h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: 'The American Astronaut' - the Film - A87845043
Author: Bluebottle - U43530

A film I saw over a decade ago as part of the Leeds Film Festival in the Hyde Park Picture House (an Edwardian cinema since 1914).

This article was written as part of Create's space theme.

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Hey, this is interesting. I've never heard of this film!

Who are the Billy Nayer Show? I see that you explain this - much later. Tell us as the beginning that it's a band. We ignorant people may never have heard of it. (Like me.)

Reading the opening, I feel that you are itching to get to the plot. But I'm not ready yet. I want to know WHY I should care. Tell me a little bit more in the hook - it doesn't have to be more than a sentence. Just say something like, 'Audiences today are used to science fiction with high production values and a broad, epic sweep. But this independent film shows...'

'...yet the film remains a triumph.' Nah, you can't say that. Say, 'the film remains a triumph of [exuberant storytelling, musical joie-de-vivre, whatever].' It's not just a 'triumph'.

'instead the unbridled and unenthusiastic expression of artistic creation evident throughout the film.' Er, did you mean 'enthusiastic'? 'Unenthusiastic' is funny, but I doubt that's what you meant.

Good points there, I've made changes as suggested.

I'm not surprised you've not heard of the film - as far as I know this film's only publicity has been at film festivals and through word of mouth. As far as I know it has never been sold in shops or shown on television in the UK - the only reason I know it is because I saw the film, and a Billy Nayer Show performance, as part of the Leeds Film Festival a few years ago.

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I looked it up on Youtube - there are some clips, and it's impressive. Enjoyable, as well.

I like the sound of this film Quite surreal...

I didn't understand the sentence about the case of a Girl.

You say the Boy is on Venus at one point where I think you mean Jupiter

There's a minor that I think should be miner.

An excellent review

The Real Live Girl is an embryonic/foetal clone* who has not yet been born and so isn't even a baby yet. As an artificially-created clone, she is carried in a suitcase that functions as her artificial womb. All the audience sees of inside the suitcase are bubbles, so I don't know how advanced she actually is, but I assume not very. Just developed enough to know that the clone will definitely be a girl, is real, and is alive.

Other changes made - you can't really have an old minor

I also added a highly-informative section on how you too can dance just like Eddie.

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*Who the girl is a clone of is one detail best left unsaid.

Just one question as I read this again - who made the special effect of the spaceship travelling through the atmosphere?

To be honest, I don't know - just an outside effects company. It is visible for less than a second and all you see is a vapour trail, not the spaceship itself. It doesn't play a prominent part in the film.

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