# HitchHikers Guide official trailer online! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 16, 2005, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchhikers-guide-official-trailer-online/290334 "2005-02-16T08:08:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchhikers-guide-official-trailer-online/290334/101 "2005-02-18T16:09:52Z")
> [@drewbert](#): > > You have to dig deep. I stand corrected. (Funny that I never noticed slashdot comment pages have more than one page before. Ooops.) Thanks for braving the wrath of moderation. (Although I can’t imagine why finding a easier-to-view version of a publicly available advertisement should be in any way suspect.) ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchhikers-guide-official-trailer-online/290334/102 "2005-02-18T18:25:41Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > Yep, that’s the point a lot of people seem to miss. Marvin was SUPPOSED to be all cute. I think it makes him all the more miserable. > [@Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy](#): > > In one corner a robot sat humped, its gleaming brushed still head hanging loosely between its gleaming brushed steel knees. It too was fairly new, but though it was beautifully constructed and polished it somehow looked as if the various parts of its more or less humanoid body didn’t quite fit properly. In fact they fitted perfectly well, but something in its bearing suggested that they might have fitted better. > [@Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy](#): > > “Look Zaphod,” she said, patting his arm, “don’t worry about the aliens. They’re just a couple of guys I expect. I’ll send the robot down to get them and bring them up here. Hey Marvin!” > > In the corner, the robot’s head swung up sharply, but then wobbled about imperceptibly. It pulled itself up to its feet as if it was about five pounds heavier that it actually was, and made what an outside observer would have thought was a heroic effort to cross the room. It stopped in front of Trillian and seemed to stare through her left shoulder. > > “I think you ought to know I’m feeling very depressed,” it said. Its voice was low and hopeless. > > “Oh God,” muttered Zaphod and slumped into a seat. > > “Well,” said Trillian in a bright compassionate tone, “here’s something to occupy you and keep your mind off things.” > > “It won’t work,” droned Marvin, “I have an exceptionally large mind.” > [@Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy](#): > > ``` > *The* Encyclopedia Galactica *defines a robot as a mechanical apparatus designed to do the work of a man. The marketing division of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation defines a robot as "Your Plastic Pal Who's Fun To Be With."* > > ``` > > The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy \*defines the marketing division of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation as "a bunch of mindless jerks who’ll be the first against the wall when the revolution comes,’ with a footnote to the effect that the editors would welcome applications from anyone interested in taking over the post of robotics correspondent. > > ``` > Curiously enough, an edition of the* Encyclopaedia Galactica *that had the good fortune to fall through a time warp from a thousand years in the future defined the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation as "a bunch of mindless jerks who were the first against the wall when the revolution came."* > > ``` > [@Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy](#): > > ``` > "Thank you the marketing division of the Sirius Cybernetics corporation," said Marvin and trudged desolately up the gleaming curved corridor that stretched out before them. *"Let's build robots with Genuine People Personalities,* they said. So they tried it out with me. I'm a personality prototype. You can tell, can't you?" > > Ford and Arthur muttered embarrassed little disclaimers. > > "I hate that door," continued Marvin. "I'm not getting you down at all am I?" > > ``` So, clearly there’s nothing wrong with Marvin that couldn’t be fixed by an industrial strength shot of the cybernetic equivilent of Prozac. He’s supposed to be sleek, and although the description doesn’t describe him as “cute”, the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation clearly wants their robots to be amiable in apperance. I don’t think the cinematic Marvin is too far off of what Adams described, though clearly his the more post-modern antiseptic white than the gleaming Art Deco stainless. Gah…typing those paragraphs now makes me hunger for the movie. “Far out in the unchartered backwaters of the unfashionable end of the Western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun…” I’m not a fanboy, but…I can’t wait!!! Okay, I guess I am a fanboy. :eek: Stranger ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchhikers-guide-official-trailer-online/290334/103 "2005-02-18T19:37:56Z")
> [@iamthewalrus(:3=](#): > > I remember quite clearly reading the “dominant species” bit _in the book_ I checked. It’s in the introduction to the Ultimate Hitchhiker’s Guide, but not in the actual text of the first novel. ---
**Author:** ![jeffh3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/34f0e0/32.png) [@jeffh3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeffh3000)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2005, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchhikers-guide-official-trailer-online/290334/104 "2005-02-18T22:45:13Z")
> [@Stranger On A Train](#): > > So, clearly there’s nothing wrong with Marvin that couldn’t be fixed by an industrial strength shot of the cybernetic equivilent of Prozac. He’s supposed to be sleek, and although the description doesn’t describe him as “cute”, the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation clearly wants their robots to be amiable in apperance. I don’t think the cinematic Marvin is too far off of what Adams described, though clearly his the more post-modern antiseptic white than the gleaming Art Deco stainless. > > Gah…typing those paragraphs now makes me hunger for the movie. “Far out in the unchartered backwaters of the unfashionable end of the Western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun…” > > I’m not a fanboy, but…I can’t wait!!! > > Okay, I guess I am a fanboy. :eek: > > Stranger Having first heard the radio play, then read the books, and seeing the tv mini-series, I kept thinking “why don’t they sound british” during the preview. ---
