Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy News Blog

2005-09-13T08:54:00.000-05:00

Today's the big day!

Well, it's September 13, 2005, and The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy DVD has been released in the US. Oh, and the US official site blew up. Odd coincidence, dontcha think?

Download exclusive collectible souvenirs from the backup US site... But it's TODAY ONLY, so just a little panic will be understandable...

2005-09-07T16:46:00.000-05:00

New DVD screenshots (Menus)

Check 'em out HERE... Just like the guide! (All together now: "Ooooooohh...")

There are also a few new clips for your online viewing pleasure HERE.

Jake

2005-08-31T16:35:00.000-05:00

Hitchhiker's Guide DVD review (UK version, 2 discs)

DVD Times has released a very good review of the UK version of the DVD.

Read it

2005-08-31T16:24:00.000-05:00

New contest for you hoopy froods!

The artistic contest revolves around a "Zaphod Beeblebrox For President" poster. Use whatever medium you like, and the more HHGTTG references you can fit in there, the better.

Grand Prize: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Towel signed by Mos Def
Runner-Up: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy DVD signed by Mos Def
Second Runner-Up: Set of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books by Douglas Adams

More detailed information is available here.

2005-08-25T14:54:00.000-05:00

DVD Release Information

HHGTTGOnline.com has a ton of new information and pictures about the upcoming DVD (and UMD for PSP) release of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, as well as the special edition that will only be available in the UK. (They have all the luck, huh?)

http://www.hhgttgonline.com/html/dvd.html

2005-08-22T12:17:00.000-05:00

Science Museum fills void whilst fans await DVD release

Now that The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is wrapped up at cinemas, fans can get their Pan Galactic fix at the official Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Exhibition at the Science Museum, while they await its release on DVD.

As these pictures show, the exhibition is already under invasion from children, adults and families clamouring to get behind the scenes of Douglas Adams's cult classic.

To make sure you get your fill of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy this summer, book tickets now on the official exhibition website www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/hitchhikers.

Jake

2005-08-01T10:31:00.000-05:00

Knitted Marvin's fly from Science Museum Store!

www.mission-21.com
Winner - Best Consumer Relationships Campaign
IPR Excellence Awards 2003

Widely perceived as the star of the recent blockbuster, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Marvin is also proving popular with visitors to the Science Museum's new exhibition The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

The little knitted fellow has flown off the store shelves and is now totally sold out.

However, visitors should not despair as there are dozens of other gifts and gadgets available to buy including Marvin models and action figures, as well as limited edition signed copies of The Science of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Mike Hanlon and copies of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy signed by Robbie Stamp.

'Don't Panic' badges and T-shirts are also proving to be a popular addition to wardrobes this summer. Dolphin masks and grabbers, widely believed to be the second most intelligent species on the planet, are also still available from the store.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Exhibition is open at the Science Museum and tickets can be pre-booked on 0870 906 3890 or http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/hitchhikers

All products are available to buy online from http://www.sciencemuseumstore.com, by phone on 0870 241 5596 or by fax 01993 779002. Mail order catalogues available.

The Science Museum has years of expertise in scientific innovation and invests all profits straight back into developing the museum.

2005-06-27T01:08:00.000-05:00

Dress the part, win free stuff...
3 days left!

There are only three days left in the HHGTTGOnline.com "Dress the part" contest. Send in those pictures of you with a towel (or better yet... with a towel AND a bathrobe), and then enter the contest.

Winner(s) will receive their choice of one of the five books in the series. (See contest page for details.)

2005-06-17T20:41:00.000-05:00

GPP for real?!

A group of London Artists have created benches and trash bins with "personalities", stealing a trick from Douglas Adams' fictional Sirius Cybernetice Corporation.

Read more

2005-06-17T20:36:00.000-05:00

Hitchhiker's Guide for PSP confirmed

Buena Vista has announced that they will support the PSP's (Playstation Portable) UMD (Universal Media Disc) format across the UK. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy will be sold in UMD format in stores that carry the PSPs themselves.

Read more

2005-06-12T17:07:00.000-05:00

Swedish movie release date set back

From Duke at the DAC:

Buena Vista tells me today that the release date for the Hitchhikers Guide
To The Galaxy movie, originally to be released there on July 27, is now
re-scheduled for August 3.

2005-06-12T17:01:00.000-05:00

WEBCHAT WITH HITCHHIKERS RADIO SHOW DIRECTOR DIRK MAGGS!

The Douglas Adams Continuum is proud to announce a webchat opportunity with Dirk Maggs this Thursday. Dirk has adapted and directed the new Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy radio show, currently airing on BBC, with most of the original cast from back in 1978, when it all started.

So crank up your thought process and tune in to the DAC this Thursday, June 16, at 9 p.m UK time (8 p.m GMT).

2005-06-03T14:21:00.000-05:00

The Hitchhiker's Guide to science, space tourism and artificial intelligence

The Science Museum's Dana Centre is launching a series of debates to explore the fact and fiction behind one of the nation's best-loved sci-fi classics, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, to coincide with the launch of the Science Museum's Hitchhiker's exhibition.

Since the 1950s science fiction has explored the weird and wonderful possibilities of science, including time-travel, teleportation, androids and aliens. But how much of this speculation has become science fact?

The forthcoming events at the Dana Centre - London's only venue for adults to discuss contemporary and controversial science - feature experts from a variety of fields exploring artificial intelligence, space tourism and the science of Hitchhiker's during three evenings of informal discussion.

Each event will raise a range of perplexing questions, such as: Which ideas in science fiction have been developed further by true scientific research and development? Could a robot eventually have human feelings and emotions? Should scientific developments like these be encouraged or suppressed? What would it feel like to be a space tourist?

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Exhibition opens at the Science Museum on 28 May. The exhibition - specially created by the Museum and makers of the new movie - explores the fantastic voyage of Arthur Dent and some of the science which shapes our lives, the universe and everything.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to... Science... Space Tourism... and Artificial Intelligence
Date: Thursday 2 June, Tuesday 7 June and Tuesday 14 June
Time: 19.00-20.30
Venue: Science Museum's Dana Centre, 165 Queen's Gate, London SW7 5HE

Events are FREE but must be pre-booked on 020 7942 4040 or email tickets@danacentre.org.uk or www.danacentre.co.uk

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Exhibition at the Science Museum opens 28 May, tickets can be pre-booked on 0870 906 3890 or www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/hitchhikers

Hitchhiker's Guide to Science - Thursday 2 June
Could The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy inspire future scientific inventions? Which science-fiction creations could become science fact, and which are far-fetched fantasy?

Scientists are investigating the possibilities of interstellar travel, colonising other planets and to develop theories for concepts such as time travel, teleportation and alternate realities - all of which are alluded to in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Michael Hanlon, author of The Science of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy will be joined by a panel of experts to discuss with the audience the possibilities of such future technological developments.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to Space Tourism, Tuesday 7 June
In The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Arthur Dent was quite unprepared for his experiences of space travel, yet commercial space travel is fast becoming a viable possibility.

But what would it feel like to be a space tourist? Travelling into space can push the human body to its limits, making space tourism more like an expedition than a holiday. How dangerous are the physical effects of space travel and how does your body cope with them?

Mark Shuttleworth, the second tourist into space, will share his own experiences of space travel, Natasha Loder, The Economist aerospace journalist, will discuss the recent developments in commercial space travel and the expectations of future space tourists and Andrew Smith, author of Moondust, will provide an insight into the life-changing experiences of lunar astronauts and question whether space tourism would feel the same.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to Artificial Intelligence, Tuesday 14 June
For more than 30 years, science fiction has predicted the existence of artificially intelligent machines that can think and feel like humans. Most of us use limited forms of artificial intelligence in our computer games, car navigation systems and internet search engines.

Now scientists are trying to develop computers and robots that seem to show human intelligence and emotion. But will science ever be able to create machines like Marvin the paranoid android in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? What roles would such machines have in our society and how should they be treated? Could machines ever use their intelligence to rebel against their human creators, as in films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Terminator and The Matrix?

Our panellists discuss what makes us "human" and why these characteristics are so hard to artificially create. Lynn Hamil, University of Surrey will talk about human reaction to and interaction with AI. Professor Noel Sharkey, University of Sheffield, will argue that robots will never be able to express real emotions or human intelligence and Dylan Evans, a lecturer on Intelligent Autonomous Systems at the University of the West of England, will look at the positive side of creating human robots.

