Punctuality

[tealin]

I'm not going to wait forever like I did with A Series of Unfortunate Events or Phantom – here's what I thought of Hitchhiker's Guide, which I just saw:

· Overall, I got the same impression from the movie as I did from any of the books (I admit) I listened to at work, and that is a general feeling of a bunch of really great ideas, often absurdly funny, all sort of loosely strung together by some entertaining characters and/or caricatures. This is entertaining – often thoroughly so – but not exactly transportive. Not exactly overflowing with dramatic tension, sort of thing.
· Some lucky production designer had a lot of fun.
· Arthur was great. Ford was great, to my relief. Zaphod was great. Didn't like Trillian's acting much.
· Thanks to whoever's responsible for keeping as much of the text as possible, as well as the little asides like the falling whale and (if you stayed through the credits) the invading spacefleet and the dog. Much as with the Snicket books, that's where a great deal of the charm lies, for me.
· There was a bit of pacing wobble... lots of the beginning seemed a little slow and distracted to me. Why sit there moping about Trisha and having all these flashbacks that aren't really amusing or revelatory to any important aspect of the plot when the planet is about to be destroyed? It would have been one thing if Ford was really rushing Arthur and Arthur lollygagged in his own misery, but Ford just sat there listening to him; there was no real sense of urgency beyond that which anyone in the audience would naturally assume when someone says, quite calmly, that the world will end in 12 minutes. Anyway, that's the specific example... It started to roll along a lot better about halfway through, like the editor had got the hang of it or something.
· The main character in a Hollywood action-adventure blockbuster was reading a book in the corner at a party. I somehow feel ... vindicated. Even though it was a fancy dress party, which I suspect I might enjoy for about ten minutes longer than I do a regular party, but I haven't been able to test this theory as they don't seem to EXIST on this continent! But that's a tangent.

It's bedtime. If I stay up any later I'll really start to believe it's Friday and that's just asking for trouble.

Comments

[gabbysun.livejournal.com]

I loved it, although I could've done without maybe so much angsting.

But you can't have a movie nowadays without some good and solid angst; I was just relieved that the movie exceeded my standards for decency, you know? Having heard so much bad about it beforehand.

And I agree — the little sort of Easter Egg-y bits did so much for me, and for the rest of the audience, I'm sure. The laughing was near nonstop, although my poor ESL father was pretty bewildered. xD;

[sietske.livejournal.com]

Hi,

I first saw your HP page in ah.. 2002, and for no particular reason decided I'd revisit it today. My personal favourite, as of today, is Boggart-Snape.

Anyway, I've just friended you and thought I'd drop a line.

[eggo-waffles.livejournal.com]

Well, to be quite honest, I don't think I've ever seen such a desperately unfunny film in my life. I mean, I understand that no movie can ever fully vindicate its parent book, but I would have sympathized with the various changes to setting, language, and characters better if they had any effect on the congruity of the plot, which they most certainly didn't. And as for the jokes... I mean, come on, "I'm a robot, not a refrigerator" has NOTHING on "Beware of the Leopard"!

I beg to differ...

[(Anonymous)]

I don't know how old you are Eggo,
but I can tell you that the MOST unfunny movie (as it cannot possibly be called a "film") ever made is a little ditty called "Young Einstein" which was written and directed by and stared Mr. Yahoo Serious.

I have never before nor ever since, EVER, walked out on a movie. I walked out of this one. And I was a kid.

[twirlynoodle.livejournal.com]

The thing about Douglas Adams' writing, or at least that portion of it to which I have been audience, is that its real strength of humour lies in the words themselves, in the descriptions of things, and the way he puts his sentences together. The funniest things aren't necessarily episodes in the plot or even things the characters say, but how the thoughts are conveyed in literary form – and this, unfortunately, does not translate all that well into a visual medium. They did the best they could to keep as much as possible in, by introducing it to the dialogue ("I never could get the hang of Thursdays," I believe, was originally in the narration; I'm probably wrong, but it's that sort of thing) or giving a voiceover when necessary (think about the whale and the bowl of petunias) but unless you get someone to narrate the whole film, there's going to be something lost in translation.

phantom review

[(Anonymous)]

Is there somewhere that I can read your Phantom review? I'm curious to know what you thought of it. (I personally loved it :) Thanks.

And by the way, can I ask what exactly 'lent' was? I know that it was when you drew stuff, but can you explain a bit? Thanks.

p.s. your 'how to draw' page has helped me a lot. i've made my own style and i've really improved. thank you :)

[twirlynoodle.livejournal.com]

My Phantom review still exists in potentia (meaning I haven't gotten around to writing it yet) but I've got the notes for it so it may turn up shortly, especially now that the DVD is out.

Lent is the forty days before Easter during which adherents to certain sects of Christianity practise self-denial, discipline, and charity. The most stereotypical but generally understandable example is giving up chocolate. Nothing in scripture says "thou shalt not eat chocolate for forty days before Easter" but chocolate is the sort of addictive luxury that is good to give up for a while, teaching you to resist temptation and, if you give the money you save on your pound-a-day chocolate addiction to the poor, charity as well. I dedicated myself to drawing a page in my sketchbook every day because I don't draw in it enough, especially during periods of employment, and practising a little self-discipline never goes amiss. I posted them up here because if there was no one to hold me to task but myself, I'd find it far easier to back out. Even though it was an entirely artificial obligation.