Hi guys!

As a real Hitch Hikers fan over the years I was quite worried when I saw the trailers for the upcoming Hitch Hikers film. I adore the books, love the TV series & listen happily to my tapes of both the original radio series & the BBC remake.

However, can this movie possibly live up to expectation? Dare I go see it? What if it spoils the Hitch Hiker mood forever! What's with this totally extra character they invented? Argh! Should I go see it? Should I avoid it? It just looks... wrong!

For anyone out there that's not a Hitch Hikers fan, the bast way I can explain my dilemma is to say "Imagine they made a BTTF 4". So now you see where I'm coming from! I'm delighted to get something new, but worried it just can't live up to all that has gone before!

Any suggestions?

After all, as we all know, the answer certainly is 42, but truly, what is the question? :P

Yes, I'm a Hitch Hikers Fan, to say the least.

I can't imagine anyone else but Simon Jones playing Arthur Dent.
(He also did the voice of Arthur in the radio series)

Ooo, just checked on his page at imdb-
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0429254/ (my god he's got old!!!)

and he is in the new movie as a "Ghostly Image".
hmmm . . . makes me want to see it now.

Naw, I hate remakes. hmmm, I don't know, it might be okay.

lol, I'm in the same predicament as you, Kath.

The story of the hitchhiker's guide is told threw the talking book. As long as they stick to that basic, humorous premis, it might be safe to see.

As for myself, I don't think I'll rush out and see it.

Cool thread though Kath B) :D

Yes, I'm a fan of The Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy. I seen the movie yesterday, IT'S GREAT!!! :P I've never read the books, but a few of my friends that I went with had and they loved the movie too. Who is the new character? Is it Martin? He was my favourite character, he's so cute! He was also voiced by Alan Rickman, which adds to my likeness of the character because I'm a fan of Harry Potter.

Martin? Do you mean Marvin? The robot? No, he's always been there and is usually more than a little depressed. :D

I've still only seen the trailer for the movie so far. Can't quite bring myself to see the movie yet but I probably will next week out of sheer curiosity.

Tranked, you mention you're a fan of HH? Which is your favourite? The TV Series? Radio series? I'd be interested to hear which you thought was best and how it compared to the movie - Shandy, you too (oh and I love your Dr Who quote Shandy - a good line that one! :D )

I agree with you, Shandy. Simon Jones is just fantastic. Have you seen him in The Concierge with Michael J Fox? As soon as I heard his voice in that I jumped! Arthur! My hero! :D

He is in The Concierge? :) I'm going to have to watch that today.

Yeah, I thought that was the funniest line out of the first episode. I can't wait to see more Dr Who!
Perhapes The new Hitchhikers will be like the new Dr Who, cool and different??
But then again, Dr Who isn't a remake, it's a continuation.

As for the radio series vs. movie, I grew up with the movie, and found the radio show later, they both are funny and great, but I love the movie so much, The visuals of the book itself with the computer graphics fit the story so well.

Hmmm, seems to be a new radio show as well-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/hitchhikers/

Arh!! look at how old Simon is now!! -




EDIT: Just finnished watching the Concierge. (What a great movie by the way, I guess I had to wait until I was an adult to enjoy it)
Wow, Marty Mcfly and Arthur Dent in the park together!! lol, well not quite, but still . . . Thanks for telling me about that, Kath :)

Yeah, Lol, Marvin, I meant to say that, dunno why I said Martin. <_<
I haven't actually seen the series or anything like this was the first Hitch Hiker's thing I'd actually seen, sorry. But my friends who have the books said it was as good as them so I hope that's a good comparison for you. ;)

^ That is a high compliment.

If you'd like to listen to the entire Radio series, just click here-

http://hobbes.nmsu.edu/cgi-bin/h-browse?sh...download/hhgttg

Most people love the radio series over all other mediums. After all, it was the original :)

I did it - I went to see the film.

I'm finding it very very difficult now, to find the words I need. When you go see the movie & you've already been a fan, you'll probably have the same difficulty in finding what to say!

First off, if you've never seen/read/heard anything Hitch Hikers related before then you should definitely go see it - it's a fabulous movie and sooo weird (yes, the song at the start is typical of the entire movie - very, very weird!)

However, a cautionary note to fellow Hitch Hikers fans from 'before'. It does take a bit of getting your head around the changes. The first segment is just fab (although quite different in some ways) but then it skews off into a very strange tangent & one that doesn't really fit the first bit.

After the film finished, I turned to Patrick and said "What on earth was that?". He just looked aback at me, equally bemused.

However, after having time to think it all over today, now that I've had time to think it all over and things, I've got to say I did really enjoy it. Sadly some of the new additional material was not well done. It was too obvious, too simple. Having said that though, some of the new stuff was really funny.

