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Am I the only one who's frothing at the mouth to see this movie? When I realized it was coming out Friday, I was just incredibly happy.
I'm not a fan of Keanu, but I love Philip K. Dick. And it just LOOKS cool. I want to read the book, but at the same time, I kind of want to see the movie first. Because I've read a lot of his books already, and I dunno, this just seems like one I should see on the big screen first.
Especially since drugs are involved. I read one of his descriptions of an acid trip, and it scared me to death. It is, quite honestly, the most frightening thing I've ever read. So I really don't want to leave my mind to its own devices with this one.
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I was very excited when I saw a poster for this a couple of weeks ago, because I have loved everything I've read by Dick, I've always heard this particular book talked about highly, and I harbor a not-so-hidden crush on Winona Ryder.
So I went out and bought the book. I'm about two-thirds of the way through it . . . and I pretty much hate it. Previously, I'd read a couple of his novels and at least a couple dozen of his short stories. I considered his only rival when it came to writing short stories that blew my mind to be OSC. But I hate pretty much every character in this book, and I find it depressing. In my opinion, this might be a case where this book is overrated because of how enamored of Dick the drug counterculture of the sixties and beyond was.
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It WAS coming out in October, I found out it wasn't when I saw the book in the book store yesterday... they were all stocked up on a new edition that announced it was Now A Major Motion Picture. I was surprised. I'm excited to see it, if not because I am in love with PKD's stuff, then because all I need in a movie is cool visuals to make me like it Posts: 3636 | Registered: Oct 2001
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Well, I've read the book many times. And this looks absolutely pathetic, as an adaptation -- like they completely missed the point.
"7 years in the future, the government will be watching us all..."
Uh -- huh?
It sounds like you're more a fan of movies based on the writing of Philip K. Dick, rather than on the writing itself? Just curious...
Posts: 2267 | Registered: May 2005
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No, I've read a ton of his books. Actually, I don't think I've read any of his stories from which movies have been made. I think my favorite is Lies, Inc.
And in all honesty, from the last trailer I saw, it doesn't look like "the government is watching us all." It looks like a reality-bending kinda thing, which, from what I know about the book, is pretty much on the money.
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The original quote that the title is based on comes from the Bible:
For now we see through a glass, darkly ...
Clearly, "darkly" is an adverb modifying the verb "to see". The grammar is just fine. Your confusion stems from the fact that the quote is truncated to remove the verb, and you didn't get the reference Posts: 1907 | Registered: Feb 2000
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A scanner darkly stalked through the door of the computer parts store and angrily shot all of the employees for oppressing computer hardware and peripherals. See, that made perfect sense, grammatically.
The only book of his I've read is Ubik. Then again, that's the only book of his I've ever gotten the chance to read.
Posts: 283 | Registered: Jul 2006
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Ohhh, I love that one. If I still hadn't had so much of his I need to read, I'd say it was my favorite.
Posts: 3636 | Registered: Oct 2001
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Ohh, from what I remember theres a big difference between the first and second half. I liked all the different people who were mooshed together into this grand conspiracy that they don't understand. I thought it was interesting how everything is explained. I actually don't remember specific reasons/explanations, it has been a while since I've read it.
But also, it seems that our taste in movies and books tends to differ, so I'm not sure if you'd enjoy the rest Posts: 3636 | Registered: Oct 2001
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Actually, i've had trouble getting into *all* the Philip K. Dick stories i've started. Except, for some reason, Radio Free Albemuth, which i just loved and sped right through.
Posts: 3516 | Registered: Sep 2002
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No, but i think i'd probably like them...most of the movies of his are based off the short stories, no? I know "Do Andriods Dream of Electric Sheep" is Blade Runner...
Posts: 3516 | Registered: Sep 2002
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That's strange, Icky, cause I feel like every time I've said I enjoyed something, you've said you didn't, or vice versa! I specifically remember this about Les Miserables... I know there was a book or author too and a movie and I really wish now that I remember what they were >.< Maybe this is just a strange and irrational impression my brain made up. Who knows!
Posts: 3636 | Registered: Oct 2001
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I might be wrong here, but kind of sounds like Myrddin and Icarus are talking about different books.
When Myr said "Ohhh, I love that one." I thought she (he?) was referring to Ubik, which Gwen mentioned in the previous post. Then it sounds like Icarus is referring to A Scanner Darkly, because of his aforementioned dislike of the first half of the book.
Of course, I probably have this all wrong, but just suggesting it.
Posts: 2054 | Registered: Nov 2005
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Ah, you may be right. I was definitely talking about A Scanner Darkly.
Myrd, it's true I don't like Les Miserables, but I have very specific tastes in musicals, and there's a lot of stuff that is widely beloved that I don't care for, like most ALW, and like Into the Woods. But we both like musicals, as a genre at least, and we both like Disney. (And didn't you say you loved Wicked?)
Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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quote:Originally posted by Leonide: No, but i think i'd probably like them...most of the movies of his are based off the short stories, no? I know "Do Andriods Dream of Electric Sheep" is Blade Runner...
Yes, but DADoES? is a novel.
Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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Paycheck was a short story. I have one of the 5 volumes that has all of his short stories and it's in it. It was very different from the movie, though I didn't really like the movie to begin with and I did enjoy the story.
Posts: 2054 | Registered: Nov 2005
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quote: Ah, you may be right. I was definitely talking about A Scanner Darkly.
D'oh! Oops... yes, I was referring to Ubik I have not read A Scanner Darkly, I've picked it up a few times in the bookstore and flipped through but couldn't get myself interested.
