Don't Panic: Douglas Adams & The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Neil Gaiman

Tying in with the release of Eoin Colfer's And Another Thing…, the sixth book in the ever-expanding and prematurely designated The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy and the first not written by Douglas Adams, as well as the 30th anniversary of the first The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy novel, which was written by Adams, comes the newly updated Don't Panic: Douglas Adams & The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Neil Gaiman. Originally published in 1988, Don't Panic has been updated over the years by David K. Dickson (chapters 24-26 in 1993), M. J. Simpson (chapters 27-30 and an edit of the entire text in 2002), and Guy Adams (chapters 31-37 and a revision of chapter 30 and appendix ii in 2009). Gaiman et al. have created a very informative book detailing the life of Douglas Adams and his work, particularly the many incarnations of H2G2.

Mainly through interviews with a number of the participants, Gaiman charts Adams' life and his writing career. Adams followed in the footsteps of British comedians like John Cleese by attending Cambridge and joining its theatrical club Footlights. This time would prove to be fruitful because even though he clashed with many in the group, he was befriended by Simon Jones (Arthur Dent in the radio and television series) and John Lloyd, who co-wrote the last two episodes of the first radio series, was an associate producer on the television series, and went on to produce of popular British comedy series Not the Nine O'Clock News and Black Adder. It was also through Footlights that Adams met and got a job writing with alum Graham Chapman for about 18 months.

Adams had a little success creating sketches for radio programs and then became busier than he could imagine as the first H2G2 radio series was commissioned, quickly followed by a four-part Doctor Who episode and soon after an offer to be a script editor, which he accepted.

H2G2 was a great success everyone wanted a piece of it. While unable to lay claim to Howard Stern's self-anointed "King of All Media," Adams oversaw H2G2's transition into a multitude of formats with varying levels of involvement and success: stage, record, books, TV, computer game, comic book, and a movie from a screenplay he begun that came out four years after his death. Adams' perspective in hindsight on what worked and what didn't is very interesting.

One consistency that runs through the different versions of H2G2 is inconsistency in the story, and Gaiman takes the readers behind the scenes to show Adams tweaking things to improve them or to fit the format because what works in radio doesn't always work on television and what works on television doesn’t always work in a book. Passages of completed scripts and deleted scenes from early drafts are scattered throughout the book.

Adams continued the H2G2 adventures in a second radio series as well as in books, the third of which (Life, the Universe and Everything) took a plotline from a potential Doctor Who film with Tom Baker that never materialized. An excerpt of the treatment appears as an appendix and is a rare treat for fans of either persuasion. Don't Panic also details the other material Adams worked on over the years, such as the Dirk Gently books and the radio documentary Last Chance to See.

Gaiman told the story up to 1987 but it didn’t end there. The new additions to Don't Panic cover Adams' work up until his death of a heart attack in 2001 and beyond as others stepped in to pick up the reigns and continue the H2G2 legacy.

For those interested in the story behind the stories, Don't Panic is a great resource. Gaiman has a similar sense of humor to Adams, and it comes through in his writing, which adds to the pleasure of reading the book. After a towel, Don't Panic "is the most massively useful thing" an H2G2 fan can have.

BEOWULF Director's Cut (HD DVD)

Young students might not heed Alvy Singer’s advice in Annie Hall about not taking “any course where they make you read Beowulf” because Robert Zemeckis has delivered an exciting adventure epic that will likely draw some to the source; however, they better not rely on only seeing the movie before the big test because screenwriters Roger Avary and Neil Gaiman have altered the story a great deal.

Set in Denmark 507 A.D., the festivities of King Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins) and his subjects upset the monster Grendel (Crispin Glover). It storms into the celebration hall, literally tearing the place and the people apart. When challenged by the King, it pauses and then retreats. The King offers half his fortune to anyone who will kill Grendel. Beowulf (Ray Winstone) answers the call.

