10 Movies That Ripped Up The Rule Book

Stanley Kubrick was already a very big deal by the late 1960s, having directed a slew of massively acclaimed and diverse films. 1968's 2001: A Space Odyssey elevated the filmmaker to an even higher level, arguably birthing Kubrick's enigmatic persona which continues to fascinate viewers almost 20 years after his death.

At the time, it may have seen unusual for the typically grounded director to move into science fiction-fantasy territory, but 2001 was unlike any spacebound film yet made, eschewing the standard B-movie tropes in favour of the most naturalistic portrayal of space travel yet put onto film.

Not that the film remains total naturalism, as the abstruse plot - conveyed with minimal dialogue and explanation - spans millions of years, pondering the very nature of life, evolution and consciousness.

50 years on, 2001 is as compelling, confusing and hypnotic as it ever was, and still stands tall not only as a major step forward for science fiction, but for cinema in general.

Alas, its mysterious overtones continue to fuel oddball conspiracy theories surrounding Kubrick and his body of work; there are still those who believe that Kubrick's work on the film with NASA saw him enlisted to shoot fake footage of the first moon landings.