MOVIE NIGHT TRAFFIC LIGHT

Richard Linklater (Bad News Bears, The School of Rock)

Tommy Pallotta (Waking Life), Jonah Smith (Waking Life), Erwin Stoff (Constantine, Picture Perfect), Ann Walker-McBay (Waking Life)

Richard Linklater (Fast Food Nation)

Keanu Reeves – Bob Arctor (The Matrix, The Lake House)

Robert Downey Jr. – James Barris (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, The Shaggy Dog)

Winona Ryder – Donna Hawthorne (Mr. Deeds, Little Women)

Woody Harrelson, Winona Ryder and Robert Downey Jr. . . . wow - the supporting cast of A Scanner Darkly has more issues than National Geographic!

A Scanner Darkly is the movie adaptation of the novel written by Philip K. Dick.  It uses overlay animation technology where blocky and jerky type animation is overlaid on film shot with real actors and scenes.  The movie takes place in future California where drug abuse is out of control.  The authorities send undercover agents into the general public to infiltrate groups to try to determine where the drugs are coming from.  Keanu Reeves plays an undercover agent that gets so deep into his role that he becomes whacked out on drugs.  His drug buddies are played by Winona Ryder, Woody Harrelson and Robert Downey Jr.  Eventually Keanu’s character is institutionalized.  Although the authorities in the movie don’t figure out where the drugs are coming from, the audience is let in on the secret.  It’s not completely clear what Scanner Darkly really means, but it’s clear that “Big Brother” is watching everyone and Keanu is paranoid about what “Big Brother” thinks of him.

With its unique animation, watching A Scanner Darkly is a lot like staring at a strobe light for 100 minutes, making it virtually impossible to evaluate any other aspect of the movie.  The premise is probably novel (or at least was in the 1970’s, when Philip K. Dick wrote the book) and the story, although disturbing, is perhaps intriguing.  The cast is certainly accomplished, so no doubt the acting is at least adequate.  But, we’ll never know for sure.  Through the dark and distracting flicker of mind-numbing animation, all we could gleam was a freakish, unsettling cartoon that would be better left unseen.  If you like this bold approach to filmmaking, you might find A Scanner Darkly compelling, but we found it mostly unbearable. 

On the Movie Night Traffic Light on a scale of GREEN meaning “Go – it’s a must see”, YELLOW meaning “Caution – it’s okay” and RED meaning “No - stop don’t do it."

We rate A Scanner Darkly RED.  Stop – this one is too strange to be entertaining.