**Author:** ![Baggins111](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@Baggins111](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baggins111)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2005, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchhikers-guide-official-trailer-online/290334/105 "2005-02-19T03:00:47Z")
**msmith537** beat me to the punch. I was expecting Zaphod to be more of a smarmy Johnny Knoxville character. Arthur looked to be a good casting choice. I can’t wait to hear Alan Rickman do Marvin’s voice. Marvin is not at all like I pictured him, but if it’s Alan Rickman’s voice, it should be OK. I was let down that we didn’t get to hear Marvin say anything in the trailer. Marvin damned well better say something about the pain in all the diodes down his left side.If they do make Marvin into a toy that says depressing things, I will have one on my desk at work. Zooey Deschanel in anything is hot. I look forward to seeing how she does as Trillian. Did I see the giant frozen cup from the radio series in the trailer? I was both thrilled and a little disappointed with this trailer. It does look a little too slapstick and not enough British humor to it. But they had to target it for an American audience as well. Not everyone gets British humor. Remember that it wasn’t made for just us fans, it was made to gross as much as it could. I will be bringing a towel to this movie. ---
**Author:** ![Badge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Badge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badge)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2005, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchhikers-guide-official-trailer-online/290334/106 "2005-02-19T03:40:52Z")
For those having trouble playing the movie on Amazon, [this site](http://hitchhikers.movies.go.com/main.html) has the trailer in WMV, Real and Quicktime formats (click on “Larger Trailer”). Did anyone else notice that in the final scene, when they are getting hit by the fly-swatters, that both Arthur and Ford **have their towels?** 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![JoeSki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b487fb/32.png) [@JoeSki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeSki)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2005, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchhikers-guide-official-trailer-online/290334/107 "2005-02-19T05:19:48Z")
[Here’s](http://www.douglasadams.se/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2935) a thread at another message board with various stills taken from the trailer and the dissection thereof. There’s a _lot_ of neat little details I missed out on. The trailer is avaible now at the official Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy movie site. ---
**Author:** ![AlbertHosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@AlbertHosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlbertHosteen)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchhikers-guide-official-trailer-online/290334/108 "2005-02-21T21:30:41Z")
Ford looks too cool in this movie. He shouldn’t be cool, he’s _odd_. And he’s American. Why not have him be British? You want American characters to appeal to an American market, then Zaphod and possibly Trillian can be American (Zaphod really suits being American). You want to avoid an all-white cast, then have a black British actor play Ford. There was also way too much slapstick. Slapstick wasn’t an element of the book, radio series, TV series, computer game or anything. Hopefully that’s just the trailer though, and the film has more of the intelligent humour of the other versions. I also hope that the ‘fate of the universe’ crap was just advertising cliche …although I wouldn’t have expected a Hitchhikers’ trailer to stoop to using cliche. What kept springing to mind as I watched was _Evolution_. I don’t mind that movie, but oh my sainted Doug, that’s not what Hitchhikers’ is about. Still. I like the look of the thing, think Arthur looks fantastic, am pleased with the design of Marvin and ecstatic that he’s going to be voiced by Alan Rickman, so I remain cautiously optimistic. _sniff_ American Ford. The actor won’t even know what a Ford Prefect is. He probably won’t even know what a prefect is! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchhikers-guide-official-trailer-online/290334/109 "2005-02-21T21:51:23Z")
> [@AlbertHosteen](#): > > And he’s American. Why not have him be British? That “cast people by merit, not nationality” thing is never gonna sink in, is it? 😉 > [@](#): > > _sniff_ American Ford. The actor won’t even know what a Ford Prefect is. He probably won’t even know what a prefect is! So you think he’s stupid too, eh? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![AlbertHosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@AlbertHosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlbertHosteen)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchhikers-guide-official-trailer-online/290334/110 "2005-02-21T22:19:38Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > That “cast people by merit, not nationality” thing is never gonna sink in, is it? 😉 Annoyingly, I did remark on that in my original post, but my computer died and took my thoughts away. Do you really think casting a _rapper_ is appropriate for Ford Prefect, in the ‘merit’ stakes? > [@](#): > > So you think he’s stupid too, eh? :smack: No, I think that, given the lack of British public school with prefects in America, the vast majority of Americans would not know what a prefect is, and even after it was explained to them they might not understand. Nothing to do with intelligence - it’s a cultural/linguistic term. ---
