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

Maybe they will give you a discount for promoting the
videos from this link? The advert mentions they are
only available in PAL format, but once I came across
a site where you could buy TVs and VCRs set up for
different international formats, sometimes even for
more than one standard on the same machine, and if
I remember correctly, the prices were reasonable. If I
can remember the site (it's probably buried somewhere
in my bookmarks), I'll pass it along for those of you
who are fans of international programmes not available
on tape in your country's format, and think this might
be a good investment for increasing your tape collection.

It now occurs to me to wonder if DVD is an international
format, or if, because of the apparently large storage
capacity of DVDs, one can put the programme on it in
more than one format, like CD-ROMs that can load on
both PCs and Macs. This might solve a problem for
many of us videophiles.

Initially, any DVD player can play any country's DVD. But that would be too easy. To help maintain crippling restrictions on what versions of a movie are available in which country, and when, the majority of DVD players are set up to become "locked" to the region which the first disc you play in them was purchased in. Most have means of overcoming this restriction, but technically it's illegal to do so. This sounds like a joke written by a bad comedian, but unfortunately it's true...

No way douglas adams can be in control of crating HHGTTG Movie.
Don't think that disney could either...
It´s gonna be too large to have control over.

i always pictured Trillian brunette with curly hair, no idea why, i don't know anyone like that.

I'm sorry, but i just can't picture Trillian blonde. Also Marvin is light enough for Arthur and Fenchurch to carry up to God's final message, Jason Alexander might be a bit heavy, but then again the book does say 'surprisingly light'.

I'm sorry but you are most definatly wrong. I'm almost done HHGTTG for the third time (that's just the book not all the other mediums i'v experienced). Trillian is only in America (New York) because she is applying for a job as a news anchor, back in Britain she is a 'rapidly rising anchor'. She applies in New York because they are looking for someone with a british accent, therefore she has to british because the only reason she applies is because of her accent. Unfortunatly she has yet to learn when to bring her handbag and when not to and as such doesn't get the job.

I had heard that it was still in preproduction, but that Hugh Laurie had been cast as Arthur, which I think is a good choice. Hugh Grant is too obvious, too mainstream for the part.

Just so long as Stephen Fry doesn't end up as Ford...

I just figured out why you wrote that three times!
When I first posted that message, the computer
got hung up, and I didn't realise that the message
had gone through at all! At first I thought you were
making fun of the way some titles were done (actually
in the '70's, though, I think), where they showed the
logo in row after row of colours with the one in the
middle in the brightest colour. I think "The Mary Tyler
Moore Show" did this, and "The Bob Newhart Show"
is an MTM (Mary Tyler Moore) production, according
to the logo at the end of each episode.

OK, first question:

Where on earth did the "Trillian as a news anchor" bit come in? I just reread hitchhiker's last night, and saw absolutely nothing to that effect. In fact, she states that she had an astrophysics degree and was facing unemployment, hence her decision to take off with Zaphod.

On a related topic, I noticed this time around that she was described as dark and mildly exotic/ethnic. Given this, my new opinion is that Jessica Alba (from Dark Angel) would be awesome for the part.

What is the deal with all the "different and conflicting"
descriptions of Trillian? In the book and the TV series,
she was some sort of out-of-work scientist. Also, on the
TV programme, she was definitely blonde. I don't remember
if she had an American or an English accent, but it seems
to me that Zaphod almost had a California ("dude!") accent,
and Eddie the shipboard computer definitely had a Midwestern
(American) accent. So maybe she did have an American accent.
I hope somebody out there has the authoritative version!

Hey what about that chick from 5th Element & Joan of Arc
Milla Jovovich
I recon she might fill the roll nicely?

could Carol Vorderman have the perfect combination of devastating intelligence and totty factor?

Perhaps, ten years or so ago, before she employed the "personal stylist"...

i couldn't see jessica alba as trillian... after "dark angel", she just seems too tough.

To find out more about Trillian as a news reader and how she ended up, or rather didn't end up with Zaphod see THHGTTG-5: Mostly Harmless which clears some things up nicely, only to leave you feeling rather vague about other hiterto reasonably clear things.

"THHGTTG has appeared in more forms than one might reasonably expect, most of which flatly contradict each other." So, don't take anything as concrete.

For the best explanation of why any version of the HHGTTG should be consumed with one eye firmly on the parallel universe theme, and not taken to be in anyway definitive (a scary word in the world of the Guide) just read DNA's introduction to the collected Hitch Hikers Guide. The exact title escapes me, but its all 5 books in one.

Well, having worked (okay, only once as a lowly technician, but my Father has worked extensively in film) on films, I personally think.
1) Not Disney. They control things too much, and the Schmultz it up. The only good Disney movie I've ever seen was Bicentennial Man.
2) Jim Carrey might be good. He's a good actor (though overpaid somewhat in some instances, but so are most actors) and might be able to pull off Zaphod well - if that was his part. However, I could see him as Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz.

My cast ideas were few, and mostly "name" actors, but I, like others, enjoy comming up with casting ideas for books. This is not "Who I think WILL be playing" the characters, it's who I think would portray the character well. So far I think ...

Arthur Dent - Definitely an Unknown for Arthur. A familliar face wouldn't do.

Zaphod Beeblebrox - Martin Short/someone else as well, for the other head. Both heads should be mapped onto one body using CGI.

Slartibartfast - Terry Gilliam or John Cleese, in an old-age prosthetic make-up, though I like the suggestion of Tom Baker.

Trillian- Janeane Garofalo (The Bowler from Mystery Men, amongst othet roles)

Ford Prefect - Paul Reubens or Rick Mayall

Marvin - Must be done CGI, not a suit. Brian Blessed as the voice?

Anyhoo, that's a few ideas from me. Speculation is such fun!

~*Chesebeth*~

For Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz, I would prefer Jim Carrey's precursor, Robin Williams. Thinking along those lines, it might add a whole new dimension (!) if we were to cast Stephen Wright as Slartibardfast...

actually there IS a HHGTTG movie out on video...it's actually a BBC miniseries from what I understand. The actors do a tolerable job but the effects could use some serious work.....one more thought, Ian McShane would be a great choice for either the resturant mc or possibly Ford Prefect......Sean Connery would be a great Slartibartfast....or what about Richard Lewis for Marvin???

yay, gunslinger! sean connery would be great!!!!