• PDI Press

    PDI Press

    BETTY WHITE VS THE STUPID WORLD: The Movie

    PDI Press
    January 17, 2022 2

    Betty White Vs the Stupid World (Chapter Seven)

    PDI Press
    January 16, 2022 1

    Betty White Vs the Stupid World (Chapter Six)

    PDI Press
    January 15, 2022 3

    Featured

    BETTY WHITE VS THE STUPID WORLD: The Movie

    John E. Meredith
    PDI Press
    January 17, 2022 2
    • PDI Press Catalog
    • PDI Press Writers
      • Fiction
  • Columns A-D
    • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
    • ABCs of Horror
    • All Binge… No Purge
    • Anything Joes
    • Beautiful Creatures
    • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
    • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
    • Cahiers du Horror
    • Dispatches From the Field
    • Drive-In Saturday
    • Dungeons & D-Listers
  • Columns F-P
    • The Final Girl
    • First Looks… Second Thoughts
    • The Flesh is Weak
    • Innocence and Experience
    • Lost in Translation
    • Marvel at the Movies
    • Muppets 101
    • Page to Screen
    • Popcorn Cinema
    • The Psycho Drive-In Podcast
    • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
  • Columns S-Z
    • Schlock & Awe
    • Shakespeare on Film
    • Shot for Shot
    • Sick Flix
    • Unnatural Selections
    • Versus
    • Video Word Made Flesh
    • We Got Lists
    • Women in Horror
    • The Xeno File
    • Zombies 101
  • Reviews

    Reviews

    Superman (2025)

    Movies
    July 10, 2025 48

    Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025)

    Movies
    June 26, 2025 8

    Predator: Killer of Killers (2025)

    Movies
    June 8, 2025 13

    Featured

    Superman (2025)

    Nate Zoebl
    Movies
    July 10, 2025 48
    • Books
    • Comics
    • DVD/Blu-ray
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Series
  • Interviews

    Interviews

    Interview with Indie Horror Master, Chris Bickel

    Interviews
    July 13, 2018 397

    David Black: Carnies, Carnage, and the Creative Chaos of Darkness Visible

    Interviews
    March 7, 2017 223

    Jaiden Kaine joins the Marvel Universe as new Luke Cage baddie, Zip

    Interviews
    September 29, 2016 8

    SDCC 2016 Interviews: The Cast and Creators of Batman: The Killing Joke

    Interviews
    July 28, 2016 61

    SDCC 2016 Interviews: The Cast and Creators of Syfy’s Van Helsing

    Interviews
    July 27, 2016 3

    Wondercon Interview: The Cast of Damien

    Interviews
    April 16, 2016 3

    Featured

    Interview with Indie Horror Master, Chris Bickel

    The Final Girl
    Interviews
    July 13, 2018 397
  • News

    News

    Regular Show: The Complete Series DVD is here!

    News
    February 9, 2025 20

    “PATER NOSTER AND THE MISSION OF LIGHT” UNLEASHES TERRIFYING UNDERGROUND HORROR – A PSYCHEDELIC CULT MOVIE EXPERIENCE COMING SOON!

    News
    November 15, 2023 74

    Breaking Down The Upcoming DC Studios Slate

    Shot for Shot
    February 1, 2023

    Featured

    Regular Show: The Complete Series DVD is here!

    Paul Brian McCoy
    News
    February 9, 2025 20
    • Trailers
  • Psychos
  • Shop
Breaking
  • Superman (2025)
  • Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025)
  • Predator: Killer of Killers (2025)
  • From the World of John Wick: Ballerina (2025)
  • RSS
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Who We Be
  • Contact
    Home
    Movies

    Radio Free Albemuth (2010)

    Rick Shingler
    MoviesReviews
    January 18, 2015 1

    Of all the Philip Dick adaptations that have been made, this might just be the most religiously faithful to the source material, and that faithfulness might just be its undoing.

