Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy Movie! [Archive]

HOBBIT

11-23-2004, 12:19 AM

not very new news, Douglas Adams had wanted to do this movie for a long time.

It was is transit to movie before he died. Been rumors on this for years, while he was alive

Now Douglas Adams has been dead for a couple years, but they are going along with movie anyway.

There was a Hitchhikers movie done a while back by the BBC, or maybe it was a mini-series type thing. I rented it a year or two ago and it was so bad that it was in fact good.

This new set of movies looks to be a lot better.

see the Trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movies/feature/thehitchhikersguidetothegalaxy.html

HOBBIT

11-23-2004, 01:00 AM

didn't mean to be so harsh in my reply either though.

This began filming April 20th, 2004 - so news about this production was floating then.

While Douglas Adams was alive, there was news on selling the rights to a comapny to make a movie, etc.

It will hit theaters June 3rd, 2005 - this was announced in April.

Morgan Freeman, Mos Def, Bill Nighy, Zooey Deschanel, and Sam Rockwell will star in it.

All this news is several months old :)

brownjenkins

11-23-2004, 09:45 AM

i loved the BBC series (have it on DVD)... in fact, it's how i first came across the stuff

will be tough seeing it done differently (they were very faithful to the first book)

looking forward to it though

Nurvingiel

11-23-2004, 09:53 AM

I saw this movie ages ago! Wasn't it based on the BBC radio play? :confused:

Are you saying there's a new movie coming out! That's so cool. I loved the first one... :cool:

EarthBound

11-23-2004, 11:34 AM

I loooovvveee The Guide!! I first read So Long and Thanks for all the Fish when I was a weeeee one. I remember seeing the origional book in the '70's and wondering why my parents were reading what looked like a kids story (had the funny title and smily planet on the front).

Love the books, never liked DA's belittlement of people who believe in God.

I own all the books, plus the radio broadcast BBC scripts/notes/stuff where he talks about each script's creation/production.

I'm looking forward to the movie to say the least.

DA wrote stuff I wish I had wrote......

"They're just a bunch of really nice guys who want to kill you and everyone you know" or something like that.....I love the Cricket parable!

The Gaffer

11-23-2004, 11:42 AM

Sounds froody.

It was a radio series first, then TV, then books.

Can't wait to see how they do Zaphod. Play time for the CGI types!

I wonder if the krikkit story will be cross-cultural enough.

My favourite is agragaagagag or whatever it was called that always ended up being killed by Arthur Dent.

EarthBound

11-23-2004, 12:04 PM

brownjenkins

11-23-2004, 04:17 PM

I watched the BBC TV mini-series last week, Zaphod was really cheesey. In fact, since its budget must have been around $27.08 it took a lot, bunches, loads of imagination to get into the movies. I made a great effort.

yeah... but it was funny!

it's like dr. who... definitely low budget, but great stuff... in fact, one could say that with a low-budget, more effort goes into the little things... like say... acting! ;)

BeardofPants

11-23-2004, 04:29 PM

As if the movie industry would take that into consideration! It must look pretty or the audiences will hate it!! :rolleyes:

Haven't seen the Beeb version, but I've read all five books several times. Love DA. :D Though, I actually prefer the Dirk Gently books to HH.

HOBBIT

11-23-2004, 07:28 PM

Yes, this is a new movie and not the old BBC one.

Dirk Gently was good. Too bad its out of print. Like only one library in all of new jersey had a copy of it :P

EarthBound

11-24-2004, 08:53 AM

The new movie stills show Marvin in a completely different way than I imagined him to be....imagaine that...lol

I was thought of him being more spindly, thinner with a a large flat head...I think I started seeing this after his desription of him going around in a circle for like 10,000 years or something because his foot was stuck in mud...

