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

I've never heard the radio version. I'd already left the country when it came out. A friend introduced me to the books when she came to visit me in the 80s some time and I was addicted then. I find that they are now rather dated, but they were fun to read at the time.

So the only other version I know is the film. It was the first time I'd seen Martin Freeman (at least, I thought it was, but later I realised he had been in Love Actually which, I think, came out before the Hitchhiker's film). It was a new angle on the book version, as films often are, and Mos Def was most impressive (as he has continued to be in his acting career). Mostly, I was bowled over by Sam Rockwell.

What amazes me is the resonance the whole concept still has with young kids today. Can't they come up with something of their own? Not that that's a PH, but it surprises me that so many teens and twens know the significance of "42".

Oh... I think Terry Pratchett appeals to many like Adams did in his era. Not exactly the same, of course, but in the general way that SciFi and Fantasy often get grouped together.



(Oh, and I have to admit I have a soft spot for Zooey Deschanel ever since I saw her play the older sister in _Almost Famous_. I'm not saying she would have been my first choice as Trillian; Trillian was written as having a vaguely Mediterranean look to her. I think Zooey would make have made a good Fenchurch if she could pull off a good accent, which I doubt. I justify the Trillian/Arthur thing by imagining a combining of these characters.)

After the talk about gushy reviews I'm going to anti-gush over the film version of Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy and say it was one of the worst British films I have seen (and Brit films often walk a knife edge of being OK or an embarrassment). The one film I can think of that was worse than the H2G2 film is Carry On Columbus.

It's been a long time since I read the books, but as I recall, the first one was great, but half way through the second the quality nose-dived, and didn't recover. I'm guessing he was rushed at that point.

TC, I'm also surprised how popular it all still is. Of course, it's very funny and thought-provoking, but there seems to be some other quality which gives it such endearing appeal. What was that though?

(to several previous posts)

That was a highly articulate outburst.


http://youtu.be/bomygz1Ygkk

'Carry On Columbus' was still better than 'Carry On Emmanuelle'.

<BB<

the later Carry On films are dire

Zooey D just does that "wide-eyed oh I'm so freaking cute and kooky" all the damn time. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Trillian could have been sooooooo much better. And the less said about Sam Rockwell the better. Awful. Mos Def was good though, as was Martin Freeman.

Dare I say I actually rather enjoyed it?

BTW... In a small way, I helped make this ISS Expedition 42 crew poster possible.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/Expedition_42_'The_Hitchhiker's_Guide_to_the_Galaxy'_crew_poster.jpg

Haven't we all been happy this week!

Latest PH: People getting up to leave the cinema as soon as the end credits start. We're usually last to leave, embarrassed to linger longer.
Yes, I know they can seem to go on interminably - but the film we saw at the weekend had the most beautiful music for the credits, not heard anywhere else in the film. Sometimes there are some good extras too, like outtakes.

Which brings a petty hate of mine: I personally don't actually care about people leaving when the credits start except that my Dad is one of them. And I am not. And the problem is that every now and then he winds up dragging me out of the theater with him because he's my ride. And this is where the petty hate comes in, because what I absolutely despise is:

Hearing the music suddenly cut out in the middle. It's SO AGGRAVATING....

Talk to him about it before the show.

Tell him why you need to see the credits.

Take notes during the opening and closing credits.

There's usually so e difference between what you'll see there and find in internet sources.

I always pay close attention to credits myself.

Oh, he knows. That just makes it worse.

A list of the main actors is one thing, but I have no interest whatsoever in the astonishing credit rolling marathons that accompany most movies. They're invariably far to small to read in any case, and do I really need to know the names of all the Hungarian special-effects programmers, artiste management, catering suppliers, etc?

What would it be like if we had a similar level of name-checking in other walks of life. You wouldn't fit all the factory staff names on to the cornflake box. Football match team announcements would include the ground staff, stewards, players' agents and pie sellers - you'd never get the match started.

I do sometimes wonder if it'd be quicker if they just listed everyone on who wasn't involved in the making of the film…

How long will it be before you'd be able to edit the credits of a film you're watching, so you can add a 'People Watching in this Cinema Screen' section and get to see your own name scroll up?

<BB<

And while we're on this subject, why do TV news reporters think they always deserve a name-check at the end of their reports?

"This is Brian Simpson. News at Ten. Paris."

Yes, I know where you are - you told me at the start, and the Eiffel Tower behind you's a dead giveaway.

And yes, I know I'm watching News at Ten - If there isn't already some graphic logo by the scrolling credits or some sign behind the newsreader, I have clocks in the house and I know a news programme when I see it.

And finally, I care deeply about the plight of all these refugees/child soldiers/famine victims/earthquake survivors, but it's not important what your name is, Mr Reporter.

on the other hand I have a friend who used to work in films (animator) and I used to wait with the Gruesome Twosome until we'd seen her name roll by. It gave us a bit of a thrill.

The music credits usually come at the end of all the others, and very often that's what a lot of us will be interested in. Although they seem to list far more songs or pieces of music than could possibly ever have fit into the soundtrack.

Don't the 'soundtrack albums' often include songs that aren't on the soundtrack?

I watched a film with my niece & nephews recently, and at the end we watched the credits and called out any names we spotted which were amusing. It was fun, and it was good for their reading

Deb