After regaling the people with a tale of fighting against massive sea serpents, he and his men prepare themselves. Being a man of great honor, he gets naked to fairly fight Grendel since the creature has no weapons. Grendel is drawn out and a great battle ensues with Beowulf triumphant. Grendel’s mother (Angelina Jolie), a water demon, seeks revenge for her loss. During the night, she kills all Beowulf’s men but leaves him alive, which seemed awfully convenient.

Beowulf goes to her lair and confronts her, but he ends up falling for her charms. She offers him power and glory. In exchange she wants a son to replace the one he took and the King’s chalice. She promises that as long as the chalice is in her possession, Beowulf will be safe. Beowulf returns with lies about defeating Grendel’s mother, but the King knows the truth. With no heirs, the King determines that Beowulf will be the new king, and then he proceeds to throw himself from castle.

Many years go by, and on the anniversary of Beowulf’s triumph over Grendel the King’s chalice reappears. Soon after, a dragon attacks, claiming it seeks its father. Beowulf tries to return the cup but it’s too late. The film closes with a great climax as Beowulf attempts to protect his people from the dragon.

Avary and Gaiman have made a number of alterations to Beowulf. While they do create a more cohesive whole out of the poem’s three major events in comparison, some of their choices completely alter the story. The most drastic is Beowulf’s character. In the poem, he is a hero in the classic tradition, but here he is a flawed man. For example, he kills Grendel’s mother. He doesn’t succumb to her charms and all that they offer. Fans of the poem may well be disappointed with the change, but the story does work as presented.

Zemeckis brings the tale of Beowulf to life with the motion capture technology he used in The Polar Express. Improvements have been made, although there are still moments where the combination of live action and CGI tricks the eye into not being sure what it sees. The characters look very much like their real-life counterparts, so much so at times it seems like it’s actually them, which takes the viewer out of the moment. The technology is great at creating huge scale and scope, and many scenes are jaw-droppingly gorgeous to witness. Unfortunately, there is still trouble capturing the little things like eyes.

HD DVD is the perfect format for the film. The picture looks flawless throughout. The colors are fantastic and the detail is stunning, Grendel's scales being a perfect illustration. The 5.1 Surround is used to full advantage and immerses the viewer in the film. You'll find yourself ducking during the fight scenes. Even though the format is dead, Beowulf is a must-have for those with the system. It sets the bar for Best DVD of 2008 and is one you will pop in to impress your friends.

The HD special features are excellent for anyone interested in the filmmaking process, especially the technical side. As impressive picture-in-picture display shows the scenes play out with the actors in the studio, except Jolie, rigged up so their movements could be caught by 240 receptors. Early effects footage and storyboard also appear.

“A Hero’s Journey: The Making of Beowulf” provides a better look at the cast and crew on set. They all have to approach their craft differently because of what the technology dictates. Different aspects of the film crew’s work can be accessed during this feature and in others.

Leading the charge is Zemeckis, who has an amazing amount to deal with as he attempts to create his vision. In one feature he sits down with USC students after the first 3D screening to answer questions. While Beowulf may not have equaled the Academy Award Best Picture nominees, Zemeckis is on display performing one of 2007’s best directing jobs without question.

STARDUST (2007) (HD DVD)

Writer/director Matthew Vaughn and co-screenwriter Jane Goldman have created a fun fairy tale based on the graphic novel by Neil Gaiman illustrated by Charles Vess. Fans of the novel will notice changes in the adaptation, but if they are acceptable to Gaiman (“those places where they changed things to make it work as a movie, work just fine.”), they shouldn’t cause too much of a fuss.

The story is set 150 years ago and takes place in the English village of Wall and the magical land of Stormhold. A chance meeting and passionate evening between Dunstan, a young Wall lad, and Una, a young Stormhold lass, produces the infant boy Tristan who is left on Dunstan’s doorstep.

Eighteen years later, The King of Stormhold is on his deathbed. He gathers his remaining sons and tells them the new King will be determined by whoever recovers a ruby necklace. When the king takes it off, the necklace flies off into the night sky, dislodging a star, and both plummet to the ground.

