A Scanner Darkly (2006)

I just stumbled upon this really fascinating little film.
It’s an Adaptation of a Philip K. Dick story that feels more relevant today than ever.

The setting is a future version of the USA where drugs are everywhere, and the latest craze on the street is called Substance D, which basically guarantees it'll split the user's brain into two separate halves.
We follow Bob Arctor, who is both a dealer and a user of this stuff, and Fred, an undercover narcotics cop tasked with bringing Bob down.
The real kicker, though, is that both characters are actually the exact same person.

A bit of a mind-bender, right?

Even if the plot doesn't grab you, the way the movie is actually made definitely will:
It uses this gorgeous digital rotoscoping animation technique that Linklater previously mastered in Waking Life.







That's Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder pictured above, and the cast also features Woody Harrelson and Robert Downey Jr.
Given how heavy the subject matter gets, I wouldn't be surprised if Robert Downey Jr. acted as a sort of unofficial advisor on the project. 😁

You can't get enough of Dick. 😬

Looks solid on paper. But we'll see when it actually drops. 😁Any word on a release date yet?

Sean Lee7 said:Looks promising. But we'll see when we actually see it. 😁 Any word on a release date?

Supposedly this September.

...September? 😲...that's like a hundred years away!! 😁😁
but looking at his other adaptations, I guess this one shouldn't be a total disaster either....

Richard Hernandez13 said:Here’s an interesting little flick.
Adaptation is a timely take on Philip K. Dick.

It’s set in a future USA where drugs are everywhere, and the latest craze is called Substance D—guaranteed to split the user's brain in two.
Bob Arctor is a dealer and a user of this new stuff, while Fred is an undercover narc tasked with catching Bob.
The catch? They're both the same person.

Complicated, right?

I read the book; it’s one of my favorites. By the end, even I was losing track of the identities. 😁
This might actually be the most faithful Dick adaptation out there (besides Blade Runner). Usually, they just grab a title and turn it into a generic action movie.

If the plot isn't enough to hook you, the style certainly will:
It uses advanced digital rotoscoping, a technique Linklater already mastered in Waking Life.

Interesting. Like a high-tech version of Bakshi's Lord of the Rings. I guess.

Standard rotoscoping is honestly such an old-school technique.
I mean, people were already using it way, way before Bakshi's era.

Richard Hernandez13 said:That's Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder up there—plus you've got Woody Harrelson and Robert Downey Jr. in the cast.

And I'm just Mickey Mouse...

The story takes us into a future version of the USA where drugs are absolutely everywhere, and the latest craze hitting the streets is called Substance D, which is guaranteed to split a user's brain right down the middle.
Bob Arctor works as a dealer and a frequent user of this stuff, while Fred is an undercover narcotics officer tasked with bringing Bob to justice.
The real twist, however, is that both characters are actually the exact same person.

This honestly reminds me quite a bit of the script Nicholas Cage wrote for Adaptation, you know, that one involving a killer and a cop—or rather, a story about a dual personality.😁 😁 😁

Richard Hernandez13 said:(Standard) rotoscoping is ancient history.
It was being used way, way before Bakshi.

Zam, I brought up Bakshi because he's the closest example I have.

...and honestly, it’s the most extreme example because, in Lord of the Rings, they just straight-up abuse the rotoscoping technique.

For some reason, this movie's theme just hits me with major RoboCop 2 vibes. Since the author of this story is clearly obsessed with robots too, here's another similarity for you. 😁

Keith Anderson10 said:This really brings to mind that script Nicolas Cage worked on for Adaptation—you know, the one involving the killer and the cop, which was actually more about a split personality.😁 😁 😁

Actually, Charlie Kaufman, the mind behind Adaptation, originally penned the first draft for A Scanner Darkly.
Once Linklater got involved in the project, that particular version was tossed aside.

Keith Anderson10 said:This totally reminds me of that script Nicolas Cage writes in Adaptation—you know, the one about the killer and the cop, or rather, the split personality thing.😁 😁 😁

Believe it or not, Charlie Kaufman (the guy who wrote Adaptation) actually penned an early draft of this movie.

So much for his endless originality... 🙄

The teaser trailer just dropped:

http://www.themoviebox.net/movies/20...,A/trailer.php

It looks pretty damn cool to me. 😎

Richard Hernandez13 said:http://www.themoviebox.net/movies/20...,A/trailer.php

man, this looks seriously good 🙂

hmmm

split personalities, really cool animation style... I guess if you like Philip K. Dick, it's basically a must-watch 👍

Anyone know when this drops?? I checked the theater sites but found nothing. They’re saying the premiere is on the 7th, man, I really hope they don't push it back to autumn. I can't wait.

Just finished the book and, honestly, it's 😲. Can't wait for
.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405296/ - I'm not sure, but let me know when you find out. I'm curious about the cast—Woody Harrelson, Winona Ryder, Keanu Reeves, Sean Allen...
Who actually wrote the book? I'd really like to know...
They’ll probably push it back to autumn, just like they did with Superman, which isn't coming until September. Figures...
Interesting note: Rated R for drug and sexual content, language and a brief violent image.

crimsonmoose3 said:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405296/ - I don't know, but let me know when you find out. Woody Harrelson, Winona Ryder, Keanu Reeves, Sean Allen...
Who wrote the book? I'm curious...
They'll probably push it back to autumn, just like Superman which isn't coming until September. Dammit.
Interesting: Rated R for drug and sexual content, language and a brief violent image.

Philip K. Dick wrote it and it's wild. The guy also wrote "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" which became "Blade Runner," "Minority Report," and some other stories turned into movies, like "Screamers" and "Total Recall." Definitely recommend it. It’s got a pretty good depiction of the junkie scene and addiction, though it doesn't lean too hard on the sex or violence. In the movie, they probably couldn't avoid showing it all.

Reeves isn't my favorite actor, but he's been picking really cool projects lately...

I'm really hoping it hits theaters this summer so I can dodge the crowds 🙂. Yeah, right. Probably won't happen. Whatever.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_k_dick
http://www.philipkdick.com/

Does he also own the rights to Screamers?

Lawrence Booth2 said:Does he also direct Screamers?

Yes, he does.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114367/