ON THIS DAY: In 1998, the supercomputer HAL was born... in the alternate universe of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, at least. Still a fascinating film from a storytelling and thematic point of view, it has also become a kind of time capsule of a nostalgic retro future, like a World's Fair World of Tomorrow at our fingertips. Some of its ambiance is amusing: Not only is Pan Am not offering commercial flights to the Moon, it isn't offering commercial flights to anywhere anymore. Some of it is disheartening: Astronauts no longer eat that gooey paste... but none of them are on their way to Jupiter yet, either. [today's movie at IMDb]

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Copyright (c) 2001 MaryAnn Johanson. All rights reserved.