Monday, June 27, 2005

Movie: H2G2 -The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

I finally got what H2G2 means. HitchHiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Universe tells the adventure of Arthur Dent the lone male survivor of the recently destructed planet Earth, accompanied by eccentric friends and fellow-travelers and aided by the most important book in space, The Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Universe. Fortunately, the movie, more or less, follows the tone and story of the Douglas Adams’ work to a tee. Aside from the adventures of Dent, viewers will be entertained by voiced-over animation excerpts from the Guide itself, which has one of its selling point is the phrase “Don’t Panic” imprinted on it. In the movie, the guide book’s entry was narrated by actor writer and comedian Stephen Fry, whose delivery aided by the cartoons provided a dry yet knock-out sense of humor.

The special effects were magnificent and gave life to the funny side effects of the improbability drive sequences crucial to the important scenes in the movie. The destruction of the Earth was should we say magnificently accomplished.

Marvin, voiced by Alan Rickman, the manic depressive robot was at his neurotic and cynical best.

H2G2 first came out as a six –part radio play for the BBC (BBC Radio 4) in 1978. The show was a success and a Christmas Special followed it in the same year. Afterwards, as a second series came out and was aired every night during the week of January 21, 1980. . The successful radio programs written by Douglas Adams became the foundation for his Hitchhiker novels. Incidentally, the titles of the first two novels were the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and the Restaurant at the End of the Universe.

The books became the basis for a three-part comic book and several other works like a a photo illustrated edition, published in 1994. A TV series based on the radio series was also produced in 1981.

Adams died of a heart attack in Santa Barbara, California. He was 49 years old.

Some interesting facts:

There were occasions that Adams had to be forced to write. In order to complete the book “So Long and Thanks For All the Fish “, Adams was locked in a hotel suite with his editor for three weeks.

The fish used as a universal translator in the story is called a babel fish. Now type in babel fish on any search engine see what you will find.


The story and the movie will be one of the better, if not the most witty and sarcastic, science fiction – comedy made to date.

A pity though that only a handful of people were there to watch the film.

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