The 40th Anniversary of 2001: A Space Odyssey
Written by Dennis Gonzales.
Video/Photography by Robert Spellman, and The Malcolm Mcdowell site, 2008.

The Jules Verne Festival celebrates the 40th Anniversary of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Oct. 12, 2008, Part Six (Continued)


Official flyer.

I had the pleasure of meeting other fans and the cast of 2001: A Space Odyssey at the Edison in Los Angeles, October 12. If you're not familiar with the Edison, it's a venue located behind 2nd street, near Main Street. A hard place to find, even my cab driver had a hard time locating it. I was dropped off in front of a restaurant and walked behind an alley. As I turned the corner, I saw a line was already forming outside the venue.


I ran into 2001 fan Matt Ventimiglia (see top image, left - Matt with his Bush Baby and right - Dennis) and if anyone knows Ventimiglia, you know he always has a briefcase of collectibles and other goodies to share with other fans. Ventimiglia introduced me to his crew of 2001 fans, Robert and Lucy Spellman who shot pictures and movies at the event. Dan Richter walked into the alley and we greeted him. Other non-2001 celebrities came strolling into the venue, too, like Garrett Morris from SNL.


Image: left - Dan Richter and right - Lucy Spellman.

The Edison didn't look like much from outside but once we were inside the lobby my jaw dropped. The venue has a unique rustic look of the industrial revolution. The creators of the facility, Andrew Meierm and his partner Marc Smith, designed a world-class bar that retains its original architectural and mechanical artifacts from the first private power plant in Los Angeles. The venue offers handcrafted cocktails and the majestic relics of a long-lost era of glamour, giving one a sense of nostalgia for days gone by. The Edison is considered a celebration of an era of invention and imagination and the blending of science, art, and industry. Evidence of invention and art was everywhere I turned.

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