Adapted Works of Philip K. Dick
Some are great, some are OK, and some just plain SUCK! Oh, and some havent even come out yet hehe. This will be in ranked order until I get to those.
Projects in the works, but not appearing on imdb:
-VALIS: Also optioned by John Alan Simon. Radio Free Albemuth has to get distribution first, THEN he has to work on Flow My Tears, and THEN perhaps he can get to working on VALIS
-Time Out Of Joint: This one purchased by Warner Bros. No further information at this time.
-The Owl In Daylight: This is no longer listed on imdb and seems to be shelved for now, but its worth mentioning. It was to be a biopic with Paul Giamatti playing PKD
-King Of The Elves: This was a short story in 1953 that is supposed to be adapted by Disney and set for release 12/2012.
Projects in the works, but not appearing on imdb:
-VALIS: Also optioned by John Alan Simon. Radio Free Albemuth has to get distribution first, THEN he has to work on Flow My Tears, and THEN perhaps he can get to working on VALIS
-Time Out Of Joint: This one purchased by Warner Bros. No further information at this time.
-The Owl In Daylight: This is no longer listed on imdb and seems to be shelved for now, but its worth mentioning. It was to be a biopic with Paul Giamatti playing PKD
-King Of The Elves: This was a short story in 1953 that is supposed to be adapted by Disney and set for release 12/2012.
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- DirectorRichard LinklaterStarsKeanu ReevesWinona RyderRobert Downey Jr.An undercover cop in a not-too-distant future becomes involved with a dangerous new drug and begins to lose his own identity as a result.Based on: A Scanner Darkly (1977) (novel)
Rating: 10/10
Thank you Richard Linklater for finally adapting a PKD work almost to the letter. And the rotoscoping technique really served it well. All parties involved were spot-on -- yes, even Kee-ahh-noo if that can be believed. - DirectorRidley ScottStarsHarrison FordRutger HauerSean YoungA blade runner must pursue and terminate four replicants who stole a ship in space and have returned to Earth to find their creator.Based on Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep (1968) (novel)
Rating: 9.5/10
Not much can be said about Blade Runner that hasnt been said already. I hope one day there is a completely faithful adaptation of it. But then again, this isnt one of my most favorite Dicks -- there are plenty that Id love to see get adapted before this one. - DirectorGeorge NolfiStarsMatt DamonEmily BluntLisa ThoresonThe relationship between a politician and a contemporary dancer is affected by mysterious forces keeping them apart.Based on: The Adjustment Team (1954) (short story)
Rating: 10/10 (first viewing)
Magnificent in every way. I dont want to move it up any higher though until Ive had a chance to see it at least one more time. - DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsTom CruiseColin FarrellSamantha MortonJohn works with the PreCrime police which stop crimes before they take place, with the help of three 'PreCogs' who can foresee crimes. Events ensue when John finds himself framed for a future murder.Based on: Minority Report (1956) (short story)
Rating: 8/10
Wow, Spielberg actually directing a decent movie? Shocking. Flawed, yet very good adaptation - DirectorJérôme BoivinStarsRichard BohringerAnne BrochetHippolyte GirardotBarjo (nutcase, crap artist), the narrator, is an obsessive simpleton who fills his notebook with verbatim dialog, observed trivia, and oddball speculation on human behavior and the end of the world. When his house burns down, he moves in with his twin sister Fanfan -- an impulsive, quixotic egotist -- and her husband Charles, the Aluminum King. Charles becomes the focus of the film, as his wife and brother-in-law bewilder him.Based on: Confessions Of A Crap Artist (1975) (novel)
Confessions d'Un Barjo
Rating: 7/10
Taking this all from a one-time viewing/reading 10 years ago...
A story about a really annoying OCD/Asperger's-afflicted guy who goes to live with his sister and her husband and has a serious effect on their already about to crumble relationship. The husband absolutely hates him, the sister pities him, and the end...is definitely worth a watch.
