Film news about Philip K. Dick's Radio Free Albemuth

Production has wrapped on the film adaptation of Philip K. Dick's novel Radio Free Albemuth. The 10th movie adaptation of a PKD story, the indy movie was directed by John Alan Simon and stars Alanis Morisette. According to Simon, the total shoot took just 24 days and "the entire budget of the picture was less than the majors spend on catering." David Gill has more news over at the Total Dick-Head blog including promise of an interview with the director.
Link to Total Dick-Head, Link to buy the book Radio Free Albemuth

[#1 posted by Flying Squid , October 30, 2007 1:05 PM]

"According to Simon, the total shoot took just 24 days and "the entire budget of the picture was less than the majors spend on catering.""

That's supposed to be a good thing? I'm all for independent and low-budget productions but most of the time they don't work very well with sci-fi unless you're looking for a laugh.

Also, aside from her non-speaking role in Dogma, has Alanis Morisette done any acting since You Can't Do That on Television? And wasn't the protagonist in the novel a man?

[#2 posted by mingo , October 30, 2007 1:39 PM]

wow, I didn't know they were making a flick of this book. It's one of my all-time favorite books.

And, the book is not so much sci-fi as it is 1984-ish. So, a low-budget has the potential to work pretty well.

[#3 posted by Flying Squid , October 30, 2007 1:47 PM]

I admit it's been years since I read it, but I seem to remember there are some fantastical elements in it...

[#4 posted by ribonucleic , October 30, 2007 1:48 PM]

"Stars" Alanis Morisette? She's not even listed in the full cast list. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1129396/fullcredits#cast

[#5 posted by the Other michael , October 30, 2007 2:13 PM]

alphaville

[#6 posted by malex , October 30, 2007 2:35 PM]

Flying Squid: That's supposed to be a good thing? I'm all for independent and low-budget productions but most of the time they don't work very well with sci-fi unless you're looking for a laugh.

Primer.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390384/

[#7 posted by iguanoid , October 30, 2007 2:37 PM]

I wish adaptations of Dick novels/stories were illegal. Maybe this one won't suck.

Total Recall...fun movie but not PK Dick

Minority Report? BLECH

A Scanner Darkly...well, that one was pretty good.

I think they are all better left as books then as hack job movies though.

Before anyone else can adapt a PK Dick novel I think they should have to submit a 5 minute short of the film and all PK Dick fans can vote on it.

[#8 posted by Flying Squid , October 30, 2007 2:37 PM]

Michael, Malex, notice I said 'most of the time'... of course there are a (very few) exceptions. Considering the track record of PKD films, I don't have my hopes up for this one.

[#9 posted by Teresa Nielsen Hayden / Moderator , October 30, 2007 3:52 PM]

Radio Free Albemuth ought not require expensive sets or elaborate special effects. A model satellite and a few beams of pink light should do it. What's scary is that it's the less-coherent precursor version of Valis.

Maybe if it has a really good script...?

[#10 posted by Anonymous , October 30, 2007 7:55 PM]

@Iguanoid

You may remember a little noir piece called Blade Runner. I'd say that turned out pretty well.

[#11 posted by The Unusual Suspect , October 31, 2007 12:16 PM]

"You may remember a little noir piece called Blade Runner. I'd say that turned out pretty well."

One of my all time faves, but also not really PKD.

[#12 posted by Teresa Nielsen Hayden / Moderator , October 31, 2007 4:51 PM]

But also not not-PKD.

I think the reason so many PKD novels get filmed is that there's always a cool idea at the core, though the surface implementations were of uneven quality. I'd care more about respect for the details if they were filming something like Ubik.