The actor who gave “life” to the HAL 9000, “the most reliable computer ever built”, dies

Douglas Rain left us yesterday at the age of 90 due to natural causes. His legacy in the history of cinema, scarce but exquisite, will never leave us

The world of cinema is mourning the death of Douglas Rain, who voiced the artificial intelligence protagonist in 2001: A Space Odyssey (2001: A Space Odyssey).

We all agree that Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece would not be the same without the coldness and monotony of the HAL 9000 computer. However, Rain was not the rigorous director's first choice. According to the digital magazine CinePremiere, initially the computer character would have a female voice that would respond to the name Athena. Kubrick created Rain's perfect voice in a documentary titled Universe.

That same year, the 50th anniversary of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Some cinemas, like Dreams in Madrid, offered viewers the opportunity to see the film on the big screen for those who missed its premiere in 1968. Why is it worth seeing this galactic wonder on a small television? The session was a revival that even met the halftime norm, surprising modernized spectators. After the success of 2001the controversy 2010 by Peter Hyams and in this year's tribute we have to say goodbye, once and for all, to the irreplaceable machine that tormented Dave on that lonely ship and to the unforgettable voice that sang Daisy Bell. Or we can't be satisfied that they don't stop bringing the best of cinema, and always pay our own tribute to them.

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