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

Nice article! As I am such a nerd and have seen the film several times, together with the documentary, commentary et al, these notes are VERY subjective and are intended as an addendum to the article...

Carl Sagan:

Robert Zemeckis also directed Forrest Gump, the Back to The Future trilogy and more recently, Castaway.

The beginning:

It's nitpicky, but I think it was a SW radio.
RE: Dad's heart attack - could mention that Ellie blamed herself for his death.
RE: Ellie trying to contact Dad on the radio - should mention that earlier she had asked him if they could contact Mum on the radio. His answer being, "I doubt there's a radio that can reach that far".

Ellie's work:

Should definitely mention that the first telescope we see Ellie working at is the Arecibo telescope, where the Seti signals come from!
Could mention the turmoil that Ellie undergoes when she meets Palmer.

The Signal:
The signal is picked up by the VLA (Very Large Array) in New Mexico, where she is now working.

The White House:
From this point on, Drummond hijacks her work completely. i.e. when she thinks it is her making the speech after Clinton, in fact Drummond steps up.

The Machine:
Should mention that Drummond uses her failure to beleive in God to his advantage, by answering yes to all the questions on spirituality. As she says later to Palmer: "I told you the truth, and Drummond told you exactly what you wanted to hear".

In Conclusion:
Should mention that the fact of the static has been effectively covered up by Katz.

I loved this film, specially as an amature astronomer. Just want to know one thing though and that is the relvance of the machine. It's aset up is similar to the power sauce of the EventHorizon films ship. Anyone know anything about them?

Yelian [h2g2as]

The power source of the "Event Horizon" was designed to create a quantum singularity - i.e. a black hole. The device in Contact seemed to take Jodie down a series of wormholes. I reckon the producers of "EH" just ripped off the design!

Comments noted & working on it more.
Tweetie has asked for more information at Peer Review!
Thanks guys!

It's a bit like a giroscope isn't it. I mean with 3 rings revolving in each other alowing freedom in all 3 dimensions. But this does seem to be a common design in films etc. Maybe it's that it just looks cool!.

Hmm, I'll ask at the h2g2 Astronomy Society... (shamless plug I know )

Yelaib