Hitchhiker's Guide

[Grok]

I expected some discussion of the <i>Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy</i> movie, but I don't see any. Well, I finally broke down and read the book. Right now, you can buy the entire series all in hard bound for 14.99 at Barnes and Noble. <br /><br />Do you think they will manage to capture Adams distinct sense of humour, or will they dumb it down? Well, now that I've read book one, I'm off to <i>The Restaurant at the End of the Universe</i>. So long, and thanks for all the fish. <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" />

 

[claywoman]

Grok,<br /><br />I believe Adams helped with the script or wrote the script, therefore, it shouldn't too far off of the books, however, rumor has it, he did take a few liberties, things that he wished he could change a wee bit in the books. I know I have next friday marked on my calendar!!!

 

[wmdragon]

havent seent the movie but there's a lukewarm review at the BBC which I suspect may be right on. just a hunch, of course<br /><br />http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/4461899.stm<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#993366"><em>The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter.</em> <br /> --- James Clerk Maxwell</font></p> </div>

 

[termite]

Must admit i'm not looking forward to the film, it mite ruin my memories of the t.v. series

 

[CalliArcale]

Well, it will be different. Adams himself wanted it to be, so I think change is something that you just have to expect if you go to see it. Whether or not you *like* the changes will be entirely up to you, of course. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />I love the old BBC miniseries too. It was fantastic. It's too bad Valentine Dyall passed away; his voice was perfect for Deep Thought. (He did not provide the voice on the radio show, however. Instead, he provided a voice for a spaceship computer. He's better as Deep Thought, I think.) I didn't care much for Trillian in the old series, though, so hopefully the new one will be better. The old voice of Marvin (who was also the voice in the original radio series) is not returning, but I think Alan Rickman is a perfect choice. He's got the same pitch to his voice, and can do disdain like almost nobody else.<br /><br />According to the scriptwriter, the divergences from the source material come from Adams' original uncompleted script. So if something is different, blame Adams. I wouldn't be too surprised if it's more serious and more somber than the original radio series, the TV series, or the books (which were created in that order; don't think the books were where it started, although the BBC reviewer apparently made that mistake, despite the fact that it was originally a BBC endeavor). This would be consistent with the evolution in the books. "So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish" is downright serious. It's got funny bits, but also some serious character development, drama, and even a love story. "Mostly Harmless", however, while funny in places, is even more serious still, and has a rather depressing ending. I'm kind of expecting the movie to be the same -- more serious than the TV miniseries, and a bit more somber -- because the story was basically written by Adams, and that's where his work had been going over the past couple of decades. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

I don't like what they did with Marvin. He looks too stupid. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

I dunno. I kind of like the way his head and shoulders sort of droop forwards. It makes him look deeply depressed. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /><br /><br />The new Marvin design seems to be a "love it or hate it" kind of thing. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[Leovinus]

Hate it.<br /><br />But I'll wait for the movie and try to learn to accept it. Seeing and hearing it in action will be better than looking at a still. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[flynn]

Off to see it Thursday, and no matter what I think the old BBC series will still hold a special place for me, In fact I think I'll watch it on DVD before I go to the cinema <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

Good idea! <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> Personally, I'm going to miss Simon Jones as Arthur Dent. He did it for the radio series *and* the TV series; the character is his, really.<br /><br />Zaphod will also take getting used to. The role was originated on the radio by Mark Wing-Davies, who also played him on the TV. The "two heads and three arms" thing was actually his idea; it started as a brief ad lib on the radio show, which turned into a monumental FX challenge when they went to do it for TV. <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[flynn]

There is a extra on the DVD of the props people taking the head onto a daytime tv show and the everyone being amazed by the animatronics on the thing "MY GOD IT WINKS!!"<br /><br />Quality stuff. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

The DVD is fantastic. They jammed a TON of stuff into that. It's way better than the crappy VHS release I had before, which was actually defective -- somehow, all of the sound was present <i>except for the voice of the Book!</i>. Rather an odd experience, watching segments with sound FX and music but no narrator. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[flynn]

Wierd, aparently in the new film the animations for the book will be "instantly recognisable" to fans of the original series.<br /><br />Looks like I might have to go to the cinema on my own for this one, no one else is interested. Not been on my own for ages (Master and Commander, I think.) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[spacefire]

in the movie, Zaphod only has one head. WTF! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[wmdragon]

I recall a trailer with a scene in which the 2nd head pops up <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#993366"><em>The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter.</em> <br /> --- James Clerk Maxwell</font></p> </div>

 

[spacefire]

didn't see that.<br />Zaphod is the guy with the long hair, right? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[wmdragon]

it was a very brief scene, I dont remember which internet trailer it was <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#993366"><em>The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter.</em> <br /> --- James Clerk Maxwell</font></p> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

I've heard that Zaphod's second head can be hidden away. This makes it more plausible that he could slip unobtrusively into that party in Islington where he invited Trillian to travel the galaxy with him. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[nacnud]

Zaphod only had the one head and the two arms when he picked up trillian.<br /><br />

 

[Grok]

Didn't it open in the U.K. today? I have yet to hear anything from our U.K. friends.

 

[flynn]

I've been bed bound with a %(%% sore throat and full of snot. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[Grok]

Yech, would you say you have any green mucas? If so, save a sample and post a pic. We need something to liven up free space. Get well soon.

 

[CalliArcale]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>Zaphod only had the one head and the two arms when he picked up trillian.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />I seem to recall somewhere (book? radio series?) suggesting that he'd actually disguised the second head as a parrot in a cage and went as a pirate, but I may be remembering a different party. Since the second head was introduced as an extemporaneous ad-lib by Mark-Wing Davies, I wouldn't be surprised if there weren't some inconsisencies about it early on. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[wmdragon]

you recall correctly, calli <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#993366"><em>The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter.</em> <br /> --- James Clerk Maxwell</font></p> </div>

 

[flynn]

Might try go tomorrow morning now.<br /><br />Lets see I have choice between Hitchikers guide or xXx2, Hmmm now there's a tricky one. Being as I fell asleep during the first xXx it really is no contest. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>