    Radio Free Albemuth could be considered an extension of (or possibly a warmup for) Dick’s famed Valis trilogy, which would occupy him until his death in 1982. The manuscript was written in 1976. Dick’s editor at Bantam Books, upon reading the manuscript (originally titled VALISystem A), made suggestions which led to what was essentially a complete rewrite. VALIS was published in 1978, and Radio Free Albemuth was to languish amongst his papers until it was found and published posthumously in 1985.

    RFA-cover

    It is perhaps for this purpose that the film finds its setting in 1985 (approximately ten years later than the novel’s setting). Nicholas Brady, a Berkeley record store clerk, following the behest of an otherworldly voice speaking through his dreams, transplants his pregnant wife to LA and takes a job with a record company as a recruiter of new music acts. Nick calls this voice VALIS, or Vast Active Living Intelligence System. His best friend Phil would eventually move down the coast to follow them. They are living in an alternate version of 1985 America, one in which the country has fallen under the iron grip of President Richard F. Fremont (Scott Wilson).

    As Fremont is considering running for his fifth term, Brady begins uncovering evidence linking Fremont to the Communist party of southern California and the fallen Soviet Union. It is perhaps these investigations which spark the interest of the Friends of the American People. FAP is the Gestapo-like youth organization which seeks out and prosecutes political subversives. Nick meets another whose visions are likened to his, a plan is struck which quickly unravels, and everything falls apart, leading to what could only very charitably be called a state of paranoid hopefulness by film’s end.

    RFA-02

    The cast is a great mix of new faces, relatively recognizable faces, and a couple of surprising casting coups (if a glowing space angel starts talking to me in my dreams, I don’t think I’d mind if it had Rosemary Harris’ voice). During a dream sequence, Nick first becomes aware of the existence of Sylvia, the woman who he will eventually meet and discover a bond beyond the physical or even emotional (much to his wife Rachel’s confusion). As Sylvia played her guitar and sang her song, I personally remarked how much the woman singing sounded like Alanis Morissette. The camera drew closer to the woman, and found, much to my surprise, Alanis Morissette in the role of Sylvia. Hey, I’m a spoiler avoider. I went into this screening completely blind. Overall, the casting is perfect. Jonathan Scarfe’s Nick, Shea Whigham’s Phil, and Katheryn Winnick’s Rachel succeed as the primary cast, convincingly portraying three people whose friendship is being tested by extraordinary events. Some of the scenes flow more smoothly than others, but there is a comradeship between the three of them and throughout much of the rest of the cast that holds things together.

    The production quality is something of a shortfall, unfortunately. Many of the film’s scenes have the disposable look of a daytime soap opera (are those still around?), and it’s hard to remember that the film is supposed to be taking place in mid-80’s LA. While I applaud Producer/Director/Writer John Alan Simon’s decision to not make this film an 80s punchline with big hair and shoulder pads, it is still jarring to see late-model minivans and SUVs on the streets behind our 1985 protagonists. Although, on that count, I did catch the silver Delorean parked in the parking garage during one scene, so I’m winking right back at you on that, Mr. Simon.

    RFA-03

    One of the binding ingredients of this particular story should be the music. It plays an integral part in the plot, after all. It’s central to the main character’s entire journey from record store clerk to record industry executive, right? Yet, the music just never really seems to be that important until very late in the film. This is by no means the fault of the music itself. For his part in the film’s music, Robyn Hitchcock (I know, right?!?) remains true to Simon’s unwillingness to stoop to shameless 80s retro schlock by crafting music that is unbounded by time. Even Phil’s presumably 70s punk rock that blares while he works at his typewriter is largely indistinct and could be an uptempo bit of aggression from nearly any post-Beatles rock and roll era. If anything, Hitchcock’s talents are underused, or at least underplayed.

    But the real strain on this production, in the end, is the adaptation itself. Simon hugs the source material with a well-deserved devotion. Entire passages and even dialogue is taken by rote from the novel. Faithful adaptations are a rare commodity, to be sure (check out most of the other Philip Dick film adaptations – even the good ones are far removed from their sources). In the novel, we go on a journey with two people. We are deep inside their thoughts, glimpsing every aspect of their lives. We grow through 200-odd pages with the characters. This kind of intimacy establishes allowances for even the most outrageous of ideas to settle in and take root. Film, in its immediacy, very often doesn’t offer that sort of charity. We are forced to accept and move on, whether we can digest the information or not.

