HHGTTG

MajorLag · Post by **MajorLag** » Sun Oct 02, 2005 10:26 pm

I have all versions of the Guide. The radio series, the BBC tv series, all the books (in the gold leaf hardcover edition), and even the Infocom game (ffear me, for I have possessed both tea and no tea simultaneously!).

You'll notice I haven't included the new movie in this list. There is a good reason for that. To say that the movie was a bad version of the Guide would be to give it too much credit, because the movie simply isn't The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Its some other story, a much worse story that vauguely plagerizes The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It was severely disapointing in every possible respect.

Post by **Sparkfist** » Sun Oct 02, 2005 10:35 pm

Really seems strange that Adams was involved with the movie and it was so different from the book.

Post by **Black Six** » Sun Oct 02, 2005 11:01 pm

I've read the six book trilogy, the Salmon of Doubt, as well as his other books Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency and The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul (haven't found a copy of Last Chance to See yet), and read his official biography (Wish You Were Here, very good). I played the Infocom game, but never got very far. I saw the first episode of the TV series, and have a few other DLed (how many are there?). I haven't seen anything involving the radio series

. I've seen the movie three times now, twice on opening day and once since its been out on DVD. I'm a big fan...

Kai · Post by **Kai** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 3:42 am

I've got all 6 books but I'm still reading and there comes my question i have the 5 book box set and the book the salmon of doubt is it true that the salmon of doubt is book 4,5 so I should read it after book 4?

Post by **Black Six** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 8:29 am

Kai wrote:I've got all 6 books but I'm still reading and there comes my question i have the 5 book box set and the book the salmon of doubt is it true that the salmon of doubt is book 4,5 so I should read it after book 4?

No, The Salmon of Doubt is a collection of short stories and essays rescused from the hard drive of Douglas Adams' Mac after his untimely death. The last section is the unfinished manuscript of what was to be the third Dirk Gently novel, but which DNA said was turning more into a Hitchhiker book, and he was considering rewriting to make it fit in that universe.

Post by **benheck** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 8:37 am

You know I actually felt the new movie was very, very close to THGTTG (but with stuff ADDED)

If anything the first book is quite short (what, like 175 pages?) and wouldn't even fill up a whole movie. Especially if you consider everything in the first book WAS in the movie, plus they added a bunch of crap.

Probably the problem with adapting the book (for all these years, like 20 years in Hollywood Development Hell) was the choice to stretch out what they had or add stuff, or make the movie out of the first few books.

If you think about it not a HECK of a lot HAPPENS in the first book (and movies are all about things HAPPENING, not descriptions/text) so it was either make a 45 minute movie or pad it to full length.

I was fine with it.

Oh on Fistful of reviews I'm doing a couple more SMN reviews soon: Alexander and a long lost Bill Paxton/Mark Hamill/Ben Kingsley/F Murray Abrahm flick called SLIPSTREAM!

In which Paxton says "I bet you're one of those guys who gets outta the shower to take a piss!" definitely good pinball machine material!

Reaperman@home · Post by **Reaperman@home** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 9:08 am

the wife's a big fan, autographed towel and all, but I'm really not.
I've been subjected to both the new movie and the old miniseries, though. It's hard to say which I liked better, because neither were especially entertaining. I'd have to go with the new one for the added eye-candy and reasonably active pace. I should also give the text adventure a try, I have it loaded into my gba

The wife noted that while they were carrying towels in the new movie, very little was done to emphasize their importance. But if they had, I probably would have slit my wrists. I'm sure the 'literate' scifi fans would have enjoyed it.

Now, I am a fan of Douglas Adams' work with Doctor Who--City of Death is one of my all-time favorites. Shada is not...though most people like it.

[rant]...Slipstream? that movie was beyond bad--even though it's a dollar movie. the plot, acting, scenery, airplanes... I'm pretty sure we're showing it to some iraqi prisoners right now. [/rant]

MajorLag · Post by **MajorLag** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 12:15 pm

Sparkfist wrote:Really seems strange that Adams was involved with the movie and it was so different from the book.

He really wasn't involved all that much, he died long before they made the movie. Supposedly, he wrote the script, but I can't really believe that because the script wasn't funny. I have to believe that some idiot script writers (pretty much any script writer in holywood) got their hands on it and screwed it all up.

If anything the first book is quite short (what, like 175 pages?) and wouldn't even fill up a whole movie. Especially if you consider everything in the first book WAS in the movie, plus they added a bunch of crap.

There are two flaws with this theory:
1) They removed dialog nessessary to make the jokes work right (the whole beware of the leopard bit, ect) to save precious seconds so they could fit the crap they added (and it was crap)?
2) The TV series took about 3 and a half episodes (at 30 minutes a peice) to cover the first book. Granted, they added a few scenes too, but not nearly as much as the movie, and they didn't have any problem streaching it out to movie length.

Post by **Gamelver** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 12:41 pm

I'm kind of in the middle...I thought the movie did a reasonable job of adhering to the book, but overall they changed a bit too much and left few good jokes out, too, like the one majorlag mentioned with the leopard...anyway, I still love the books

...I'm probably gonna reread them again....I've only read 'em twice, actually

...

HK-47 · Post by **HK-47** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 1:35 pm

Ive read the "trilogy", and seen both the movie and the tv series. I enjoyed the tv series far more than the movie. The movie was ok, but im a bit of a purist, and though the movie strayed a bit too far from the books. The tv series on the other hand is halarious.

Post by **Gamelver** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 1:36 pm

I wish I could watch the tv series

....

HK-47 · Post by **HK-47** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 1:42 pm

Gamelver wrote:I wish I could watch the tv series ....

*cough!*http://www.torrentbox.com/download.php/ ... rent*cough!*

Post by **Gamelver** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 1:57 pm

exactly what I was not ; ) looking for

MilkMonster · Post by **MilkMonster** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 2:01 pm

isnt that like illeagle, shananagins are at foot.

Post by **Gamelver** » Mon Oct 03, 2005 2:12 pm

well, yes, kind of...it's a pretty old series (er, I think)....and I don't think there are any region 1 DVDs of it...