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

Entry: Herculean Actors - the Mighty, the Muscular and... the Cowardly? - A87813633
Author: Galaxy Babe - eclectic editor - U128652

One of my all-time heroes, and the actors who've played the part. I did struggle with the issue Heracles/Hercules but I think it's worked out alright.

GB

Hi GB

I watched a lot of the Hercules series with Cevin Sorbo when I was at school. (I liked it more than Xena)
On the other hand when I read 'Heracles' I always have to think of Obelix saying 'We once had a milkman called Heracles' (In The Twelve Tasks of Asterix).

The paragraph I don't understand is the one about Mark Addy.

'Mark Addy's interpretation must surely be the most marmite of all'
Is that good or bad? What does marmite mean in this case? My dictionary doesn't help here.

'...with an extra-wide yellow streak...'
I've never heard this expression before. Again, no luck with the dictionary.

'Mark Addy's interpretation must surely be the most marmite of all'
Is that good or bad? What does marmite mean in this case? My dictionary doesn't help here.

Marmite is a savoury spread, very popular amongst people who like it and hated beyond measure by folk who don't. Traditional belief is that there is no middle ground.

'...with an extra-wide yellow streak...'
I've never heard this expression before. Again, no luck with the dictionary.

Yellow is the colour of cowardice. When I was young all cowboy villains had an obligatory (if invisible) yellow streak.

Actually if you follow the link to Marmite in the entry there is an excellent read on the subject

The marmite thing makes sense, although I would never have guessed it, although I know what marmite is (never ate it, we can't buy it here).

In German yellow means jealousy or greed, so this didn't make sense to me.

Excellent - I love the way you don't mention Kevin Sorbo in 'Andromeda', but kept a 'Jason and the Argonauts' reference in. Classic Harryhausen film.

(As for 'Atlantis', yes I was hoping it'd be a cross between a Ray Harryhausen creature feature and 'Life On Mars', with Jason never sure whether he is dreaming or not, rather than simply accept that he is in an ancient Greek city for no apparent reason, but I'm enjoying it. I'm fairly certain that Addy's portrayal of Hercules is the only Hercules to have romantic feelings for the character of Medusa. That might be worth a mention?)

<BB<

I'm afraid I was one of those exasperated enough to turn it off <BB<.


I will change "marmite" to "controversial" but I'm going to leave yellow streak in, sorry you've not heard of that Tav

If anyone notices I'm missed a particular actor I'll be happy to include them, so long as there's a green connection, or something else that connects them - gossamer-like - to any of the others.



Thanks for reading and reviewing

GB

I'll admit when I first saw Atlantis I was disappointed. Very disappointed. The basic idea is a really, really good one, that they're spectacularly failing to live up to. For me, it's in the 'so bad its good' category. I really enjoy playing the game of 'spot the actor from 'Game of Thrones' who died in that series' and the smug feeling of, having studied a bit of Ancient Greece, being able to predict the plots. On Sunday, for instance, as soon as they mentioned the name 'Jocasta' at the start I predicted that the twist at the end would be that the baby would be named Oedipus. (I probably enjoy feeling smug too much).

That said, I'm not particularly impressed with Mark Addy's Hercules. But reading this article is making me seriously consider writing about 'Jason and the Argonauts' - the Ray Harryhausen film...

<BB<

Hmm, it's a serious omission from the Guide. I'll look forward to it, <BB<

GB

This is an enjoyable journey through a subject largely unknown to me.

I remember Steve Reeves, and of course Kevin Sorbo. Around my house, Sorbo's version is called 'surfer dudes in ancient Greece'.

I sympathise with Obelix. I never knew a milkman called Heracles, but I once had a very slow student named Socrates.

I have a suggestion for 'yellow': since that's not an international metaphoe, how about, 'He had a pronounced yellow streak of cowardice'? Then readers can get it from context.

'surfer dudes in ancient Greece'

I've made that change to yellow streak, thanks Dmitri

I recall that the horse in Steptoe & Son was called Hercules. I know that Elton John's (invented) middle name is Hercules. But I never met anyone called Socrates. That's pronounced Soh-crah-tees, isn't it? Not So-crates

GB

Absolutely. so-CRAT-tees. Obnoxious kid, Socrates...

Hercules the Horse just goes to show how relevant this entry is.

Good entry!

I wonder if an honourable mention can go to Alan Steel, who was Steve Reeves' body double in Hercules Unchained, and played Hercules himself in Samson and His Mighty Challenge (Italian title Ercole, Sansone, Maciste e Ursus gli invincibili "Hercules, Samson, Macist and Ursus: the Invincibles) which while not a hugely famous film in its own right has since gained a substantial cult following in its comedically redubbed Australian version "Hercules Returns".

Coincidentally, I watched Disney's animated film 'Hercules' just yesterday (it was my son's choice).

<BB<

I've written up Sergio Ciani/Alan Steel for Mr. Dreadful.

I've not seen Disney's Herculesdid you enjoy it, <BB<?

GB

'Hercules' isn't the best animated Disney film, but then again it probably isn't the worst either. It's got catchy songs, some impressive animated bits, some terrible early CGI. It does steamroll over classical Greek mythology and Americanise it quite dreadfully, renaming characters to contemporary popular names such as 'Meg' and 'Phil'. Hercules himself is rebranded into a clumsy clutz who becomes a fashion icon with his own flavoured drinks and brand of shoes whose life is constantly narrated by Gospel Singers for no apparent reason.

<BB<

I enjoyed this Entry - in particular, great structure and some great lines, too! I love the epithet for Pythagoras

The Disney Hercules was quite odd, but entertaining in a cheesy way. The abbreviated names were a bit cringeworthy, and the animation was supposed to be sort of in the style of Greek Vase Painting, I think - Hercules' curly chin was the most memorable thing for me!

I've watched a couple of episodes of Atlantis, but I don't really 'get' it... It is interesting doing "spot the Greek Myth", though

I wasn't clear about what this bit is saying: "the famous lothario Heracles found living on Atlantis with a man".

If I remember correctly, Gerald Scarfe designed the look of Disney's Hercules.


Geggs

"I wasn't clear about what this bit is saying: "the famous lothario Heracles found living on Atlantis with a man"." (post 17)

I meant I imagines Heracles living with a harem of women or single so there was no-one around to cramp his style

GB

Ah, yes I see the 100 children bit...

I think I read it in one of Plato's works recently that the tale of Hylas and Heracles was one of the great love stories of the age, hence I was puzzled (although I'm puzzled by the programme as well, because I guess the Atlantis storyline didn't appear in any biography of Pythagoras!).

Heracles was a lothario indeed, but if he had a harem, it would have contained men as well as women!

Perhaps if the segment read something like "not only is the famous lothario Heracles found living on Atlantis with geeky, triangle-obsessed Pythagoras, but" then that would be better...