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May 12, 2005
Hiking and Hitchhiking
I went on my second long hike last Saturday, around Lough Iolar and up Tonelagee, again with Min, Jim, and Al. It was a good 10km walk, over slightly boggy ground - not surprising, as we were in Wicklow - in pleasant, if changable weather. We had good visibility, occassional sunshine and a stiff breeze.
Lough Iolar was beautiful. It is not the best named place, as there wasn't an eagle in sight, and the lake was only at 500m above sea level. However, Tonelagee is very well named. In Irish it is called Tóin le Gaoith and it was windy up there. It was cold too, and we were treated to hailstones once or twice. The hike up was worth it though: there were some fantastic views.
On Sunday, I took it easy, met some friends for lunch, and went to see the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. There has been some debate, regarding the changes made to the movie, and the material that was left out. For example the Golgafrincham B-Ark was left out. Some fans think that the changes ruined the movie, and many miss their favourite jokes. However, I really enjoyed the movie. The changes were in the spirit of the books and the TV series (I haven't heard the radio series yet), with the same jabs at human nature and same attention to detail. The trip to Vogosphere was hilarious, with a subtle hint at the origin of the Vogons' bureaucratic nature. Casting was near perfect, in particular for, Alan Rickman, as Marvin, and Stephen Fry as the Guide Narrator. The only actor that didn't fit was John Malkovich. He just wasn't funny. Overall, though, the movie is funny, enjoyable, and true to the spirit of Douglas Adams's creation. Go see it.
Posted by JohnC at May 12, 2005 09:31 PM