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Happy Ending

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So that was the last ever radio episode of The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy.

I’ve really enjoyed the adaptations of the final three books, but I was very surprised listening to the final installment. As the episode told its own slightly different version of the end of the final book (Mostly Harmless), there were still nine minutes to go. Why?

Because by adding a whole extra scene, they completely changed the ending of the episode, and therefore the series, and therefore the feel of the entire Hitchhiker’s saga.

Normally I’d be distraught at such a dramatic change from the source material – especially source material written by Douglas Adams, arguably one of the finest comedy writer to (reluctantly and eventually) put pen to paper.

But somehow it worked. No spoilers here, but it worked – at least for me. Go listen.

Hitch Hiking

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I finally went to see The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy. I’d read a few positive reviews, but many more critical ones before seeing it – most notably MJ Simpson’s scathing review on the now sadly closed Planet Magrathea.

I really wanted to like this film. I’ve been a fan since reading the books as a child in the 1980s, and I’ve been waiting since then to see this film. But although I’m glad I finally saw it, I really don’t think it worked. I’m not sure how easily anyone unfamiliar with the radio series or books would have followed the story – it moved along at a frenetic pace and almost felt rushed – although I suppose in the current movie climate a sub-two-hour film is relatively short.

Yes, there were some amusing parts, particularly a few lines from Simon Jones‘ cameo appearance. But the majority of the dialogue had been savagely reworded – the best dialogue jokes from the book were present in part, but often bafflingly lacked either the necessary setup lines, or indeed the punchlines.

Much as I wanted MJ Simpson to be wrong, I’m afraid he was more or less entirely correct. It was slightly better than he’d led me to expect, but not much. I was expecting it to be the worst film I’d ever seen, but in fact it was only the worst film I’ve seen since The Passion Of The Christ, which was commendably worse. Still, Hitchhiker’s was a very bad film. I can add nothing to his comprehensive review, (which contains spoilers for those who haven’t seen the movie) here.

I’m glad I saw it. I’m nothing if not a completist, and at least now I can add the movie to the not inconsiderable list of incarnations in which I’ve experienced (or, in the case of the final radio installments, will shortly experience) Hitchhiker’s – the radio series (Primary Phase, Secondary Phase, Tertiary Phase, Quandary Phase and Quintessential Phase), the books (The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe, Life, The Universe and Everything, So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish and Mostly Harmless), the radio scripts (Volume One and Volume Two), the TV series…

I think I’m now only missing the towel.

Give sandwich to dog

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Ahead of the movie release of The Hitch Hikers Guide To The Galaxy in a few weeks time, I’ve been playing the classic (ie. very very old) game of the same name.

The BBC have put a spruced-up (and subsequently BAFTA award-nominated) version online – with graphics (egad!). Play the game.

So it was with great interest that I came across Hanna Wallach’s writeup of a recent London event featuring Steve Meretzky and Michael Bywater – both of whom worked with Douglas Adams on his IF games.

Douglas first visited Infocom to discuss possibilities for the game in 1983, whilst at MIT giving a guest lecture. The meeting was successful and it was decided that the game would go ahead, but the lecture less so. Douglas read selected excerpts from HHGTTG, including some Vogon poetry. One member of the audience stood up, ran screaming across the auditorium, crashed through the fire exit and was gone.

Read Part One.

Read Part Two.