The movie version is very cute, maybe too cute for Marvin though. :rolleyes:

Bilbo

11-24-2004, 05:55 PM

I took all of the above as new news. Where have all you people been getting your info from? Insert wbesite here:

I listened to the radio series (just some boring guy reading the book :( ), watched the TV series (better than Dr Who funny-wise, but worse acting-wise) and CAN'T WAIT FOR THE MOVIE (hence this thread)

HOBBIT

11-25-2004, 07:39 PM

New news only if you consider news from April to be new :p

Websites? Try the official movie website for news, other movie sites. :)

Lenya

01-19-2005, 04:05 PM

There was a Hitchhikers movie done a while back by the BBC, or maybe it was a mini-series type thing. I rented it a year or two ago and it was so bad that it was in fact good.

I love old sci-fi movies! The very bad ones :D They are the best comedy you get. It's too bad that most poeple don't appreciate them for what they are. Good example: The Green Slime! *he he*

LickTheEnvelope

02-10-2005, 12:14 AM

I posted this in another section of these Forums earlier today... But I saw a Trailer for HHGTG Movie in December when I went to see "National Treasure" (which was alot better than I thought it would be!).

If you want to look up movies or tv's shows etc. go to www.imdb.com do a search and you can find out all who's in HHGTG... I didn't see "Morgan Freeman" as someone has mentioned, but Sam Rockwell is Arthur and Mos Def is Ford Prefect and John Malkovich is in it... I only wish they'd found a part for Christpher Walken! ;)

But Hitchhikers aside for all you Sci-Fi Fans
.
.
.
.
.
.THEIR MAKING A MOVIE OF ENDERS GAME!!!! That's right the great Sci-Fi steries, that is still going after 22 years!!!!!!!! Is coming to the big screen sometime in 2006... on IMDB it says they are now in the production stage.

I found this out by accident when I did a search and then I checked around and saw a bunch of sights that say it is indeed coming.

Enders Game, BTW, is by Orson Scott Card and stretches 4 LOOOOOONG books... but the first is the best BY FAR... Card also went back in the 90's and told the story from a different character's point of view... the last book in that series should be out soon!

as I said in my other posts,
GOD I WISH I HAD THIS KIND OF CINEMA WHEN I WAS YOUNG!!!

LOTR, Hitchhikes! and then Enders Game... GO MOVIE COMPANIES GO!

azalea

04-22-2005, 02:57 PM

DIRK GENTLY IS OUT OF PRINT?!?!?!?!?!??NNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

I just realized a month ago that I can't find either of mine (Dirk Gently's or Tea-Time), and was planning on buying replacements! :( Now what? Maybe Hitchhiker's will do really well and they'll put them back in print.

Has anyone seen the trailer for HGTTG on TV? I saw it and am a little scared. I wasn't able to view the one on the link posted above.
It isn't MORGAN Freeman, it's someone named MARTIN Freeman (from what I can tell). And who does Mos Def play?
I saw who I assumed to be Zaphod, and he wasn't speaking in a British accent. That's minus a million points right there.

Anyway, I want to see this, but I'd rather not if it's a dud. Too painful. ;)

HOBBIT

04-22-2005, 08:29 PM

yes, it is martin freeman playing arthur dent.

mos def is playing Ford Prefect.

yay it opens next friday :)

Have you seen all the trailers? The one with the guide giving the definition of movie traillers is great.

How bad could it be? Douglas Adams wrote the screen play before he died. Just see this as another version of it. It changed from each adaptation Series - Book - TV mini-series - now movie.

http://hitchhikers.movies.go.com/

azalea

04-23-2005, 06:40 PM

Well, my computer can't run trailers very well, but I was able to get some of that. There were British accents. AND if my ears don't deceive me, that's Alan Rickman doing Marvin. So I guess I'll definately see it this weekend! :)

Celebaelin

04-25-2005, 08:45 AM

I know this is a little late, but I'm a little new. The books are UNBELIEVABLE. I love them. They're the kind a person could read 15 times and not get sick of. Dirk Gently included. You said that book was out of print? Wow. It's still in my high school library!

