2001: A Space Odyssey (film) Dawn" inspired the film's "Dawn Of Man" sequence. Kubrick and Clarke privately referred to the project as "How the Solar System Was Won", a reference to MGM's 1962 Cinerama epic "How the West Was Won". On February 23, 1965, Kubrick issued a press release announcing the title as "Journey Beyond The Stars". Other titles considered include "Universe", "Tunnel to the Stars", and "Planetfall". In April 1965, eleven months after they began working on the project, Kubrick selected "2001: A Space Odyssey"; Clarke said the title was "entirely" Kubrick's idea. Intending to set the film apart from the "monsters-and-sex" type of
2001: A Space Odyssey (film) Times" wrote that it was "somewhere between hypnotic and immensely boring." "Variety"'s 'Robe' believed the film was a "[b]ig, beautiful, but plodding sci-fi epic ... A major achievement in cinematography and special effects, "2001" lacks dramatic appeal to a large degree and only conveys suspense after the halfway mark." Andrew Sarris called it "one of the grimmest films I have ever seen in my life ... "2001" is a disaster because it is much too abstract to make its abstract points." (Sarris reversed his opinion upon a second viewing, and declared, ""2001" is indeed a major work by a major