Hitch-hiker's Guide

[poliphilo]

My brother in law lent us his CDs of Hitch-hikers Guide To The Galaxy and we listened to them straight through. This is not the way to do it. After a couple of hours, Adams's famously off-the-wall humour comes to seem repetitive, forced and unfunny. There's a gag in one of the later shows about a hundred mile high statue of Arthur (or is it Ford?) drinking from a styrofoam cup- and it just goes on and on and on.

Whacky humour needs to be taken in small doses. Otherwise your brain accepts whackiness as the norm and stops being surprised and delighted.

Anyway, the movie opened in London last night. It's so rare for a movie to open in London that they devoted a whole half-hour TV programme to it. I'm glad Martin Freeman (from the Office) has become a big screen star. And I'm even gladder they went for him and not Hugh Grant.

I just read the Guardian review. Seems like the movie's better than we had any right to expect, but not as good as the radio show. Right. No hurry then. I guess I'll catch it when it comes out on DVD.

Comments

[dakegra.livejournal.com]

were the CDs of the radio series, or of Stephen Moore reading the book?

The first two radio series were very good, the third just wasn't as funny, imho. Too much explanation of what was going on.

I think the film looks fun, but will probably wait for the dvd.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

The CDs of the radio series.

It seems like the film has kept the original theme music. Da-da-di-di-di-di-dee. I'm glad of that.

[strange-complex.livejournal.com]

Da-da-di-di-di-di-dee.

The Eagles - 'Journey of the Sorceror'. Worth tracking down and listening to in its own right, in my opinion.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Really? I thought it was something the BBC produced in-house- like the equally wonderful Dr Who theme tune.

Yes, indeed, I must investigate further.

[manfalling.livejournal.com]

u ever download movies dad? a lot cheaper than buying that stuff. of course- it's illegal- i guess- but still... and u could have hitch-hikers today, that way. for free...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

This is true- but, no, I've never downloaded a movie. Surely it takes forever.

Besides, I like having my DVDs ranged on the shelves in their plastic cases- like books.

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

Hitchhiker's arrival next weekend is a major event in my family--both my children read all the books, and so did their cousins and friends.

I never did, but I'm caught up now in the anticipation of the movie, which from the previews appears to be full of "special effects." (I like that description--it seems somehow quaint, like an ad in a magazine from the 50s.)

Netflix should be delivering Shawn of the Dead today, and Tarkovsky next week. Some combination, huh?

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I think the purest way to experience Hitch-hiker is through the original radio broadcasts. The reviews I've read thus far suggest that a lot of the humour has been lost in the transfer to the big screen.

But, as you'll have gathered, I'm not a huge fan. I enjoyed the shows well enough (I saw the underwhelming TV dramatization too) but they're not among my favourite things.

[ksp24.livejournal.com]

I agree that it's best taken in small doses! Too much and it's all the same.

I'm interested to see how the moviie will do!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

It's got a ready-made audience- rather like LOTR. I can't see it being anything but a huge success.

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

Our local NPR station ran HitchHikers all the way through three times. I love it - but there was a weeks separation in between them.