Dick wrote quite a few non-SF novels in his time, but this was the only one to have been published during his lifetime. The others were all published posthumously; of those, Voices From The Street being the best that Ive read so far. - DirectorGary FlederStarsShane BrollyVincent D'OnofrioGary SiniseIn the future, an alien race uses androids as bombs to attack Earth. A government weapons specialist is accused of being one such android and sets out to prove his innocence.Based on: Impostor (1953) (short story)
Rating: 7/10
I saw it when it first came out *right* before I got into PKD. I think Im perhaps being a little too generous by giving it a 7, but I recall liking a lot about it. I might have to re-think my rating if I see it again, but itll probably be awhile before I revisit it. - DirectorPaul VerhoevenStarsArnold SchwarzeneggerSharon StoneMichael IronsideWhen a man goes in to have virtual vacation memories of the planet Mars implanted in his mind, an unexpected and harrowing series of events forces him to go to the planet for real - or is he?Based on: We Can Remember It For You Wholesale (1966) (short story)
Rating: 6/10
Was *supposed* to be directed by David Cronenberg, but it got taken out of his hands and put into Paul Verhoeven's. It would probably be my number one on this list if it hadntve been for this royally stupid mistake. Its getting remade -- alas, not by Cronenberg -- but hopefully the new guy realizes that the part is made for an "everyman" so if they cast someone like The Rock, I will personally kill everyone involved. - DirectorChristian DuguayStarsPeter WellerRoy DupuisJennifer RubinA military commander stationed off planet during an interplanetary war travels through the devastated landscape to negotiate a peace treaty, but discovers that the primitive robots they built to kill enemy combatants have gained sentience.Based on: Second Variety (1953) (short story)
Rating: 5/10
I shouldnt have watched this one again. I had fond memories of it from when I was younger, and years later, when I realized it was an adaptation of Dick, I wanted to view it again with that knowledge. I really regret it. The acting is terrible and everything is just SO cheesy. There are a few moments (like when they first encounter the child) that are good, but most of it just stinks. Peter Weller's robotic acting worked great in Naked Lunch for some reason, but not here..... - DirectorLee TamahoriStarsNicolas CageJulianne MooreJessica BielA Las Vegas magician who can see into the future is pursued by FBI agents seeking to use his abilities to prevent a nuclear terrorist attack.Based on: The Golden Man (1954) (short story)
Rating: 4/10
Oh, Nic Cage why do you just keep getting worse and worse....and worse? Its not just Cage though. The script is bad, the other actors are bad. Only the concept, general storyline, and action grants this the generous 4 Ive given it - DirectorJohn WooStarsBen AffleckAaron EckhartUma ThurmanA technical wizard learns that his memory has been erased.Based on: Paycheck (1953) (short story)
Rating: 2/10
THE absolute worst. Sweet baby Jesus I cant waste time writing about this abortion of a film...
And the remaining titles are upcoming and in no particular order... - DirectorJohn Alan SimonStarsShea WhighamJonathan ScarfeMichael RothhaarSci-fi thriller from Philip K. Dick (Blade Runner, Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly); Nick Brady receives messages from space and joins conspiracy to overthrow authoritarian U. S. regime.Based on: Radio Free Albemuth (1976) (novel)
Its getting great reviews from the few lucky people who have seen it. Its said to be a very true adaptation. Its just looking for distribution right now.
The rating here went down a full half point. Thats sad. I will see it regardless though. - CreatorFrank SpotnitzStarsAlexa DavalosLuke KleintankRufus SewellIn a dystopian America dominated by Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan, a young woman discovers a mysterious film that may hold the key to toppling the totalitarian regimes.Based on: Man In The High Castle (1961) (novel)
TV Series
Im not much of a fan of TV series', but if I get the chance, Ill at least check this out. This is also not one of my favorite PKDs believe it or not. I know its his most highly acclaimed, but I just couldnt get into it. I must say though, now that Ive had time to digest the fact, I think it will really work as a TV show. I think there are enough elements in it that can be repeatedly used as such and the impact of the opposite result of WWII has a lot of potential for multiple episodes. - DirectorMatthew David WilderStarsBill PullmanTaryn ManningHarold PerrineauThe lines between reality and perception blur in this comic journey into the life and mind (literally!) of one of sci-fi's most brilliant authors. Paranoid conspiracies of the highest order, drug-fueled interdimensional shifts, and 1970's pop culture combine for the mind-bending adventure of the century.OK so not an adaptation, but I figured Id pop this one on here....
Starring Bill Pullman as a character named "William J. Frick". An unofficial comical biopic of sorts of PKD. I havent seen it yet as Netflix only has it available to "save". Ill report back if I do... - DirectorRichard KellyStarsDwayne JohnsonSarah Michelle GellarSeann William ScottDuring a three-day heat wave just before a huge 4th of July celebration, an action star stricken with amnesia meets up with a porn star who is developing her own reality TV project, and a policeman who holds the key to a vast conspiracy.Not an adaptation either, but there are a lot of odd Dickian elements in this film that are worth a watch if you are a fellow Dickhead. Its no masterpiece of a film by any stretch, but the nods to Dick cant be denied. Its been a while since Ive seen it but I recall a few things like one of the characters looks like PKD, a cop says the line "flow my tears" and just an overall Dick feel.