That same evening in Wall, Tristan, who has grown into an awkward young man, is attempting to woo the hand of Victoria, who is only interested in the gifts he has to offer. They notice the falling star, and in attempt to prove his love Tristan proclaims that he will retrieve the star for her. When he finds the star, he discovers she is a young woman named Yvaine, who put on the King’s necklace before Tristan arrived, but he doesn’t let that sway his plans to present the star to Victoria. Yet, things don’t go as he planned. Yvaine has no desire to follow him, and as he will soon discover Lamia the witch is in pursuit of the star because a star’s heart grants immortality.

Being a fairy tale, the “happily ever after” ending isn’t surprising, but the journey is engaging and well worth taking. Stardust is filled with action, adventure, and good humor, and the plot takes interesting and believably motivated turns. The only thing that keeps it from being recommended to all families is the slightly risqué nature of the character Captain Shakespeare.

The Special Features include “Good Omens,” an informative, 30-minute feature that examines the making of the film from different departments and the theatrical trailer presented in HD, and available in SD are understandably deleted scenes that are uncorrected and a blooper reel.

The DVD is presented in 1080p High Definition. The production team made great use of color and the UK countryside. The transfer looks very good but not great, in part because of the director’s choice to shoot with a soft focus at times. This accentuates the film’s fairy tale look, but at times causes the lines to lose their clear, sharp distinction. The audio is Dolby Digital Plus 5.1. The loudness of the music and actions scenes can be a little too much in comparison to the quieter moments, but appears to be the current norm for most Hollywood productions.

STARDUST

Stardust, Mathew Vaughn’s adaptation of the graphic novel by Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess, is a marvelous fairy tale the likes of which haven’t been seen on the silver screen since Rob Reiner’s The Princess Bride. It is filled with whimsy and menace and laughter, yet at its core is a love story.

Tristan is an awkward young man trying to woo the hand of the pretty Victoria who has no interest. When he hears she is getting married to a rival, he offers to prove his devotion and worth by fetching a falling star and returning with it for her birthday. He leaves the protective boundaries of the village of Wall and heads into the land of Stormhold where he encounters all sorts of magical and mysterious things, including unicorns, sky pirates, and most importantly, the true meaning of love.

When Tristan finds the star, it turns out to be a young maiden named Yvaine. She has no interest in becoming someone’s gift and is rather perturbed about being knocked out of the sky. What dislodges her is a magical jeweled necklace that determines the ruler of Stormhold. It flew out of the hands of the dying King and his sons now seek it to see who is the heir to the throne. Ghosts of the King’s sons also have a vested interest as they are stuck on Earth until the new King is crowned. The quest is made all the more difficult as Yvaine found the necklace lying next to her and put it on before leaving with Tristan.

The path home is made even more difficult as Tristan isn’t the only one who saw Yvaine fall from the sky. Three sister witches do as well and they also have plans to find her and bring her home although their reasons are sinister: when eaten, the heart of a star is a source of longevity and youth. Lamia takes the last they have and ventures out; however, each time she uses magic her appearance returns to her true state.

While all the elements of Stardust are very familiar archetypes from fantasy and fairy tales, they don’t come off as tired clichés. Of course, all the plot lines converge, but do so in a believable way. Vaughn and co-screenwriter Jane Goldman do justice to the graphic novel, although fans of it should know there are numerous changes. However, both Gaiman (“I think it's a lovely movie, and that it's a movie, not a book, and those places where they changed things to make it work as a movie, work just fine”) and Vess (“[they] have managed to capture the essence of the novel and then have skillfully edited as well as extended plot and characters where needed to transform those elements from one medium to another”) are quite fine with the results.

Every moment on screen works. It is so rare anymore when every line, every look of an actor, has purpose and isn’t filler. Michelle Pfieffer’s Lamia deserves to be added to the pantheon of movie witches. Robert DeNiro’s comedic turn as Captain Shakespeare is one of the funniest roles he’s had. Even smaller parts like Mark Williams as a goat turned human and pirates with one line are memorable.

Stardust is a grand fantasy adventure and one of the better films of the summer. Not only do I want to tell people to go see, I want to bring them. While rated PG-13, it’s a very good family film for most. Kids and kids-at-heart will enjoy it.