"This year will really see the summer of science fiction - with the return of Dr Who, the final instalment of Star Wars, the much-awaited War of the Worlds and the renewed phenomenon of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," said Jennie Pollard, Dana Centre event organiser. "Douglas Adams' creations seemed like the perfect way to explore the realms of science and science fiction in an exciting and entertaining way."

Further information and images are available from Lauren Gildersleve:
Science Museum Press Office, 020 7942 4328; 07989 979864; l.gildersleve@nmsi.ac.uk

The exhibition will run from 28 May 2005 to 27 November 2005
Adult: £7.95
Concession: £6.95
A 15% discount is offered on joint and family tickets.
Tickets can be pre-booked on 0870 906 3890 or www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/hitchhikers

The Film
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is currently showing at cinemas across the UK.
Stills are available at www.image.net
Production notes from the movie are available at www.thefilmfactory.co.uk/pressoffice
Further information: Annabel Hutton at McDonald & Rutter annabel@mcdonaldrutter.com

DVD Launch
The two disc DVD will be available to own on 5 September 2005

The Book
The Science of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Michael Hanlon, published in hardback by Macmillan 6 May 2005 at £16.99/$24.95. ISBN 1-4039-4577-2

2005-06-02T15:02:00.000-05:00

Exclusive new HHGTTG screensaver!

Well, it was bound to happen, and it finally did. HHGTTGOnline.com is proud to present our exclusive new screensaver, created by our very own moderator, Phaota!

http://www.hhgttgonline.com/html/exclusive.html

The download is approximately 15 MB, but it's worth it. There are an insane number of screenshots of guide animations from the 1981 TV series, optional background music (the long version of "Hitchhiker's Theme", aka "Journey of the Sorcerer"), and professional install and uninstall utilities.

Set up various options (music on/off, speed of transitions, etc.) in your normal Windows screensaver settings screen.

This is very well done, and highly recommended for any Hitchhiker Fan! And you won't find it anywhere except HHGTTGOnline.com.

2005-05-31T21:16:00.000-05:00

New pictures from Hitchhiker Exhibition at the Science Museum in London

The Science Museum in London has been home to the Hitchhiker's Guide Exhibition, and has been kind enough to send HHGTTGOnline.com some exclusive behind-the-scenes pictures of the exhibition, as unfortunately most of us Americans won't get to see in person.

Click here to see the full size pictures

Description of the above pictures:

The Science Museum's new Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Exhibition opened in London on Saturday, May 28. For more details or to book tickets see www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/hitchhikers

1. Declan Norris, exhibition manager, at the opening of the Science Museum's new Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Exhibition, as Vogon captain Jeltz towers in the background.

2. Shannon Lawal, 10yrs, from Archbishop Sumner School, Lambeth, looks up at the Vogon captain Jeltz in the Science Museum's new Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Exhibition.

3. Jaydene Wilson, 9 years, from Archbishop Sumner School, Lambeth, reads from the actual Hitchhiker's Guide from the Science Museum's new Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Exhibition.

4. Joshua Ramos, 10 years, from Archbishop Sumner School, Lambeth, inside the Hog Pod from the Heart of Gold Spaceship, in the Science Museum's new Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Exhibition.

5. Shannon Lawal, 10yrs, from Archbishop Sumner School, Lambeth, looks at a baby alien creation from the Science Museum's new Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Exhibition.

6. Students from Archbishop Sumner School, Lambeth, look at a baby alien creation from the Science Museum's new Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Exhibition.

2005-05-20T21:25:00.000-05:00

TKO to produce Hitchhiker's video game!

TKO Software, an Ireland-based firm, has apparently worked out a deal with Disney to produce the video game version of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy.

2005-05-18T12:05:00.000-05:00

Hitchhiker's box office numbers

Well, the numbers vary slightly from source to source, but one thing is clear.... The movie made a tremendous profit, and we haven't even started the DVD sales yet.

Here are the numbers (as of the end of weekend #3) from BoxOfficeMojo.com, who was kind enough to provide me with a custom HHGTTG Box Office feed from his site:

Domestic: $43,924,675

+Overseas: $22,795,000
__________________
=Worldwide: $66,719,675

-Production Budget: $45,000,000
________________________
=Profit: $21,719,675

Remember, the production budget for a movie is never exactly accurate, and you have to take into account additional things such as advertising, and whether a deal(s) were struck with any actor(s) to take a certain percentage of the Box Office gross instead of a larger fee up front, etc.

But the numbers say this... After only 3 weeks, The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy has already cleared the 40% ROI (return on investment, a standard measuring stick in the business world) that the normal business world would look for from any normal venture. Basically, this means that unless Disney just decided that it doesn't like making money anymore, we can expect a sequel or two.

2005-05-18T11:26:00.000-05:00

Exclusive pictures from the Science Museum HHGTTG Exhibition

Sometimes I just love my job. I just woke up and found this in my inbox:

Jake -

Since we announced that we were building the world’s first and only Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Exhibition we’ve had hundreds of emails from H2G2 fans and sci-fi enthusiasts alike asking for more information. So, breaking with tradition, we thought we’d pull back the covers early and show you how the exhibition is coming together and give you a sneak preview of some of the object’s we’ll be getting.

We worked with the film’s executive producer Robbie Stamp to take visitors on a journey through 10 different zones which tells the story of Arthur Dent, the destruction of the Planet Earth and the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything. Having originally built a 3-D digital fly-through to map things out which you can see, the museum’s team of designers, fabricators, electricians and builders are now working at an intergalactic pace to turn these ideas into reality. All the main structures are in place, including Arthur’s house (in pre-demolition mode), the world of the Vogons, The Heart of Gold Spacecraft, Viltvodle Zone and Slartibartfast’s planet factory - complete with Earth, Mark II.

We’ll have around 200 props from the film on show and we’re delighted to announce that that we’ll also have The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy "book", as used in the film, on display. Vogon Calculators will be with us next week along with the Infinite Improbability Drive.

Deep Thought’s giant microphone is also on its way, and we have something special in mind for it: visitors will be able to ask Deep Thought their version of the ultimate question – they’ll have to wait to see if the ultimate answer is what they expect…!

The exhibition launches on Saturday May 28th, but please remind your web users that tickets are selling fast. To book tickets please call 0870 870 4868 with more details on www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/hitchhikers

Please find attached a range of sneak preview shots, which I hope are of interest. More insider information this time next week!

Sweet! If I wasn't on the other side of the world, I'd be there in a second.

Jake

2005-05-17T16:08:00.000-05:00

Anyone interested in DVD info?

I thought so. Anyway, here's an article on MTV's website which gets a little more detailed as to what we can expect on the DVD release.

Expect Humma Kavula to sing, an evil Slartibartfast, and a Dentrassi cooking show, among other things.

Remember, most of the "deleted" scenes are actually "fake" scenes. They were filmed during the movie's production, but were intended not for the big screen, but for the DVD instead. It's a bold move... definitely a unique concept, but then again the HHGTTG has never exactly been about conformity.

2005-05-14T20:25:00.000-05:00

Signed Quandry Phase scripts for sale on eBay

Michael Cule, who played the Vogon guard in episode 2 of the television series (Resistance is useless!) dropped me an email earlier today about two items that he's listing on eBay. They are original scripts from the Quandry Phase (the relatively new radio version). They are both signed by several of the artists who took part.

Script 1 is from episode 1
Signed by the artists who took part in this radio version of SO LONG AND THANKS FOR ALL THE FISH, including Simon Jones, Geoffery McGivern, Arthur Smith, Bill Patterson, Michael Cule, Chris Emmett.

Script 2 is from episode 3
Signed by the artists who took part in this radio version of SO LONG AND THANKS FOR ALL THE FISH, including Steven Fry, Simon Jones, Geoffery McGivern, Jane Horrocks, Michael Cule.

2005-05-08T21:05:00.000-05:00

Almost there...

The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy has grossed over $43 Million (USD) so far, and we're only in the second weekend... And as if that wasn't enough to make Disney's beancounters happy, it hasn't even opened everywhere yet. (A lot of countries have to wait, such as Brazil, which doesn't see the opening until June.)

Considering the fact that the movie only had a $45 Million (USD) budget, this is very good news, and a great indicator that we can expect a sequel in the future.

2005-05-06T16:52:00.000-05:00

Brazilian Towel Campaign

Wowbagger, of Milliway's (Brazilian Portuguese), is starting a Brazilian "Towel Campaign", which is basically along the same lines as the HHGTTGOnline.com "Dress The Part" contest, but without the "giveaway" part. As such, I've invited him to include his visitors in our contest as well (which means that the contest deadline will be extended until the end of June instead of May 16, since the movie doesn't open in Brazil until early June.)

