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...
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
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
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.
DVD Release InformationHHGTTGOnline.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
Science Museum fills void whilst fans await DVD releaseNow 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
Knitted Marvin's fly from Science Museum Store!www.mission-21.comWinner - 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.
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.)
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
Hitchhiker's Guide for PSP confirmedBuena 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
Swedish movie release date set backFrom 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.
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).
The Hitchhiker's Guide to science, space tourism and artificial intelligenceThe
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 IntelligenceDate: 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.ukThe
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/hitchhikersHitchhiker's Guide to Science - Thursday 2 JuneCould
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 JuneIn
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 JuneFor 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.ukThe exhibition will run from 28 May 2005 to 27 November 2005Adult: £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/hitchhikersThe FilmThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is currently showing at cinemas across the UK.
Stills are available at
www.image.netProduction notes from the movie are available at
www.thefilmfactory.co.uk/pressofficeFurther information: Annabel Hutton at McDonald & Rutter
annabel@mcdonaldrutter.comDVD LaunchThe two disc DVD will be available to own on 5 September 2005
The BookThe 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
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.
New pictures from Hitchhiker Exhibition at the Science Museum in LondonThe 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 picturesDescription 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/hitchhikers1. 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.
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.
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.
Exclusive pictures from the Science Museum HHGTTG ExhibitionSometimes 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
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.
Signed Quandry Phase scripts for sale on eBayMichael 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.
