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Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy trailer

PostPosted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 9:16 pm
by the_lizardqueen
This is actually the third or fourth trailer to come out so far but I think it's the best of the bunch (and the funniest):

http://www.apple.com/trailers/touchstone/hitchhikersguidetothegalaxy/trailer_3/

Sooo..any synapses left?

PostPosted: Sun Mar 20, 2005 9:45 pm
by shooraijin
Plan the next few months of your life accordingly.

It looks like they're combining a few of the books into one. Some of the scenes I couldn't really match from any of the books, though. (However, the Vogons were obvious.)

PostPosted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 9:07 am
by Mangafanatic
The bit about the narrator's voice was priceless. :lol:

PostPosted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 12:01 pm
by Debitt
*cracks up* I just took one look at that site, with the narwhale in the background and started dying of laughter. x3; I'm on the school computer right now, so I can't watch the trailer, but I'll be sure to check it out when I get home. o_o I can't wait! <3

PostPosted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 1:02 pm
by the_lizardqueen
KD, yup I'm thinking you'll prolly most definitely love the trailer, I can't believe I never even noticed the whale on the website! Must be going blind.

As for the movie's plot, I'm not too sure how true it will remain to the books. The trailer doesn't actually show too much. I'm pretty sure that some of the scenes are set on Magrathea (I think that's the name), along with the Vogons and possibly Zaphod's aquisition of the Heart of Gold. I also saw some really strange flashes of scenes that must be related to the improbability drive (i.e. the castmembers in claymation? maybe I'm just crazy). And Marvin is seeming quite...Marvin-ey (Alan Rickman's the voice! major cool factor!!)

I'm fairly certain that Douglas Adams (the author himself) was involved in the writing of the movie, prior to his death. I'm definitely willing to put my trust in DNA.

Though I can't for the life of me figure out who the multiple metal legged dude on the table is. Then again, I only made half way through the third book of the five, mountains of homework forced me to stop reading it. I actually had to give the book to my brother and ask him to hide it, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to stop reading it.

I'm definitely planning on seeing the movie, and until then, I'll be rewatching the trailer daily. Yay for explosions, dolphins and seven foot tall cigarette smoking dudes!! :grin:

PostPosted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 2:24 pm
by daveedo
Hmm combinign a few books into one? i guess I will have to read more =) almost done with the first book now i just love it! I hope the movie is decent!

PostPosted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 6:27 pm
by shooraijin
The multi-legged table dude is *definitely* not in the books, although the bit about the inhabitants of Vitvoodle VI is (as a subplot) -- although he's not involved with them. I think he's original to this film.

There clearly *is* a Magrathea, and I recognize Arthur's "speeds in excess of R17" business in the trailer, so I can only assume that it has the same role.

Alan Rickman does a great Marvin.

PostPosted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 6:54 pm
by VioletEyedCat
shooraijin wrote:Alan Rickman does a great Marvin.


Alan Rickman?!? He's in Hitchiker's Guide? Yay! He's like one of my favorite actors ever! I'm so very happy that he's in this.

PostPosted: Tue Mar 22, 2005 5:39 pm
by uc pseudonym
Douglas was involved very closely with the producers, but the Hitchhikers movie was always up in the air. Glad to actually see something come of it.

I liked the satirical tone of the trailer; it seems as though they might capture the essence of the original books (which matters more to me than getting the plot perfect).

PostPosted: Tue Mar 22, 2005 6:28 pm
by Arnobius
I didn't recognize the multiple legs guy either-- unless that was related to the mice. I think it's all about the first book, with some changes. I'm looking forward to it, though it won't be the same without Douglas Adam's unique descriptive style ("hung in the air in the exact same way that bricks don't."). I hope they don't change it too much, because I might be just as purist over this as over LOTR, but seeing the trailer does make me feel like they got the chara attitudes right at least...

PostPosted: Tue Mar 22, 2005 11:03 pm
by shooraijin
I didn't recognize the multiple legs guy either-- unless that was related to the mice.


No, there's some mention on the site about how he deludes the people of Viltvoodle VI (the planet with the 50-armed aliens, IIRC, who invented aerosol deodorant before the wheel ... if my memory serves, of course). They're in the books, but I don't think he is.

I hope they have a scene where Arthur has to wrap a towel around his head. Points to the first person to name the creature for why this is important, and what happens when you do it. This was a puzzle in the computer game, and I think very few people in this thread are old enough to have played it ...

PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 12:28 am
by Arnobius
shooraijin wrote:No, there's some mention on the site about how he deludes the people of Viltvoodle VI (the planet with the 50-armed aliens, IIRC, who invented aerosol deodorant before the wheel ... if my memory serves, of course). They're in the books, but I don't think he is.

I hope they have a scene where Arthur has to wrap a towel around his head. Points to the first person to name the creature for why this is important, and what happens when you do it. This was a puzzle in the computer game, and I think very few people in this thread are old enough to have played it ...

I remember that game. The ravenous bugblatter beast of traal. So dumb that it thinks that if you can't see it, it can't see you.

I remember the 50 armed aliens, but that was a throwaway joke line, IIRC.

PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 6:42 am
by shooraijin
They turn up a couple of times in the books. Yup, that was the game. Who wrote it (for bonus points)? -- name the *two* authors, and the publisher. One of the authors is very famous, the other wrote a number of other text adventures.

PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 6:54 am
by Arnobius
shooraijin wrote:They turn up a couple of times in the books. Yup, that was the game. Who wrote it (for bonus points)? -- name the *two* authors, and the publisher. One of the authors is very famous, the other wrote a number of other text adventures.

I believe Douglas Adams had a part in it. Regretably, I can't remember Infocom's primary writer. I do recall he also did "Sorcerer" and a few others. I liked his works, because he tended to be pretty tongue in cheek, unlike the others. Steve Meretsky sticks in my head, but I don't remember if that's right...

PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 8:10 am
by uc pseudonym
shooraijin wrote:I hope they have a scene where Arthur has to wrap a towel around his head. Points to the first person to name the creature for why this is important, and what happens when you do it. This was a puzzle in the computer game, and I think very few people in this thread are old enough to have played it ...


That is true (though I have touched the game), but wasn't the blugblatter beast mentioned in the books as well? At least I remember some manner of creature that believed if you couldn't see it, it couldn't see you. On the subject of towels, one was visible on the site.

PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 8:27 am
by Arnobius
uc pseudonym wrote:That is true (though I have touched the game), but wasn't the blugblatter beast mentioned in the books as well? At least I remember some manner of creature that believed if you couldn't see it, it couldn't see you. On the subject of towels, one was visible on the site.

Yes, but in passing and not actually encountered by the characters I believe...

PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 8:52 am
by the_lizardqueen
Are we talking the textbased adventure game thingy? That thing is *evil* man, it took me about an hour to figure out how to get out of the bedroom and I kept dying from that point on. I had alot of fun acting like a nut though, like the books, the game is quite addictive.

PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 9:27 am
by Arnobius
the_lizardqueen wrote:Are we talking the textbased adventure game thingy? That thing is *evil* man, it took me about an hour to figure out how to get out of the bedroom and I kept dying from that point on. I had alot of fun acting like a nut though, like the books, the game is quite addictive.

I was trying it on line again. I forgot some stuff, like some of the steps on getting the babel fish. Really aggravating...

PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 10:24 am
by mechana2015
Anyone notice that the music over the symbol and the release date is the main theme from men in black?

PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 10:36 am
by Arnobius
mechana2015 wrote:Anyone notice that the music over the symbol and the release date is the main theme from men in black?

I didn't notice, though sometimes with trailers, if the music isn't available, they use music that they have the rights to... or they might have been making a joke.

PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 11:12 am
by shooraijin
AnimeHeretic wrote:I believe Douglas Adams had a part in it. Regretably, I can't remember Infocom's primary writer. I do recall he also did "Sorcerer" and a few others. I liked his works, because he tended to be pretty tongue in cheek, unlike the others. Steve Meretsky sticks in my head, but I don't remember if that's right...


Nope, you got it. Meretzky and Adams wrote the game for Infocom.+

PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 11:20 am
by mechana2015
I think it was a joke... its the only time they do it and it's in the parody trailor.

PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 4:20 pm
by Locke
Marvin rules. Just plain rules.
Me and my friends are planning to wear 42 on our shirts and bring towels to the premire.

If you ask the google search engine for the answer to life the universe and everything, the google calculator will show the answer 42


Just remembred that little piece of trivia.

PostPosted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 7:24 pm
by shooraijin
Locke wrote:Just remembred that little piece of trivia.


Holy cow, it works!

PostPosted: Thu Mar 24, 2005 10:32 am
by uc pseudonym
Now that's an interesting one.

AnimeHeretic wrote:Yes, but in passing and not actually encountered by the characters I believe...


It was in passing, unless they encountered it in Mostly Harmless, which I have not read.

PostPosted: Thu Mar 24, 2005 4:04 pm
by shooraijin
No, it's not in that one. Mostly Harmless was just weird. It seemed like a conscious attempt by Adams to tie up loose ends, and so it came off as contrived instead of entertaining.

PostPosted: Thu Mar 24, 2005 4:24 pm
by Magekind
HHGTTG was also the basis of most of the stuff you'll find in Braben's Elite. Of course, if you played Elite, you already knew that.

PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 11:00 am
by Arnobius
shooraijin wrote:Nope, you got it. Meretzky and Adams wrote the game for Infocom.+

What do I win? ;)

PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 11:03 am
by Arnobius
shooraijin wrote:No, it's not in that one. Mostly Harmless was just weird. It seemed like a conscious attempt by Adams to tie up loose ends, and so it came off as contrived instead of entertaining.

I have a higher opinion of it than that. I think Adams had a real slump during "So Long and Thanks for all the Fish" and "Long Dark Teatime of the Soul", but Mostly Harmless had some of the wit back. I think he ran out of ideas though and could have safely let it lapse after book 3.

PostPosted: Fri Mar 25, 2005 11:52 am
by spiritusvult
My money says the current one won't match the one the BBC already put out. After all, Douglas was British and so was his style of humor. Besides, I think the BBC version was about six hours long, or something like that.