Then again, I was the only person to check it out in three years...

But I can't wait for the movie. Who all's mad that they gave Zaphod only one head?

HOBBIT

04-25-2005, 04:35 PM

Dirk Gently seems to be back in print. It was out of print when I wanted to read it several years ago. I checked amazon.com, and on the cover of Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency it says "author of the bestselling book The Salmon Of Doubt" - On the original editions it said author of the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy. The Salmon Of Doubt came out after Douglas Adams passed away in 2001, it is a compiliation of various Douglas Adams short stories and letters and part of an unfinished novel that was to be called "The Salmon Of Doubt"

So the reprint is recent.

About the movie -

Zaphod does have two heads in it - just not two heads in the same way as in the BBC miniseries. His second head is sort of under his first head and it pops out.

Watch the trailers and you will see it. He also still has his third arm.

This movie has been in the works for a LONG TIME. Douglas Adams wrote the screenplay and was heavily involved in it (he had been trying to get it made into a motion picture for a while) before he died in 2001 - that set it back a bit.

Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy started as a Radio Show then went into a great many different adaptations such as the novels, BBC miniseries, and other forms. Hopefully this adaptation is very good :)

HOBBIT

04-25-2005, 04:40 PM

Here - attached is a picture showing Zaphod's second head.

http://www.cinemablend.com/images/reviews/646/_11088642562.

Picture linked to from the Cinema Blend (http://www.filmhobbit.com) site.

Their hitchhiker story page with a lot of screenshots from the trailer : http://www.cinemablend.com/review.php?id=646

Falagar

04-26-2005, 07:14 AM

Have been awaiting this film since I first stumbled upon the official site a few months ago. Have been in love with Douglas' works for many years now, really looking foreward to this movie (though I'm afraid it won't live up to the expectations; trying to lower them).

A Hitch-hiker's-queue is planned outside Colosseum the (a few) day(s) before it arrives here, in...august, I think it is. Sign up! :p

emily leonard

04-28-2005, 06:46 AM

this looks like a great movi i have to go and see it :)

Last Child of Ungoliant

04-28-2005, 04:48 PM

billbailey is the voice of the sperm whale, how appropriate is that, a perfectly and stupidly funny role for one of britain's best comedians, i am not sure about martin freeman as arthur dent, though, nor alan rickman as marvin, i don't know who stephen fry is playing, but he is bound to be brilliant, and the other actors i have not heard of

katya

04-28-2005, 04:56 PM

I just can't get over Ford being black. Not that I have any problem with black people or actors but just not for Ford. And, I don't know... none of the actors really match my imagination pictures. Marvin is adorable though. He could be like my little robot pet or something. Not how I pictured him but cute. I think I'm going to go see the movie on Saturday though. I don't have anything else to do, after all.

Have any of you played the text adventure game? It's the coolest, but I did get lost in the Heart of Gold and never progressed any further. I love this: "Wake Ford" "Rather like trying to wake the dead." Man, that was fun.. it's been too long.

katya

04-30-2005, 10:21 PM

Sorry to reply to my own post- I guess that's a little tacky. Anyway, I just got back from seeing the movie. It was all right, mostly. I didn't get bored, or disgusted (except maybe by the Vogons, but that's a good thing, right?) but I didn't laugh that many times either. To me it seemed like it was too much of a real movie, you know? Beginning, middle, end, and making you want to follow the story instead of just laughing about it, etc. I was happy the part with the petunias was in there though- I loved that part for some reason. I did wonder about whether a lot of that was really in the books though. And the characters- Zaphod's heads were kinda weird, and Marvin was so cute. And Ford was of course nothing like I thought he should be, but Mos Def kind of sounds like Mos Eisley, and that is marvelous.

Oh yeah, and there was Star Wars preview. I'm so excited! I love Darth Vader. He's such a dork.

HOBBIT

04-30-2005, 11:58 PM

I saw it friday night. I liked it.

