Week Eight

Research the films that have been adapted from Philip K. Dick novels or short
stories. Which have generally been acclaimed as the most successful? Why?

“When the chips are down, when the pressure is on, every creature on the face of the Earth is interested in one thing and one thing only: its own survival” So says one character in the neo-noir sci-fi, Minority Report, based on Philip K. Dick’s short story, a theme that is prominent in his novels. It is this idea that I believe draws in the reader – mankind seems to have a morbid fascination with its own dismal future existence. Minority Report is the highest grossing film adaptation (US$358, 372, 926) of a Dick story, and for a number of reasons. Sure, Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise will draw in the viewers but I consider the story an important factor. While Blade Runner continues its status as cult favourite, Minority Report is set in a believable world. The cities are very similar to those now and the people live lives that we can all still relate to. Except in this world, crime is non-existent due to the power of the Pre-cogs, who lead police to future perpetrators BEFORE a crime is committed. This idea has been tossed around before and to some, sounds great! However, this embodies one of the greatest dilemma’s regarding free will. People are jailed without evidence, without a jury, without a trial, on the basis of a Majority Report. Its successful due to its accessibility – it is not a hard movie to get all philosophical about. The film also stays true to the story, however certain things have been omitted such as the inclusion of space travel and the grimy futuristic setting. This has been done for the reason mentioned above – losing the cyberpunk edge, makes the film easier to watch and understand = relatable. For a movie made on a US$102 million budget, widening the target audience was essential. Making the film a more generic science fiction (indeed, in many DVD stores it is categorised under ‘action’) has irked avid Dick readers but for me, the film was enjoyable and the big questions raised are ones we should think about.

Total Recall is by far my favourite Philip K. Dick story and movie adaptation. The movie uses characters, names and general storyline of the book but loses the double whammy of an ending. This was done for two reasons. Total Recall is a movie and moviegoers should always avoid comparisons to books. People are after different things – books are to be enjoyed, with many twists and turns along the way. A movie is restricted by time and budget, and viewers come to be entertained. Total Recall already leaves a big question – did any of it even happen? – without the final confrontation from the story. It grossed US$261, 299, 840 at the box office on a budget of $65 million to make. It stars acting heavyweight Arnold Schwarzenegger and relatively new (at the time) director Paul Verhoevan (who went on to make another sci-fi great “Starship Troopers”). It is a good adaptation and follows Dick’s cyberpunk feel. On Earth, the people are impersonal and bored, surrounded by the usual sci-fi gadgetry. However, Mars has that sleazy underworld feel to it, complete with three breasted mutants and the threat of corporate conspiracy hanging over the grimy landscape. The movie is entertaining and its ideas paved the way for films like The Matrix, proving that giant philosophical questions and a ever-turning plot can attract an audience.

Blade Runner divided the critics, mainly because of its slow-moving pace, dirty hi-tech imagery and the considerable difficulty the average viewer has in finding common ground with the characters. It brings a popular science fiction idea of robotics into play, similar to Isaac Assimov’s ‘I Robot” and has even been described as “science fiction pornography” (Pat Berman, Wikipedia). For fans of Philip K. Dick, criticism has been made due to the abundance of special effects, with some saying that the story was neglected (not like movies of today then!). However, you could argue that Blade Runner is the most successful adaptation. Whilst only taking $32,868,943 (budget $28 million), it is one of the most recognisable science fiction films and has an extraordinary cult following, with seven versions available. The American National Film Registry regards Blade Runner as being, "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" (taken from Wikipedia).

The final film I shall look at is Screamers, the most poorly received Dick adaptation (worldwide $7 million). There are three reasons that I can see for this. One is that the script, based on the short story “Second Variety”, does not pose the greatest things to ponder about. It contains nobody famous playing characters that are intensely unlikeable, and was made on a relatively tiny budget of $20 million. In saying that, the fact that it is B-grade plays a little in its favour, going nicely with the wasteland feel it has to portray. As for any adaptation of a Philip K Dick story, the plot is enjoyable and manages to carry the movie along. It was received well outside the United States and sci-fi aficionado’s praise the movie highly.

These are just four of the film adaptations of Philip K Dick’s stories but the influence Dick has upon science fiction is enormous. Ideas have been borrowed, mutated, remade so much that his mark can be seen in many films. In my view, Minority Report is the most financially successful, Total Recall the most enjoyable but Blade Runner the most overall successful adaptation, in terms of story loyalty and fan enjoyment.

REFERENCES:

Blade Runner (2011, 14 September). Retrieved September 23, 2011 from Wikipedia website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade_Runner

Minority Report Film Quotes. Retrieved September 23, 2011 from Internet Movie Database website: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181689/quotes

Screamers. (2011, 20 August). Retrieved September 23, 2011 from Wikipedia website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screamers_%281995_film%29

Total Recall (2011, September 18). Retrieved September 23, 2011 from Wikipedia website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Recall