COMIC CON 2007, Day Two Friday 27th

Two nights, two days, in the solid deep-sea swell / he drifted, many times awaiting death.
The Odyssey, Book V, 11.388-89
Homer

Friday was Star Wars Day at Comic Con, although for some attendees that’s every day considering Star Wars costumes appeared to be the most abundant throughout the event. Panels covered upcoming Star Wars books toys, and computer games. There was also a trivia contest, a panel about its 30 years as a pop-culture phenomenon and a look at Robot Chicken: Star Wars.

Warner Bros started off the studio presentations. First up was Get Smart. Steve Carrell and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson got big hands when they came out, but the ovation Masi Oka received made clear Heroes fans were in the house. I was very leery when I heard this project announced but after seeing the presentation, Get Smart should do very well. The clips presented plenty of humor with intense action.

Before clips from The Invasion, the latest remake of Jack Finney’s Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Nicole Kidman appeared in a pre-recorded message to say hello from Australia where she was working with Baz Luhrmann. She seemed under the impression that all in attendance were young children as she spoke about how far away she was.

If you ask about the greatest panel at Comic Con, four people will consider it to be One Missed Call, the American version of the Japanese horror film Chakushin Ari. That’s because panelists Ed Burns and Shannyn Sossamon, who seemed slightly terrified, gave them iPhones for coming up and asking questions. The trailer for Roland Emmerich’s 10,000 B.C. was a blur and made the film look terrible. The cuts were so fast images were barely decipherable. It appeared as if they were trying to cover the CGI special effects.

Another trailer that suffered from a bad edit was Whiteout, based on the graphic novel by Greg Rucka and artist Steve Lieber. Rucka was present as was producer Joel Silver and director Dominic Sena, who came off as a bit of an oaf when his response to a very young boy’s question about high jinks on the set included the word “dildo.” The star of the film is Kate Beckinsdale, a fanboy favorite particularly for her work in the Underworld movies and because she’s hot. She was late due to traffic, but her fans didn’t care. Many cameras flashed as she strode across the stage. She was flirtatious and risqué, almost over-the-top in her efforts to be sexual. It came off as a tad silly, but a good way to keep your fan base is to give the illusion they actually have a shot at sleeping with you. It worked for most in the audience who I am sure ran her responses through their minds during their “alone time” that evening.

One of the most anticipated projects is the adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons Watchmen. I can’t fathom it as a theatrical release because the scope of the material is more suited to a miniseries, but director Zack Snyder has earned some capital after his brilliant work on Frank Miller’s 300. He has a great attitude and is respectful of the material. His hope for the project is for Moore to think they didn’t fuck it up too badly.

I enjoy the writing and ramblings of author Neil Gaiman, so after securing my lunch, a tasty Mexican salad and a side of onion rings, from the concessions in the showroom, I made sure to get a seat for that event by the only way to guarantee it at Comic Con: I sat in on the previous panel. It was Sony Pictures Television/Kids’ WB: The Spectacular Spider-Man, another animated take on the wall-crawler. Some of the creators behind this version worked on the animated series Gargoyles, and their fans showed up with questions. The audience seemed content with Spider-Man’s new look, but it’s terrible. The body looked unnatural at different angles, giant thigh muscles and weird edges around knees and elbows. I don’t understand the need to reinvent the wheel. Hopefully the stories will overcome the visuals.

Gaiman packed the room. Fans had to be constantly swept out of the aisles and from along the walls by the staff. Some were left outside shouting about the injustice of not being let in. Gaiman held court by himself, talking about the status of projects. Most of what he talked about regarding film work he covered at the Paramount Panel. He still hopes to begin directing Death: The High Cost of Living and Terry Gilliam needs $70 million to shoot Good Omens. He also discussed how Comic Con has changed over the years. He was very entertaining and opened the floor very early to allow as many people as possible to ask questions. A lot of aspiring writers were curious about where his ideas come from or how someone can be a professional writer. He did pass on excellent advice that he heard: when you sit down to write, you can either do nothing or write. No playing on the computer, no cleaning up the office, nothing, but those two options.

