(no subject)

[taleya]

OK, I did it.. Despite my trepidations and the deep feeling I had that it would be liking watching my pet kitten get anally raped....I watched the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie.

I shall put this up with a waffle icon as soon as I can find where I put the bloody waffle icons the gorgeous madscot made for me....




Ok. There are two ways to look at this film. One is rather nice, the other...not so nice.

Just to explain. I grew up on Hitch Hikers. It's one of the many BBC Series that were the staple viewing diet of my childhood. And more. I remember taping the Radio Plays as a kid (And still have them!) I grew up reading the books - hell, every book I own is an original cover, I went out and bought Mostly Harmless at a gift shop in Sorrento as soon as it came out on paperback (I was 13!). The first ever hormonal stirring of "oh...oh... i like that...I don't know what this feeling is, but I like it" was courtesy of David Dixon. (Shut up, I was five. And those eyes still do it for me)

Bear all this in mind. I'm bearing this in mind as I write this, but I know it will still colour my perceptions.

What did I think of it? It struck me as, if anything, the kindest thing I can say in relation to the whole Hitchikers universe, as a childs version. Packaged up, dumbed down, and aimed at kids. A fun romp. It's definitely Adams, oh hell it's loaded with Pure Adams, but it's a kid's version. (I'm not slamming him at all. Eh, I didn't like Dirk Gently, different fish for different bears, and all that) And while it may be a great intro for kids, as a 27 year old adult with all that blabbering I stuck in the introductory paragraph in my mind....I was disappointed. Very disappointed.

It's an explosion of hollywood, with a loose, jumbled plotline trying to follow the original, failing miserably and stuffing a few romantic subplots in for reasons that completely escape me. And Mos Def? You are not Ford Prefect.

The new take on Trillian was rather good - Adams himself has stated he's not good at writing female characters. I'm guessing his co-writer expanded that bit, or he's definitely beefed up on it (Mostly Harmless and the Quandry/Quintessential Phases suggest slightly the latter with Tricia, but Trillian still got raw'ed.) But Trillian/Arthur? She wants excitement. She wants to explore. to escape a dull life. He just wants somewhere quiet and a good cup of tea. He likes mediocre.

Zaphod on crack? ok, that DID crack me up. Rockwell did a fucking good job there. I liked that.

One thing? Ok, i'm a sad sad fangirl, but THE THEME Yes, I squealed quite loudly when the original radio theme got played :D In fact I'm quite sure I scared the shit out of the rats. I got terribly excited at just hearing strains that hinted at it, then went nuts when it started in full. And I grinned at the original Marvin in the queue, and Simon Jones got due applause and hoots of "BRING BACK THE REAL ARTHUR!"

But apart from that? From a Hitchikers point of view, it was something to look at, then delete off my hard disk.

BUT

From another point of view - Take away the HitchHikers element - it was very much like Galaxy Quest. I love that farking movie. Fun Romp takes on a whole new dimension when you're not looking at it with 27 years of mythos behind it. It was insane, gloriously insane, pure Adams and a great watch. I might get it cheap on rental and pull it out when I need a good laugh, much like I did with Galaxy Quest.

Would I write about it if I'd never been exposed to the original media? If I'd never read the books? Seen the series? No more than I would write Blazing Saddles fanfiction - in fact, less likely.

Soooooooo, I have an interesting little dichotomy in my brain. Realistically? I think I'll burn my downloaded copy, stick it in my DVD case and not look at it for four years. Unless I'm drunk.

Disagreements? Thrown items? Flames? Flame away, I have a soggy Ford I can roll all over >:D

Comments

[the-10thdoctor.livejournal.com]

The only bit I caught when they played it at work was when Arthur said 'I'm British, we know how to queue' and I thought 'Oh great it's the BBCAmerica version.' *eyeroll*

When BBCAmerica first came out, all they played was Python, Are you Being Served, and Black Adder - nothing current, and nothing that hadn't been played endlessly on PBS already. It was BBC for Dummies, nice safe Britcoms. They've branched out a bit since then - newer shows, at least - but it's still a bit patronising, like 'Hey, you stupid Americans, here's some British stereotypes for you!' :p

And I've come to the conclusion that I severely need a Ford icon... ^_^

[taleya.livejournal.com]

That's one reason why I try and avoid discussing anything british with Americans. I'm not claiming to be a britgenius by any way shape or fucking form, but I grew up primarily watching ABC - and in the 70's/80's, when I grew up? 80-90% of the content was piped straight from the beeb (ABC is their sister channel, after all)

