What is the best Philip K. Dick adaptation?

[Straitlace]

What is the best Philip K. Dick adaptation?

Mine's Total Recall. What's yours?

 

[CupofJoe]

My favourite is 1982's Blade Runner [Do Androids dream of Electric Sheep?] but it is not that good of an adaptation of the source book.
A better adaptation is 2006's A Scanner Darkly [book of the same name]. The film can be difficult to watch [some people REALLY don't like the Rotascope animation] but I love the feel of it in relation to the book.
Unfortunately I am not a great fan of either the Total Recall films, but I love the PKD book.

 

[Guttersnipe]

I think Blade Runner is best by far, though it is a pretty loose adaptation.

 

[hitmouse]

Agree with @CupofJoe and @Guttersnipe about Blade Runner. An amazing film, which uses the the book for inspiration rather than being a straight adaptation. Those who accuse the film of being a poor adaptation are correct, strictly speaking, but miss the point entirely.

 

[hitmouse]

Welcome to Chrons. Lots to do here.

 

[Mon0Zer0]

I'd say A Scanner Darkly is the best, of the faithful adaptions. I'm not sure if Tessa Dick got paid for that - she doesn't appear to be credited, even though PKD gave her half the rights. She's had a terrible time with her health and money since she had to quit teaching, and I think a dispute with another of PKD's wives hasn't helped.

Bladerunner is a visually great movie with a great performances from Rutger Hauer. I don't think Deckard is particularly compelling, but Ford's charisma and rubber face make up for any lack of depth. Personally, I'm in the Ford camp about whether Deckard is a replicant or not.

Although I thought Man in the High Castle was an ok series, I didn't like the departures from the book.

Loved Total Recall at the time - haven't watched it in 30 years so not sure how it stands up.

Minority Report was competent but not Spielberg in his prime.

I haven't seen Next, screamers or the crystal crypt.

Paycheck or Adjustment Bureau I've seen but can't remember anything about them.

 

[paranoid marvin]

As has been mentioned, I think it depends on wheter you means 'follows most closely' or 'is most enjoyable to watch'. Although Blade Runner is a magnificent spectacle to watch, Arnie's Total Recall is a brilliantly fun sci-fi movie (ironically the newer version is probably closer to the original story but I hate it)

 

[Daysman]

Novel: A Scanner Darkly... liked the rotascoping... and the stolen bicycle conversation.

Short story: All you zombies filmed as Predestination... the suitcase time machine is cool... later borrowed by the umbrella academy? Or is that an anachronism?

Note: I'm a huge fan of Blade Runner and it's sequel...

 

[Vince W]

My favourite adaptation is Blade Runner, but I think Total Recall and Minority Report are both great. Electric Dreams had a few good adaptions as well.

 

[AllanR]

Short story: All you zombies filmed as Predestination

That by Heinlein.

 

[Daysman]

That by Heinlein.

Eeeek!!! So it is! Well, there's a glitch for you... I'll have to look for another short fave...

 

[Rodders]

I always felt that Blade Runner was better than the story it was based from and i don't think that it's overly true to the book. (They are showing a double bill of Blade Runner and BR: 2049 at the Prince Charles Cinema and i might have to take the afternoon off to see it.)

Outside of that, Verhoeven's Total Recall for me, to. I did really like Screamers, though.

I still have not seen Minority Report, Electric Dreams and The Man In The High Castle.

 

[reiver33]

Blade Runner for the visual spectacle (I saw it twice in the same day on its release in Birmingham), Minority Report, Screamers, TMITHC (apart from the cop-out ending), plus Imposter (although only a short story).

Yeah, yeah, I'm a fan...

 

[Daysman]

Okay, so I'm going with (The) Minority Report as best adapted short story.

Now I can sleep...

 

[JunkMonkey]

A Scanner Darkly - it retained the hallucinatory weirdness of Dick and the humour. I think a lot of people (especially when adapting his stories) forget just how funny Dick could be.

Worst? That one with Nic Cave based on The Golden Man . That was pure sh*te. (So sh*te I've expunged it's title from my mind.)

 

[Rodders]

Okay, so I'm going with (The) Minority Report as best adapted short story.

Now I can sleep...

Has anyone seen the Minority Report TV series?

 

[AllanR]

Nobodies mentioned Radio Free Albemuth. Low end production yet entertaining and captures some of PKD.
While many of the inspired movies are great in their own way, its hard to capture the banal surrealality that tends to be in his stories.

Worst? That one with Nic Cave based on The Golden Man .

That's Nicolas Cage, Nic Cave might have saved it

 

[JunkMonkey]

Nobodies mentioned Radio Free Albemuth. Low end production yet entertaining and captures some of PKD.
While many of the inspired movies are great in their own way, its hard to capture the banal surrealality that tends to be in his stories.



That's Nicolas Cage, Nic Cave might have saved it

You are so right. It was late. I was tired. I'm an idiot <- choose two.