Page 12
.Daily Nebraskan
Tuesday, December 11, 1934
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Review by Steve Noble
Daily Nebraskan Staff Reporter
The year is 2010, and a lot of
things have changed. Pan-American
offers interstellar flights, the
trees in front of the White House
have grown, and people are keep
ing dolphins as pets.
Fans of the classic "2001: A
Space Odyssey" have reason to
rejoice with the release of its
sequel "2010: The Year We Make
Contact." Both films are based on
novels by science fiction writer
Arthur C. Clarke.
"2010" picks up the story where
"2001" left it. Astronauts and
scientists from the United States
and the Soviet Union have formed
a tense, uneasy alliance. Com
bining forces, they seek answers
to what happened to The Discov
ery and its curious and inquisi
tive on-board computer, HAL
9000. The American crew is composed
of Heywood Floyd (Roy Scheider),
who blames himself for the fail
ure of the 2001 mission; R. Chan
dra (Bob Balaben), a man who
has strangely intimate relation
ships with computers and is the
only person capable of finding
out what went wrong with HAL;
and Walter Cumow (John Lith
gow), who seems to be along just
for the ride, although he is a fre
quent icebreaker in this tense
film.
The astronauts reach The Dis
covery, which has been floating
around somewhere near Jupiter s
for the last nine years. Meanwhile,
back on earth, the United States
and the Soviet Union are on the
brink of nuclear war over the
situation in Central America, thus
complicating the situation for the
crew of The Leonov.
Visually, the film is stunning.
The special effects and photo
graphy alone are worth the admis
sion price.
Unlike many science fiction
films, "2010" doesn't dwell on
effects at the expense of charac
ters. The human element is never
ignored and is actually explored
as the American and Soviet char
acters become people with sim
ilar hopes and fears.
An interesting and speculative
look at the concept of "man and
computer" is provoked.
But those who never saw "2001"
may be left confused and asking
some of these questions: Why is
Dave Bowman changing from an
old man and then into a fetus
right before my eyes? Who is the
old woman, and why does her
brush magically levitate and fix
her hair? What do we make con
tact with in the year 2010? What
are those mysterious monolith
things? Do we have to wait for
another sequel to find out? Is this
movie symbolic, or am I just to
slow to understand what's going
on?
Yes, "2010" is a deep movie. So
deep that it is possible to drown
in its symbolism and abstraction.
Despite its loose ends and pre
tentiousness, "2010" is a captivat
ing and intriguing movie.
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Photos courtesy of HGMUA
Top: The EussLui spacecraft and the American Discovery
between Io and Jupiter. Above: Eoy Scheider ("Blue Thunder'
"All Thst Jazz," "Jaws") pkys Dr. Heywood Floyd, senior
member of the American te&sn and the man bl&nied for the
failure of the discovery mission in 2001.
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Sleep, food and alcohol
alleviate finals anxiety
When finals rear their ugly little heads
at the end of each term, anxiety never
fails to be close behind. Ranging from
severe to excruciating, this stress that
everybody inevitably feels can manifest
itself in some odd ways.
Mark
Holt
For a lucky few, it only goes as far as
toenail biting or bedwetting.
Others who have more trouble adapting
often make the news as hyackers or
arsonists.
Unfortunately, the diversions that are
about to be provided may not be rash
enough for students with felonious ten
dencies. Casualties will pile up during
finals week no matter what is done. But,
with any luck, these ideas will save those
who are teetering on sanity's edge and
give them a way to channal their end-of-the-semester
nervousness.
1. Dodge Salvation Amy bell ringers.
Why confront these people and add to an
already stressful day? Cross the street or
walk behind somebody tall, then snicker
when his or her face reddens at the
ringer's pleading "How are you?" as you
slide by undetected.
Better yet, beat them at their own
game. Confront them with a friendlier
"How do you do," carry a bigger bell,
maybe a gong, and claim to be collecting
for people even less fortunate than the
ones they collect for. If that seems
extreme, then at least be prepared. Keep
a few washers handy.
2. Sleep. This always relieves tension
and is especially ideal for the avid pro
crastinator. If there is a choice between
finishing homework late at night and
doing it early in the morning, it's usually
wise to opt for the latter. Nothing can
breathe more life into an assignment
than the bright-eyed, bushy-tailed feeling
a full night's rest never gives.
3. Bathe. Close attention to personal
hygiene is important for most occasions,
but the role it takes during finals can be
doubly vital. Few things are as relaxing as
a visit with Mr. Bubble and a fresh bath
sized bar of Irish Spring. It also serves ta
eat up time that might be frivolously
frittered away on studying. Here's a good
rule of thumb to follow: "Would that tub'
look more occupied if I was in it?"
Ccniinscd on Pass 13