Bob and Fred and Bruce

[randy_byers]

So holyoutlaw and I went to see A Scanner Darkly (2006) yesterday. I'll give it a thumbs up as a whole. I was dubious about the rotoscoping going in, but it really works for this story, giving a shifting, modulating quality to edges that is a good simulation of druggy perception -- not to mention the vague blur. As is only appropriate in a movie about confused and shifting identities, the revelations at the end leave me with questions about who was who earlier. I don't remember the novel well enough to know if all the story twists come from it. There is a lot of very funny drug humor, but the overall tone is downbeat, paranoid, and disturbed. The humor makes it bearable, I guess. It reminded me of Gilliam's adaptation of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas at times. (Gilliam, of course, wanted to film this book as well, and I was disappointed when he didn't get a shot at it.) I'm guessing that it won't do any better in the theater than Fear and Loathing did, but it will find its audience. Nice to see something like this come out during blockbuster season.

Comments

[surliminal.livejournal.com]

There is a lot of very funny drug humor, but the overall tone is downbeat, paranoid, and disturbed. The humor makes it bearable, I guess

well that sounds exactly right for the book. Oh god, I am really looking fwd to this :-)

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

Just finished re-reading the book. Going to the film tomorrow, I hope. Report when I do.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

I look forward to your thoughts! I poked through the book las night looking for certain scenes, and I found them. I'm still a little confused about the Connie character. I should just reread the whole book.