    And, make no mistake, Radio Free Albemuth stretches for concepts that aren’t in the typical Hollywood sci-fi canon. Let’s face it, the entirety of Judeo Christian scriptural tradition as sourced from interstellar beings attempting to offer us support against our oppressors is a hefty case to build in less than 110 minutes of film. Because I had already been through that journey in Dick’s own words, I was able to relax and enjoy the performances and the effort of the movie. I think diehard PKD fans can appreciate the dedication that went into the production. I have no doubt it was made with great passion on the part of John Alan Simon. I would even go so far as to dare say that Philip Dick himself would be generally pleased with this adaptation.

    Even if you have simply read and enjoyed the novel, I would recommend it. But without that prior investment, I’m afraid this film, despite the intact messaging from the text, stretches plausibility beyond what would be palatable to the casual viewer.

    APPIP ERROR: amazonproducts[
    AccessDeniedAwsUsers|The Access Key Id AKIAIIK4RQAHE2XK6RNA is not enabled for accessing this version of Product Advertising API. Please migrate your credentials as referred here https://webservices.amazon.com/paapi5/documentation/migrating-your-product-advertising-api-account-from-your-aws-account.html.
    ]
    (Visited 219 times, 1 visits today)

    Related

    Alanis MorissetteJohn Alan SimonJonathan ScarfeKatheryn WinnickPhilip K. DickRadio Free AlbemuthRick ShinglerRobyn HitchcockRosemary HarrisScott WilsonShea Whigham

    FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
    Previous Revenge 4.12 “Madness”
    Next The Man in the High Castle 1.01 “Pilot”
    monsterid
    Rick Shingler
    This guy builds worlds with words and whiskey.  He has contributed to PDI Press’ first two Noirlanthotep anthologies as well as the punk rock dystopian short story collection American Carnage.   He has authored The Perilous Journeys of Pericles, a misbegotten science fiction adaptation of a misbegotten Shakespeare play (available on Amazon for Kindle).  He is currently pulling his hair out over a novel that just never seems to get any closer to completion.  He lives in Jersey, but is usually only willing to admit it when the conversation turns to pizza and/or access to great record shops. If you buy him a couple of drinks, he’ll show you his irredeemably nerdy tattoo.

    Related Posts

    Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

    Paul Brian McCoy
    Movies
    July 16, 2023 4

    Alien Day Retrospective

    psychodr
    Shot for Shot
    April 26, 2021 2

    Daily Top Ten

    • superman-headerSuperman (2025) by Nate Zoebl
    • 2001Lost in Translation: The History of Adaptations, 1960-69 by Scott Delahunt
    • men-in-blackLost in Translation: The History of Adaptations, 1990-99 by Scott Delahunt
    • x-files-4-3-headerAll Binge… No Purge: The X-Files S4 Part Three by Rick Shingler
    • Luther-401-13 copyLuther 4.01 by Kelvin Green
    • carry-on-cleo-headerLost in Translation 458: Carry On Cleo (1964) by Scott Delahunt
    • goldfinger-headerLost in Translation: The Bond Project – Goldfinger by Scott Delahunt
    • Chron RiddickRiddick Collection by Adam Barraclough
    • i-spit-on-your-grave-09The Final Girl: I Spit on Your Grave (2010) by The Final Girl
    • blame-netflix-headerBig Eyes Smart Mouth: Netflix’s BLAME! by Serdar Yegulalp
    400x400 GI Joe Funko Banner