British television is NOT just Are You being served? or Blackadder, or a handful of fucking Tom Baker DW eps. And shut the hell up about Red Dwarf. Talk to an american about python, they'll start screaming NI! I much preferred Life of Brian. Now that was fucking hilarious. (and Meaning of life...and And now for something completely different...) What about The Goodies? Goodnight Sweetheart? Minder! Britass? The Professionals! Tomorrow People! Blake's 7! Vicar of Dibbley! Drop the Dead Donkey! Ballykissangel! Hamish MacBeth! Heartbeat! Stop giving me blank stares and saying NI!

ARGHHH!!

(not directed at you, that rant is something I've experienced over and over and over...)


Want a Dixon!ford icon? I can cap from the series for you :D There's also arthur_icons and of course, dixonites and guideslash

[the-10thdoctor.livejournal.com]

The trouble I have here in Yankistan is that I'll hear about all these cool shows and then have zero luck finding them. Oh well, at least there's PBS. I mean, PBS is pretty good about getting different stuff from overseas - they've got Bleak House now, and they've run the Forsyte Saga a few times, and sometime this summer they'll be running Casanova *finally!* ^_^

[tabimendou.livejournal.com]

Hah, slightly related... I borrowed my friend's Absolutely Fabulous box set and I'm currently watching it, and in one of the episodes of the first series, one of the fellows playing a bit-part had a rather familiar voice...

It was Geoffrey McGivern :DDDDD

I rewatched the section of the episode with him in about ten times and made a .wav of it. Love *_*~

[taleya.livejournal.com]

I couldn't stop laughing when Richard E Grant showed up as one of her ex-hubbies. I was ponting at the screen and going "EEEE! Warlock! That's Giles!"

[eh-eh-ehh.livejournal.com]

Mark Wing-Davey is also in a later Ab Fab, as an accountant called Malcolm.

I will now be quiet before my anal-retentive comedy obsession rears its ugly head.

[taleya.livejournal.com]

PENGUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN *tacklepouncies*

[tabimendou.livejournal.com]

Oooooh, I'll definitely definitely defintely have to keep an eye out for that ^O^~~... I totally fell in love with practically the whole radio cast of HHGTTG, so things like that make me perhaps more happy than they really should XD

[leaper182.livejournal.com]

I sort of glanced at the review, but I must say that I love your icon of General Melchett. I really do.

*pets icon*

[taleya.livejournal.com]

*snork* He's my "Pontificating Shit" icon...

[leaper182.livejournal.com]

I saw. :D

I wonder if the movie would've been much better if Hugh Laurie had ended up as Arthur Dent, and that general scheme. I think it was the one that was almost in place before Douglas Adams died. As it was, I have a feeling he was rolling in his grave over this.

Don't get me wrong, I rather liked Martin Freeman in a I'm-a-rather-adorable-chap kind of way, but everything else felt so wrong...

[taleya.livejournal.com]

they're doing another one??

...........

[taleya.livejournal.com]

oooh, question

If they follow this chain of thought to its bitter end, would it be Trillian who gets lost at the start of Mostly Harmless and not Fenchurch?

[kirke-novak.livejournal.com]

The funny thing about GQ is that I've watched it about 346347 times, bought even the True Oiginal DVD, yet, while watching HGTTG I was sitting and thinking 'wow, that Zaphod guy, he reminds me a bit/sounds just like Guy'. Yup, had no idea it's him but it was Insta!SamRockwell love :D

And I loved the movie, of course. Laughed my pants off while watching.

[taleya.livejournal.com]

I cracked up when I recognised him. "That's guy!" And it turned out a good casting choice :D

[kirke-novak.livejournal.com]

I have no idea how the hell he did this but while I'd kill my kitty for a date with Zaphod, if Guy asked me out, I'd either laugh or puke. And that's the same actor, dammit!! @_@

[starrdust411.livejournal.com]

While for the most part I do agree with you, I have to disagree and say that I thought that Mos Def was a very good Ford. In fact, I liked all the actor's, I just didn't really like the exicution. Granted I have never seen the BBC series or heard the radio show (I'm an American so I never had the pleasure), I think the casting was good, but the story needed work.

Definetly not into the Author/Trillian thing, especially since they made it seem like they threw them in there just to throw them in there. And it did seem pretty watered down, language and content wise, but other than that it's a decent rental.

