If the title of today’s post means nothing to you, then you just don’t know where your towel is. To some extent, H2G2 is a victim of its own success, since so many of Douglas Adams’ comic gems have passed into the language. It is not a surprise to find that the answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything is 42, nor that the mice are actually in charge, nor that Slartibartfast won an award for his fjords (a fjord-award!), nor that it is not impossible for a missile to turn into a bowl of petunias, just “very, very improbable”. I found myself missing the excellent BBC radio production while watching this on video. I found the acting lame (even the wonderful Bill Nighy), the action limp and lacking in dynamism – even the special effects weren’t really on cue. The only things that were better in this version were Zooey Deschanel as Trillian and Stephen Fry as the book. Actually Stephen Fry wasn’t better but as good as Peter Jones – and that is high praise.
Here’s a taste:
Actually, thinking about it, they had some great actors in there – Helen Mirren, John Malkovitch, Alan Rickman – what went wrong? I’m inclined to blame the direction. let’s see – who was it? Garth Jennings. Apparently he also did “Son of Rambow” which I really liked.
Hm.
Incidentally, in our house we never have just Thursdays – they’re always “I never could get the hang of” Thursdays.
Here’s a BBC page about the radio production:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/hitchhikers/
Have a very happy Tuesday. Now there’s a day I can get the hang of.
To the library today, where Richard Dawkins awaits me. I am going to focus on the novel now, try to get a first draft done before the summer.
Kirk out.
Sarada Gray 