The World Tonight: Press - Internet
On this site it will always be 2001:
The Toronto Star
By Pete Howell
Date: 1/2/2002

At the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, he saw his favourite movie and personal obsession, Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, suddenly become outdated.

The Beatle-haired Gonzales, 43, a Web designer at NASA's Ames Research Center in San Mateo, Calif., could lay claim to being the most devoted fan ever of 2001. His collection of memorabilia is almost unrivalled -even HAL 9000 would be impressed - and he's been an adviser to and supporter of 2001 exhibits around the globe. His Web site, www.2001exhibit.org, has been the essential place for Kubrick fans to catch up on all 2001 related events, including the comings and goings of novelist Arthur C. Clarke, who co-wrote the film's screenplay with Kubrick.

Gonzales has also sent out a periodic e-mail newsletter titled The World Tonight, which buffs will recognize as the name of the news broadcast astronauts Dave Bowman and Frank Poole watch in the movie, alongside devious HAL.

But what's a 2001 fanatic going to do now that 2002 is here? You'd have to think Gonzales would be feeling like those Y2K doomsayers after 2000 arrived without a meltdown, or George Orwell enthusiasts trying to get excited about 1984 in 1985.

Gonzales is smarter than that. He saw this day coming back when he launched his 2001 site in November 1999, and he's been preparing for it.

"Some time ago, I had a talk to the owner and Web designer of the popular Space: 1999 Web site that was up for a number of years," Gonzales said in an e-mail. "As the year passed, he lost his drive to keep up with the site for the popular occult '70s science fiction show. I had a feeling he burned out from not getting the satisfaction he once had. He also was getting ripped off from people who took parts of his site for a CD-ROM, and sold it on eBay for a profit. That was the last straw."

Gonzales decided to avoid the same fate by centring his 2001 site not on the movie per se, but on a 2001 exhibit he helped create for the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose. He also took care not to post any copyrighted images, because that's what Web thieves covet. His site is instead full of recreations and artistic impressions of scenes, people and space vehicles from the film.

"Since I was focussing on the exhibit and people influenced by the film, it was a better approach to capture the essence of the film's influence."

He was rewarded with support from Kubrick fans. And it has encouraged him to keep his site going, also promoting NASA's plans to boldly travel to Mars and beyond.

The obvious thing might be for him to shift emphasis to 2010, Peter Hyams' disappointing sequel to 2001. Gonzales' vision extends beyond that.

"I plan to carry on Clarke's four-part 2001 series by campaigning for the remaining two books, 2061 and 3001, that have not yet been made into movies," he said.

"I've asked Clarke if he wanted the remaining two books to be made into films and he said yes. I think I can convince the movie industry, through my Web site, that there is a market for 2061 and 3001."

Don't bet against him. His efforts undoubtedly helped persuade a reluctant Warner Bros. to launch a limited re-release of 2001 stateside.

"It's hard to keep on top of it, because I am non-profit and I don't have the resources (or money) to maintain it daily," Gonzales said.

"But people from all over the world have contributed, and it's helped me keep my head above deep waters."

He's still looking at the stars, ever hopeful.

Copyright (c) 2001 Toronto Star, All Rights Reserved.

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