![]() ![]() In the film, the “COM” computer display shows a variety of datasets and graphs.As mentioned, they always occur at the same place, on a computer display labeled “COM,” and only when this three-letter label is being displayed.However, the set of scratches is only visible in scenes featuring the interior of the EVA pods During this segment, it is visible on many occasions (I counted over 30) and in different locations inside the Discovery. The “COM” label can be seen in different spacecraft, but is most prominently featured during the “Jupiter Mission” segment.Each time, the scratches share the following similarities: Once I started checking different editions of 2001: A Space Odyssey, I noticed many featured the same set of scratches a total of 4 times. It was clear the scratches were not on the 70 mm print showing that afternoon, but in the film itself, meaning they were likely visible on other copies of the film. This was the first time I saw the same scratches in two different scenes, each time with similar (if flashing) shapes, and each time at the very same position on the set (i.e. Where are the scratches in 2001: A Space Odyssey?Īlthough I’ve viewed 2001: A Space Odyssey a number of times over the years in a variety of formats, I only became aware of this set of scratches during a screening of the “unrestored” 70 mm print at TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto, in June 2018. Finally, I provide technical information to explain how the animated readouts filling the many computer screens on the set were made. Then I examine various editions of 2001: A Space Odyssey, and list which carry the scratches. In the following research notes, I first describe when the scratches occur in the film. They only flash by when the “COM” logo appears (although not every time), and always in scenes featuring interior shots of the EVA pod’s computers. Each time, the set of scratches occurs at the same place, at the same moments. Interestingly, they are also visible on the “unrestored” 70 mm print launched at Cannes in May 2018. The same scratches can also be observed in a number of additional releases, including VHS and DVD editions, which I have listed in a table below. The specific snapshots featured above were taken from Warner’s 2007 Blu-ray edition of 2001: A Space Odyssey. ![]() Their absence alone is not a proof of digital cleaning, but it represents a likely and partly supported explanation. They are also absent from later editions of the film where they may have been digitally erased or cleaned. Indeed, they only occur when the “COM” computer display is positioned on the far right side of the 2.20:1 frame. This specific set of scratches is absent from versions of the movie where the sides of the film were cropped to fit television screens. In fact, they should be visible on all available copies, with two notable exceptions. This makes it possible to observe the same set of scratches at the same moments and in the same position within the frame in various editions of 2001: A Space Odyssey. The scratches were part of the set pieces, filmed during production. Rather, they occurred on one of the many 16 mm loops of celluloid film used in rear projection to fill the computer screens with a variety of readouts. These scratches did not appear on a specific release of the film. They flash by the dark purple “COM” label on one of the EVA pod’s many computer screens. They are not the only scratches visible in the movie, but by far are the easiest to spot. Warner 2007 Blu-ray edition 01:31:13Īnimated snapshots of the set of scratches are shown above. Animation of snapshots showing a set of scratches passing on the “COM” computer display in ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’. It remains unknown if they were visible during the film’s premiere in April 1968. They were filmed during production, in 1965 or 1966, visible at the same moments and locations within the frame in most copies of the movie, from VHS and Blu-ray releases to 70 mm and IMAX prints. There is a set of scratches in 2001: A Space Odyssey that are not on the film, but in the film.
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