    Weekly Top Ten

    • i-spit-on-your-grave-09The Final Girl: I Spit on Your Grave (2010) by The Final Girl
    • superman-headerSuperman (2025) by Nate Zoebl
    • babylon-5-blu-ray-04Babylon 5 Complete Series Blu-ray Review by Paul Brian McCoy
    • men-in-blackLost in Translation: The History of Adaptations, 1990-99 by Scott Delahunt
    • 80s-headerLost in Translation: The History of Adaptations, 1980-89 by Scott Delahunt
    • 2001Lost in Translation: The History of Adaptations, 1960-69 by Scott Delahunt
    • AT606-visionAdventure Time 6.06 “Breezy” by Dave Hearn
    • star-wars-headerLost in Translation: The History of Adaptations, 1970-79 by Scott Delahunt
    • a-knights-tale-06Lost in Translation 407: A Knight’s Tale (2001) by Scott Delahunt
    • mary-shelleys-frankenstein-headerEZMM 2024 Day 4: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1994) by Paul Brian McCoy

    psychodrivein

    We came here to chew bubblegum and write intelligent reviews and commentary on cult TV and movies! And we're all out of bubblegum!

    Today at https://psychodrivein.com The Psycho Dri Today at https://psychodrivein.com

The Psycho Drive-In Podcast 07: Superman (2025)

Join Paul and John on the Psycho Drive-In Podcast as they delve into the first official DC Universe live-action film release, Superman!
—
Listen to the boys at the link in our profile!

#PsychoDriveIn #PsychoDriveInPodcast #Podcast #Superman #JamesGunn #DavidCorenswet #RachelBrosnahan #NicholasHoult #DCU #DC
    Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 483: One More Trailer

The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a period piece set in the 60s, around the time the comic was first published.
—
Read more of Scott’s article at the link in our profile!

#LostInTranslation #FantasticFour #FantasticFourFirstSteps #MarvelStudios #MCU
    Today at https://psychodrivein.com Superman (2025 Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Superman (2025)

Superman is proof that the DC film universe might actually have the perfect person in charge of charting their cross-franchise courses.
—
Read more of Nate’s review at the link in our profile!

#Superman #JamesGunn #DavidCorenswet #RachelBrosnahan #NicholasHoult #DC #DCU
    Today at https://psychodrivein.com Lost in Transl Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Lost in Translation 482: Examining Recent Trailers

Two new trailers dropped that are of interest to Lost in Translation: Spaceballs 2 and The Naked Gun!
—
Read more of Scott’s article at the link in our profile!

#LostInTranslation #Spaceballs2 #TheNakedGun #Trailers
    Today at https://psychodrivein.com Final Destinat Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025)

FINAL DESTINATION: BLOODLINES is a return to form for a franchise that never should have been on the brink of death.
—
Read more of Nate’s review at the link in our profile!

#FinalDestination #FinalDestinationBloodlines #AdamBStein #ZachLipovsky #KaitlynSantaJuana #TonyTodd
    Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: S02E29 - File Card Focus: Big Boa
 
Greg and Jaren return to take a hard look at Cobra’s one-man trainer: Big Boa! 
—
Watch the @AnythingJoesPod gang at the link in our profile!

#AnythingJoes #GIJoe #Cobra #BigBoa #FileCardFocus
    Today at https://psychodrivein.com The Psycho Dri Today at https://psychodrivein.com

The Psycho Drive-In Podcast: 28 Years Later

Paul and John are back with a new PSYCHO DRIVE-IN PODCAST with a brand-new review of 28 YEARS LATER plus a look back at the franchise, its themes, its innovations, and its impact on the genre!
—
Listen to the guys at the link in our profile!

#ThePsychoDriveInPodcast #28YearsLater #28WeeksLater #28DaysLater #DannyBoyle #AlexGarland #AlfieWilliams
 #AaronTaylorJohnson #JodieComer #RalphFiennes
    Today at https://psychodrivein.com Anything Joes: Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Anything Joes: Backstock Blacksite - Night Specter (2008)

In Backstock Blacksite, we open the classified crates and dig deep into Greg’s personal G.I. Joe overflow closet, where extras, variants, and forgotten figures wait to be unearthed.
—
@anythingjoespod #AnythingJoes #GIJoe #GIJoeClassified #NightSpecter #BackstockBlacksite
    Today at https://psychodrivein.com Predator: Kill Today at https://psychodrivein.com

Predator: Killer of Killers (2025)

With Predator: Killer of Killers, Predator fans are feasting, baby!!
—
Read more of Paul’s review at the link in our profile!

