he "hears" that they want to disconect him which would in fact endanger the mission because having HAL controlling things gives the mission the greater probability of completing successfully. However, this doesn't explain while HAL made up the lie that the communicator was about to go bad and they had to replace it. Did he actually make a mistake or was HAL using this as an opportunity to be able to murder Poole and Bowman? If so, what rpompted him to wanna murder them in the first place?

That's what happened in the sequel. the star child attacks.

Then Godzilla and King Kong and Mothra join forces to fight it.

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/21/df/13/21df13715556cc1ffc0688859ca11dda--godzilla-gojira.jpg

https://atlassociety.org/images/starchild-2001-space-odyssey.jpg

@FlyingSaucersAreReal said:

That's what happened in the sequel. the star child attacks.

Then Godzilla and King Kong and Mothra join forces to fight it.

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/21/df/13/21df13715556cc1ffc0688859ca11dda--godzilla-gojira.jpg

https://atlassociety.org/images/starchild-2001-space-odyssey.jpg

LOL, I was thinking of more along the lines of Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)

@Invidia said:

So the explanation is HAL went INSANE because he'd been programmed with CONTRADICTORY INSTRUCTIONS and couldn't figure out what to do about it or how to resolve the problem.

So this is why he lies about the communicator about to go bad? I also don't buy that the MONOLITH wanted to kill them. If that were true then they wouldn't have made Bowman a STAR BABY. They woulda blasted him as soon as he pulled up.

@Invidia said:

@movie_nazi said:

@Invidia said:

@april422

scary music is played every time that monolith is shown.

MN and APRIL,

Please come join in on the MATRIX conversation.

You got a Matrix convo going? I will rewatch this weekend and join. Haven't seen it in a while and it is high time I rewatch.

As for the meaning of the MONOLITH ...

NOTE the way the first thing the APE like creatures do after they encounter it is pick up a bone and figure out how to use it as a WEAPON (as MN has already pointed out).

Then comes the creation of HAL who also uses it's intelligence to attack the CREW.

Well, it is explained in 2010 that HAL attacked the crew because he was inadvertently programmed to eliminate any elements that could possibly endanger the mission. I'm still having trouble grasping what happened that made HAL decide that the crew endangered the mission. I know that when he eavesdropped on Bowman and Poole he "hears" that they want to disconect him which would in fact endanger the mission because having HAL controlling things gives the mission the greater probability of completing successfully. However, this doesn't explain while HAL made up the lie that the communicator was about to go bad and they had to replace it. Did he actually make a mistake or was HAL using this as an opportunity to be able to murder Poole and Bowman? If so, what rpompted him to wanna murder them in the first place?

The problem was HAL was PROGRAMMED with CONTRADICTORY INSTRUCTIONS and DIRECTIONS.

So that's why he lost his MIND (so to speak).

When he READS their LIPS he also knew they were planning to DISCONECT him, which would also have PREVENTED him from doing his MISSION.

So that's also why the plan to disconnect him was seen by him as being a threat to the MISSION.

Because HAL also knew something about it that BOWMAN and POOLE didn't know (which BOWMAN also learns about after he disconnects HAL and learns about the MONOLITH).

There's also the possibility that HAL was taken over by whoever controls the MONOLITH.

But there's also never any indication that's been the case.

So the explanation is HAL went INSANE because he'd been programmed with CONTRADICTORY INSTRUCTIONS and couldn't figure out what to do about it or how to resolve the problem.

Right. They explain this more clearly in the novel and in the movie 2010.

@Hobnobber said:

*"...suggesting that maybe the MONOLITH was also giving HAL instructions of some kind..." *
So HAL's tinfoil hat wasn't working and the block was like a voice in a male ego infested solid-state head? Like maybe HAL wanted to be the first star baby on the trip. All this after the signal on the moon pointed the way...

LOL, I can buy that actually.

@Invidia said:

@april422

scary music is played every time that monolith is shown.

MN and APRIL,

Please come join in on the MATRIX conversation.

As for the meaning of the MONOLITH ...

NOTE the way the first thing the APE like creatures do after they encounter it is pick up a bone and figure out how to use it as a WEAPON (as MN has already pointed out).

Then comes the creation of HAL who also uses it's intelligence to attack the CREW.

So if we follow that line of reasoning couldn't the GIANT STAR BABY also be seen as a THREAT to HUMANITY???

If anyone is familiar with ERASERHEAD, NOTE the way that film also begins with the HEAD of HENRY FLOATING in SPACE like the STAR BABY does.

And we also see the CREEPY MAN in the PLANET (or whatever kind of CREATURE he is) pulling on some LEVERS ... and then learn about the life of HENRY ... which is anything but a good life ... because the FACTORIES have POLLUTED the place so much that they have to eat MECHANICAL CHICKENS for dinner (which also reminds one of what happens in BLADE RUNNER 2049).

Anyhow, KUBRICK also LOVED LYNCH's ERASERHEAD, and some say the FLOATING head of HENRY was also LYNCH's response to the STAR BABY being a BAD OMEN and not a GOOD one.

In other words, what happens next is the POLLUTION of the planet to the point where one can't grow and eat REAL CHICKENS anymore.

And since the DOCTORS also said they didn't know if the BABY was really a baby or not, and it also has the SAME kind of SORES on it that we see on the MAN (or whatever he is) in the PLANET, perhaps it was also an ALIEN BABY, and Henry also wasn't the BIO DAD the way his girlfriend claimed he was???

Whatever the case may be, ERASERHEAD is also said to be the answer to what the STAR BABY MEANS, therefore also making LYNCH'S FILM an ANTI STAR BABY film.

I just figured the star baby was the next step to humanity's evolution. Note how time goes by for the astronaut when he first comes into contact with the monolith. It's like he sees time differently, growing old and young within a matter of (movie) minutes

I was watching an episode of The Critic with Jon Lovitz and he mentions watching the film. I just figured it was the story of a futuristic New York or a representation of a city similar to it and about a man growing out of bachelorhood, facing a kind of fear towards getting married and having a first child. The chickens were just a way of the film conveying that Henry and his wife were having an awkward engagement with his new in laws at the dinner table.

Or they're just references to menstruation just as much as the lady in the radiator is a reference to masturbation.