The Towel Campaign, or "Campanha da Toalha", largely consists of bit of text that is being passed around, including 42 reasons why they should bring a towel to the movie theater. If you have friends that speak Portuguese (particularly Brazilian Portuguese), send this to them. Likewise, many of your Spanish-speaking friends will be able to get the gist of it as well, so send it to them also. (Portuguese and Spanish are very similar languages, and those who speak one can typically read the other well enough to understand it.)

I tried to include the original Portuguese here, but the non-English characters got chopped up too badly, so here's the link instead. ;)

Site oficial da campanha: http://www.milliways-brasil.net/campanha.php

2005-05-05T13:06:00.000-05:00

New Online Interactive Guide

HHGTTGOnline.com has introduced a new section to the site... a completely Hitchhiker-edited online version of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy. Granted, it's not an entirely original idea, but it looks good, and you don't need to login to help update the guide because it's setup as a wiki. (Once there, I recommend that you click the "Open the guide in a new window" link, as it is considerably more convenient to use in it's own window.)

The Duke of Dunstable (owner of The Douglas Adams Continuum) reports that original movie props are being auctioned for charity.

Also of note is the opening of the "Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy Exhibition" (previously mentioned in this news blog) at London's Science Museum, where they bring you an immersive experience complete with Vogons, the Heart of Gold, etc., and will, no doubt, take a look at the science behind the story. They also note that "Lost tickets will only be replaced with orders signed in triplicate, sent in, sent back, queried, lost, found, subjected to public inquiry, lost again, and finally buried in soft peat and recycled as firelighters." Cute.

Other than that, there's not a whole lot going on in the world of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy. The movie is still #1 at the Box Office, and the onslaught of articles and reviews have pretty much all been published. The folks involved with the film are, no doubt, taking a much-needed break from the media, but once things get moving again, I'll be ready to present it to you here.

2005-05-04T13:20:00.000-05:00

For this I went to college?

You may not have known this, but students at the Wimbeldon School of Arts, under the guidance of Val Charlton (Jim Henson Creature Shop), were responsible for some of the costumes you saw in the Vogon queue line.

What a cool idea for a school project!

2005-05-03T21:36:00.000-05:00

HHGTTGOnline.com announces brand new LIVE newsfeed!

HHGTTGOnline.com is proud to present our newest addition to the site, an up to the second live newsfeed COMPLETELY DEDICATED to "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy".

Exclusive HHGTTGOnline.com news (as well as anything else I find interesting in the world of HHGTTG) will still be posted here in the HHGTTGOnline.com News Blog, but the newsfeed will feature real-time updates directly from the major media newswires, such as Associated Press, Reuters, etc., including many links to brand new and recently updated reviews, articles, and essays relating to The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy.

2005-05-03T16:42:00.000-05:00

More lists of reviews

Apparently, people can't get enough of talking about the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy lately. So, for your reading pleasure, here's a few links to a few hundred more reviews to sort through. :)

Movie Review Query Engine (mrqe.com)
imdb.com's list of external reviews
RottenTomatoes.com's list of reviews
RottenTomatoes.com's list of external reviews

And my review of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, of course, if still here on the site.

2005-05-03T11:57:00.000-05:00

News for May 3, 2005

Guide to become a trilogy?
Martin Freeman quites comedy?
Bill Nighy protests G8
Guide pulls 4.2 Million pounds in UK Opening weekend ("42" reference...cool!)
"Hitchhiker" beams, "XXX" reamed

2005-05-03T11:48:00.000-05:00

HHGTTGOnline.com featured on BBC

HHGTTGOnline.com got some official recognition today from the "Collective *" section of the BBC website. It isn't the most impressive praise in the world (they only mentioned the skins page specifically), but it's still nice to get some validation from a major media source such as BBC.

2005-05-02T12:35:00.000-05:00

Got sequel? (And other news of interest...)

First, there's a great article entitled "Hitchhiker success might spell sequels", in which executive producer Robbie Stamp is quoted as saying, "If the fans say, 'Please give us Restaurant,' then who are we to say no?" This is VERY good news for fans!

As for the other Hitchhiker-related news:

Zooey snubs "Babe" tag, as she says that she wants to get roles based on her skill, not because she has the "greatest ass ever". Sorry, Zooey... We'll try and be more politically correct in the future, but for what it's worth, it is pretty nice. ;)

FutureMovies.co.uk has a review of the movie, with a [6/10] rating.

CNN comments on the movie's long journey to the big screen.

EnterStageRight.com has a review of the movie, with a [2.5/4] rating. (You'll need to scroll down past the XXX2 review, which barely got a [1.5/4] rating, by the way...)

Rediff.com has a positive review of the movie for the readers in India. (It's in English.)

Chortle.co.uk has an article on the movie's success, though it may be a bit outdated, as the article mentions that Box Office numbers are not yet in (which they are, of course...)

Mike Rose reviews the movie.

2005-05-02T10:23:00.000-05:00

'Hitchhiker's Guide' gets great start... now what?

Now that Opening weekend is over, and the media frenzy is over, what now?

Obviously, Disney will be paying very close attention to the continued success of the movie to see whether or not a sequel(s) would be profitable. They're looking to see if the movie has staying power, or as it is called in Box Office lingo - "legs". While the mice may have been looking for the ultimate Answer, Disney is looking to their own answers, namely: Is the early success of The Hitchihker's Guide To The Galaxy the result of the geek/fan community all watching it six times during opening weekend, or is it actually going over well with the general public? Is it simply due to the fact that nobody wanted to see XXX2?

We, as fans, will continue to introduce our friends to The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy via the movie, the TV show (now available to rent at my local Blockbuster... it's about time!), the radio show, and of course the books, which will, of course, result in increased sales of these products, and although Disney may not own the rights to the non-movie variations of the story, they will surely be watching to see how well they sell, because it has a direct effect on their decision about whether or not to make sequels... "Is the general public really getting into this whole Hitchhiker's thing?"

Will there be a sequel? Time will tell, but we as fans can help sway their decision by simply taking two friends to the movie, buying the DVD when it gets released (the rumor is that it will be released as early as September 2005, believe it or not), and things like that. Most importantly, of course, are the actual ticket sales. Take a friend. Wear a bathrobe. Do whatever it takes to increase the overall visibility of the movie. This is the best way we can convince Disney to make a sequel, because let's face it... they're a major corporation and when it comes right down to it, they're far less concerned with what the critics, the imdb trolls, or even the fans think than with how much money they make from ticket sales. After all, they don't make movies to be our friend. They make movies to make money.

That said, we're off to a good start. The early Box Office numbers are incredible, considering the fact that the summer hasn't even begun yet, despite Hollywood's insistence to the contrary. Had The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy produced these Box Office numbers as a July 1 release, I'd be concerned, but for the last week of April, they're wonderful.

Essay by : Jake Russell, Webmaster - http://www.HHGTTGOnline.com

You may freely reprint this article in any media format, provided you credit the source.

2005-05-02T10:15:00.000-05:00

Zaphod steals a website...!?

Unwilling to give up the limelight for even a moment, part-time Galactic President (and worst-dressed sentient being in the universe) Zaphod Beeblebrox has stolen Nick Botti's website, presumably so that he has somewhere to post his adventures whilst cruising around the galaxy in the stolen vessel, the Heart of Gold.

What can I say? I'm a sucker for publicity stunts. ;)

2005-05-02T10:00:00.000-05:00

Interview with Douglas' sister

Jane Thrift, Douglas Adams' sister, has been interviewed by BBC at the film's Dorset premiere at The Plaza Cinema in Dorchester. This has actually been out for a couple of days... I forgot to post it. (Belgium!)

Jake

2005-05-01T17:42:00.000-05:00

Interviews with Warwick Davis

Warwick Davis is, of course, the actor inside theMarvin costume. As Marvin is an instant favorite of most viewers (or readers of the book series), there is a demand for interviews with Warwick.

Salt Lake Tribune
The Boston Channel

2005-05-01T17:16:00.000-05:00

Hitchhiker's passes $21 Million on Opening Weekend!

The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy has had a wonderfully strong start at the Box Office, surpassing the $21 Million mark, no doubt to the delight of Disney. This is a strong indicator that we may very well be looking at a sequel.

Here are some reports (Mostly about the Box Office results) from the news wire:

Fox News
NBC
DVD Times
EurWeb
JoBlo
CNN (entitled "Hitchhiker trounces Ice Cube's XXX"... LOL)
Reuters
E! Online

The list goes on, but they all say essentially the same thing... Hitchiker's had a great opening weekend, and it did far better than everyone expected, etc.

