Philip K. Dick - on the Screen
Quick Facts – Science Fiction author Philip Kindred Dick was born in Chicago, Illinois in December 1928. PKD published his first short story, “Beyond Lies the Wub” in 1952. His first novel, “Solar Lottery”, was published in 1955.
One of PKD’s favourite themes was the nature of reality, particularly altered reality. In novels like Time out of Joint (1959), The Man in the High Castle (1962) and The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch (1965) the leading characters have to determine their own orientation in an alternate reality.
“Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”(1968) is probably PKDs most well known novel thanks to Ridley Scott’s movie adaptation Blade Runner (1982).
“We Can Remember it for you Wholesale” (1966) was filmed as Total Recall (1990), one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s biggest hits. It was remade in 2012.
His 1969 novel Ubik was picked by Time Magazine as one of the 100 best novels in the English language published between 1923 and 2005.
In an interview with website Deep Outside SFFH, PKDs ex-wife Tessa was asked why Hollywood kept changing his story titles, she replied “Actually, the books rarely carry Phil's original titles, as the editors usually wrote new titles after reading his manuscripts. Phil often commented that he couldn't write good titles.”
In February 1982 Philip K, Dick was found unconscious on the floor of his home, he had suffered a stroke. He was taken to hospital where he suffered another stroke after which activity in his brain had ceased. A few days later he was disconnected from life support and died. He was 53.
PKD published 44 novels and wrote 121 short stories. Since his death 10 of his stories have been adapted into movies.
Blade Runner (1982) directed by Ridley Scott, starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos, M. Emmett Walsh, Daryl Hannah, Joanna Cassidy, William Sanderson, Brion James and Joe Turkel. 117mins
One of the most influential sci-fi films ever made, based on PKD's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" (1968)
L.A. Cop Rick Deckard is hunting rogue replicants, well someone has to.
The film did not have them queuing in 1982 but it than went on to be one of the most talked about sci-fi films ever. The directors cut suggests that Deckard may be a replicant, and Sir Ridley has admitted to not reading the book, tut tut.
Nominated for two Oscars, Best Art Direction and Best Visual Effects.
Blade Runner cost $28m to make and has grossed $33m in the U.S.
IMDB rating 8.3
"Get your ass to Mars!"
Total Recall (1990) directed by Paul Verhoeven, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone, Rachel Ticotin, Michael Ironside and Ronny Cox. 113mins
Based on PKD's short story "We Can Remember it for you Wholesale" (1966).
Douglas Quaid (Schwarzenegger) visits Recall Inc to get memories of a holiday to Mars implanted into his mind but than things go badly wrong, his wife tries to kill him and hitmen from Mars are out to get him too.
Won Oscar for Best Visual Effects, nominated for Best Sound and Best Sound Effects Editing.
Total Recall cost $65m to make and has grossed $261m worldwide.
IMDB rating 7.4
Screamers (1995) directed by Christian Duguay, starring Peter Weller, Roy Dupuis, Jennifer Rubin, Andrew Lauer and Charles Edwin Powell. 108mins.
Based on PKD's short story "Second Variety" (1953)
2078 and deadly killer robots known as screamers, invented by idiot scientists to be the perfect weapon, have evolved and self-replicated becoming an uncontrollable threat to all human life.
A made-for-video sequel - Screamers: The Hunting - was released in 2009.
Screamers cost $20m to make and has grossed $5.7m in the U.S.
IMDB rating 6.1
Total Recall (1999) TV Series, starring Michael Easton, Karl Pruner, Judith Krant, Michael Rawlins, Matthew Bennett and Cynthia Preston.
22 x 60mins episodes.
"Inspired" by the film Total Recall based on a PKD short story, and "visually influenced" by the film Blade Runner which was based on a PKD novel.
Cop David Hume (Easton) works for the Citizens Protection Bureau (CPB), a police agency. After his partner is killed by cyborgs, he is partnered against his wishes with a naïve android cop (Pruner) who is new to the Bureau.
IMDB rating 6.8
Impostor (2001) directed by Gary Fleder, starring Gary Sinise, Madeleine Stowe, Vincent D'Onofrio, Tony Shalhoub, Tim Guinee, Mekhi Phifer, Gary Dourdan and Lindsay Crouse. 102mins.