Hehe, yes, I have a definitely soft spot for musicals and Disney. I have never read nor seen Wicked (yet), though I've heard a song or two. They were out of context so it really isn't enough for me to have an opinion yet *grin*
Forum confusion makes me miss chat!
Posts: 3636 | Registered: Oct 2001
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Yeah, i found out Androids was a novel when i did a search this afternoon...I think Greg always insinuated (though probably didn't directly state, knowing me) that it was one of his short stories, so that's probably where i got my (wrong) impression Posts: 3516 | Registered: Sep 2002
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Kids today.... How little they seem to know about the work of Philip K. Dick. In my day, we read Philip K. Dick while walking to school in the snow.
Posts: 2267 | Registered: May 2005
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Watched it recently. It's very good, better then I expected. Robert Downey Jr. is very good in it, and even Keanu turns in an interesting performance. The movie intentionally becomes confusing - for the audience and the characters - at a certain point (you'll know it when you get to that stretch) in an attempt to show how disorienting the technology that is in question makes things.
I was pleasently suprised and I found the "jumpiness" of the production method led to a sort of off-kilter feeling which really enforced the story.
The movie does have it's flaws, some characters go too over the top in order to make their point and come off as though they are in a CDROM game or something, not a hollywood movie. (Woody Harrelson).
Posts: 202 | Registered: Aug 2005
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quote:Originally posted by pH: Am I the only one who's frothing at the mouth to see this movie? When I realized it was coming out Friday, I was just incredibly happy.
When I went to pick up comics on Monday (I know, Monday?), they had a graphic novel version of the book, done either in the style of the movie, or actually using frames from the movie.
I can't wait to see it, though I'll be honest: that wasn't one of my favorite Dick books. I liked Ubik and The Man in the High Tower and Puppet Masters a lot more.
Posts: 12266 | Registered: Jul 2005
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Every time somebody makes one of these Philip K. Dick movies where they seem to completely miss the point of what Philip K. Dick was writing and of who he was, an angel loses its wings.
Posts: 2267 | Registered: May 2005
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For the record, no real Philip K. Dick movies have been made.
The closest thing I think we've ever had to a real PKD movie was 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'.
Posts: 2267 | Registered: May 2005
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No, I'm in a fine mood. I just get aggravated when all those perfectly good angels have to lose their wings for no reason.
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quote:Originally posted by TL: "7 years in the future, the government will be watching us all..."
Uh -- huh?
That quote from the trailer raised an eyebrow with me as well, but I'm hoping that it's a case of the people who made the trailer trying to sell it quickly rather than an accurate representation of the movie. It definitely sounded more like trailer-voiceover than a line of dialogue. I'll be seeing the movie, though I don't think there's ever been a movie based on Dick that was as good as the original story.
quote:Originally posted by TL: "7 years in the future, the government will be watching us all..."
Uh -- huh?
That quote from the trailer raised an eyebrow with me as well, but I'm hoping that it's a case of the people who made the trailer trying to sell it quickly rather than an accurate representation of the movie. It definitely sounded more like trailer-voiceover than a line of dialogue. I'll be seeing the movie, though I don't think there's ever been a movie based on Dick that was as good as the original story.
--Enigmatic
I again point out that the second trailer I saw had nothing to do with "the government will be watching us all."
At any rate, TL, don't blow a gasket.
This is why when I know a cool-looking movie is coming out that's based on a book I haven't read, I wait to read the book until after I see the movie. So that I can enjoy the movie without picking it apart. Then I read the book and think, "Wow, the movie would've been so much cooler if they'd included that, or done this..."
Oh, man. What was the title of the book about the doctor who gets taken into the future? I liked that one. And the Zap Gun. Pretty much the only one I haven't liked is Man in the High Castle.
quote: Oh, man. What was the title of the book about the doctor who gets taken into the future?
Dr. Futurity, I believe. I haven't read it, but I actually just saw it in the library today. Upon further investigation, it appears to be one of the last of his novels to be reprinted in the new trade paperback format. It looks pretty good, but I picked up Counter-clock World instead. Sure, I could've got them both, but I like to spread out the Philip K. Dick goodness over time.
I'm looking forward to the movie, and have been following its progress ever since it was in pre-production. I even started a couple threads about it, but they didn't get much of a response. I'm glad to see that the movie is getting more attention now, but I imagine it will do poorly in the box office. Ah well, hopefully they at least make a profit.
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This and "The Fountain" have been my most anticipated movies for quite a long time. And frustratingly they've each been pushed back forever. The problem when movies keep getting pushed back is that the anticipation keeps building and building, and I'm hoping the movies don't disappoint. So far I trust both directors completely...well, I haven't seen Bad News Bears yet.
Posts: 8741 | Registered: Apr 2001
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I realize that emotion is clouding my judgement on this issue. For the record, I should admit that A Scanner Darkly has been my favorite novel for a long time.
Posts: 2267 | Registered: May 2005
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I'm just wondering where I displayed any ignorance of Philip K. Dick to merit the scorn present in "Ugh. I'm sure you'll all love the movie." Posts: 13680 | Registered: Mar 2002
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Previously, I'd read a couple of his novels and at least a couple dozen of his short stories. I considered his only rival when it came to writing short stories that blew my mind to be OSC. But I hate pretty much every character in this book, and I find it depressing. In my opinion, this might be a case where this book is overrated because of how enamored of Dick the drug counterculture of the sixties and beyond was.![[Dont Know]](graemlins/dontknow.gif)
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TL. I think the book is called "The Man in the High Castle"
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