a Scanner Darkly (Page 2 of 2)

I saw the movie last night, and it's  great. Dark, but great. Funny, too. I needed the humour, because I was freaking out at the sensation of vertigo induced by by
own memories of living in Anaheim from the ages of four through eight, and in another part of Orange County until age ten. The houses are the same, only much
more run down. By the time we left, the clean cut look of Robert Arctor's memories
of the house (when his wife and children were there) had already begun to fade.
After the last orange groves were chopped down, the area already lost most of the
charm it ever had. Most of the interesting people lived between the cracks even then, and I could easily see it looking as bad as it does in the movie in seven years...yet I noticed an Orange County reviewer stated she thought the movie "really could be anywhere." Of course, the surviellance society already is/
can be anywhere without prevention, but the particular feeling of Anaheim, the
particular darkness and humour, was distinct. I wonder why Phillip K. Dick picked
Anaheim, in particular. I'll do some research, and if anyone here has any insights,
I'd appreciate it. I have some ideas of my own aready...maybe they have to do
with the Nixon era and our parents getting caught up in something...to think that
way then would have been seen as paranoid schizophrenia, yet I think that the way
the system is/was set up (problem, reaction, solution through the medium of man)
is very close to how it is.  Now I intend to read Dick's books and get into this more.
There were alot of very strange syncs for me that have left me reeling.  And man, when I was watching the freeway scenes, it was like complete deja vu, it was like experiencing it again. It's exactly how the freeways are there. In some odd way the animation overlay makes it seem even more "real", as memories and dreams
are "painted" by us in our minds.
The rotoscoping effect is perfect for this movie; it is such an odd sensation.

I need to see it again, and I'll buy it on video; I could say alot more, but suffice it to say that it had a huge impact on me, despite the fact that it's all rather subtly done for a "sci-fi" flick. It gets right into my skin, and it stays there. It's a unique
experience, one of those rare gems that comes along every so often (say, 30 years?!) and makes you want more. It's acerbic antidote to Hollywood treacle
pablum. Somewhere, something is afoot for the good, waking people up here and
there in dribs and drabs...it's like a head popping up from sleep, shaking itself, sputtering, and saying "Huh, wha? Did anyone notice...something is amiss here?"

I'm sure I missed the scene with Alex Jones. Was it when Arctor was walking at night and a guy got put in a black van by the cops? Hmmm...alot of details yet to
discern.

It's not about "the places I know", of course, but somehow seeing it happen like that
in a place I know, well, it brings it home...it's like seeing the process of time stop
photography, futureized. It lays bare before my gaze, the worst possibilites, and
by reverse engineering, some better probable futures....

                                                                    without albino lizard bitches!

I think that was a list of names of people that Philip Dick knew who died from various issues related to substance use.

Yeah, the acting in the movie was superb.  I still need to watch it a few more times to pick up the things I missed.  One line that stuck out was "There is nothing worse than a man who is afraid of his own shadow".

That was my first thought, but the list just kept coming.  I found it hard to believe that he knew that many people with issues that serious from drugs.  Wow! 

I've had a lot of my friends get into serious problems with drugs, but by far the most common negative effect has been long prison sentences.

I remember in Anaheim, this neighbor came over and asked my mom for a ride
to "church." I was in grade school, but even I could tell he was very stoned on
something strong. He needed to go meet his pusher...

I couldn't put it in words though, I only knew, though I lacked the knowlege to
describe it. Thus, knowing my mom was a good person and would be falling for
it and unable to tell this obviously desperate man no, I rode along in the Volks
with her to an empty church. I think I did this to protect my mom...psychically, mentally. When we got there, he looked around shifty eyed for someone, and
said he was meeting someone there..."thanks"....and waiting for us to drive off,
of course.

I really thought he was basically a good person, simply addicted beyond belief.
The area was then fully saturated with addicts...twice we were ripped off, once of
two expensive bicycles, another of hunting rifles. I think it was this guy. We were
easy prey. It was nothing "personal"...he just needed the money for the drugs.

They also sent their kids to be "friends" with me and scope out our place for
valuables. I know this now, it's only too obvious. I just couldn't see it at the time.

I tell you this in part to add veracity to the idea of authenticity in PKD's book.

I've seen waking life - yes, there are similarities.

I also recommend "Slacker" which was Linklaters's first feature film.  There are a few overlapping concepts in that one as well - but delivered in a different type of film.