2005-04-30T17:40:00.000-05:00

HHGTTG is #1 at the Box Office!

The numbers are out, and The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy not only opened at #1 at the Box Office, but it DOUBLED its nearest competitor, XXX2.

http://www.hhgttgonline.com/html/boxoffice_042905.html

Now THAT's something to brag about!

2005-04-29T16:55:00.000-05:00

"Mostly humorous"
Rating: 7.5/10

Review of: The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy
By: Jake Russell
http://www.HitchhikerFan.com
http://www.HHGTTGOnline.com
Discuss this review in the message boards
------------------------------------------------------

"Mostly humorous." That's the phrase that comes to mind as I remember the details of the last 110 minutes.

"The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" has finally reached the big screen, much to the delight of fans across the globe, and posthumously recognizing Douglas Adams' dream. Don't get me wrong. I loved the movie. Not all of it, but most of it. But I most definitely went to the movie theater dressed in full-on Arthur regalia (ie - bathrobe and a towel), and despite the odd looks I received, I proudly announced with a cheerful thumbing-a-ride signal that "Yes, in fact, I am quite insane," to the random strags who were there to catch a discount daytime matinee of "The Amityville Horror" before their kids got home from school.

I was at the very first showing, on Opening Day, like a good fan. I "dressed the part" like a good fan (pictures forthcoming). Despite the mixed reviews, I was eager and ready for something for which I have been waiting 25 years, like a good fan. I even wore my digital watch like a good fan.

Before the film even started, I was treated to a wonderful new Disney trailer which begins with the "And I think to myself - What a wonderful... BOOM!" scene from the Hitchhiker's "Internet" trailer, only to find a bit of absolutely ingenious originality on the part of Disney. (Brilliantly done, guys...) I'll not explain the trailer at this point, since it's still new, and it is best experienced when you're completely and totally not ready for it whatsoever. But when you go, make sure you show up early enough to watch the trailers. The laugh is worth it.

As for the film itself, there was both good and bad. The good was very good, and the bad was graciously overlooked for the most part, at least from a diehard fan such as myself.

The good consisted largely of the main characters themselves. Martin Freeman played a perfect Arthur. Much like the Arthur in the book, he was the perfect American stereotype of a typical British "average Joe", while maintaining the "this is entirely too bizarre to deal with, so let's just repress it for now, shall we?" attitude, and managed to take everything going on around him in perfect stride, all the while trying to overcome his own personal quirks, namely the fact that his character wasn't exactly a risk-taker. Mos Def portrayed Ford so well that I never had a single instance during the movie where I even briefly wished for David Dixon, which did a lot to assuage my pre-viewing fears what with all the hub-bub on the Internet about replacing a former white straightman with the surprisingly versatile and extremely expressive Mos Def. Zooey Deschanel was a good Trillian, though she didn't have much in the way of dialogue. This is not, however, her fault. What dialogue she did have, she delivered quite well.

Even better than those already mentioned was Sam Rockwell as a cross between Jim Carrey and Owen Wilson. He was the perfect party animal one minute, yet dumb as a brick the next, which translated very well to the screen. I far preferred the movie Zaphod to the television Zaphod. The second head issue was, while not completely what I was expecting, was handled quite well by simply flipping back and forth with perfect comedic timing.

Marvin was, well... Funny. Granted, he's not necessarily supposed to be "funny, funny", considering the fact that he's thoroughly depressed, yet at the same time, he was obviously invented by Douglas Adams in the first place as a running gag. Whatever the reason, the teamwork of Warwick Davis' wonderful movements and Alan Rickman's naturally depressing voice definitely did the trick for me.

The award for "Best actor trying to live up to a legendary character" has to go to Bill Nighy. He had several scenes that were completely different from the television version, but the lines that they both shared were absolutely nailed by Bill. After watching his performance, I cannot even imagine anyone else ever playing Slartibartfast. With all due respect to Richard Vernon (the television Slartibartfast), Mr. Nighy has got you beat. It isn't often that we get to see a movie where the exact perfect person was cast into the role that they were, simply put, born to play. There was Jim Carrey in "The Mask", Mel Gibson in "Lethal Weapon", Charlton Heston in "The Ten Commandments"... and now there's Bill Nighy as Slartibartfast. Well done, sir. Well done.

The visuals were brilliant. Far be it from Disney to deny us our eye candy, "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" delivered as promised. The Magrathean Factory Floor brought us as close to infinity as we'll ever get. The puppeteering work on the Vogons by the Jim Henson crew is out of this world (no pun intended), and the results were far more believable that anything that could have been created digitally. There's just something about good puppeteering that is somehow better than the admittedly impressive CGI creations that have come out of Hollywood in recent years. I guess it's kind of the same way that a lot of people will swear that somehow vinyl record albums just sound "warmer" than their obviously more advanced cousin, the Compact Disc.

Now for the parts that I felt were, well, less than perfect. While I hate to admit it, there are parts that, as a hardcore fan, I would have done differently. I understand that several of the cuts and omissions were made by Douglas himself, and given the fact that he is a master storyteller, I guess that if you're a filmmaker, you kind of "have" to give him the benefit of the doubt, and trust his judgement on certain things, such as changing or simply leaving out certain jokes. However, in this respect, I feel that more could have been done. Several times, I found myself on the edge of my seat waiting for punchlines that never came and silently lip-syncing jokes that were completely omitted. Likewise, I was disappointed because my personal favorite quote wasn't in there. (When Ford explains to Arthur that the Earth had simply boiled away into space, Arthur responds with an unbelievable calmness in his voice, "Listen, I'm a bit upset about that.")

But despite the fact that movie pacing is a bit more rapid than a 6-part TV show, and certainly faster than a book where the author can spend 3 pages setting up a single punchline if he so desires, I found myself wishing that the "classic" jokes had been left in. Sure, the movie may have been 5 minutes longer, but after all, Hitchhiker's isn't about the story. It's about the humor. The jokes. Without them, it is simply another movie about "some guy who's in way over his head, but manages to bumble his way through anyway." That's been done. In fact, it's one of the most common formats for funny movies in the last 20 years. Granted, this means that the format works, but Hitchhiker's is supposed to be different. Memorable quotes (from the characters and the Guide itself) are the meat and potatoes of the Hitchhiker's books, and certainly at the core of the fan community. The omission of some lines, even the funnier ones, is inevitable when translating a book to the big screen. However, just a few too many omissions were present for my taste. Should a sequel be made (and I sincerely hope that it is), I hope that more comedic dialogue is included. It needn't even be Douglas' lines. Douglas Adams had the uncanny ability to perfectly craft groups of words in such a way as to generate a big laugh. In other words, he was an extremely funny writer. Adding new jokes is not sacrilege, but having too few jokes, whatever the source, is. I deducted two whole stars from my rating for this reason alone. Out of a sense of fairness, I will return one of those stars to the rating if Karey Kirkpatrick agrees to release a video clip of himself attending one of Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz's poetry recitals as penance for allowing some of our favorite jokes to remain omitted. :)

The other half-star deduction was based on the fact that the Humma Kavula sub-plot never reached any sort of climax. That is, they set it up, and then simply never finished it. One can only assume that it was left open intentionally as a common point from which to base the underlying subplot for the sequel, "The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe", but as it stands, if the sequel is not made, we fans will be left with a distinct lack of closure.

That said, the film is still quite entertaining, and definitely worth the price of admission, especially for fans who have waited so long for something... anything new from the world of "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy". Let me emphasize that although I had some disappointments, I loved the film. It may not have been done as I would have done it, but it was still an entertaining story. I will, without a doubt, be attending another showing this evening - once again dressed as Arthur, and once again prepared to thoroughly enjoy 110 minutes of "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" eye candy.

Discuss this review in the message boards

2005-04-28T10:39:00.000-05:00

Movie opens in UK and Australia

And there will be reviews a-plenty, no doubt. I'll try and keep up with them as they come in. Please forgive any duplicates, as I'm swamped with new articles and reviews today.

