A Scanner Darkly

( 9 )

Overview

The war on drugs has been lost, and when a reluctant undercover cop is ordered to spy on those he is closest to, the toll that the mission takes on his sanity is too great to comprehend in director Richard Linklater's rotoscoped take on Philip K. Dick's classic novel. With stratospheric concern over national security prompting paranoid government officials to begin spying on citizens, trust is a luxury and everyone is a suspected criminal until proven otherwise. Bob Arctor Keanu Reeves is a narcotics officer who ...
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Overview

The war on drugs has been lost, and when a reluctant undercover cop is ordered to spy on those he is closest to, the toll that the mission takes on his sanity is too great to comprehend in director Richard Linklater's rotoscoped take on Philip K. Dick's classic novel. With stratospheric concern over national security prompting paranoid government officials to begin spying on citizens, trust is a luxury and everyone is a suspected criminal until proven otherwise. Bob Arctor Keanu Reeves is a narcotics officer who is issued an order to spy on his friends and report back to headquarters. In addition to being a cop, though, Arctor is also an addict. His drug of choice is a ubiquitous street drug called Substance D, a drug known well for producing split personalities in its users.
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Special Features

Commentary by Keanu Reeves, writer/director Ricard Linklater, producer Tommy Pallotta, author Jonathan Lethem and Philip K. Dick's daughter Isa Dick Hackett; One Summer in Austin: The Story of Filming a Scanner Darkly; The Weight of the Line: Animation Tales; Theatrical Trailer; Subtitles: English, Français & Español (feature film only)
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Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - Ed Hulse
Some films have cult status written all over them. Shot in live action with an A-list cast and then transferred into an animated feature via the technically complex “rotoscope” process, this scrupulously faithful adaptation of a Philip K. Dick novel is a dazzling, if disturbing, tour de force. Director Richard Linklater, employing the same animation technique he first used in 2001’s Waking Life, has captured the essence of Dick’s dystopian tale and its obsession with identity crises, drug-fed paranoia, and government surveillance on an Orwellian scale. Set in an Orange County suburb in the near future, A Scanner Darkly posits the emergence of a highly addictive drug known as Substance D (the “D” stands for “dumbness, despair, desertion, and death”). Seemingly innocuous homeowner Robert Arctor (Keanu Reeves), the amiable host to hangers-on Jim Barris (Robert Downey Jr.) and Ernie Luckman (Woody Harrelson), works as an undercover narcotics agent but has become addicted himself. While romancing drug dealer Donna Hawthorne (Winona Ryder) in an attempt to learn her supplier’s identity, Arctor is ordered to run surveillance on his own home: One of his guests is suspected of being Donna’s top customer. Linklater’s unusually dense screenplay and fleet narrative style never coddle the viewer -- repeated screenings gradually reveal even deeper layers to this dark, innovative sci-fi thriller.
All Movie Guide - Perry Seibert
Richard Linklater's decision to film his adaptation of Philip K. Dick's A Scanner Darkly in an animated style similar to his earlier film Waking Life exemplifies everything good about him as a filmmaker. By forcing viewers to constantly assess what and who they are looking at, Linklater is able to underscore the paranoid and Big Brother surveillance aspects of the story -- elements further enhanced when one recalls this film hit theaters around the time that surveillance tactics were a hotly contested political issue. Linklater does a fine job of opening up these topics for examination, and he even allows his audience to laugh at the same time. The drugged-out ramblings and misadventures of characters played by Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson, and Rory Cochrane offer comic relief so humorous that it occasionally overwhelms the more serious aspects of the film. One gets the feeling that if Linklater ever wanted to have a giant box-office success he could make a great stoner comedy with the three of them. As funny and interesting as the entire film is, it falls short of entering the pantheon of great Linklater films mostly because the style of the film makes it hard to think of the characters in the film as real people. The audience will find it interesting when Keanu Reeves' undercover drug officer Bob Arctor slowly begins to lose himself in a haze of addiction, paranoia, and psychosis, but there is no sense of real human tragedy or loss. This lack of catharsis is underscored when, for the movie's end, Linklater appropriates Dick's personal note from the book where Dick dedicates it to a list of friends and acquaintances who have suffered from drug abuse. That simple list of names and afflictions carries more emotional weight than the film. Even if it is too cerebral by a hair, Linklater's film asks intelligent questions about the many ways drugs and drug policy affect society and individuals. By capturing the paranoia of that world, and presenting it in a style that creates a unique viewing experience, A Scanner Darkly stands as one of the very best Philip K. Dick adaptations.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 12/19/2006
  • UPC: 012569594173
  • Original Release: 2006

