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

Julie Andrews scared me in the sound of music...

I don't think I was ever actually frightened of her; but she does seem a little... other-worldly.

Now that I think about it, there was a lot of scary stuff in The Sound of Music: nuns, children who march about and respond to whistles, melancholy admirals (in Austria?)... not to mention Nazis and manic nannies who twirl around on mountain tops and burst into song at the drop of a hat. Yikes!

JTG

I see you understand my position perfectly.

There's something suspiciously in human about the way she modulates her voice... normal people can't do that...can they?

JTG

Though impossible to pinpoint the exact nature of her creepiness I reckon Julie Andrews' eyes definately look a bit suspiciously bright and mechanoid like to me, oh yes. In fact I have my suspicions about the whole of the sound of music cast.

Being the only human being in the cast might explain christopher Plummer's wistful melancholy... that and being so far from the sea.

Have y'all heard about "Sing-a-long-a-Sound-of-Music"? It's playing Fridays and Sundays at the Prince Charles Cinema at Leicester Square, according to the New Yorker. The film print runs the lyrics to all the songs as subtitles, and people attend wearing costumes (not just Austrians and Nazis and nuns, but also Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String, and one bloke in a yellow jumpsuit who said he was Ray, a Drop of Golden Sun) and they all sing along.

The New Yorker says a whole rugby team attended, dressed as Girls in White Dresses With Blue Satin Sashes.

Lil

That sounds like great fun: a touch of the old music hall. It makes you wonder when (and why) the cinema experience degenerated to anonymous huddling in the dark, followed by a self-conscious dash for the doors the moment the end credits roll.

JTG

I love the credits! Come on. Grip. Best boy. How can you resist? And of course, "No animals were harmed in the naking of this film." FBI warnings. All the little things...

When the Star Wars movies were rereleased, the theatres were full of interesting people in full Jedi attire, who would run up to the screen and participate in all the battle scenes. Great fun...

That's exactly the sort of thing our species needs. Those people ought to be granted gold card memebership (to be imediately revoked the moment I spot them loitering around my flower beds, offer void in states where prohibited).

I always sit through to the end of the credits... and not merely to make sure I get my money's worth. Every once in a while, there will be a few seconds of something or other that the director saved especially for people who are fans of Best Boys, etc... that those who are half way to their cars never suspect they've missed. It's interesting to take a few moments to watch the other members of the audience too, particularly if the feature has been a real emotional roller-coaster ride.

JTG

Such as, of course, the Phantom Menace, which was otherwise a crappy movie.

It gives one such a feeling of superiority, too. *Look what all the rushing idiots don't know!*

'xac'ly!

Didn't see the Phantom Menace. I'm not much of a StarWars fan; though it pretty much knocked my socks off when it was first released, I admit. I think that years of watching Monty Python conditioned me to never quite trust that a program is over until the next one begins... or the house lights come on.

And your habit of watching every last drop must have been amply rewarded, jtg, if you saw Toy Story 2. Imagine animated outtakes! John Lasseter is a god.

Didn't see that either, I'm afraid. Human actors should take heart that cartoon people don't always nail a scene in a single take.

Actually, A Bug's Life did that one first. I'm a great fan of these computer animation movies.

Ooh, ooh, Monty Python. "Fear, surprise, ruthless efficiency, and almost filial devotion to the Pope."

I wonder how long it will be before we see computer synthesized re-makes of film classics like The Sound of Music... perhaps featuring guest appearances by long-dead rock stars and long-forgotten super models. I can't wait. Imagine Ginger Rogers dancing with Peter Lorre ("I dohn't feeeeel very well."), or Vincent Price and Bette Middler in a sequel to The African Queen.

JTG

Oh no, big bad technology is coming to get you.

"You are all individuals."
"We are all individuals."
"I'm not!"

"We are Borg. Resistance is futile."

Hmmm?

You WILL be assimilated (does this mean the Borg can't spell?)

There is talk of computer generated celebrities, no more paychecks, tantrums or the such like. Perhaps they'll start getting stroppy about other celebrities on their servers having bigger hard discs.