**Author:** ![JoeSki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b487fb/32.png) [@JoeSki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeSki)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchhikers-guide-official-trailer-online/290334/111 "2005-02-27T00:21:52Z")
Some new, and improved trailers have been put up recently. Not as conventional as the first trailer, thank Og. [Trailer 2](http://video.ugo.com/player.aspx?articleID=13939&ref=ts) [Trailer 2 version 2.5?](http://www.skymovies.com/skymovies/videoplayer/0,,10063476-high,00.html) ---
**Author:** ![Tenar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@Tenar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenar)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchhikers-guide-official-trailer-online/290334/112 "2005-02-27T00:51:24Z")
In case anyone’s still having trouble with the trailer, try this. It worked for [me.hitchhikers.movies.go.com/main.html](http://me.hitchhikers.movies.go.com/main.html) ---
**Author:** ![Phnord\_Prephect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@Phnord\_Prephect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phnord_Prephect)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchhikers-guide-official-trailer-online/290334/113 "2005-02-27T01:18:06Z")
Holy, holy holy, holy crap. This is gonna be good. I had my reservations… an american Arthur? A black rapper Ford? Zaphod with ONE head? Uh, hello, did you even READ the book? Then I saw the trailers in JoeSki’s link. Doug, even dead, you are a genius. This is gonna be awesome. I particularly liked that, apparently, the Voice of the Book is british. Sounds quite a bit like the original Voice, too. Marvin SPOKE in this trailer. Not quite perfect, but if there’s a better voice talent for this role than Alan, I don’t know who it might be. Judging by the fact that they used the ground-shovels (Huh?) bit repeatedly as the ‘slapstick’ segment (pardon the pun) I’m going to guess that is the only slapstick segment available. This is a very good thing. And the special effects are simply outstanding. If the BBC had had this kind of budget in 1981… well, and the computers… nope. Still couldn’t have pulled it off. This needed Disney. :::Sits outside the theater with his towel, waiting.::: ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchhikers-guide-official-trailer-online/290334/114 "2005-02-27T01:31:16Z")
> [@Phnord Prephect](#): > > I had my reservations… an american Arthur? A black rapper Ford? Zaphod with ONE head? Uh, hello, did you even READ the book? Arthur has never been anything but British. Martin Freeman is from _The Office_. ---
**Author:** ![Phnord\_Prephect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@Phnord\_Prephect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phnord_Prephect)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchhikers-guide-official-trailer-online/290334/115 "2005-02-27T01:38:30Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Arthur has never been anything but British. Martin Freeman is from _The Office_. Well, how 'bout that. Now I feel foolish. Good thing I can cover my head with this towel! ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchhikers-guide-official-trailer-online/290334/116 "2005-02-27T01:45:01Z")
That’s OK, you’re still a hoopy frood. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchhikers-guide-official-trailer-online/290334/117 "2005-02-27T06:34:52Z")
It looks like it could be good. Hopefully, it’s not so hideously bad that I can’t stand to sit through 30 or 40 times. (Remember, folks, the more money this film makes, the more likely they are to make other DNA films.) ---
**Author:** ![JoeSki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b487fb/32.png) [@JoeSki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoeSki)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchhikers-guide-official-trailer-online/290334/118 "2005-02-27T07:13:44Z")
You know what’s funny? These new trailers are a complete satire of the first, color by numbers, HGTTG trailer. It made outrageous claims of being the greatest story ever told, it indeed, featured a narrator who sounded 7 feet tall and who had been smoking since he was nine, and yes, had plenty of gratuitous explosions and slapstick…only it had all this and no real sense of humor about it. Well, thank God there’s footage out there representing DNAs humor. It’s appealing enough to be found funny by the masses, and quirky enough for Adams fans to feel at home with it. Disney should have a success on it’s hands with this one. I’ll strangle them if they kill the series by creating countless, shoddy straight to video/DVD sequals. ---
**Author:** ![Phnord\_Prephect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@Phnord\_Prephect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phnord_Prephect)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchhikers-guide-official-trailer-online/290334/119 "2005-02-27T07:43:23Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#): > > (Remember, folks, the more money this film makes, the more likely they are to make other DNA films.) Well, this is a great plan, up to a point. After all, there’s only, what, six? Nine? Different DNA books available to even consider filming. And most of those are two series… HHGttG and the even less filmable Dirk Gently… uh… series. Not that I won’t do everything in my power to see 'em done. With the possible exception of preventing the rise of life on earth. 😕 > [@JoeSki](#): > > I’ll strangle them if they kill the series by creating countless, shoddy straight to video/DVD sequals. :::Shudder::: The animated series. Endless crappy videos, with completely different voice talent, following Marvin and Arthur/Trillian’s kid around the Galaxy as they have weird and wacky adventures. I think I’d rather endure Vogon poetry again. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2005, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchhikers-guide-official-trailer-online/290334/120 "2005-02-27T07:51:57Z")
Ah, now that trailer is much, much more amusing. Good stuff! I want you all to know I’m feeling much less depressed. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchhikers-guide-official-trailer-online/290334.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hitchhikers-guide-official-trailer-online/290334.md?page=7)