Based on PKD's 1953 short story of the same name.
Spencer Olham (Sinise) is arrested on suspicion of being a dangerous android created by hostile aliens. The androids are oblivious to the fact they aren't human and each has an organic nuclear bomb implanted in their chest, waiting for the right time to go off.
Impostor cost $30m to make and has grossed $8.1m worldwide.
IMDB rating 6.0
Minority Report (2002) directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Tom Cruise, Colin Farrell, Samantha Morton, Neal McDonough, Peter Stormare and Max Von Sydow. 145mins.
Based on PKD's short story "The Minority Report" (1956)
2054 and John Anderton (Cruise) is a PreCrime cop who arrests people before they commit any crimes thanks to the PreCogs, mutants with precognitive abilities. When Anderton discovers the next person about to commit a murder is himself, he goes on the run.
The PreCogs are named after famous mystery authors - Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle and Dashiell Hammett.
Oscar nominated for Best Sound Editing.
Minority Report cost $102m to make and has grossed $358m worldwide.
IMDB rating 7.7
Paycheck (2003) directed by John Woo, starring Ben Affleck, Aaron Eckhart, Uma Thurman, Paul Giamatti, Colm Feore, Joe Morton and Michael C. Hall. 119mins.
Based on PKD's 1953 short story of the same name.
Michael Jennings (Affleck) is a reverse engineer, he does top secret technical work for major companies and than has his memory of the time he worked on the project wiped clean. On his latest job he accepts a mind wipe of three years for an 8 figure paycheck. When he completes the task and the 3 years have been erased from his mind he goes home and finds that everything has changed and that he is wanted for murder.
Paycheck cost $60m to make and has grossed $96m worldwide.
IMDB rating 6.1
A Scanner Darkly (2006) directed by Richard Linklater, starring Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr, Woody Harrelson, Winona Ryder and Rory Cochrane. 100mins.
Based on PKD's 1977 novel of the same name.
Bob Arctor (Reeves) and his housemates pass the time taking drugs and having long paranoid conversations, they are taking a powerful highly addictive drug called Substance D which can result in bizarre hallucinations and split personalities. Bob also happens to be an undercover cop, his mission, to immerse himself in the drugs underworld and find the source of the drug.
Filming took just 23 days, the animation process rotoscoping every frame took 18 months to complete.
A Scanner Darkly cost $8.7m to make and has grossed $7.6m worldwide.
IMDB rating 7.1
Next (2007) directed by Lee Tamahori, starring Nicolas Cage, Julianne Moore, Jessica Biel, Thomas Kretschmann, Tory Kittles and Peter Falk. 96mins.
Very loosely based on PKD's short story "The Golden Man" (1954).
Cris Johnson (Cage) has the unique ability to see two minutes into the future. FBI agent Callie Ferris (Moore) has figured out his talent for accurately predicting the future and wants him to help her catch terrorists who are planning on detonating a nuclear device in Los Angeles.
Next cost $70m to make and has grossed $76m worldwide.
IMDB rating 6.1
The Adjustment Bureau (2011) directed by George Nolfi, starring Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Michael Kelly, Anthony Mackie, John Slattery and Terence Stamp. 106mins.
Based on PKD's short story "Adjustment Team" (1954).
Congressman David Norris (Damon) is approached by a stranger who tells him that he is from the Adjustment Bureau, their job is to make sure everybody lives their lives according to a preordained plan, any deviation from that plan and they would need to be adjusted.
The Adjustment Bureau cost $60m to make and has grossed $127m worldwide.
IMDB rating 7.1
Total Recall (2012) directed by Len Wiseman, starring Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston, Bill Nighy, Ethan Hawke and John Cho. 118mins (133mins)
A remake of Paul Verhoeven's Total Recall (1990) which was based on PKD's short story "We Can Remember it for you Wholesale" (1966)
Tom Hardy and Michael Fassbender were considered for the role of Doug Quaid. Director Len Wiseman is married to leading lady Kate Beckinsale.
Quaid doesn't get his ass to Mars in this one, it's all set on Earth (in the year 2084) which has been divided into two warring states - Euromerica and New Shanghai.
Total Recall cost $125m to produce and has grossed $198.4m worldwide.
IMDB rating 6.2
