So for me and my ilk, 2005 looked to be a great year — not only was Doctor Who<\/em> regenerated (seemingly out of nowhere, when there was no hope to be had even by the most blindly optimistic of fans) by none other than the BBC itself, somebody at Disney (Disney?!) finally threw up their hands and actually made that Hitchhiker’s<\/em> script that had been kicking around Hollywood for decades (not an exaggeration). Surely, some of my geek brethren must have grown up and scored jobs in the entertainment industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not having been broadcast anywhere on this side of the planet, I’ve only managed to see less than half of the new Doctor Who<\/em> season. I’m here to say that it is pure, glorious, totally-different-and-yet-somehow-still-Who<\/em>. But Hitchhiker’s<\/em>? It’s a bit of a mess, I’m afraid. As a lifelong fan, it’s a bit surprising to find myself wishing the film was more<\/em> mainstream. It’s hard to imagine anybody who had not read and reread the book (or at least already appreciative of some Monty Python<\/a>-style humor) not being totally and completely bewildered by the whole production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some of the casting is so perfect as to be impossible to imagine otherwise: the voices of Alan Rickman<\/a> and Stephen Fry, and wotsisname from The Office… Martin Freeman, was surely born to play the definitive Arthur Dent. But as much as I like Mos Def<\/a>, it has to be said he’s a mumbler (huh? what’d he say?). The filmmakers had the right idea to go for practical effects as often as possible, including some much-missed old skool puppet work from the Jim Henson Company, but it sometimes just doesn’t sit right paired with off-the-shelf-pow-zoom-blow-your-mind-just-like-the-last-blockbuster-you-saw-this-summer CGI.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I reread the book for the first time in years, and it struck me that the whole thing is actually quite short, focused, and satisfying. It shouldn’t have been too hard to fashion it into a movie, but evidently the producers (and Adams himself, who co-wrote the screenplay) felt otherwise, quickly abandoning the plot specifics of the novel. But if the aim is to create an easily-digested summer blockbuster story, why (just for example) introduce a seemingly significant character who incapacitates a major character, who then promptly drops out of the story and the situation is never resolved? And the whole business about Zaphod’s brain would make no sense at all to anyone who isn’t a Hitchhiker’s<\/em> expert (I wouldn’t have understood it myself if I hadn’t reread the book so recently).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anyway, I could go on but it’s late and I need to charge my iPod and myself (i.e. go to sleep). So I’m going to take my pants off anyway! Ha!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Yes, officer, I’d like to file a report. You see, I’m being threatened. I received word that If I don’t actually start writing stuff in my blog, I’m going to have my virtual pants pulled down in front of at least half a dozen complete strangers with well-tended blogs. Or is that if I DO […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5083,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,2],"tags":[1478,1363,1365,1294,975,1768,1321,1366,1061,1364,1368,1367,241],"class_list":["post-36","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-3-stars","category-movies","tag-1478","tag-alan-rickman","tag-arthur-dent","tag-bbc","tag-douglas-adams","tag-garth-jennings","tag-jim-henson","tag-marvin-the-paranoid-android","tag-mos-def","tag-stephen-fry","tag-trillian","tag-zaphod-beeblebrox","tag-zooey-deschanel"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2005\/09\/hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-2005.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa9lhB-A","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1434,"url":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/daniel-lanois-here-is-what-is\/","url_meta":{"origin":36,"position":0},"title":"Daniel Lanois Maximizes the Room in Here Is What Is","author":"Chad Ossman","date":"January 22, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Daniel Lanois is a unique musician, as gifted a singer-songwriter in his own right as he is a collaborator and producer. I originally came to recognize his name after finding it listed in the credits of many key items in my music collection, including Peter Gabriel's So and Us, U2's\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "3 Stars"","block_context":{"text":"3 Stars","link":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/category\/ratings\/3-stars\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/01\/daniel-lanois-here-is-what-is-feature.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/01\/daniel-lanois-here-is-what-is-feature.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/01\/daniel-lanois-here-is-what-is-feature.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/01\/daniel-lanois-here-is-what-is-feature.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/01\/daniel-lanois-here-is-what-is-feature.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":47,"url":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/i-heart-katamari\/","url_meta":{"origin":36,"position":1},"title":"I Heart Katamari","author":"Chad Ossman","date":"September 25, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Best. Game. Ever. To give that statement a little context: I'm a novice gamer at best. I didn't grow up with an Atari, so I'm a latecomer to all this beeping, flashing, vibrating analog joysticking stuff. A few years ago, I was engrossed in The Matrix films to a degree\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Tech"","block_context":{"text":"Tech","link":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/category\/main-menu\/tech\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Katamari Damacy","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2005\/09\/katamari-damacy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2005\/09\/katamari-damacy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2005\/09\/katamari-damacy.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2005\/09\/katamari-damacy.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2005\/09\/katamari-damacy.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":37,"url":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/a-brief-word-on-rem\/","url_meta":{"origin":36,"position":2},"title":"A Brief Word on R.E.M.","author":"Chad Ossman","date":"September 15, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Being an unapologetic iPod\/iTunes addict, I'm not too ashamed to announce I just finished ripping all of my R.E.M. cds. So this is blogworthy exactly how, you ask? Well, I was moved to post here because, all told, it amounts to over 28 hours of music. 28 HOURS! Isn't that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Music"","block_context":{"text":"Music","link":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/category\/main-menu\/music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"R.E.M.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2005\/09\/rem_corbijn.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2005\/09\/rem_corbijn.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2005\/09\/rem_corbijn.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2023,"url":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/lost-the-end\/","url_meta":{"origin":36,"position":3},"title":"Lost: The End","author":"Chad Ossman","date":"June 19, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"I've always been a Lost apologist, at least liking the show even during its weak points. Six years of goodwill very nearly went out the window along with my television, thanks to its extremely frustrating final run of episodes. Close to the end, I attempted to resolve myself to the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "1 Star"","block_context":{"text":"1 Star","link":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/category\/ratings\/1-star\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/lost-finale.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/lost-finale.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/lost-finale.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/lost-finale.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/06\/lost-finale.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":357,"url":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/the-dork-report-for-august-1-2006\/","url_meta":{"origin":36,"position":4},"title":"The Dork Report for August 1, 2006","author":"Chad Ossman","date":"August 1, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Iconfactory, welcome back! You look so pretty and so Web 2.0-y! Loads of new stuff, including possibly the first useful desktop widget ever (I'm not a fan of widgets) and a huge new suite of free awesome robot icons. Turns out Peter Jackson had a few feet of leftover\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "The Dork Report"","block_context":{"text":"The Dork Report","link":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/category\/dork-report\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The Dork Report","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/dork-report.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/dork-report.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/dork-report.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/dork-report.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/dork-report.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":57,"url":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/stayin-alive\/","url_meta":{"origin":36,"position":5},"title":"Stayin’ Alive","author":"Chad Ossman","date":"October 7, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Not as in getting funky, but as in not getting blown up on the subway. You know how every time there's a terrorist attack, the media tricks some rescue worker or unfortunate bystander into using the phrase \"body parts everywhere\", which they can then morbidly quote with relish? The next\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Personal"","block_context":{"text":"Personal","link":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/category\/personal\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7788,"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36\/revisions\/7788"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5083"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Mos](\"https:\/\/chadossman.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/hitchhikers-guide-to-the-galaxy-cast-1024x576.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n