I SOMETIMES RETURN TO THE DISTANT PAST of my blogging adventure and find an entry that nobody read. Can anyone identify with that? This one took place during the first or second week of my blog, about a year and a half ago. Here's a re-print of one that might be interesting..who knows??
Nowadays, screen killings must be splattered with blood. My favorite all time violent dying scene just shuts down a gadget by the name of HAL, who's last breath has nothing to do with exhalation. Dave pulls the plug.H-A-L, 9000, the computer that runs the spaceship in "2001, A SPACE ODYSSEY", acquires some quite negative human traits, basically an ego and arrogance, glitches that do him in eventually. Dave, stranded outside the spaceship, requests re-entry from HAL, an adept lip reader, who has just dumped Frank, the other explorer, in space for eternity.
Dave and HAL indulge in the following dialog:
Dave: "Open the pod doors , HAL."
HAL: "I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that"...
Dave finally re-enters, under great stress. And much determination to sever the influence of HAL forever. Dave begins to "kill" HAL. As HAL "dies", he confesses to being afraid.
Dave presses the buttons for HAL's demise. HAL'S weakening voice asks for permission to sing.
All ego and presumption gone, he sings what was first programmed into him, "Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer do"....and so he goes
.
Which brings me to a little memory about Keir Dullea, the immortal Dave in "2001, A SPACE ODYSSEY".
I live in one of those high-rise apartment buildings in NYC. The notorious story about neighbors here not even knowing each other's names, is unfortunately true for the most part. But I'm a smiley type, at least nodding in the elevator.
I would sometimes run into a friendly, elderly couple in the elevator or on the street near my building . We would always exchange greetings, mostly words about the weather. One time though, in the elevator, the lady mentioned to me that her son was coming for a visit. If I had been she, I would have revealed much sooner than she did, that her son was Keir Dullea.
From time to time, through the next year or so, the elevator doors would open and there would stand Keir Dullea. Never once did I acknowledge my recognition of him. I was suddenly as frozen as HAL, devoid of all personality. I was alone with "Dave", and I was in awe. This was not just an actor, this was the star of the movie that was at the top of my Top 10. Basically, I knew that I'd never be able to say more than "hello".
I had the quirky thought I had to be wittier than that, as if he would be expecting a conversation of some sort. Or at the very least, a "thank you for your brilliant work".
But fate handed me a Hollywood ending
.
There was Keir Dullea again, in the elevator, a teensy smile forming on his mouth. Did he recognise me? I knew that his parents were going to move out. There would be no more chances. Still, words failed me. As I left the elevator, I surprised even myself by singing, very quietly, really a hush, "Daisy, Daisy"....Just the two words, and the elevator doors closed.
Didn't let Dave do me in too!