"Regular People" reviews:

Falling Rocks (minor spoilers)
Rayne
Cav

Media Reviews/Articles/Interviews:

The Seattle Times (thumbs up)
AZCentral.com
IGN/FilmForce [4/5]
FilmCritic.com (3.5/5])
National Geographic
ComingSoon.net review by Scott Chitwood [7/10]
International Herald Tribune
MTV
National Public Radio (NPR)
eye.net [3/4]
JoBlo.com's interview with Zooey Deschanel
ComingSoon.net's interview with Martin Freeman
The Hollywood News
Philly.com [2.5/4]
St.Paul Pioneer Press [2.5/4]
Christian Science Monitor
Christian Science Monitor (different than above)
GearLive.com
Catholic New Service (They actually liked it, except for Adams' view of religion)
Slate
NewsDay.com
SouthFlorida.com [1/4]
EarthTimes.org
Cincinnati.com article on Douglas Adams
Cincinnati.com's review of the movie [7/10]
Zap2It.com (very minor spoilers)
News.com.au (minor spoilers)
News.com.au (different than above - [3/5])
KGET [1/4]
Kentucky.com
Salon.com
eye.net
journalnow.com
Roger Ebert
BBC's article about shooting on location in Wales quarry (Vogsphere)
Daily Trojan
Berkshire Eagle
Newsday.com - "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy may be the funniest movie ever made about the premeditated annihilation of the world." (What a cool review quote! This article is worth a read.)
BBC's Guide for newbies (spoilers)
TheGlobeAndMail.com's article on Martin Freeman
Online Sun's article on Bill Nighy
Advertiser 24
NewStatesman.com (minor spoilers)
Financial Times review (only first part, then you need a subscription)
Lansing State Journal ("Hang on... what year is it?")
CNN
This is Local London (spoilers)

Member reviews from imdb.com (Fair warning: this is a site known for it's trolls, with bad reviews of movies they've never seen, etc.)

Results from Movie Review Query Engine (mrqe.com):

ReelViews (James Berardinelli) [2.5/4]
Movie-Vault.com (Avril Carruthers)
The Flick Filosopher (MaryAnn Johanson)
musicOMH (Danuta Kean)
Killer Movie Reviews (Andrea Chase) [3/5]
BBC Films
Movie Gazette (Anton Bitel) [7/10]
The Hollywood Reporter

Media reviews from list on Internet Movie Database (imdb.com):

Votes by non-media (from imdb.com):

Demographic breakdown of votes (from imdb.com):

2005-04-27T19:28:00.000-05:00

HHGTTGOnline.com "Dress The Part" Contest

http://www.HHGTTGOnline.com/contest

HHGTTGOnline.com is giving away MORE FREE BOOKS! That's right, we'll be giving away up to 5 free copies (1 book per 100 entries, up to 5 books total) of your choice of any of the 5 books in the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy series. (Omnibus, special editions, etc. are not included because I'm poor and this contest is coming out of my own pocket...)

What's the catch? The contest is only open to people who upload a picture of themselves (and/or their friends, with permission of course) wearing a bathrobe and/or towel (or otherwise dressed as a HHGTTG character) to the HHGTTOnline.com image gallery in the "Fan Pics" section.

That's right. This is in support of the rapidly growing "Wear a bathrobe on Opening Day" campaign, though the contest extends until Monday, May 16th, thereby giving you three full weekends to get to the movie in your bathrobe and/or towel.

You may enter as often as you like. Rules and conditions apply, legal mumbo-jumbo, you agree not to sue me, etc. Everything you need to know is on the HHGTTGOnline.com "Dress The Part" Entry Page.

Spread the word. Seriously. Not only is this an ultra-cool promotion for the site, but the more people we get involved with the "Wear a bathrobe on Opening Day" campaign, the more media attention it will draw, which will mean more ticket sales, which will mean that Disney will be far more likely to make some sequels! Wearing a bathrobe for a day seems like a small price to pay for the chance of getting "Restaurant" made into a movie, wouldn't you say?

2005-04-27T17:32:00.000-05:00

Today's daily dose of media coverage...

First... Headline from today's Financial Times:
Disney considers picking up more Hitchhikers

YAY!

And in oddball, but related news:
Have lawn mower with "42" painted on the side, will travel...

On a side note... I had about 3 more links to go in today's update when my browser decided to act up. Blogger and IE isn't always a friendly combination. Grrrr... So, that's why everything is being published so late today. Blame Blogger. :/

Note that some of these may be the same articles as from recent days... A lot of the media sites share stories after they've run them as exclusives for a day, etc.

Interviews:
TheStar.com's interview with Sam Rockwell
TimeOut.com's interview with Zooey Deschanel
Seattle Times' interview with Martin Freeman
The Ottowa Sun's interview with Sam Rockwell

Reviews/Articles:
BBC's article on "42 minutes before midnight" showing
MSNBC's long article on the movie
PressConnect.com's article about the movie
Long Island Press' review of the movie
Pitch.com's review of the movie (didn't like it)
SignOnSanDiego.com's article about the movie
AP article about the movie
The Ottowa Citizen's article about the movie
BBC praises "imperfect effects"
This is Local London's article on Hitchhiker exhibit at Science Museum
InsideBayArea.com's article on Adams and the movie
Islington Gazette's review of the movie (4 stars out of 5)
Sky.com's short review of the movie
940News.com's article about the movie
MickeyNews.com reviews the movie (Not owned by Disney)
Daytona Beach News Journal's article about the movie

2005-04-27T00:32:00.000-05:00

Robbie Stamp answers questions on Slashdot

Robbie Stamp answered a number of questions on Slashdot, and needless to say, it's getting a ton of attention from the geek community. I mean, a bunch of computer geeks talking about HHGTTG? Life is good. :)

2005-04-26T15:36:00.000-05:00

Once again, there's a ton of new articles/interviews

Competitions:
HHGTTGOnline.com offers free books to posters
Scotsman.com's article about free movie tix for robe-clad viewers
Liverpool Daily Post offering free tickets

Interviews:
About.com's interview with Sam Rockwell
LatinoReview's interview with Garth Jennings
Time Out's interview with Sam Rockwell
Friends and colleagues remember Douglas Adams (FilmForce/IGN)

Articles:
TheChiefReport.com's review of the movie (A-)
Boston Herald's article on the movie
The Daily Targum's (slightly accurate) article on the movie
London Free Press' article on Sam Rockwell
Canada.com's article on Martin Freeman
BBC's article on Simon Jones
The Ottowa Citizen's article about the movie
NY Daily News article about the movie (reprint)
Manchester Online's article about the movie
BBC's article on the Hitchhiker exhibition (at London's Science Museum)
Screen Daily's article about the movie
The Village Voice's needlessly cerebral review of the movie (minor spoiler)
The Australian's article about the movie
ContactMusic.com's short article on Martin Freeman's "rock star" past (Cool trivia tidbit)
Cinematical's article on the British vs. American reactions to the upcoming movie
Co-Ed Magazine's review of the movie
Premiere.com's "Guide to Sam Rockwell"
Associated Press reviews the movie (2 stars out of 4)

2005-04-26T15:31:00.000-05:00

Hitchhiker Radio Show Trailer Online

An audio-only trailer (it's for radio.. what did you expect?) has been released (in both .ram format and .mp3 format) for the new Quandry Phase radio adaptation of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy. Radio is, of course, where it all began 25 years ago.

You can also check out the BBC's behind-the-scenes photo gallery.

The Quandry Phase and The Quintessential Phase will air on British radio over the course of eight weeks, and will consist of the radio adaptations of the final two "official" books ("Young Zaphod Plays It Safe" doesn't really count) in the Hitchhiker's series, "So Long And Thanks For All The Fish" and "Mostly Harmless".

Where:
BBC Radio 4

When:
Tuesday, May 3, 2005 at 6:30 PM (London time), and repeated the following Thursday at 11:00 PM)

2005-04-25T20:19:00.000-05:00

Lots of new pictures

There are a lot of new pictures in the HitchhikerFan.com image gallery.

Click here to view the latest uploads

2005-04-25T19:25:00.000-05:00

A slew of new interviews and articles

First, thanks to The Duke of Dunstable for noticing the FilmFocus interviews.

Interviews:
FilmFocus's interview with Robbie Stamp
FilmFocus's interview with Garth and Nick
FilmFocus's interview with Bill Nighy
FilmFocus's interview with Sam Rockwell
FilmFocus's interview with Zooey Deschanel
FilmFocus's interview with Martin Freeman
About.com interview with Robbie Stamp
TimeOut.com's interview with Bill Nighy
CanMag's interview with Martin Freeman
NorthJersey.com's interview with Zooey Deschanel

Articles/Reviews:
Reuters review
Reuters article about H2G2.com
The Herald's article about the movie
The Herald's scientific look at Adams' tales
ContactMusic.com's short article on Martin Freeman
BBC's article on Martin Freeman
Moviehole.net's article on Martin Freeman (called an interview, but it's an article)

Can you believe the massive amount of media attention and Inernet buzz that this movie is generating? I'm working full time all day, every day, just to keep this News Blog up to date!

