Ask 'Hitchhiker's Guide' Exec. Producer Robbie Stamp

After nearly three years of waiting, the movie version of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is almost upon us. I've been impressed with the casting, and with the trailers I've seen of the film -- enough that I'm taking the rather unhappy early review posted the other day with a large grain of salt. Now's your chance to ask whatever you'd like of Robbie Stamp, the film's executive producer; we'll pass on to Robbie some of the best questions and publish his answers as soon as he gets them back to us. (As usual, please -- confine yourself to one question per post.)

Comments

What is the answer?

[EnronHaliburton2004]

What is the Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything?

It had to be asked.

Re:What is the answer?

[AviLazar]

"Sorry, please phrase your answer as a Question."

This is Double Jeapardy

Re:What is the answer?

[Nothing Special]

Yes, but nobody would write a joke in Base 13. It just isn't funny.

Re:What is the answer?

[dubl-u]

Yes, but nobody would write a joke in Base 13. It just isn't funny.

But you shouldn't take that to mean that only jokes in base 10 are funny.

You know why programmers confuse Halloween and Christmas? Because OCT 31 = DEC 25.

And no, you're wrong, that really is funny.

The books

[rkrabath]

Can you appreciate Brittish Humor?

MJ Simpson?

[Anonymous Coward]

So is the movie really as bad as MJ Simpson says? You can tell me, I won't tell anyone else if you agree with him.

Panic

[provolt]

While making the movie, did you ever start to panic and then see copy of the guide and realize, "Oh yeah DON'T PANIC"?

Mattresses

[publicenemy23]

On a scale of 1-23, how challenging was the task of casting mattresses for the part of Zem the Mattress? I mean, I've never even seen a talking mattress, I've only read about them in books. Do they have a seperate guild in Los Angeles, or do you have to go abroad to find talent? Enquiring minds want to know.

Oh eBay ....

[EnronHaliburton2004]

I like how eBay tries to sell me '42' items when I search google for 42:

Huge selection, great deals on 42 items.

Zaphod's Head

[pete-classic]

Is Zaphod's other head in his chest because of midichlorians, you bastard?

-Peter

Re:Zaphod's Head

[selectspec]

Is Zaphod's other head in his chest because of midichlorians, you bastard?

A better way to phrase this question:

Once you decided to rape Duglass Adam's by shitting on his original text with countless corruptions, perversions, and flat out misrepresentations such as the hiding of Zaphod's head in the chest, did you feel that a special circle in hell would be reserved for your eternal torment or that your punishment would take the form of some extreme bowel torture here on Earth?

Re:HHGG

[ReverendLoki]

Addendum to the above question:

If you were to make the remaining books into movies, would you try to fit it all into 3 movies? If so, should heralded as the "The Increasingly Innaccurately Described as Increasingly Innaccurately Named Hitchhiker's Trilogy"?

Re:One question

[Rei]

I especially liked the part where Fort convinced the Vorons to take Zipnot to Guildford. All they need now is Anna, a robot ninja from the planet England, and they'll have gotten everything right.

Re: What is the asnwer?

[Thumpnugget]

Are you kidding me? People around here seem to love writing jokes in all your base.

Towels?

[Anonymous Coward]

Is there any mention of towels at ALL in the movie (aside from there not being a Guide entry spoken for them), or will I look like an even bigger dork bringing one with me to the theater?

"Hey, why does that guy bring a towel with him to the movies?"
"Um, I don't know, but let's sit far, far away in case he has to use it for... something."