History YMMV / AScannerDarkly

* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs: Well, Philip K. Dick was a user, but he was clean at the time.

* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs: The film's DerangedAnimation does a good job of representing a surreal atmosphere.

* HarsherInHindsight: The story takes place after the U.S. lost the War On Drugs. As of June 2011, the Global Commission of Drug Policy [[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13624303 has declared the war a failure]]. Uh-oh. And given that the US has been in an [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opioid_epidemic opioid epidemic]] - wherein deaths from overdose of opiates beat out vehicular ''and'' firearm deaths starting in 2015 - this is now even harsher, especially in light of the pharmaceutical industry's successful push for deregulation in the late '90s that led to it.

* UncannyValley:
** Let's just say the DerangedAnimation really makes the humans look occasionally ''unsettling'' to say the least. And the Scrambler Suit could be considered an EldritchAbomination if it weren't for the fact it's just a piece of clothing.
** There's also [[SanitySlippage Arctor's hallucinations of Luckman and Barris as aphids]] and the multi-eyed other-dimensional creature Freck sees during his suicide attempt.

** It does go pretty far in service of {{Drugs Are Bad}}. For those who can see it, there is also AnAesop about the futility of the Drug War.

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped: Doing drugs can only end in tragedy, but so can creating a police state where people are too paranoid to form real friendships with each other.

* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs: The film's DerangedAnimation does a good job of representing a surreal atmosphere.

* HarsherInHindsight: The story takes place after the U.S. lost the War On Drugs. As of June 2011, the Global Commission of Drug Policy [[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13624303 has declared the war a failure]]. Uh-oh. And given that the US has been in an [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opioid_epidemic opioid epidemic]] - wherein deaths from overdose of opiates beat out vehicular ''and'' firearm deaths starting in 2015 - this is now even harsher, especially in light of the pharmaceutical industry's push for deregulation in the late '90s.

* RetroactiveRecognition: One of the film's trailers featured "Teen Angst" by {{Music/M83}}, long before they became famous for the radio hit "Midnight City" or making songs featured in big-budget movies like ''{{Film/Oblivion 2013}}'' and ''Film/CloudAtlas''.

* UncannyValley:
** Let's just say the DerangedAnimation really makes the humans look occasionally ''unsettling'' to say the least. And the Scrambler Suit could be considered an EldritchAbomination if it weren't for the fact it's just a piece of clothing.
** There's also [[SanitySlippage Arctor's hallucinations of Luckman and Barris as aphids]] and the multi-eyed other-dimensional creature Freck sees during his suicide attempt.

* WhatDoYouMeanItWasntMadeOnDrugs:
** Well, Philip K. Dick was a user, but he was clean at the time. The film is also DerangedAnimation.
** Funny story, this was the ONLY book Dick wrote while not on drugs. This one and possibly VALIS. You might have a hard time proving that one though.

* GeniusBonus: The film is set in Orange County, California, and notable Orange County landmarks visible from Interstate 5 get passed by during scenes of driving.

* {{Anvilicious}}: it does go pretty far in service of {{Drugs Are Bad}}.
** For those who can see it, there is also AnAesop about the futility of the Drug War.
*** It is also an AuthorTract, since he dedicates it to Janis and other creative people lost to drugs.
*** It's worth mentioning that one of the people listed is himself (as "Phil"). He suffered pancreatic failure due to his drug use.

* HarsherInHindsight: The story takes place after the U.S. lost the War On Drugs. As of June 2011, the Global Commission of Drug Policy [[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13624303 has declared the war a failure]]. Uh-oh...
** And given that the US has been in an [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opioid_epidemic opioid epidemic]] - wherein deaths from overdose of opiates beat out vehicular ''and'' firearm deaths starting in 2015 - this is now even harsher, especially in light of the pharmaceutical industry's push for deregulation in the late '90s.

* UncannyValley: Let's just say the DerangedAnimation really makes the humans look occasionally ''unsettling'' to say the least. And the Scrambler Suit could be considered an EldritchAbomination if it weren't for the fact it's just a piece of clothing.
** Speaking of [[EldritchAbomination Eldritch Abominations]], there's also [[SanitySlippage Arctor's hallucinations of Luckman and Barris as aphids]] and the multi-eyed other-dimensional creature Freck sees during his suicide attempt.

** Funny story, this was the ONLY book Dick wrote while not on drugs. This one and possibly VALIS. You might have a hard time proving that one though.

** Well, Philip K. Dick was a user, but he was clean at the time. The film is also Deranged Animation.

** And given that the US has been in an [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opioid_epidemic opioid epidemic]] - wherein deaths from overdose of opiates beat out vehicular ''and'' firearm deaths starting in 2015 - this is now even harsher.

