demagogue on 31/8/2012 at 10:39
I read some essay on PKD, can't remember everything, but just connecting all his themes -- paranoia, drugs, hallucination, conspiracy, gov't-megabusiness cabals, time -- oh I have to run so can't finish this post. Next time hopefully... But, anyway, it goes on in this direction.
SubJeff on 31/8/2012 at 12:19
Quote Posted by dethtoll
I've always felt his finest book is the one that is one of his most personal works yet grounded in reality -- A Scanner Darkly. A more potent critique of drug/anti-drug culture I've not seen.
It's very different to everything else and yes it's very good. I thought the film adaptation wasn't bad either.
I've got to watch the Minority Report again. Never read the short story, mainly because I've never had my hands on it. I know it's in some PKD short story collections but I don't really know if I want to subject myself to that. The only way I can cope with reading Flow My Tears is by reading Flash for Freedom and Winters End at the same time. I always have more than one book on the go for some reason. Greedy I guess.
Muzman on 14/9/2012 at 17:46
Heyy, whadaya know. I went and saw a recent film. I'm as shocked as you are.
Anyway, this was ok I guess. I was about as involved as I was through any of Wiseman's films. That's not a good thing however. Why does this guy make action films? The action in his films is always dull. It looks like it should be exciting, but it isn't. The music is there enthusiastically prodding you in the hope that some Pavlovian reaction will get it over. But sorry Len, not working.
And he keeps making his wife do action. What is this, some sort of torture? She was looking to be a decent actress once. Now she's mostly a wannabe Milla Jovovich (speaking of movie spousal abuse). But, say what you want about her and the films she's in, she sure as hell knows how to pose. Beckinsale always looks like she learned to run from a trainer just before the shoot, and didn't realise the wardrobe was going to be heels. And this has been the case for -what?- four or five movies now. Fucking Stop!
It's actually more annoying in this case because this movie was actually going pretty well up until the action started. And in the bits inbetween it's not bad. There's good people in this doing good stuff. It gives good, if derivitive, sci-fi and doesn't beat you over the head with it. Someone gave Bokeem Woodbine a job, fer crissakes. If they'd just made a somewhat low key thriller version it probably would have been great.
It felt like a greatest hits of sci-fi and action though didn't it? One minute its Blade Runner, then Minority Report, a bit of I Robot, some Bourne and then Attack of the Clones. The bit at the end where she's spinning the ship's guns around while the other two fight on the ground was Raiders of the Lost Ark. It even seemed like it was knocking off games, one minute being Human Revolution and then Metro 2033!
It didn't help that the composer actually seemed to be punking the film, going all Bourne during the "car" chase and chucking in apparent nods to Moon throughout. "Remember other, better films about identity" he says, "I sure do".
And really; hardened spy and rebel types, on the run in the big city, the most wanted people in the world and camped out in his own apartment. What's the best way out when you think the cops are coming for you? Down the stairs and out the main lobby. They'll never think of that! (seriously, doesn't that shit make the Bourne films look awesome? We forget these things)
Aye Yie Yie.
Anyway, I'm not mad. Just kind of *sigh*.
Will now go and read everyone else point out these things in the rest of the thread.
ed: Ok so it was almost entirely OT and nobody actually saw it. Well there ya go.
SubJeff on 14/9/2012 at 18:55
You should have seen Dredd instead.