[taleya.livejournal.com]

I think the main reason I don't like Mos Def is because I've seen the role played..I hesitate to use the word "better" but honestly can't think of one at the moment (blame work) Seeing him running around and screeching with the towel was amusing...but c'mon, I can't see him doing what Dixon did during the meal scene on Magrathea, obviously aware that he's in shot, even though not the focus of the scene in the slightest, but still playing the role - he picks up some salad dressing, tosses it over his meal, sniffs it, likes the smell and applies it to his face as aftershave.

It's little things like that which really make me so fond of the older shows...the actors were never out of character while the cameras were rolling. Even if you barely see them out of the corner of the shot, they're completely in character and doing things their character would do. I miss that in modern stuff :(

[madscot.livejournal.com]

but...but where was the paper-mache head?

I have the vids of the original series - not watched them for ages. I really didn't like the film much. I wanted more Guide, Simon Jones (not just in a cameo), and Mos Def removed from the film.

[taleya.livejournal.com]

I want the "mostly harmless" joke back! They cut it from the friggin' film! That whole scene, finding out the sole entry on Earth was "harmless" and the upgrade to "mostly Harmless"....gone.

[the-dagda.livejournal.com]

In defence of Americans who watch Britcoms, I've been watching them since I was a kid, BEFORE the BBCAI grew up with Python and Blackadder, but the first one I ever watched was Good Neighbors, I loved that show, and The Tomorrow People was reran on Nickleodeon all the time, and I absolutely adored it.

Also, "Chef" kicked quite a bit of ass ("Oh no, it's the cheese police.")

My all time favorite, though, is "'Allo, 'Allo." The writing was clever, funny, and the acting brilliant...hell, it lasted longer than the War did (1982-1992)!

Everytime I hear "Listen carefully, I shall say this only once..." I drop into a fit of giggling.

[taleya.livejournal.com]

:D I shall say zeeees onlee wonse....

I got that on DVD a few years back. It's still as crack-addled funny as I remembered

[modnar-star.livejournal.com]

Ok I didn't grow up watching the tv show. I grew up with the books and watched part of the Tv show and barely heard any of the original radio show *emo tear*. I liked Mos Def as Ford and Trillian. However I was not into Zaphod's portrayal in the movie. Not that I don't love Sam Rockwell, he was awesome, but they made Zaphod stupid when he isn't STUPID!!! He is incredibly fucked up but not stupid. I tried to like the movie but couldn't when it failed to even have a cohesive plot. They get the gun thing and then don't even seem all that deadset on returning it. I also hated the ending, they shoved Ford into a corner and hyped the Trillian/Arthur thing which so doesn't exist and worse yet, what is the deal with earth? They remake earth with all the people exactly where they were, The movie said that the Earth was a computer with ORGANIC life making up part of the matrix, if it is ORGANIC life then you can not recreate put it on pause and wait for the main characters to leave!!! GRRR!!

I loved the bits and pieces that made it up, but not the whole thing together. After that I bought the TV show watched it and felt better.

[taleya.livejournal.com]

See, the thing is they didn't make Zaphod excessively stupid until his other head was held to ransom. So that's a bit more believable with the sheer idiocy considering he'd essentially been lobotomised (especially as they did set up that the two heads do NOT have seperate brains, but the one brain split between them) The thinking hat was just daft though. And I will admit, I did like his delivery of lines like "Are you wearing my underpants? 'cos I think I'm wearing yours" and the "I liked earth, got these boots there..." Oh, and the "I'm taking myself hostage and taking the ship with me" scene? COMPLETELY Zaphod.

The gun thing was a plot device that was a bit poorly used. Although Marvin using it to take out the Vogons was pure Adams. (in fact he did something similar to save their arses in the books :) But I could have done without the OH POOR TRILLIAN HER TWUUUE LOOOOVE FOR ARTHUR....dude, where the HELL did that come from? She pisses off on him after deciding he's not for her, then after shagging Zaphod for a bit, a rescue scene and a brief towel sharing scenario suddenly he's the one man who "gets" her?

........guh, what?

And Zaphod getting a shoved in stalker love interest just so Trillian and Arthur can be together was just daft.

And the end bit was rather silly from a scientific viewpoint, but passable much like any other movie lunacy. It's something to watch, but not rave over.

Still prefer the series. That has Dixon&Jones :D