Seantn

Hi. Okay.... Now bare with me here! I know there is tons of advance buzz on this movie, but i'm a bit lost.... What is the source material? I don't know anything about it. I'm guessing it's science fiction. Is this adapted from a book, comic book, etc...

Is it a very popular thing among Comic book fans?

I know these are silly questions, but my friend was asking me this tonight, and I had absolutely no answers for him. We've both heard all the buzz on the film, but I don't know the history of it. Can someone inform me please? Thanks!

Rivero

Head on down to your local library or bookstore, go to Adams, Douglas, and get the book. Read it. The hype will then all make sense. And be ready to meet the mice.

Forum Troll

Some time ago a group of hyper-intelligent pan dimensional beings decided to finally answer the great question of Life, The Universe and Everything.
To this end they built an incredibly powerful computer, Deep Thought. After the great computer programme had run (a very quick seven and a half million years) the answer was announced.

The Ultimate answer to Life, the Universe and Everything is...

(You're not going to like it...)

Is...

42

Which suggests that what you really need to know is 'What was the Question?'.

Jackskeleton

This is like asking "What is this Lord of the rings" movie I keep hearing about and what is its source material.

This is just one of the best books you should have read growing up. Simple as that.

Seantn

Funny you should say that... I knew almost nothing of the story of Lord of the Rings before seeing the movie.

I missed out on some good reading as a kid, apparently!

wmansir

The original source was actually a BBC radio series, it was then made and expanded into the book and it's sequels. The BBC also made a TV mini-series with Dr. Who quality special effects in the early 80's.

scott shelton

There is?

Outside of the geeks, I'm thinking very few are interested.

That first weekend in May is going to be interesting...

garolo

It's like everything in life, a multiple choice test.
a) What is your quest?
b) What's the capitol of Abbysynia?
c) What's the air speed velocity of an unladened swallow?
d) What's your favorite color?
e) What do you get if you multiply six by nine?
f) None of the above

Josh-da-man

And a towel. Don't forget a towel.

garolo

And don't forget the most important thing.

DON'T PANIC

ivelostr2

I haven't read the book, but the movie was great...

garmonbozia

well that's a complicated question of sorts, lol.... i am not sure myself which previous incarnation of the material that the movie will be the most faithful to, but I don't really care as they were all great.....

first there was the radio series, then there were the books based on the radio show....then there was a BBC tv series based on the first 2 books.....
(there are 5 books total)

all very similar, but each different its own ways.....

oddly enough, I experienced all these in reverse order....
I saw the tv series when it was released on vhs here in the US, fell in love with it and read the books.....i just recently was able to listen to the radio series (a friend from the UK sent it to me). It's hard to find in the US, but it's readily available in the UK....check amazon.uk if you are interested.

garolo

You saw a preview? I'm so jealous.

By the way, I have the tv show on dvd, books and radio show on vinyl.

BradJ

That guy really knows where is towel is...

mllefoo

Space is big. Really big. I mean you may think it's a long way to the pharmacist shop on the corner, but that's just peanuts to space.

Oh. Freddled gruntbuggly
Thy micturations are to me
As plurdled glabbleblotchetts
On a lurgid bee
Groop! I implore thee
My foonting turlingdromes
And hooptiously drangle me with crinkly bindlewurdles,
Or I will rend thee in the gobberwarts with my blurlecruncheon
See if I don’t.

ivelostr2

sorry got ahead of my self; I meant the TV series, but I'm sure you knew that...

Bill Needle

I have the BBC series on DVD. It is quite entertaining, and fairly true to the first two books.

wmansir

yes it is good, and it's very true to the originals, which isn't surprising because Douglas was involved himself. Plus a lot of the talent from the radio series was brought over for the mini-series, like Peter Jones to do 'the book' narration. The computer effects/animations were also well done for the time. But just like with Dr. Who, the material is good, but some of the low quality special effects can be distracting. Like the paper-mache second head on Zaphod.

Terrell

Just one question. Is this is Disney film?

garolo

It's the cheesy BBC special effects that make HGTTG (and Dr. Who for that matter) so endearing. If you watch the "Making of" doc and the listen to Adams' commentary on the DVD you'll understand the extreme time and money crunches that the production was under. You probably know that Zaphod's head was supposed to be animatronic but like Bruce the Shark and R2D2 in ANH, things don't always work as expected or designed. The difference is that Speilberg and Lucas had the luxury of time and (more) money. They were able to edit their films, adjusting the breakdowns to the story. Adams did not have that chance with the TV show.

scott shelton

Disney is going to release it, but it's not a mouse production.

Dmacsg1

Looking forward to this!!!!!!!!!
I saw Hitchhiker for the first time when I was younger on PBS. They showed alot of british sci-fi back then. PBS started with Doctor Who then later Hitchhiker and Red Dwarf and The Prisoner!! Late night they showed Monty Python and Benny Hill!
Ahhhhh......fond memories!!!!!

Take care all!!

Josh-da-man

It was also adapted into a comic book by DC Comics.

suziq999

Its where BABELFISH came from!

I just re-read this the other day in anticipation. Should be a good fun movie, I can't wait.

Shannon Nutt

I keep hoping this will be a promotion...everyone on opening day gets a free towel. They might even want to print "Don't Panic!" on the towels!

Either that or everyone gets a pair of Joo Janta 200 Super-Chromatic Peril Sensitive Sunglasses.