H2G2 is about to open as a movie.
I only knew this work rather recently. And I’m hooked up and now think it is worth translated into Classical Greek, much more than Harry Potter, Though I cannot read now what shall have been translated, about the time it shall have been translated I shall had had studied enough to read it at least stumblingly. And I will admire whoever would have had succesfully translated it into AG.
The whole series of books were great. I started reading Douglas Adams about 15 years ago, he does satire very well. I always love reading a book, tongue firmly planted in cheek 
42!
Actually if you can find them the Radio shows’ are the best. Taht is, If, you can find the original instead of the edited versions on tape. Teh originals were about 50 to 55 minutes in length per episode and this was the original format (before the books).
In fact the radio shows were half an hour long. I know, I’ve heard them often enough. I can’t wait to see the film though.
On a related matter I just saw the first episode of the new Doctor Who (related because it’s SF, and because Douglas Adams once wrote on Dr W.) It was excellent - very witty and lively and intelligently written - which is quite out of character for the show. It used to be rubbish.
Knockus knockus.
-Quis ibi es.
-Doctor.
-Doctor quis?
-Quo pacto coniectare potuisti?
I can’t wait to see the film! Alan Rickman as Marvin . I hope I can find a cinema showing it in English 
Don’t read on if you haven’t seen the film.
(No, really, form your own opinions.)
It’s all gone rather quiet in this thread. Do i take it you’ve seen the film and think the same as me?
Don’t get me wrong, i loved the way it looked. Shame they cut all the funny bits. My girlfriend, who actually pushed me into going, and who knows nothing of HHGG, remarked as we left the cinema, “i thought it was going to be funny”.
It kept building up to punch-lines and then just dropping them. (e.g. IIRC the initial sequence was all leading up to a line about being “unpleasantly drunk”, a line which never materialised. That was the whole point of any reference to pubs and alcohol. i won’t bore you with all the other dropped punch-lines i spotted.)
Lacked attack in the dialogue, but everywhere. Such weak dialogue! Even Bill Nighy couldn’t deliver Slartibartfast’s lines with the right timing and emphasis. Alan Rickman should have been brilliant as Marvin but was disgraced by Stephen Moore’s performance. And, Zaphod’s second head reminded me strikingly of a friend who took so many trips he qualified for a piece of paper that said he was officially “mad”. It was far from funny, let me tell you.
“In” jokes (two heads, crustaceae, three arms etc.) remained opaque.
IMHO Eddie Izzard was born for the whale monologue and Kathy Burke for Deep Thought.
HHGG was something i discovered purely by accident, twiddling the radio dial in the garage as a teenager, whilst scavenging junked circuit boards for parts that cost more than tuppence. Indirectly it’s taught me a lot over the years about adaptation to different media. As far as i’m concerned it’s only succeeded in novel and radio form. Can’t believe it was 27 years ago.
What were they on … ?
I haven’t seen the movie yet (don’t think I’ll be able to go to see a movie in a while), but I do have HG2G on CD in a box somewhere… I should dig it out sometime before the next Ice Age…
the film comes out in october here
As it happens, I read the book just a week ago, for the first time. But it has a weird ending.
Is it actually a trilogy?
That is: do I read on?
Regards,
Adelheid
Yes, at least, it’s one of those trilogies with five books.
Yes! The story continues seemlessly (especially through the first three books). If you enjoyed the first, you’ll enjoy the rest.
I’m going to try to see the movie this weekend, so I’ll be looking to see how closely it follows the books (having read them about 10 times each). I am a bit worried after Sisyphus’ comments, however there were a lot of similar statements after “Lord of the Rings” came out and that was really fantastic.
I must admit I found parts of “Troy” a bit strange - considering how well known the book was you would imagine they should stick closely to the story! However, Hollywood always operates on the theory that no-one actually reads the books!
I saw it this past weekend. I loved the books, but the movie is pathetic, I nearly walked out. Your mileage may vary, and I know they can only put a limited amount onscreen, but they could have done better. Sigh.
ok…I haven’t read all of the posts on this thread, cause I don’t want to spoil it (just in case), but I just bought it on DVD and I am going to watch it this weekend…I can’t wait!
I tried to read the book and it just was not my cup of tea.
If I ever cross paths with the radio version, I might try it, since it was the original medium.
Well…my wife and best friend thought it was horrible, and I am no longer allowed to pick movies out. They wanted to watch “Fever Pitch”, but I persuaded them otherwise…Last time they’ll listen to me.
I thought it was ok, some nice eye-candy special effects, some of the effects were horrendous though. It seemed long, but I was entertained. I’m just not that critical of movies, and I guess I have an unusually large soft spot for this one, since I read the books when I was about 12 and loved every one of them.
Yes, I loved them all - the books, the movie, the radio series. Whenever I have to deal with snotty-nosed government officials I just think of them as Vogons, and so on through many of life’s most irritating and ridiculous moments! I think DA said it all. 
I can’t remember the exact quote, but at one point Ford finally discovers why humans talk so much – because when their mouths stop moving their brains turn on. I think of that every time I see someone on a cell phone (I would have loved to have heard DA’s opinions on cell phones. I always imagine he would have treated them much like he did digital watches, but that may just be wishful thinking on my part).
I still sometimes say “oh dear, you seem to have fallen down a 30 foot well” whenever someone says something especially obvious.