    • Rating:

  • Source: Warner Home Video
  • Region Code: 1
  • Presentation: Wide Screen
  • Sound: Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound
  • Language: English
  • Time: 1:40:00
  • Format: DVD
  • Sales rank: 14,560

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Keanu Reeves Voice Only
Robert Downey Jr. James 'Jim' Barris
Woody Harrelson Voice Only
Winona Ryder Voice Only
Rory Cochrane Voice Only
Mitch Baker Brown Bear Lodge Host
Sean Allen Voice Only
Cliff Haby Voice Only
Steven Chester Prince Cop
Natasha Valdez Waitress
Mark Turner Voice Only
Chamblee Ferguson Medical Deputy 2
Angela Rawna Medical Deputy 1
Eliza Stevens Arctor's Daughter
Sarah Menchaca Arctor's Daughter
Melody Chase Arctor's Wife
Leif Anders Voice Only
Turk Pipkin Creature
Alexander Jones Street Prophet
Lisa Marie Newmyer Connie
Wilbur Penn Medical Officer
Ken Webster Medical Officer
Hugo Perez New Path Staff Member
Dameon Clarke Mike
Christopher Ryan New Path Residents
Leila Plummer New Path Resident
Jackson Douglas New Path Farm Manager
Marco Perella Donald
Technical Credits
Richard Linklater Director, Screenwriter
Sandra Adair Editor
Paul Adam Animator
Paul Ahern Animator
Ethan Andrus Sound/Sound Designer
Kevin Ang Animator
Ben Bays Animator
John Bruch Animator
John Buckley Animator
Jason Chalker Animator
Denise Chamian Casting
George Clooney Executive Producer
Ben Cosgrove Executive Producer
Melita Curphy Animator
Bruce Curtis Production Designer
Matt Drake Animator
Peat Duggins Animator
Patty Duke Animator
Benny Dunn Animator
Rahab El Ewaly Animator
Erin Ferguson Co-producer
John Ferguson Executive Producer
Jennifer Fox Executive Producer
Michael P. Garza Animator
Greg Geisler Animator
Justin Goldwater Animator
Sarah Greene Associate Producer
Sara Greene Associate Producer
Zach Hall Animator
Justin Hennard Sound/Sound Designer
Ryan Hennessee Animator
Dean Hsieh Animator
Sherard Jackson Animator
Kennon James Animator
Nathan Jensen Animator
Shane F. Kelly Cinematographer
Vivian P. Le Animator
Amalia Litsa Animator
David Marquez Animator
Darylin Nagy Makeup
Tom Pallotta Producer
Vince Palmo Asst. Director
John Paul Animator
Kevin Peake Animator
Kari Perkins Costumes/Costume Designer
Glenn Perkins Animator
Nic Ratner Musical Direction/Supervision
Thomas P. Reidy III Animator
Graham Reynolds Score Composer
Joseph Riley Animator
Susan Sabiston Animator
Aaron Sacco Animator
F. Joseph Santori Animator
Leah Sharpe Animator
Dan Shuta Animator
John Sloss Executive Producer
Jonah Smith Producer
Steven Soderbergh Executive Producer
Craig Matthew Staggs Animator
Erwin Stoff Producer
Jason Stout Animator
J. Michael Stovall Animator
Alicia Traveria Animator
Michael Veroni Animator
Anne Walker-McBay Producer
Ralph Watson Camera Operator
Palmer West Producer
Michael Wood Animator
Lorin Wood Animator
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Scene Index

