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

I thoroughly enjoyed the '95 movie with Ian McKellen. A favorite line comes after he has murdered half of England to get the throne, he is asked by the remaining officials if he would consider taking the throne. In an aside to the audience, he asks, "Do I have a heart of stone?"

I think he was a great pick for Gandalf in the upcoming "Lord of the Rings" movie (movies?). One other name mentioned was Sean Connery, which I think would have been a much poorer choice.

That IS a cool movie!
I love the scene at the end when Richard falls into the fire to the tune of 'I'm Sitting on Top of the World'!
'Let's do it Pell Mell, if not in heaven then hand in hand in hell...'
I also like it, when he shoots Tyrell totally unexpectedly.

A real good movie and a good transition from Shakespeare's original!

Yes, the falling into the fire scene is memorable ... I had forgotten the music (great!), but I remember the smile. Great movies need great villains (Darth, anyone?), and Mr. McKellen is a great villain in that movie. I salute him.

I recall a review that said the movie "moves". Boy, does it ever! From the initial tank attack on the king's quarters to the final fire scene, I don't think the camera stops moving. Not always a good idea, maybe, but it worked here, for me.

I thought this was an excellent film. The 1930s setting worked very, very well, proving, yet again, that the Bard is timeless.

I particularly enjoyed the fact that the Woodville's were Americans. As a resident of the USA, I thought this was priceless.

Richard's wooing of Anne really brought the play to life for me, at once outrageous, horrible, yet, in the end, believable, a credit to McKellen's skill as an actor.

I recently read an essay by Yale professor Harold Bloom, in which he maintains that the play is a one man show, "Richard IS his play, no other role matters much ..." He also states after quoting a long passage (V. iii. 178-207), "I cannot think of another passage ... in which Shakespeare is so inept." Bloom concludes with "To invent Richard is to have created a great monster, but one that will be refined into Shakespeare's invention of the human, of which Iaog, to everyone's delight and sorrow, will constitute so central a part." I have to confess that Iago is a pretty memorable villain, but Richard III is a lot more fun.