re: 2001: A Space Odyssey turned 50 this week

Damn ... I remember like yesterday going to see that at the local drive-in with my girlfriend at the time. Had already read the book. Was fascinated at the thought of them turning it into a movie but was not disappointed.

Double feature, the earlier movie was The Wrecking Crew and I remember that so well for a few reasons. Sharon Tate was in that movie along with Tina Louis (Ginger on Gilligan's Island) and Chuck Norris.

The other reason was during intermission between the two movies everyone in the line to the concession stand was talking about either already having seen 2001 in a theater or, like my girlfriend and I, waiting to see it for a buck each at the drive-in. I'm talking summer of 1969. We had a cooler of beer in the back seat and she had made a brown paper bag of popcorn before we left her apartment. But we had to have some almonds and she had to use the ladies room and I'll never forget discussing the book with other people in that line.

I mean I remember that night like yesterday. They were running a race at the Columbia Motor Speedway that night and we had to roll the windows up to hear the speaker box over the noise from the race track and my '65 Fairlane did not have AC ... but we didn't care.

Damn simple times ... they were great. And the movies, both of them, were a lot of fun. Life was good.

It all begin to change the next week when Sharon Tate was murdered.