What’s most notable about Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey is that the epic science fiction adventure was made using old-school practical special effects, well before computer graphics became a staple of the film industry. So when someone like Taschen releases a four-volume book set detailing the film’s production, you just know it will be chock full of wonderful behind-the-scenes images—not just screenshots of 3D software.
Let’s get the bad news out of the way first. The set, which comes in a lovely monolith-shaped metallic box, is going to cost you $750 when it’s available in July. But, for your money, you get 1,386 pages filled with film stills, behind-the-scenes production photos, interviews with the cast and filmmakers, a copy of the original screenplay, and production notes.
Limited to just 1,500 copies, the collection even comes signed by Christiane Kubrick, the late Stanley’s wife. Is that enough to justify dropping such a hefty chunk of change for? It’s probably dependent on how many times you’ve seen 2001. If we’re talking in the hundreds by now, you’ve probably already got your credit card at the ready. [Taschen]
