Don't work!
Hitchhiker's trailer launched. Kind of.
Today, the trailer for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy film was launched on Amazon.com.
We've spent the morning trying to get it work, but it just doesn't. Perhaps it's karmic revenge for us launching the new Doctor Who trailer in troublesome Real Player.
Ah well - good luck everyone, and tell us if it's any good.
Send us your comment now. We'll publish the best on this page.
Jonathan
Hi - Saw the press preview the other day and must say I thought the film was excellent. I've been a hughe fan of HHGG all my life and the film had a lot of expectations to live up to and surpassed all of them. Well done Nick & Garth
Chris Mankey
Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. What the zark have they done? They've turned it into a Hollywood film. It has flashy special effects and things that go "whoosh" and lots of Americans and a glowy thumb and cheesy music and more things that go "whooshe vo".
Oh no ford prefect is black and they cut out the part with Tom Bombadil, oh wait... You poor whiney geeks need to lighten up. It could be good, hope it is. But to decide that it sucks two months ahead of time indicates that you may need to play world of warcraft less often.
Woody
Looks good to me, nice to see a different spin on things. Martin is perfect as Arthur, can't wait to hear Stephen Fry as the book. The book actually looks like an Apple Powerbook (titanium) held sideways. They're using that voiceover guy whose voice comes from deep within his boots - its good to know he's getting regular work at least I suppose...
JonathanEx
Such a pity so many people are having problems seeing it, as I've seen it perfectly several times, and think it's wonderful.
The clips in there have eased every worry about how it will look, how the characters are and everything.
It is a bit cobbled together, but the footage is all good.
I have heard from test screening viewers that "Journey of the Sorceror" is used, which to me, sums it up completely. It is the Hitchhikers Guide.
Jon
The slapstick stuff at the end has a very funny reason for happening... it's definitely a very "Douglas Adams" notion. All the stuff that's new and different in the movie was written by Douglas anyway. It's been updated to fit with the times, which in my opinion is good.
Craig
Very impressed. Yes it's americanised, yes it's hollywood, but every version of HHHGTTG is different. This is just the big hollywood version. The effects look sensational, the humour is still there and I for one can't wait to hear some new original DNA material! Roll on April 29th!
Anon
This film rocks - 'Greek Style'
Jo
Got it to work first go, but my work computer doesn't have sound, so I didn't get any of the gravelly voice-over bits. Looking a lot better than I had imagined - I enjoyed the quick flash of Zaphod's second head (blink and you miss it...) There is no way it can please everybody (particularly those of us who know it off by heart...), but I have a lot of hope.
Parrott
Absolute Genius.
Anyone expecting it to be the same as the Book/TV Series/Loo Roll has been hiding their head in the sand. This is better than I expected....
anom
I think it looks fantastic, the planet factory looks stunning and the actors are well cast. I think it will be a massive hit
Anonymous
Please note this is the flashy American trailer, the britsh one is yet to come..
Pete
Wow! This looks like it will be excellent. A refreshing change from the norm. The effects look fantastic! Big Thumbs up for all the British crew that did it!
Paul
I have a very bad feeling about this movie. Looks very americanised, to much slapstick and non-subtle "jokes" like Marvin's head the size and shape of a planet are just aimed at a US audience. Only a really hot strong cup of tea could save this from being the flop of the year. Not getting you down am I?
Red Tim
Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. What the zark have they done? They've turned it into a Hollywood film. It has flashy special effects and things that go "whoosh" and lots of Americans and a glowy thumb and cheesy music and more things that go "whoosh". The voiceover is done by that gravelly bloke who does all the voiceovers for cheap films. I *really* hope this trailer is supposed to be ironic.
On the plus side, Martin Freeman is the perfect Arthur Dent (well, maybe not as good as Simon Jones...)
Mike Rouse-Deane
Haven't a clue how to access it nor watch it. I'll have to wait until it gets released elsewhere...
Evonne Okafor
I am sorry but the trailer did not do it for me , so it loooks like I will be sticking to the TV version!
Helen
Got it to work and wished I hadn't. I had treasured memories of the original. Trust the film industry to take something wonderful and wreck it I mean where is Zaphod's 2nd head? and why use some of the music from MIB in the trailer??? Let's hope the trailer is not indicative of the whole film.
Thomas Calvert
OH NO! Great idea to have a new film, but by putting it in the hands of the AMERICANS we seem to have Starwars meets bad boys.
Rebecca
Looks fantastic! No it's not _quite_ the same as the radio... or the book, which was different from the radio... or the TV show that was different from the book... or the game... or the... wait. I guess there's room to be at least a little creative, isn't there? Arthur seems to be cast very well, and I'm not sure about his head, but Zaphod definitely has a 3rd arm! Looking forward to it!
Martin Winchester
To be spoken in the style of the shipping forcast...
