Dum … dum … dum … DA DUM …

A grand entrance for anyone, including WCW wrestling legend Ric Flair. The musical piece is “Also Sprach Zarathustra,” a title that brings to mind Godzilla movies and sounds that signify an epic scope.

The piece was played religiously during New Year’s 2001 fireworks displays, and the notes continually remind me that I need to buy a new calendar for the apartment.

But the popular praising of its pop culture source, “2001: A Space Odyssey,” remains as mysterious as the story it tells.

Quite frankly, many people hate the ’60s cinematic classic from the late Stanley Kubrick. The tale of a mellow, psychotic computer and a trip to Jupiter’s moon Europa leaves plenty to the imagination.

Too much for some, as mentioning the “star child” provokes groans from almost anyone that isn’t a critic or on hallucinogens.

So just as Prince was celebrated in 1999, the unpopular popular movie has become the 2001 thing to talk about. I’d say read the whole series of books by Arthur C. Clarke, but by the time you get around to it, it will be 2002 and very passe.

SLOW DOWN: The early humans in “2001” learned to walk before going on to better things like running and killing things.

We could learn a lot from these creatures, at least in terms of running. Cardiovascular exercise can even give a breath of cold, fresh air when performed outside.

Just don’t go running by Hillcrest Drive. You wouldn’t want to break the speed limit or anything.

I WILL SURVIVE: Anticipation fills the are as the best part of television remains a few days away. No, not the Super Bowl. Rather, all those in-depth “Survivor II” stories we can anticipate Pat O’Brien breaking on “Access Hollywood.”

But this week’s “Entertainment Weekly” serves almost as a tarot card spread for the reality show’s future. A reporter found that survivors actually were instructed to stop talking about the first season of the show and its cast of characters.

This does not bode well. Even though much of our reality involves commenting on what has come before (Lenny Kravitz has siphoned a career off the past), it won’t work on television.

Comparisons to what has come before may add new facets to the show (find the snake), but personalities won’t shine because contestants won’t set themselves apart. So, don’t be disappointed.

Oh, and Gervase will win.

SPACE ROCK: One of the great parts of the science fiction boom was an increase in space rock, which continues today in altered forms.

Although somewhat stereotyped with lava lamps as drug-taking aids, there are a few quality recordings that recall twirling through space. Thus, the first Napster downloading guide.

You won’t be disappointed with the classic “Space Oddity” by David Bowie, Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android” and “Eon” by Supergrass. These aren’t hardcore space rock songs, but the world isn’t ready for that. Thus spake electric guitar and synthesizers.

LET DOWN: The appeal of intelligent space travel stings even worse when we compare it to our everyday lives. Computers have skyrocketed in use, but nothing’s even close to HAL9000 yet.

Let’s hope the first intelligent computer doesn’t ride any Huskie buses. A recent trip allowed me to hear a story heavily laced with words that sounded like “rubberfunker.”

After that, I felt sorry for both ladies’ mothers. Stuff like that makes me think about taking a one-way trip to Europa, or at least Europe.