Hitchhiker's Guide the movie

[Writer]

I saw it. Mr. Writer found it hysterical. I found it interesting up to the point where I forgot what happens next IN THE BOOK.

I think this movie is proof as to why literary purists need to stop bitching about how the "movie is never quite like the book." No shit, Sherlock! A film is a different medium, using different dimensions, than a book. The storytelling process works differently for a movie than for a piece of writing.

I have a friend who will not shutup about The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He is a very good person overall, but becomes one of the most high-minded assholes I've met when this topic arises. I wish he could put the storytelling process into perspective.

:rant:

Writer.

[mhr]

1. I Found It Boring And Slow Compared To The BBC Version

It was not worth the money.

[ahem]

2. loved the old BBC version! But I'll still go check out this one soon.

[Writer]

3. The actress who played Trillian

Also seemed rather flat. I agree, a bit slow, although I think they captured the feel of the book.

I didn't know the BBC had produced a version of this - is it on DVD?

[Writer]

4. Deleted.

Posted twice.

[Ekirh]

5. I found it hit or miss...

But over all I enjoyed the film. Alan Rickman as the voice of Marvin was an excellent choice. I think when it comes to the crowd.. some are going to get the humor and some aren't. When I went to see it, it was a small crowd. Me and a couple of guys in the front were cracking up laughing.. while the other few people in the theater gave a few chuckles here and there... but not much else.

SO LONG AND THANKS FOR ALL THE FISH... song.. has become.. my ear worm...

[alittlelark]

6. I loved it!! Trillian was indeed bland - but the movie was FUN

The yarn scene almost made me pee my pants!!

[Salviati]

7. Especially with this story...

I mean there is no cannon... what takes precedence? The book? The radio series? The miniseries? The computer game? Every format had a different story, I expect the movie to be no different.

[Writer]

8. This is why The Oscars have an award for "Best Adaptation"

In other words, to the best adaptation of a book! If the point of making a movie from a book is to simply rehash the story on film, then I don't think the award would exist.

[tg]

9. The BBC radio version was first,

I recorded it off of NPR and listened to it forever. I seem to remember Douglas Adams made a point of every medium having a different story.

I saw the movie and found it a bit flat. Mostly because I remember too much of the story and I could see a lot of the neat parts coming. The new parts were good. Loved the POV gun.

I think the visuals translated nicely. The Vogons, Slarty Bartfast and the factory floor in particular. Some things, Marvin and Deep Thought in particular, took a moment to get used to, but are growing on me over time.

The only thing I really hated was Marvin's voice. The voicing in the BBC show was pure genius and the movie just missed the tone of pure, unadulterated depression that made the line "brain the size of a planet" so memorable.

On the whole a very good job. I want to go back a see it after I give my mind a chance to adjust.

Partly, I'm suffering from "My Fair Lady Syndrome." After listening to the original soundtrack album for years, there's no way a live performance or another version can ever sound right.

[HeeBGBz]

10. Sam Rockwell as Beeblebrox

Reminded me of Buddy Jesus a couple of times.

[sasquatch]

12. He reminded me of a non psycotic George W. Bush

[mpendragon]

13. Went to see it at a matinee with some friends and . . .

my buddy's girlfriend and I thought the exact same thing.

[Writer]

11. Here's another one: was Zaphod an Intergalactic George Bush?

On edit: Horrible Texas accent. He was an idiot who was borrowing a brain, and upon removal of one, became a blabbering chimp. A narcissist, and mindlessly signed away the orders to destroy Earth.

What about THAT now, eh?

[sasquatch]

14. Well remember the presidents job is to distract people from the actual-

rulers.

[HeeBGBz]

24. That statement hit me strongly

If at any moment the movie resembled the current reality, that was it.

[C_eh_N_eh_D_eh]

15. My beef: The movie presumes you've read the book.

Or listened to the radio series, or whatever. Too many things are left unexplained, because you're expected to already understand them.

And while that assumption is probably true for most of the audience, it's not certain. If someone hasn't been exposed to the previous versions of the story, and they're hoping this movie will give them a good introduction to the Hitchhiker's Guide phenomenon, then I think they're going to be very disappointed.

[HeeBGBz]

22. Well, I left intending to read the book now

The movie was entertaining for the most part, but I could tell there were details that would be much more enjoyable in the book itself.

I've never read it except the oft repeated quotes from it that I see everywhere.

[kittykatkoffeekup]

23. Or listen to the old BBC radio program

Well worth listening to.

http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/cgi-bin/h-browse?sh=1&button=Browse&dir=%2Fpub%2F.arch-download%2Fhhgttg&sort=type

[DS1]

16. Film is indeed a very different medium, which begs the question

Does that high-mindedness have a link with the film communities' high-mindedness towards the use of voice-overs in film? In other words, do you think the film industry makes conscious decisions to please the pure book fans, or is the disdain towards voice-overs purely internal?

[Writer]

17. First of all, my friend's disdain for film has more to do with...

the fact that he can be an intellectually arrogant jerk at times. As far as the film industry's deference to the voice over, I don't think there's much disdain there. "American Beauty" had voice overs and won Best Picture.

[DS1]

18. Ah yes, that type

They can be really irritating :-)

[Writer]

19. If I may bitch a bit more about this...

his girlfriend constantly strokes his ego. Calls him "the smartest man she knows." Mr. Writer and I gag. :puke:

But when he's not lecturing us about "lower" culture, he's pretty okay.

Although I'm earning an advanced degree in media studies. I love it when he tries to lecture to me about communications and society.

Why do I hang with this guy, anyway? :rofl:

[DS1]

20. What? "Lower" culture?

Damn, that's just wrong.

[Writer]

21. n/t

:sarcasm: