![]() ![]() He was perplexed why people would constantly ask him about some film voice over he did back in the 60’s. A co-founding member of the Stratford Shakespearean Festival. Thus, APPLE was forced to search for a HAL replacement.Ĭasting director: “OK, give me your best HAL 9000 voice.”įor over 50 years, Douglas Rain was an accomplished and deeply respected stage actor trained in the classics. Rain thought voicing a commercial was “beneath him.” “I am sorry, APPLE, I am afraid I cannot do that.” When you are constantly trying to find that special tone and delivery that hits a home run (and hits pay dirt) it’s humbling to know that Rain refused ALL offers to “talk like HAL.” APPLE wanted him to reprise the voice for a Superbowl commercial involving the “Y2K” bug. But Apple isn’t stopping there, as the company apparently. Voice actors have been trying to do the “HAL” read for 50 years. In iOS 9, Apple made Siri even smarter by giving its voice-based virtual assistant additional powers to aid iPhone and iPad owners. Watch the red orb and hear Douglas Rain portray HAL:Īnd then there’s “KITT” the talking car from the 80’s TV show “Knightrider.” Where do you think the inspiration for that character came from? Before we invite Alexa, Google, and Siri The speaker by itself was a hefty 600, while an optional Command Console, which introduced. You hear “that” voice in your head whenever you think of the film. HAL 9000 is the original suspicious digital assistant. Rain’s “HAL” character instantly became a part of pop culture. Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) also used HAL 9000 in a 1999 Macintosh commercial, taking a jab at IBM (IBM, Fortune 500) and Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500) Windows PCs for the Y2K bug. ![]() His relaxed method of speaking was achieved by voicing the lines barefoot, constantly resting his feet on a pillow (very cool trick) while director Stanley Kubrick sat beside him, four feet away. In 1967, Rain (who grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba) spent 9 1/2 hours in a New York recording studio, voicing HAL. originally incorporating the Apple slogan used later by HAL 9000. That all changed when Douglas Rain perfected the gentle yet somewhat unsettling computer voice that became the surprise star of the film 2001: A Space Odyssey. (A jab at Apples i-heavy product naming scheme as started by Jobs, the i standing. I must’ve been given that as a reference point a hundred times in the studio, over the years.īefore HAL came along, the computer voice was usually done in a slow, monotone, staccato sharp way (thaaank yooou verrry muuuch.) Hand crafted for absolute accuracy, the HAL 9000 replica will set you back $US499.“Can you voice this spot kinda like HAL the computer from 2001?” The whole device runs off a single nine volt battery. When conversed with for over 1.2 seconds, the wall-mounted device will respond with one of the key phrases from the film. ![]() Or alternatively, you can talk to HAL 9000 to get a response. Turn the lens to activate it, and HAL 9000 will talk.15 quotes from the movie are randomly cycled through when you point pretty much any IR remote at the device and press a button. And naturally, there’s a red LED eye for the perfect level of spine-tingling creepiness.īut aside from just looking amazing, this thing actually feels amazing. ![]() There are big differences in the capabilities of the AppleScript 'say' command between the two platforms, and 10.5 ('Leopard') doesn't let you even come close. The rest of HAL 9000’s body is made from machined 6061 aircraft-grade aluminium, which has been anodised for the black parts. Trying to create a HAL 9000 voice for Mac OS X Snow Leopard First, my apologies, but I just learned the source code below won't work on Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard). The rare and expensive Nikkor lens used in the studio prop has been replicated with a sticker matching the original lens for absolute accuracy. The guys at ThinkGeek have managed to recreate the creepy machine, using actual studio blueprints from the 1968 film. Have you ever thought to yourself, “Man, my house could really use an evil artificial intelligence hell-bent on destroying me?” Is your name Dave? Then you’ll love this life-size replica of HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey. ![]()
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