* RetroactiveRecognition: One of the film's trailers featured "Teen Angst" by {{Music/M83}}, long before they became famous for the radio hit "Midnight City" or making songs featured in big-budget movies like ''{{Film/Oblivion}}'' and ''Film/CloudAtlas''.

* HilariousInHindsight: The mention of Creator/LeonardoDiCaprio's "Elvis phase"; given his many roles starring in {{biopic}} movies, it's not unlikely that he might star as Elvis at some point.

* HilariousInHindsight: The mention of LeonardoDicaprio's "Elvis phase", given [[Film/TheManInTheIronMask his]] [[Film/CatchMeIfYouCan many]] [[Film/TheAviator roles]] [[Film/JEdgar starring]] in {{biopic}} movies, it's not unlikely that he might star as Elvis at some point.

* HilariousInHindsight: The mention of LeonardoDicaprio's "Elvis phase", given [[Film/TheManInTheIronMask his]] [[Film/CatchMeIfYouCan many]] [[Film/TheAviator roles]] [[Film/JEdgar starring]] in BioPic movies, it's not unlikely that he might star as Elvis at some point.

* MoralDissonance: In the bicycle scene mentioned above, it's pointed out by one of the psychiatrists that it took "a negro" to point out to the others how speeds on a bicycle work. Perhaps when the book was written, this kind of comment could have been made without even considering the UnfortunateImplications, or perhaps not. Either way, the line was excluded from the movie.

** Well, {{Philip K Dick}} was a user, but he was clean at the time. The film is also {{Deranged Animation}}.

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped: Doing drugs is never a good idea, but neither is creating a police state where people can't trust each other.

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped

* SomeAnvilsNeedToBeDropped

** It also goes pretty far to point out the hypocrisy of rehab clinics and the system itself, also playing heavily on the idea that people who have been broken or tormented by drugs or mental illness are not only discarded but invalidated by their view on reality... in essence, no one would ever believe that [[spoiler: the rehab clinic is in fact using drug burnouts to farm the drug itself]]. Philip Dick likes his irony.
* CrowningMomentOfFunny: After about a half page of discussing the home made silencer, and how that friend likely had some secret compartment to hide the gun for just when he needs it, complete with a locking mechanism and other doodads, Arctor's inner monologue reveals he has his service weapon in a much more devious hidden place, where nobody will ever find it: [[spoiler:his glove compartment]].
** Charles Freck's suicide attempt. Nuff said. (Beware the multi-eyed eight-foot-high being with the endless scroll!)
*** Who will be reading you your sins ''in shifts'' throughout eternity!
** The argument about how a 21-speed bicycle works, leading the drug-addled characters to determine that someone stole eleven gears from it.
*** It gets even more confused when Charles Freck thinks he sees one more gear than the rest do. Then two less. Then two more again.

* TearJerker: the ending, but also the author's note as he memorializes his friends who died or suffered catastrophic damage due to drugs.
** Including ''himself'', as he learned prior to writing it that his history of drug abuse had irreparably damaged his health. He died prematurely in 1982, just after Film/BladeRunner was released, based on his 1968 novel ''DoAndroidsDreamOfElectricSheep?'', a project he'd approved but didn't live to see become a cult classic.

** Including ''himself'', as he learned prior to writing it that his history of drug abuse had irreparably damaged his health. He died prematurely in 1982, just after Film/BladeRunner was released, based on his 1968 novel ''DoAndroidsDreamOfElectricSheep?'', a project he'd approved but didn't live to see finished.
*** He did live to see the end result though. And the movie really took a hard right turn on the entire premise of the book, so maybe "based on" isn't the right term...uh...
*** He did see some of Film/Bladerunner, and said it was a great movie, but it wasn't an adaptation of his book.

** Including ''himself'', as he learned prior to writing it that his history of drug abuse had irreparably damaged his health. He died prematurely in 1982, just after BladeRunner was released, based on his 1968 novel ''DoAndroidsDreamOfElectricSheep?'', a project he'd approved but didn't live to see finished.

*** He did see some of Bladerunner, and said it was a great movie, but it wasn't an adaptation of his book.

* {{Anvilicious}}: Well, [[YourMileageMayVary not everyone agrees]], and in any event {{Some Anvils Need To Be Dropped}}, but it does go pretty far in service of {{Drugs Are Bad}}.

* MoralDissonance: In the bicycle scene mentioned above, it's pointed out by one of the psychiatrists that it took "a negro" to point out to the others how speeds on a bicycle work. Perhaps when the book was written, this kind of comment could have been made without even considering the UnfortunateImplications, or perhaps not. Either way, the line was excluded from the movie.