2005-04-25T19:07:00.000-05:00

Buena Vista to possibly release HHGTTG on UMD

According to this article, Buena Vista is planning to possibly release The Hitchhiker's Guide TO The Galaxy on UMD, Sony's new proprietary "Universal Media Disc" format introduced for the handhelp PSP.

BVHE executive director new business development Dan Silverberg was quoted as saying, "These make sense for what the user base is now. We're cognizant of who it is that buys that first million PSPs, and a lot of it is down to lifestyle. We think at this point, it is 18-34 males, people who spend a lot of their income on entertainment."

Other upcoming releases for the new UMD media format include:

King Arthur (The Director's Cut)
Tron
Hostage
Cursed
Kill Bill-Vol. 2
Gone in 60 Seconds (Unrated Director's Cut)
Armageddon
From Dusk Till Dawn

2005-04-24T18:19:00.000-05:00

New articles abound lately...

There's a bunch of new articles for you today, boys and girls... :)

BBC article on Garth Jennings and Nick Goldsmith

Dark Horizon's article on Martin Freeman

The New Zealand Herald gives a backhanded compliment to The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy with this comment: "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has had mixed reviews, but considering the other movies starting on Thursday, it's the pick of the bunch." Not exactly high praise, but it's better than a bad review, I suppose. ;)

Canoe (a Canadian site) has an article/interview with Zooey Deschanel in which Zooey states that Trillian is half-alien. Make of this what you will. I'm sure there will be a huge fight on imdb about it later tonight.

EgyptElection.com has an article on the movie with various interview-style quotes from various cast and crew members.

TimesOnline.com has this article that basically just mentions the movie and the fear that some fans have about whether or not it will be what they expected, etc. and then goes on to other topics of strictly local interest. I only mention it because it happens to cover news from my neck of the woods.

ContactMusic.com has a short article on Bill Nighy, in which they quote Bill as saying, "
Now, I'm travelling through time and space at Pinewood Studios in a wig and a skirt, I think, This is an honourable way to carry on."

The Edmonton Sun has an article about the movie (which includes spoilers but only to those unfamiliar with the story... it's OK for fans to read... you won't ruin the movie for yourself)

ContactMusic.com also has this short article on Martin Freeman.

The Chicago Sun-Times has an interview with Martin Freeman. When asked if it was important whether the movie was a hit in the US, he casually mentioned the fact that in a few days he'd "either be a pr--- or a hero to fans of the work." Martin's funny. :)

The LA Times has an article entitled "How 'Hitchihker's' got picked up".

The Orlando Sentinel has two articles... The first is entitled "Thumbing through the Galaxy" and the second is entitled "Lost? Don't Panic -- Here's your guide". They also feature a photo of local fans with a wonderfully named boat.

CTNow.com has an article about the success of Mos Def.

I know there's a lot to absorb between today and yesterday, but DON'T PANIC! I'll stay right on top of things as long as you remember to visit (and bookmark!!!) HHGTTGOnline.com (aka "HitchihkerFan.com"), the definitive source for up to date news about HHGTTG.

2005-04-23T16:28:00.000-05:00

Tons of new articles/interviews

There are a few new video interviews available (Robbie Stamp, Sam Rockwell and Mos Def, Garth Jennings), as well as some new print interviews from Zooey Deschanel and Martin Freeman and Garth Jennings.

There's a TON of media coverage today... Some newsworthy links are below.

Variety's article (subscription)

The Guardian Unlimited review (3 stars)

Ireland Online's article

AZ Central's article

Stuff (NZ) article

BBC article (with a whole section about MJ Simpson)

BBC article re: the premiere (dated April 20)

Sydney Morning Herald's article (subscription, so it may disappear shortly)

itv article (Dated April 21)

Reuters UK article (Dated April 21)

2005-04-23T15:16:00.000-05:00

Win Free Tickets (Detroit)

Local 4, ClickOnDetroit.com, and Touchstone Pictures are running a contest for free tickets.

2005-04-22T16:43:00.000-05:00

Collect digital HHGTTG trading cards!

Disney added a new section to the official US site... Basically, it's your chance to collect digital trading cards. You acquire these cards by using tokens. You acquire the tokens by visiting the site and doing various things, such as playing "Design-a-planet", etc.

Registration is required, but it's free. I'm having a ball. :)

I just started team Magrathea 89... Join this team and we'll win for sure.

2005-04-22T16:18:00.000-05:00

Length of Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy movie

For some reason, I have had a ton of incoming traffic from Google from people searching for the length of the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy movie.

For those of you looking for that information, the length of the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy movie is 110 minutes (US), and according to the New Zealand Herald 109 minutes in NZ. This may mean that there are different cuts for different locations, but more likely, it's just a typo from one of the sources.

While we're on the subject, here's some other stats.

CAST:
Martin Freeman, Sam Rockwell, Zooey Deschanel, Mos Def, John Malkovich, Bill Nighy

DIRECTOR:
Garth Jennings

US RATING:
PG (for thematic events, action, and mild language)

NON-US RATINGS:
Australia: PG
Canada: G (British Columbia/Quebec)
Canada: PG (Alberta/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario)
Ireland: 12A
UK: PG
NZ: PG

RUNNING TIME:
109 mins

2005-04-22T16:11:00.000-05:00

New Zealand Hearld reviews movie

The New Zealand Herald has released their review of the movie, giving it a so-so rating.

The reviewer describes Sam Rockwell as a "cut-rate Jim Carrey"... This probably wasn't intended as a compliment, but if his assessment is true, then I think we Americans are really gonna love it!

2005-04-22T14:34:00.000-05:00

Darth Bastard reviews movie and premiere

Darth Bastard, who was lucky enough to not only appear in the movie, but also to attend the Premiere and after-party, has written a deatiled review of the movie and his adventure at the Premiere.

Read all about it on Darth Bastard's site.

2005-04-21T20:17:00.000-05:00

Infinite Improbability Lyric Generator

HHGTTGOnline.com is proud to announce the Infinite Improbability Lyric Generator.

This isn't completely HHGTTG related, but it's something that I put together for an online game that I really enjoy called Project Rockstar. However, I can justify it by saying that one of the uses for it is to create really bad poetry. ;)

Anyway, this is just a random text generator. The results are (technically speaking) complete sentences, though they don't really make any sort of sense. I'm only mentioning it here because a lot of Project Rockstar players are Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy fans.

2005-04-21T16:11:00.000-05:00

Pittsburgh get-together on Opening Day

I'm organizing a get-together for Opening Day here in Pittsburgh, PA, most likely in the Monroeville or North Versailles area. Contact me via the link below to RSVP. I'll arrange for maps, driving directions, etc. All you'll need is money for the tickets and some food afterwards at a local "hangout" restaurant like Eat-and-Park, etc.

Just be sure and let me know approximately how many people will coming with you. (So that we can reserve an appropriately-sized section at the local Eat-and-Park, etc.)

Click here for more details and to sign up via email

2005-04-21T15:12:00.000-05:00

HHGTTGOnline.com an international phenomenon

Pardon this shameless plug, but I'm excited about this...

One question that has been asked repeatedly is, "Will non-Brits get it?" Well, if my website logs are any indication, the answer is a resounding yes. HHGTTGOnline.com has only existed for 42 days (counting from the first announcement about the site on Planet Magrathea, which was well before we were even officially open), and already we've had thousands upon thousands upon thousands of visitors from well over 100 different countries.

We've got excellent rankings for various hitchhiker-related search terms/phrases on all of the major search engines, and we're extremely proud of the fact that we have the largest Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy image gallery in the world!

Many thanks to all of the fans who have helped in various ways to make HHGTTGOnline.com the #1 source for the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy fan community!

2005-04-21T14:33:00.000-05:00

Two more scenes released

Two more scenes have been released, and are available on the HHGTTGOnline.com Movie Trailers page. They are the scene with Zaphod talking about the Ultimate Question, and Zaphhod and Trillian doing the scene where they discuss ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha.

2005-04-21T13:32:00.000-05:00

Empire Online reports on premiere

Empire Online has a report from yesterday's premiere of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy movie in Leicester Square, complete with comments ranging from the blue (yes, blue) carpet to some rather funny remarks by the likes of Douglas Adams' friend (and voice of The Guide in the movie) Stephen Fry.

Thanks to antrabbit for pointing this out to me.

2005-04-21T10:25:00.000-05:00

Christian Slater cast as Wonko the Sane

Christian Slater has been cast as John Watson (aka - Wonko the Sane) in the new BBC radio adaptation of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy. The voice of Douglas Adams himself will, of cousre, be heard as Agrajag, a part which Douglas recorded shortly before his death.

