The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

[helen]

Saw The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0371724/) at the Ward theater on a Saturday afternoon with a friend who had read the book and she liked the movie.

For me I never read the book, but I did watch a couple of episodes of the TV series (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081874/) but for the life of me I can't remember much of the series, other than the beginning where Earth is destoryed to make way for a spaceway.

For the most part it was a good movie to watch.

[Linkmeister]

From what I've read, if you really want the feel for it, listen to the BBC Radiio Play (http://www.bbcshop.com/invt/hitchph1&bklist=icat,3,,101).

That said, I read the first three books a long time ago, and it's hard to imagine it being turned into a movie. But then I thought that about LOTR too, and I was seriously wrong there.

[pzarquon]

I love the HHGTTG (obviously - my handle is Prophet Zarquon and my avatar is the original logo, rather than the bastardized 'thumb' one they made for the movie), so I'm nervous about seeing this film. I'm open-minded enough to know that not one of the different iterations of Douglas Adams' universe has been consistent and true to another, and I do know that Adams had a hand in creating this film...

But any book with a "cult following" will mean you'll have diehard fans expecting to see various in-jokes and newcomers who need something not entirely disorienting... a combination that's hard to get right.

HHGTTG fans I know haven't been happy. And when I read Roger Ebert's review that said, "I didn't like it, but maybe real fans will," I figured the movie was in trouble.

Glad you enjoyed it well enough, Helen, and that your friend, a fan, did too.

[helen]

I should have admitted that I was planning to see this movie twice with two different friends. Today's showing was with a friend who has read all five books of the trilogy and seeing (and owning the DVD) the TV series and after seeing the movie today, he remarked that the TV series was better than this movie even though he liked the movie.

For me the second time around some things make little more sense now, for instance why Arthur and Ford got picked up a second spaceship after been ejected from the Vogon ship and why the main characters got hit in the face on the Vogon homeworld when ever they thought of something.

(1) the second spaceship had a improbility drive and (2) the Vogon homeworld had a "mind field", whenever someone had an idea or a thought they got hit in the face.

My take so far, if you never read the books or seen the TV series and you like comedy/parody with a sci-fi slant then this movie should be enjoyable. My favorite character is Marvin the robot who sounds like it's David Warner who is doing the voice but it's actually Alan Rickman.

[mel]

I'll give this movie a 5 out of 10 rating. It was a little slow in places, though the story was all over the place and I am sure bizarre for most of the people in our group that went to see it today.

I do remember most all of the main characters and the general plotline from the BBC radio series that I taped in 13 or so parts many years ago when it aired on KHPR. Still have the tapes.

There were slight references to "Star Wars" and "2001" that I caught in this movie and I thought they could have used more of the remade "Journey of the Sorcerer" theme at different spots in the movie. That song, originally done by The Eagles was prominently featured in the radio play.

[pzarquon]

Five out of ten, hmm? Well, similarly, aggregated reviews (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/hitchhikers_guide_to_the_galaxy/) are coming out similarly mixed. I was actually expecting a far more overwhelmingly negative trend, so my hopes are bolstered a little bit by the positive takes. Of course, as a HHGTTG fan, I'm contracturally obligated to view this film anyway. Still, thumbs up (albeit with caveats) came from the Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/28/AR2005042800677.html), the New York Post (http://www.nypost.com/movies/43190.htm), Salon (http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2005/04/29/hitchhikers_guide/index.html), and the L.A. Weekly (http://www.laweekly.com/film/film_results.php?showid=3371). Good enough for me!

[mel]

If you like British humor, you'd like the movie. Not as funny as Monty Python, but it has its moments. Stay for the ENTIRE movie, end credits and all.

[Albert]

Starting on the first Saturday of June, KHPR is going to broadcast the original BBC Radio version, one episode a week. At eleven in the morning.

[helen]

Hopefully by that time I would done reading the first book (http://www.hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=5310).

One of my co-workers who has passion for almost the same genre of movies that I do, was kind of bored by the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (I guess it's a safe assumption that he didn't read the book either) but he like Alan Rickman's voice of Marvin the Robot.

[helen]

Starting on the first Saturday of June, KHPR is going to broadcast the original BBC Radio version, one episode a week. At eleven in the morning.
I haven't been faithfully listening to the broadcast but I do tune into it if a radio (or cable FM) is available. Also found out that the DVD of this movie will be released on September 13.

[Fondoo2]

I missed the movie with my new baby having no interest in such things at the moment :) The book though is for me a truely magical ride.I love his way of taking truths about the way we live and apply it to some other world or race and you think "thats nuts" then realize thats the way "we" live

[helen]

I have been missing some episodes that was aired on the radio. Currently listening to the final episode being broadcast. Noticed that there is a character named Lintilla in the series.

[mel]

I went to see the movie again when it played at Restaurant Row (gotta love those 50 cent matinees) and revise my rating up to 6 stars out of 10. I'll more than likely get the DVD.

[helen]

Did notice that the DVD for the TV series is being sold at Wal-Mart and Tower Video.

[helen]

I picked up the DVD of the movie today at Costco. I paid $18.74 for it which included the sales tax. Didn't see it yet but the outside back cover says that there are deleted scenes.

[Leo Lakio]

I can't emphasize enough that you gotta try to hear the original radio series - that's how it was created; the book, TV and film versions came after.
(The BBC recordings are available, along with later productions of the later books, from a variety of sources, including ZBS Productions.)

The movie has a lot of "in" jokes for fans of the series - one example is in the office scene where they are waiting in a queue along with all sorts of alien beasties - another of the creatures waiting there is the Marvin robot from the BBC television production.

Thanks for the reminder - must go buy the DVD right now...

[Leo Lakio]

the outside back cover says that there are deleted scenes.

Not only that, it says there are even "fake deleted scenes."

[mel]

Bought the DVD today, $14.98 at WalMart. Now I gotta find that Apple logo.

[helen]

Viewed the bonus features first before seeing the movie. There are 3 short deleted scenes. The 2 Really deleted scenes which are the fake deleted scenes are stuff totally out of character for the movie.