When the session ended, a new group of rapid fans lined the convention hall eager to see a script reading of American Dad. I wonder how the visual jokes will translate. I tried to catch the end of Marvel Comics in the 60s and 70s, but the entrepreneurs/artists in line for Business of Web Comics got cranky when I approached the door.

While the new and current are understandably in vogue, Comic Con does do a good job of honoring the old-timers. Aside from the old Marvel Guys, Friday saw 25th Anniversary looks at both the Hernandez Brothers Love and Rockets and Dave Stevens The Rocketeer. Spotlights were also placed on Allen Bellman, who started drawing backgrounds for Captain America in the 1940s, George Gladir, Archie Comics writer for almost 50 years, and Mel Keefer, who worked on newspaper syndicated comic strips.

With so much to see, there’s only so much one man can cover. Fellow Snob Tio Esquelto reported in from the Dimension Films: Halloween and The Mist panels. Director Rob Zombie came off as if he didn’t want to be there. Certainly not a great way to sell a film about to released in a few weeks and may speak to his thoughts about the end result of the project. During The Mist, a young man asked Thomas Jane if he wanted to discuss his departure from The Punisher franchise. He responded, “No.”

I attended The Jim Henson Company panel and they had a lot of projects of interest. Fans of Farscape, Fraggle Rock, and Dark Crystal all have something to look forward to. My favorite was a hysterical project called Tinseltown about a gay couple, a pig named Bobby and a goat named Samson, living and working in Hollywood. Everyone else in the show is a real person. A pilot is being created for Logo, a gay-themed channel, but I don’t see why they should restrict or limit their potential audience. It was so funny it could work on networks or cable channels with a larger audience.

Skrumps, a digital show based on a toyline, appears at Yahoo! Kids. While the characters aren’t visually interesting, the technology behind it is fascinating. They perform puppetry combined with motion capture to create real-time visuals on screen. This allows for live interaction and improvisation in the performance. The Henson gang’s improv skills are also on display in Puppet Up! Uncensored, a live sketch show that currently plays in Hollywood. You can watch the puppets on the monitor or the performers on stage.

The showroom remained just as busy as Thursday. The sea change in celebrity status was on display as Oka from Heroes had a couple of bodyguards while John de Lancie, who played Q in the Star Trek franchise, wandered alone and unnoticed. The channel G4 was broadcasting from the show floor, getting the crowd to cheer into and back from breaks. I had to meet friends for dinner so I was disappointed to miss special effects legend Ray Harryhausen provide a live commentary to 20 Million Miles to Earth in honor of its 50th Anniversary.

The evening programming had a lot to offer. There was a screening of the Doctor Strange DVD, the Sci-Fi Channel’s Eureka and Who Wants to Be a Superhero!, and a play set aboard a Klingon ship. The first two Pirates of the Caribbean films were screened as were the first three X-Men films. The night concluded with a 1am screening of Swamp Thing.

The highlight of the convention was Jerry Beck from Cartoon Brew.com with his Worst Cartoons Ever! Fans of this event were happy to see the return of Mighty Mr. Titan, who teaches exercise, and other heroes like Super President, Rocket Robin Hood, and Johnny Cypher in Dimension Zero. If you attended last year you can see the further, albeit brief, adventures of Spunky & Tadpole. New to fold were Moon Mullins, a comic strip given the Clutch Cargo treatment, and Sam Bassett, Hero for Hire, a dog detective that works with a Chihuahua that only communicates through his guitar playing. For all the cartoons, the animation is usually poor, the stories nonsensical, and there are always unintended moments of comedy from potential homoerotic behavior and racial insensitivity.

Two award ceremonies were held on Friday night. The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, honoring excellence in the field of comic books, was held at the convention center while the lesser-known yet more exclusive Forcey Awards banquet, covering many fields of pop culture, was held at the Holiday Inn. Results for both can be found online.

Cringe-inducing question of the day: During The Spectacular Spider-Man session, a gawky young man, either looking for his moment of fame or too stupid to understand who he was talking to, asked why Spider-Man 3 sucked so bad.