Read more

2005-04-20T15:27:00.000-05:00

Dolphin scene available

The dolphin scene ("So long and thanks for all the fish") is now available, along with a load of other available video clips.

Watch videos

2005-04-20T12:34:00.000-05:00

The Duke on BBC (Update)

Jenz Kjellberg (aka The Duke of Dunstable), owner of the Douglas Adams Continuum has been interviewed by BBC. You can listen to the interview here.

Thanks to DarthBastard for the MP3.

2005-04-19T20:47:00.000-05:00

Free Preview Tickets!

The Official UK Website has free movie tickets for the April 27th screening in select theaters. Simply print out this flyer and exchange it for free screening tickets at select UK cinemas. This is a limited event, and the offer is only good at listed participating cinemas. Tickets are strictly available on a first come, first served basis.

SCREENINGS WILL TAKE PLACE IN THESE CITIES ON APRIL 27TH 2005:

BATH
ODEON 6.00 - 6.30PM

BIRMINGHAM, BROAD ST.
UGC 6.00 - 6.30PM

CLYDEBANK
UCI 6.30 - 7.00PM

EXETER
PICTUREHOUSE 6.00 - 6.30PM

HULL
UGC 6.00 - 6.30PM

LEEDS
SHOWCASE 6.30 - 7.00PM

LEICESTER
ODEON 6.30 - 7.00PM

LIVERPOOL
SHOWCASE 6.30 - 7.00PM

LONDON, WHITELEY’S
UCI 6.30 - 7.00PM

LOUGHBOROUGH

MANCHESTER
FILMWORKS 6.30 - 7.00PM

NORWICH
UCI 6.30 - 7.00PM

OXFORD
PHOENIX 6.00 - 6.30PM

SHEFFIELD
UGC 6.00 - 6.30PM

SOUTHAMPTON
UGC 6.00 - 6.30PM

2005-04-19T15:56:00.000-05:00

David Learner reviews movie

David Learner (TV Marvin) has reviewed the film in a rather positive light.

2005-04-19T14:28:00.000-05:00

A few more reviews

Here are a few more reviews that may or may not have been posted here already... (There's getting to be so many of them that I occasionally lose track...)

Tiscali

Channel 4

Andy Beaumont

imdb (Fair warning: There is a lot of unfriendliness going on in the imdb message boards.)

2005-04-19T14:20:00.000-05:00

Another review

Emma Kennedy has reviewed the movie. It isn't a good review, but it isn't bad, etither.

2005-04-19T14:13:00.000-05:00

The Duke on BBC

Jenz Kjellberg (aka The Duke of Dunstable), owner of the Douglas Adams Continuum is going to be interviewed by BBC. Further details will be provided as they arrive.

Update: The Duke was interviewed via telephone, and it is likely going to play tomorrow morning between 6AM and 9AM (UK time) on the BBC Radio 5 Live (909 and 693 AM) morning show, simply called Breakfast. For those of us outside of the UK, we can listen to their broadcast on their website, and it should be archived for about a week.

2005-04-19T13:15:00.000-05:00

Lots of videos available

HHGTTGOnline.com has a very popular "Trailers" page, which has grown to include far more than just trailers. There are 4 regular trailers, an iPod trailer, a TV commercial, the whale scene, and 6 featurettes, each with a different topic, ranging from Jim Henson Productions' work with the Vogons to Humma Kavula to the universe itself.

Watch some videos

2005-04-19T12:46:00.000-05:00

Excellent review of the movie

Matt Adcock has written a review of the movie, though it isn't clear whether he's basing the review on a screening or simply guessing based on the trailers, etc. However, it's still a decent review, and worth a read if you're interested.

2005-04-18T11:53:00.000-05:00

Red carpet treatment

Watch all your favorite movie extras such as "Man #2", "Man on sidewalk", and "Man on train" live on this page at 6:15 PM (UK time) on Wednesday, April 20th.

Ok, it might be more exciting than I made it sound, though I'm not entirely sure what to expect from this. However, everybody's favorite bastard should be there... DarthBastard, a regular at DAC, will likely be in attendance. (He plays one of Humma Kavula's followers in the movie.)

2005-04-17T17:43:00.000-05:00

Planet Magrathea Closed!

In a shocking turn of events, MJ Simpson of PlanetMagrathea.com has announced that PM will forever be closing it's doors. I have just spoken with him and confirmed that this is not a joke. Apparently, some of the kiddies on the imdb message boards (and other sites) were getting just a bit too rude and making unnecessarily personal attacks rather than debating the merits of his recent review, and Mike finally decided to call it quits rather than deal with them.

It is a sad day for Hitchhiker's fans. MJ Simpson may not have been personally loved by all, but PM was, without question, the best source for accurate HHGTTG-related news on the web.

HHGTTGOnline.com will do its best to preserve the information (with MJ's permission, of course) and take over as the best source of HHGTTG-related news in the world.

2005-04-16T13:17:00.000-05:00

Buena Vista officially announces World Premiere

From the official US site:

14 April 2005 - Announcing the World PremiereThe WORLD PREMIERE Of TOUCHSTONE PICTURES'/ SPYGLASS ENTERTAINMENT'S THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY will be held WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20th AT THE EMPIRE LEICESTER SQUARE THEATRE in LONDON! The cast and crew from the film as well as celebrated filmmakers, musicians, stars and aliens from across the universe will be in attendance.

Things are happening... I don't know about you, but I can't wait for Opening Day!

2005-04-16T13:13:00.000-05:00

Four (of six) fans chosen in "Biggest fans" contest

Buena Vista has chosen four of the six fans in the "Biggest Hitchhiker's Fans in the Galaxy" contest. The lucky fans announced so far are:

Sarita Amy Morse
David Munn
Daniel Leach
Zoe Logan

2005-04-15T12:58:00.000-05:00

Interactive Hitchhiker TV commercials

Yep. There are going to be interactive commercials for The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy coming to your television, assuming of course that you are in the UK and have a TV capable of dealing with such goodies.

2005-04-15T12:52:00.000-05:00

The whale scene has been released

The whale scene has been released on Maxim's website, along with a brief video introduction by Mos Def and some generic information about the movie. If you just want the clip, you can find it by visiting the HHGTTGOnline.com movie trailers page.

2005-04-15T12:39:00.000-05:00

Possible after-premiere party coverage

There's a rumor floating around over that there will be a bit of coverage of the post-premiere party on the Paul O'Grady show. (For the benefit of my mostly American audience, Paul O'Grady is... is... Um... Ok, picture David Letterman. Now make him British. Now dress him in drag, and really mean it. That's about as close as I can explain it. LOL)

2005-04-15T12:30:00.000-05:00

Sam Rockwell interview

Sam Rockwell (who plays the part of Zaphod Beeblebrox in the movie version of The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy) has been interviewed on xtraMSN (New Zealand), which apparently took place during the filming of the Vogsphere scene (the face-bashing slapstick scene from the trailer).

2005-04-14T12:25:00.000-05:00

The Tertiary Phase

The Tertiary Phase is now also available on iTunes and Audible.

2005-04-14T12:21:00.000-05:00

Martin Freeman answers some questions

Martin Freeman has answered some reader questions over at The Independent, ranging from "The Office" to with whom he would most like to hitchhike through the galaxy.

2005-04-14T12:09:00.000-05:00

Lots of new reviews

Channel 4 gives the movie an 8 out of 10, and a host of others are available on imdb, both good and bad.

This is one movie that has certainly earned a lot of attention. Some love it, some hate it, but everybody is talking about it.

2005-04-13T15:48:00.000-05:00

New actor biographies

There are new actor biographies on HHGTTGOnline.com. Actually, they're not all new. I had some of them written already, but I forgot to link to them. (Duh!)

2005-04-13T12:27:00.000-05:00

Audio trailer released for Quandry Phase

BBC has released an audio trailer for the new radio adaptation entitled "The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy Quandry Phase".

MP3 version

RAM version

2005-04-13T00:35:00.000-05:00

Four new featurettes available

There are four new video featurettes available on MovieWeb. The first is about the aliens and the Jim Henson crew's work, the second is an overall look at the production, the third is about how the Guide itself plays into the movie, and the fourth one is all about Marvin.

2005-04-12T14:09:00.000-05:00

Transcript of Robbie Stamp chat on DAC

A complete transcript of the chat with Robbie Stamp at DAC which ended a few moments ago is available.

