I love Philip K. Dick, I also happen to really enjoy this book, however the film is unwatchable.
A version without the animation would be great, as far as the suits go it can be handled composting, the animation was not needed for such a effect.
I watched it, as did some other people I know. Therefore your post is scientifically unsound.
shareReally? I thought that the animation was beautiful and original. I'm sick of seeing movies that are all visually identical.
shareIsnt this the same animation used in all those.. i forget.. are they the insurance commercials.. thats the only thing i have against it.. that i'd feel like i'm watching a really long one of those commercials.
Wanna go to the movies with me?
Their idea of retirement is to purchase a vineyard........... A VINEYARD?????
shareI thought the animation and the whole car breaking down scene the only two bearable things about this movie. I must be alone in this (being it has a 7.5 rating on IMDB) but I thought this movie was extremely boring although unfortunately for me once I'm mid way through a movie I must see how it ends. What a waist of an 100 minutes for me though...
share
" What a waist of an 100 minutes for me though... "
Really? A WAIST? Oh, you native english speakers - you never know how to write your own language.
[deleted]
The movie Waking Life was directed by the same filmmaker and it used rotoscoping and was released be for those.. Um.... Commercials you speak of...
"does it bother you that people call you a retard?"
yeaaaa, thats not gonna happen. the style of this film was awesome. you should gain a greater appreciation of art. not to mention that of all the philip k. dick film adaptations, this one was probably the best.
shareYeah, because the OP doesn't particularly like the animation means he/she can't appreciate art. Don't be silly. The OP stated a preference, and didn't slag on anything (meaning he/she isn't a troll), which is perfectly valid.
shareit's just too wonky, many western animations seem to take the lazy way out, I have seen flash animations that look better
sharethe animation in this movie is fantastic, it really gives it some extra tang. it actually took the crew 18 months to due all of the art work because they just painted over each individual frame. props.
A SCANNER DARKLY - 9/10
If you do good, you'll see me one more time. If you do bad, you'll see me.. two more times.
True art.also adds to the mood/setting/state of mind. I think it's amazing work tbh
share
You're assuming that the live footage was shot with all the set design and props as is shown with the animated version. There probably is no usable live footage to use.
If you love and support Michael Jackson 100%, copy & paste this into your signature. We love MJ!
Actually, filmbuff1974, the live footage WAS almost entirely shot EXACTLY like what we saw in the animation.
I just finished watching the Blu-Ray of this on rental, and uncustomarily, for me, I then watched the entire "commentary" version (which included one of Dick's two daughter's throughout -- BOTH were involved with the production), and then watched both the 26-minute short on how they shot the live-action and the 20-minute short on how they did the animation.
They used sets IDENTICAL to what we saw in the film for almost EVERYTHING we saw in the film (the few exceptions were for things such as the freeway scene, where most of the "car action" was done in a studio, and would have been in MOST "live-action" movies, anyway).
As for me, while I appreciate the animation, I, too, would have preferred they stick with the regular filmed scenes of the actors except where animation was necessary (such as with the scramble suits and hallucination scenes). And I KNOW it would have cut a great deal of time AND MONEY from the budget (they spent an extra 18 months in post-production doing the animation -- most of it simply drawing and coloring OVER live actors. In the short about the animation, the producer said their original estimate was 350 man-hours per MINUTE of animation on this 100-minute film, which turned out to be a VERY LOW estimate!). When you look at the fact that the budget for this movie was $8.5 Million and the worldwide gross was a bit under $8 Million, skipping all that extra(neous?) animation just MIGHT have made the movie profitable... It might have also drawn more viewers to theaters if it wasn't animated (rotoscoped), as well.
At any rate, it's still a first-class movie, either way. But my vote is for animation only where it was necessary. It was Linklater's choice, however, and it's too late to change it. And I'm pretty certain there's NO WAY to "re-release" an UNanimated version, as requested by the first poster. So just love it (I do), or don't watch it.
Jeff Hayes
Spartanburg, SC
"At any rate, it's still a first-class movie, either way. But my vote is for animation only where it was necessary. It was Linklater's choice, however, and it's too late to change it. And I'm pretty certain there's NO WAY to "re-release" an UNanimated version, as requested by the first poster. So just love it (I do), or don't watch it. Jeff Hayes "
My response:
Thank you for your insight. Good call on the fact that the director wanted it in animation which was his vision for the film. So hit or miss, re-releasing the movie in live action would have compromised the integrity of the movie just as those colorized versions of Black & White movies compromised the original theatrical experience.
BTW, Philip K. Dick is now a cult writer and the growing body of movies based on his literary efforts have a low shelf life. "A Scanner Darkly" will be creating revenue streams for the studio for many years to come.
Live Full & Die Empty. Tap Your Potential and Realise Your Dreams!
I tend to agree. I also enjoy the film as is but I get the feeling the Director felt he need the animated angle to provide the extra dimension. Truth is, it's a brilliant story that really didn't need any enhancement.
It's also quite an accessible narrative in a 'mainstream' sense in that it's closer to something like 'The Departed' rather than some cult/philosophy/art-house experiment like Waking Life. I just think they sold the material short.
You're missing the entire point; the movie wasn't done that way "just for the suits". It was done in that style to create the very nature of what the movie is; it transports you into a dreamscape world where nothing is solid, and every thing is fluid. It breaks you away from your current reality and transports you into theirs.
share[deleted]
I am interested in seeing a version without the animation, but I thought the animation was excellent. I thought it helped to add to the drugged out feel that the story had. Great movie but very depressing.
I'm just a guy that likes horror flicks.