Ford, Marvin, Jodrall Bank, moderate to good.
Zaphod, Heart of Gold, mainly fair.
Guide, Vogons, mainly poor.
Paul
Worked straight away. But its got VOICEOVERMAN, doing his usual stuff. I just don't understand why they think that is necessary?
Tom
Works fine now.
Steven
Ford seems to have turned into a cross between the Cat and Captain Jack Sparrow...
Phil Colvin
Works for me... Great trailer, a combination of classy CGI and reassuring cheapness. The final scene looks suspisously like the acclaimed BBC shooting location "the quarry" as seen in Doctor Who and the original Hitchhiker's Series. Even Mos Def is sounding good.
Paul Blewett
Had buffering problems whilst trying to watch it but I got the general gist - looks very impressive, lets hope it is!
Mark
Works perfectly for me and looks lovely. Bit of a rubbish trailer but the film looks good (if you know what I mean).
John Darling
Wow! that was so incredibly hoopy! I hope this works for you later; it works fine in Canada. And I have to tell you this was the second best thing to happen on the internet since the word broke of The Doctor Who Teaser.... Now I can believe they got it right. And wait till you see how they worked in the extra head...
Tony Clark
Looks fantastic.
It seems very odd to hear such well known lines delivered by yet another set of actors ( first radio, then TV ), but I think it will go down well.
James Thresher
I don't know about the Cult team's technical problems, but I had no difficulty in watching the trailer. Its not great, but then I would say I was always going to be intrigued enough to go see a Hitchhiker's film, even without a trailer. Martin Freeman looks like he was a good choice to play Arthur Dent - can't say I am convinced by any of the others though. And the Guide itself - looks curiously like something Microsoft and the makers of Star Trek: TNG have come up with...
Jon Coupe
Trailer worked first time for me. Ho Hum. In a word, brilliant. Looking forward to this more than ever now. Even Mos Def could be inspired casting. And most important: it answers the question of where Zaphod's 3rd arm and 2nd head are - I've been seriously worried!
simon millard
Clip worked first time for me.
Very interesting and brings the story up to date, effects wise.
As long as it remains faithful to the book(s), whatever version your read, it will be a must for all Hitch-Hiker fans across the universe.
Trevor Knight
Don't Panic! The trailer works. First glimpses look impressive. The music is a little more Hoolywood Sci Fi blockbuster than quirky Radiophonic Workshop and the effects have clearly been influenced by Independence Day - but its very funny. The actors seem to fit the characters well and the story is recognisably Hitch-hikers. Marvin may look a little cuter than anticipated, but the kids will like him. No sign of towel, a cup of tea and a fairy cake...though there's only so much can be crammed into 60 seconds. Now I can't wait to hear Stephen Fry as the book.
Stephen
I did get it to work. Wish I had'nt. Thunderbirds was bad, this is worse. Watching this movie will be like being strapped in front of the Total Perspective Vortex in IMAX.
The only way to make it worse, would be to have Tom Cruise as Arthur, and Schwarzenegger as Zaphod!
Now Holywood can do a movie of Red Dwarf, except set it in New York and Lister's a cab driver, played by the guy who did Joey from friends.....
In Short, Douglas is now grave turning.
Adam
That looked good...up until I saw Zaphod's head...
Cris Robson
I got to see it and I have to say that it looks like its all that I could have hoped for. The original runups looked bland - the teaser was uninspired, however this trailer actually makes me REALLY want to see this film soon as possible. Retro modern and the characters look excellent!
Brian
Strangely I got it to work first time. It looks silly and Martin Freeman looks like Arthur. Unfortunately you don't get to hear Marvin, so he just looks like a ping pong ball gone bad and I'm not convinced by Zaphod. They seem to be hiding his extra head and arm. I'm now on the hunt for a better quality version.
Bob Grist
A little patience and the trailer begins. Well, the effects look fantastic but the proof in the pudding is just how well this new set of actors fill the shoes (or carpet slippers) of the original and wonderful cast. Sam Rockwell was great in Galaxy Quest, but it takes a special, froody kind of guy to play the great and cool Zaphod Beeblebrox. I'm kind of okay with Martin Freeman as Arthur, though, as at least he's British! Here's hoping, but I'll definitely be sucking out the fruit-juice from my towel in the front row of the audiance when the film comes out.
Jonathan
It looks fantastic! I say "looks" because I couldn't get any sound. Stuff Dr Who, Bring back Blakes 7!
Martin
Finally got it to work. Not much of the actual Guide in the trailer - we see it, but don;t hear it speak, and there's some annoying comedy music and a bad slapstick moment to end the trail with. Looks impressive though - and context is everything so perhaps these isolated moments look better in the finished film. Still hoping they'll use " Journey to the Sorceror ".
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