Thursday, June 02, 2005

“It must be Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursdays.”

The Movie: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, 2005 (Douglas Adams and Karey Kirkpatrick, screenwriters, from the radio play/novel/TV miniseries/video game/etc. by Adams; Garth Jennings, dir.)
Who says it: Martin Freeman as earthman Arthur Dent
The context: Dent’s best friend, Ford Prefect (Mos Def), has just explained that he, Ford, is an intergalactic visitor, and that the two of them must leave Earth immediately because it’s about to be destroyed.
How to use it: On Thursdays, mainly, but it might be funnier on any other day of the week.

I liked this movie, and don't send me howling e-mails about how the filmmakers betrayed Adams' vision. It was goofy and entertaining, and Alan Rickman as Marvin is worth the price of admission all by himself. (True if pointless fact: the first American performance of the theatrical version of "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" was at Georgetown University in the fall of 1982, by the student-run DB Productions, now known as Nomadic Theatre. Most of the cast were my dorm-mates at Xavier Hall, aka the Arts Hall Project. Mike Schwartz was almost as good as Marvin, but the movie character's costume is better.)

The sun is back, and the lilacs are in full bloom. The air smells like lilacs and fresh-mown grass, and I didn't wear The Coat this morning. Summer might not be here yet, but spring is finally underway.

I'd been toying with the idea of trying to go to New York this weekend for BookExpo, but it's not going to happen. My June travel schedule is officially out of control. This will be the only weekend I'll have at home until mid-July. I'd think about getting some plants for my deck, but no one would be here to water them.

2 comments:

elyce said...

When were you in the Arts Hall Project? I lived there 1976-1978 and was much present for several years after that. I think it was only around for about 4-5 years total?

Ellen Clair Lamb said...

I was indeed, 1982-83.