I guess you have to greet it with an open mind & not expect it to be the same.

By biggest bugbear though was the butchering of classic lines. Some were there, some were cut up. (ie: Arthur & Mr Prosser's discussion about the display department and also the brilliant paragraph that starts "Space is big..."). I know they can't be expected to repeat the whole book verbatim but come on! There were other 'filler' parts that could have been cut down!

At least my favourite line of all time was still in there - the "Time is an illusion" one! Classic!

The best part for me, was when you got to hear a snippet of the 'real' Hitch Hiker's theme tune as they reveal The Book - it sent shivers down my spine - just as the BTTF overture would to any of us if we saw something new & BTTF related.

The characters were good - especially Zaphod, who was just right as an egomaniac and so was Trillian. Very cool.

Okay, I'm rambling now.

Basically - a great movie, some flaws but well, well worth seeing. I'm glad I did.... eventually!

^ If a movie can occupy your thoughts way after you leave the theatre, it can't have been too bad. Normally the worse the film the faster I forget it.
Unless it was really really really bad, then I tell everyone.

I haven't seen it yet, but Kim has. She liked the series better that I showed her when she was here. She said the actress who played Trillian couldn't act.

Did you reconize Simon Jones?

Not at all! I didn't realise he was in it! Who was he? I take it he had a cameo role? I suspected there might be a few cameos here and there but I didn't recognise anyone... well, anyone human, that is! The original Marvin was there - in a queue for Vogon paperwork. That was a nice touch.

Yes, I think the film must have had something about it as I have been thinking about it quite a bit since Wednesday night! I think I need to see it again to decide!

It's interesting that Kim didn't think much to Trillian as I actually thought she was quite good! It just goes to show; different things for different people! I've heard a lot of people didn't like the Dolphin song at the start but I found it very funny and typical of Douglas Adams' style of humour!

^ Simon Jones apperently is the Magrathean answering machine :)

^ I cannot believe I never picked up on that! D'oh! He has such a distinctive voice! So was that his face on the answering machine too? I thought it looked vaguely familiar but couldn't put my finger on it!

PS I just told Patrick and he said "Of course it was him! Didn't you notice?!" Argh!

^ lol. Pat on the back to Patrick. I cheated and read an interview with Simon here-

http://www.tvparty.com/70hitchhikers.html

First I saw the movie, thought it was kinda strange, not having read the books. And then I read the books afterward. Never seen the tv show or heard the radio series. Yeah. Great books. Last one's my favorite. The Sandwich Maker!!

Well, I've finally seen the movie.

I thought most of the new stuff was good. I liked the way that the story had a proper story arc, which the original never did. I'm glad they pared down the Improbability Drive nonsense. I never did like that. Or the stuff with the Vogon guard, I'm, glad that went.

I thought Zaphod was great - not sure about the two heads plotline though. Trillian was really good - much better than Sandra Dickinson, and really cute as well :). Arthur was not as good as Simon Jones, but still good. Ford was rubbish - he was more normal than Arthur. Also, why do we never learn his full name?

In fact, there was far too much good stuff cut out for my liking. I realise that they've only got a certain amount of time to fill, but the choice of what to cut seems a bit haphazard. Why do we have all the plotline about Deep Thought, and then the building of the second computer, but in the end we never find out what the ultimate question was?

Anyway, overall I liked it, but I preferred the tv series/book/radio play.

Anyone want a *genuine* Pangalactic Gargleblaster glass?

http://www.propstore.com/list/cat_id/8/pos...ob/itm/movs/881

At that price they gotta be joking!

I think the price is reasonable. After all is one of only two from the original series. Whilst im on the subject of the original series:
I find the original series better than the film could ever be. Yes the film has better designs (Marvin and the Vogons for example), and yes it has better effects, but the one thing i find wrong with the film is is misses out one whole episode from the series. The one where they go to the restaurant at the end of the universe and find Marvin as a car park attendant.

I agree. I understand why the film is how it is - and I like the film a lot, but the series is better. It's a shame that it's dated as much as it has (change from a fiver? For six pints?), and the effects are (let's face it) crap.

Also, Simon Jones is ace. Martin Freeman is a top bloke, but he can't convey "confused" like Simon Jones can!

:)

PS. I can't believe that Kath didn't reply to the Genuine PGGB Glass post. I thought she'd have sold one of her chilrdren by now to buy it!

I'm merely waiting for the payment for the younger one to clear from the ebay buyer! ;) :lol:

Martin Freeman's e-mail address - info@martinfreeman.com. :D

He reads his mails.