#Predator #PredatorKillerOfKillers #KillerOfKillers #DanTrachtenberg #LindsayLaVanchy #DamienCHaas #LouisOzawa #RickGonzalez #MichaelBiehn #JoshuaWassung #MichoRobertRutare
    Follow on Instagram

    Look Who's Talking

    Shawn EH
    Shawn EH - 5/4/2025
    Thunderbolts* (2025)
    Yep, very well done; avoiding the big flashy battle that these heroes (can any of you fly?)...
    Ideonova
    Ideonova - 12/26/2024
    Page to Screen: F. Paul Wilson’s The Keep
    Not living up to the source material? What source material? The book is a predictable, at times...
    Fred L. Taulbee Jr.
    Fred L. Taulbee Jr. - 8/17/2024
    Cahiers du Horror 03: Frank Henenlotter and The Brain that Wouldn’t Die
    I need to see that again. Maybe make it a double feature with All of Me. Steve Martin is someone you...
    RSSTwitterFacebookinstagramtumblr

    Archives

    Large_rectangle_336X280
    • PDI Press
      • PDI Press Catalog
      • PDI Press Writers
        • Fiction
    • Columns A-D
      • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
      • ABCs of Horror
      • All Binge… No Purge
      • Anything Joes
      • Beautiful Creatures
      • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
      • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
      • Cahiers du Horror
      • Dispatches From the Field
      • Drive-In Saturday
      • Dungeons & D-Listers
    • Columns F-P
      • The Final Girl
      • First Looks… Second Thoughts
      • The Flesh is Weak
      • Innocence and Experience
      • Lost in Translation
      • Marvel at the Movies
      • Muppets 101
      • Page to Screen
      • Popcorn Cinema
      • The Psycho Drive-In Podcast
      • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
    • Columns S-Z
      • Schlock & Awe
      • Shakespeare on Film
      • Shot for Shot
      • Sick Flix
      • Unnatural Selections
      • Versus
      • Video Word Made Flesh
      • We Got Lists
      • Women in Horror
      • The Xeno File
      • Zombies 101
    • Reviews
      • Books
      • Comics
      • DVD/Blu-ray
      • Movies
      • TV
      • Series
    • Interviews
    • News
      • Trailers
    • Psychos
    • Shop
    • PDI Press
      • PDI Press Catalog
      • PDI Press Writers
        • Fiction
    • Columns A-D
      • A Fistful of Dollar Comics
      • ABCs of Horror
      • All Binge… No Purge
      • Anything Joes
      • Beautiful Creatures
      • Big Eyes Smart Mouth
      • Big Sleeps and Long Goodbyes
      • Cahiers du Horror
      • Dispatches From the Field
      • Drive-In Saturday
      • Dungeons & D-Listers
    • Columns F-P
      • The Final Girl
      • First Looks… Second Thoughts
      • The Flesh is Weak
      • Innocence and Experience
      • Lost in Translation
      • Marvel at the Movies
      • Muppets 101
      • Page to Screen
      • Popcorn Cinema
      • The Psycho Drive-In Podcast
      • Psycho Essentials: The ’80s!
    • Columns S-Z
      • Schlock & Awe
      • Shakespeare on Film
      • Shot for Shot
      • Sick Flix
      • Unnatural Selections
      • Versus
      • Video Word Made Flesh
      • We Got Lists
      • Women in Horror
      • The Xeno File
      • Zombies 101
    • Reviews
      • Books
      • Comics
      • DVD/Blu-ray
      • Movies
      • TV
      • Series
    • Interviews
    • News
      • Trailers
    • Psychos
    • Shop
    Type to search or hit ESC to close
    See all results
    Username
    Password
    Remember Me
    Lost password?
    Create an account
    Username
    Email
    Cancel
    Enter username or email
    Cancel