Katya, I thought that you had read the books, so why don't you know whether some parts were in it or not? If it is a case of reading them a while ago, I recently re-read most of the first book (which the movie is based on) and listend to episodes 1-10 of the radio series, the original form of "hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy" (and book 1 is basically episodes 1-4). So I can tell you all the changes and differences. Just ask :)

Things made up for movie:
1. Humma Kavala
2. Trip to Vogosphere (and kidnapping of Trillian)
3. The kidnapping of Zaphod's head
4. The Point of View Gun
5. the vice president girl

katya

05-01-2005, 11:06 AM

Yeah, that's about what I though. Yeah, I read the first book and parts of the others, but that was in 7th grade (I'm in 11th now) and I can't find my copy. And it's checked out of the library right now. By the way, have I mentioned I love the Zaphod quote in your signature?

azalea

05-01-2005, 05:40 PM

I saw it and it was pretty good for a movie adaptation.

Hobbit: Don't forget on the changes (at least from the book; I haven't heard the radio play) -- the whole romance with Trillian! It's been a while, but aside from the party when she runs off with Zaphod, the only romance I remember Arthur having was with Fenchurch. I remember that he and Trillian had a daughter via artificial insemination, but not the romance ending with them together.
Anyway, I liked it overall, and it would have been impossible to do it all. My favorite parts were the ones where the Guide is talking. :) I liked the point of view gun, and Marvin using it to save them (didn't something similar happen in the books?). Best line from the movie: "Don't worry, I'm British. I know how to queue." :D
I agree with katya about Ford -- I actually liked the guy from the miniseries a lot, and I guess that's always how I'll picture him.
The only thing I didn't understand was the addition of the vp woman, since it was never fully explained.

HOBBIT

05-01-2005, 09:39 PM

the arthur trillian romance isn't the biggest change, and isn't really that big of a deal.

and i can see that this movie would be mega-confusing for anyone not familiar to the books/radio series/tv series.

Still, for all of its flaws (many flaws), it is still an enjoyable movie and came out #1 this weekend in the box office.

Probably my least favorite of all the various incarnations of the Hitchhiker's Guide.

Still the best movie of 2005 that I have seen so far :) Might be topped by Episode 3 though.

rohirrim TR

05-02-2005, 09:42 AM

I havent read the books but it was still an awesome movie my favorite part would be the whale "hi ground will you be my friend" (explosion, mushroom cloud)

Falagar

05-02-2005, 09:53 AM

*tries to stay away from spoilers*

*almost succeeds*

They got the whale! :D Stupid Norwegian cinemas.

Pytt

05-02-2005, 10:26 AM

*tries to stay away from spoilers*

*almost succeeds*

They got the whale! :D Stupid Norwegian cinemas.

Echo. I'll probably know the whole movie before I see it...

The Gaffer

05-02-2005, 12:39 PM

the whole romance with Trillian!
IIRC, there is reference to possible romantic interludes between Arthur and Trillian at the start of whatever the fourth/fifth book was called. In response to a hypothetical question of "what is the matter with this Arthur Dent? does he not [fornicate]??", Adams (as narrator) comments along the lines of "what do you think they got up to on all those tedious voyages? it just wasn't important until now..". And then Dentarthurdent gets off with Fenchurch.

Can't wait to see it *hides eyes from spoilers*

Telcontar_Dunedain

05-02-2005, 04:40 PM

I saw it today. I haven't read the books yet, so I didn't see the flaws that happened refer to the books and consequently really enjoyed it.

azalea

05-03-2005, 09:24 PM

No, it's not a big deal, and it was done to give the movie a more cohesive plot than in the books (which were more about things happening to Arthur as opposed to Arthur doing things). But it is made a major centerpiece of the movie, whereas it was hardly the focus of the book (at least, not the first one/ two).

So long, and thanks for all the fish. ;) (I enjoyed the song, btw.)