Read transcript

2005-04-11T15:03:00.000-05:00

Update: Live chat with Robbie Stamp is on!

The Duke of Dunstable (owner of DAC) has announced that the moderated chat at DAC on April 12 (Tuesday at 7:30 PM, UK time).

Go there now

2005-04-10T14:57:00.000-05:00

New movie review by Sean D. Sollé

Sean D. Sollé has written a very positive review of the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy movie in alt.fan.douglas-adams, which has been reposted over at DAC.

2005-04-10T14:49:00.000-05:00

New article in Variety

Variety.com has published an article about the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy movie, featuring a bit of background relating to how the movie came to be, as well as mentioning the fact that the filmmakers made it a point to to overly "Americanize" the film, given the fact that it always has been distinctly British in nature.

Read the article

2005-04-10T14:46:00.000-05:00

The crew screening was today

Kevin Davies was among those fortunate enough to make it to today's crew screening, and he provides a much more positive review of the film than the (now somewhat infamous) MJ Simpson review, beginning with the phrase, "I loved it."

Read more

2005-04-09T11:57:00.000-05:00

MJ Simpson blasts the movie

Uh oh... This isn't a good sign. MJ Simpson, noted biographer of Douglas Adams, professional journalist, and HUGE name among Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy fans, has just written a scathing review of the movie, based on a preview he saw on March 31. Despite being a huge fan, he (quite liberally) exercises his right to free speech.

"Something, somewhere has gone horribly, horribly wrong with this film. It's not great, it's not even good, frankly it's not even bad. It's awful. It is staggeringly unfunny and almost unrecognisable as Hitchhiker's Guide. I hated it."

And...

"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie is bad. Really bad. You just won'tbelieve how vastly, staggeringly, jaw-droppingly bad it is. I mean, you mightthink that The Phantom Menace was a hopelessly misguided attempt to reinvent a much-loved franchise by people who, though well-intentioned, completely failedto understand what made the original popular - but that's just peanuts to theHitchhiker's movie. Listen."

This scares me. Granted, I'm reserving judgement until after I've seen the movie for myself, and I observe the reactions of the non-fan friends that I'll be taking with me before I decide whether or not Disney made the right move in dumbing it down. However, as you might imagine, I'm a bit concerned. Considering his background as a hardcore fan and a journalist, I expected MJ to be a harder critic than most, but wow. I mean, "Wow..." He really blasted the movie.

Note that most of the other reviews were very good, with one that was extremely good (too good to take seriously) and another that was "so-so", but it was based on a trailer, not a screening of the movie, so you can't take that seriously either.

Read short review (No spoilers)
Read long review (Spoilers)
Read list of things missing from the movie

2005-04-09T01:46:00.000-05:00

New wallpapers (lots of 'em!)

There are a bunch of new wallpapers out there that you may not have seen, including some created by the HHGTTGOnline.com staff.

Meanwhile, both the official British site and the official Polish site have released wallpapers as well, all of which are available in the Wallpaper/skins/icons section of the HHGTTGOnline.com Image Gallery, the largest HHGTTG image gallery in the world!

2005-04-08T19:16:00.000-05:00

New UK competition from Orange

200 pairs of preview tickets are being given away by cellular company Orange (UK), as well as 10 runner-up packages including a t-shirt, towel, mousepad, and badges.

Note that the official rules state that the contest is only open to UK Orange customers.

They also sell several Hitchhiker's Guide ringtones and graphics.

2005-04-08T19:08:00.000-05:00

New article in Guardian

There's a very informative, and surprisingly long, article in Guardian Unlimited about the background of the movie. The article is entitled, "42 and all that".

There's a lot of information in there - too much, in fact, to try and summarize it here. Definitely worth a read. Also worth reading, if you'd like, is Douglas Adams' obituary on the same site.

2005-04-08T18:48:00.000-05:00

ITV2 at premiere in UK

ITV2 has a listing for the following:

22:00 to 22:30 Thursday 21st April on ITV2
Jenni Falconer reports from the Empire, Leicester Square, of the premiere of a new version of cult comedy The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, starring Martin Freeman, Bill Nighy, Alan Rickman and John Malkovich. Including cast interviews, excerpts from the film and the arrivals of all the celebrity guests.

The premiere is on the 20th, and this will be showing on the 21st. Of course, we won't get to see it in the US until it hits the internet, which should be about 12 hours before it shows in British television. ;)

Thanks to Dave Haddock and PlanetMagrathea.com for this announcement.

2005-04-08T18:39:00.000-05:00

Official Polish site is up

The new official Polish website, Autostopem Przez Galaktyke (Literally "Hitch-hiking by Galactic"), is up and running.

At a glance, there appears to be a bit of new concept art there. If so, it will be in the HHGTTGOnline.com image gallery shortly.

2005-04-08T18:37:00.000-05:00

New interview with Robbie Stamp

The new issue of Starburst magazine has a new interview with Robbie Stamp, as well as some information from Nick and Garth, and Joel Collins (production designer).

2005-04-08T16:22:00.000-05:00

New goodies available on British site

The "Fun" section of the official British site is now functional. There are a couple of games, some wallpaper, etc.

2005-04-08T16:15:00.000-05:00

Radio 4 announces a new upcoming trailer

Radio 4 (BBC) has announced that an extended trailer of The Quandry Phase will be available on Monday, as well as announcing the premiere date as May 3, 2005.

In related news, the cast has been officially announced on this page.

2005-04-08T15:47:00.000-05:00

LA Times review, and my related essay on British and American humor

Nikki Finke, of LA Weekly, has the folowing to say about the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy UK trailer. The one she reviewed was the "About movie trailers" one, listed as "Movie Trailer #2" on the HHGTTGOnline trailers page:

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: This movie trailer satirizes movie trailers,
but it’s too clever by half. The arch British humor isn’t of Monty Python
quality. Sure, sci-fi geeks know about Douglas Adams’ classic book, but the rest
of the audience won’t have a clue what this incoherent trailer is hawking. It’s
like a dog’s whistle that someone heard, but not me.

I take this with a grain of salt, however, as movie trailers aren't necessarily an accurate representation of the movie. There have been plenty of times when a trailer was great, and then the movie was horrible, and the opposite is true in many cases where the trailer looked hilarious, and then upon watching the movie, I realized that the only good jokes in the movie were the ones featured in the trailer.

There is one truth in her review, though. British and American audiences don't necessarily like the same things. British humor has historically been perceived as dry and/or needlessly cerebral by American audiences. Perhaps this is a simple case of cultural differences, or perhaps we Americans are so overloaded by the major networks' sitcoms that we simply tend to prefer our humor handed to us with an accompanying laughtrack.

I guess that's one of the concerns on the minds of the producers... Will American audiences be turned on by the sort of joke that you might not get until 5 minutes later, only to find yourself laughing out loud for a few minutes over it once it finally hits you?

I say yes. I have faith in my fellow Americans that we're not a bunch of trail-erliving, ballcap-wearing, cold beer drinking rednecks, but ultimately, time will tell. ;)

2005-04-06T17:28:00.000-05:00

Robbie Stamp video interview

This is a video interview of Robbie Stamp that took place at WonderCon in San Francisco a few months ago. (Note that the download is nearly 17 MB...)

Thanks go to MJ Simpson at PlanetMagrathea.com for mentioning it.

2005-04-06T17:18:00.000-05:00

New spoiler-free movie reviews

Paste Magazine has a positive review of the film, including several interview questions with Garth Jennings and Karey Kirkpatrick.

The Duke of Dunstable, owner of Douglas Adams Continuum) has also posted a short spoiler-free review of the movie.

Bear in mind that these reviews were based on rough cuts, and not the finished product.

2005-04-05T21:38:00.000-05:00

New 360-degree views on US website

There are several new 360-degree views available on the official US website.

The pod (old)
Humma Kavula's Temple
Vogon Poetry Appreciation Chamber
Vogon Hallway (adjacent to Vogon Poetry Appreciation Chamber)
Magrathean Showroom
Magrathean Employee room (adjacent to Magrathean Showroom)

Thanks to calebegg for alerting me to this update in the HHGTTGOnline.com forum.

2005-04-05T21:34:00.000-05:00

New HHGTTG Gear

There's a couple of new designs available in the HHGTTGOnline.com store. Products range from tee shirts to mugs to clocks to hats to teddy bears, and they've all got one of our fabulous designs on them.

Here's a couple of examples:

Tee shirts

Throw Pillows

Mousepads

Teddy Bears

And a special product... The "Time is an illusion" clock!

Browse the HHGTTGOnline.com store