Disc #1 -- A Scanner Darkly
1. Aphids and Credits [3:51]
2. Scramble Suit [5:32]
3. Surveillance [3:03]
4. The D Talking [3:33]
5. Assigned to Himself [4:24]
6. Missing Gears [3:14]
7. Testy Testing [4:28]
8. The Informant [3:43]
9. How'd I Get Here? [3:03]
10. Road Trip [3:58]
11. Only a Psychotic [2:35]
12. Home Invasion [3:08]
13. Hiding a Great Deal [2:04]
14. Posing As a Narc [2:47]
15. Near-Death Watch [5:21]
16. Sins of Freck [3:39]
17. Can I Go With You? [2:36]
18. Terminal Liaison [5:42]
19. What Does a Scanner See? [4:51]
20. Split-Brain Phenomenon [4:21]
21. In a Very Bad Way [2:08]
22. Another Loser at New-Path [7:17]
23. Beneath the Surface [3:04]
24. Flower of the Future [5:01]
25. Author's Coda [2:17]
26. End Credits [:55]
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Menu

Disc #1 -- A Scanner Darkly
   Play Movie
   Scene Selections
   Special Features
      Commentary by Screenwriter/Director Richard Linklater, Keanu Reeves, Isa Dick Hackett (Daughter of Philip K. Dick), Producer Tommy Pollotta and Philip K. Dick Historian Jonathan Lethem
      One Summer in Austin: The Story of Filming A Scanner Darkly
      The Weight of the Line: Animation Tales
      Theatrical Trailer
   Languages
      Spoken Languages: English 5.1
      Subtitles: English
      Subtitles: Français
      Subtitles: Español
      Subtitles: Off
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 9 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(7)

4 Star

(1)

3 Star

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2 Star

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Sort by: Showing all of 9 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    A Scanner Darkly

    I enjoyed watching this sci-fi movie for its sobering view of how government and the drug culture in America collide. Based on a novel by Philip K. Dick, A Scanner Darkly is a story about the lives of five friends who are impacted by a recreational drug called Substance D and the government's role in propagandizing what is being done about the drug problem in America. Arctor who is an uncover drug agent becomes hooked on Substance D and is sent to a drug rehab facility known as New Path where he discovers the truth about the government's involvment with this drug.

    The performances are outstanding and the visuals (in animation) are stunningly beautiful. The stars in this movie are Keanu Reeves( as Robert Artchor code name Fred,) Robert Downy Jr. , Woody Harrelson, Winona Rider and Rory Cochrane.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    No way it could go wrong

    I am a huge Philip Dick, and Richard Linklater fan so I have to say I went into this movie expecting greatness, but got so much more. The Rotoscoping technique works brilliantly with Dick's kaleidoscopic storytelling. And with a soundtrack including many songs by Thom Yorke "Radiohead" there is no way I could miss it. The movie follows the book as closely as possible, and brings new life to the story. All together humorous, thought-provoking and a little foretelling, this is my favorite Philip Dick adaptation yet. This movie is a must-see for all fans of the Sci-fi author, and of Linklater's rotoscoping. I loved every minute of it.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    COOL BEANS

    When i first saw the film i thought, "okay movie, with some good parts." after watching it again and again, i realized the movie was freaking awesome. The good parts made the so-so parts all blend into a great experience. I recommend seeing the film by yourself to allow more after thought and thinking throughout the film. The film is great in rotoscope, but i would really like to see the film before painting was done. A double disk set with both versions would be a sure buy for any fan of the film, including me. The ending rocks!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    best adaptation of a Philip K. Dick novel

    of all the Phil Dick novels made into films,and there are many-(Blade Runner, Minority Report, Total Recall) this one comes closest to the book and does justice to Phil's great writing.

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    Posted July 5, 2011

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    Posted May 27, 2009

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    Posted December 16, 2010

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    Posted March 2, 2009

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    Posted October 9, 2008

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Sort by: Showing all of 9 Customer Reviews