HOBBIT

05-03-2005, 11:01 PM

The movie is very good and is the best movie that I have seen so far this year. Later movies will likely win that title though (like Episode III, etc).

Only those of us who have read the books or listened to the radio series or seen the tv series would know that it could have been much much better. .

As every version has been different so was this - although this is THE most different anything has been from all the other "Hitchhiker's Guide" incarnations.

Some of the changes I LOVED, some I thought were ok, some I thought were horrendous.

Overall, a well done film in the spirit of douglas adams. This should expose a ton of people to his books (mostly these, because that is what the film is adapted from) and then some may realize that there is a well done radio series (it came first in fact) and then maybe will realize that there is a well done BBC TV series made in 1981 that still holds up - and they did some parts better than this new movie did.

Liked the old Arthur Dent better, but this one was ok.

WOAH what a change for Zaphod - in all other forms he is this cool, laid back guy but in the new movie he is just an IDIOT.

Still, go see this.

READ THE BOOK

READ THE BOOK

READ THE BOOK

it is even online for free if you know where to look.... ;) ;) but seriously, it should be bought.

Rosie Gamgee

05-04-2005, 09:26 AM

Well, I've not read the books, but I did go see the movie. I will venture to say this: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was, by far, the silliest, dumbest, stupidest movie I have EVER watched in my entrie life. It was a complete waste of money and time. It was fantastic. ;)

Khamûl

05-07-2005, 12:29 AM

My girlfriend thought it was going to be monumentally stupid, but despite that, I think she rather enjoyed herself. :p I really liked it. The only thing that bothered me was that Zaphod didn't go back for his other head, so the Humma Kavala storyline was never really resolved.

On a side note, I bought The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy today, which contains all five books and a bonus short story in one volume. :cool:

Rosie Gamgee

05-11-2005, 09:57 AM

So, was the movie a combination of two books? I just 'read' (actually listened to the audio book) the first book, and the whole nose-sneeze-priest thing wasn't in there.

HOBBIT

05-11-2005, 03:56 PM

no, it is not a combination of two books. It is just an adaptation of of the book "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."

About half of the movie is taken from it and the other half is made up for the movie.

There are very tiny things in this movie that are in other books. The whole Viltvodle thing which I mention below is the only thing that I can think of.

I would suggest actually READING it and not listening to the audio book.
If you listen to anything, listen to the radio show, the orginal medium. It was first a very sucessful cult following radio show on BBC Radio 4 before he wrote it as a novel.

If you can get a hold of the original radio show - that is a real treat.

the whole nose-sneeze-priest thing wasn't in there.
Well, they made up going to the planet of Viltvodle. They also made up that cult religion thing with Hamma Kavula.

It is taken from something that is in the second book (the first page of it i believe):

In the beginning the Universe was created.

This has made a lot of people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move.

Many races believe that it was created by some sort of God, though the Jatravartid people of Viltvodle VI believe that the entire Universe was in fact sneezed out of the nose of a being called the Great Green Arkleseizure.

The Jatravartids, who live in perpetual fear of the time they call The Coming of The Great White Handkerchief, are small blue creatures with more than fifty arms each, who are therefore unique in being the only race in history to have invented the aerosol deodorant before the wheel.

However, the Great Green Arkleseizure Theory is not widely accepted outside Viltvodle VI and so, the Universe being the puzzling place it is, other explanations are constantly being sought.

For instance, a race of hyperintelligent pan-dimensional beings once built themselves a gigantic supercomputer called Deep Thought to calculate once and for all the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything........

That is also in Episode 5 (or "fit" 5) of the Hitchhiker Radio series.

Novel 1 - "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" is essentially episodes 1-4
Novel 2 - "The Restaurant At the end of the Universe" is episodes 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 5, 6.

Rosie Gamgee

06-08-2005, 02:16 PM

I would suggest actually READING it and not listening to the audio book.
If you listen to anything, listen to the radio show, the orginal medium. It was first a very sucessful cult following radio show on BBC Radio 4 before he wrote it as a novel.
Really? That's interesting. Well, I'll have to find 'em. And beings how the audio book was read by the author, I thought it would be a good place to start. *shrug* :D

Lenya

06-13-2005, 12:24 PM

Oh I hate it when movies come out late in our country! Hitchhicker isn't even out yet! ...But I can't wait :evil:

EarthBound

06-22-2005, 08:10 AM

Oh I hate it when movies come out late in our country! Hitchhicker isn't even out yet! ...But I can't wait :evil:

I couldn't either than was.....errrr, maybe you'd better watch it than we can compare notes.....it's enough to say I too waited anxiously for the movie....

Maybe you've seen it by now....let us know what you thunk :o

Pytt

06-22-2005, 08:57 AM

Oh I hate it when movies come out late in our country! Hitchhicker isn't even out yet! ...But I can't wait :evil:

Here it don't come until August I think.. :(

EarthBound

06-22-2005, 09:54 AM

Here it don't come until August I think.. :(

Don't make the mistake of watching it the same night you watch StarWars III......or it will look like crud next to it....SWIII was the cooooolest :cool:

Falagar

06-22-2005, 10:22 AM

Premiere in Oslo the 29th of July, if I'm not much mistaken.

SW was cool, but...movie-vise, HHGttG sounds better.

Pytt

06-22-2005, 11:07 AM

Don't make the mistake of watching it the same night you watch StarWars III......or it will look like crud next to it....SWIII was the cooooolest :cool:

Don't worry, I've already seen SWIII 2 times :cool:

Lenya

06-23-2005, 01:26 PM

Don't worry, I've already seen SWIII 2 times :cool:

Oh, oh, me too, me too! And I loved it :D

No EB, I haven't seen it yet and don't really know when it will be out. Probably when I'm already back at university, which means I'll have a hard time getting back to you - we have very limited free internet access there. But I never can stay away too long :rolleyes:

Pytt, I feel your pain man. They shouldn't keep us waiting. It is evil.

Falagar

06-23-2005, 04:32 PM

Mwahaha, I've seen it three. ;)

Lenya

06-27-2005, 04:55 AM

:( Don't laugh at the less spoiled people. Whe have more patience than you. :rolleyes:

Falagar

06-27-2005, 12:00 PM

Spoiled? Me?! No idea what yer talkin' bout. :rolleyes: ;)

HOBBIT

06-28-2005, 12:18 AM

WOW - hitchhikers opens so late in other countries?!?!

It has been out of theaters for a while now here in the USA. It comes out on DVD in September.

Lenya

06-28-2005, 07:35 AM

Yeah. Not just this movie. Oftentimes you are able to get a pirate DVD before the movie is out. But its more fun to see it in the movies, so I wait.

Falagar

06-28-2005, 02:25 PM

A friend of mine has already downloaded and watched it. I prefer to wait because, beside the fact that I don't like downloading movies, I owe it to Adams.

Elanor

09-24-2005, 09:39 PM

I love this movie! I just bought the DVD. Now I can sing along with "So long and thanks for all the fish." Just what I always wanted!

I was already a big fan of the books, and I think they did a very good job of translating it into a movie. I usually don't complain about movie adaptations as long as they're:
1) true to the spirit of the book,
2) contain a large percentage of material from the book, and
3) make a good movie that both readers and non-readers can enjoy.

Sometimes things have to be changed to make it satisfying as a movie, and I'm all for it as long as they don't go overboard. This one didn't, and was still as oddballish and quirky as the book. The pacing, emotion, and dialogue was just right. I really like the addition of the POV gun and Marvin saving the day by shooting the Vogons with it. Though I agree that Zaphod should have gone back for his head! Maybe in a sequel? (please! please!)

My cousin watched it without having ever read the books, and fell in love with it and wants to read the books now. So the movie is useful for bringing people into the world of Douglas Adams! :)