Radio Free Albemuth (2010)

Berkeley record store clerk Nick Brady (Jonathan Scarfe) begins to experience strange visions from an entity he calls VALIS that cause him to uproot his family and move to Los Angeles where... See full summary »

Director:

John Alan Simon

Writers:

John Alan Simon (screenplay), Philip K. Dick (novel)

Stars:

Shea Whigham, Jonathan Scarfe, Michael Rothhaar

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Shea Whigham	...	Phil
Jonathan Scarfe	...	Nick Brady
Michael Rothhaar	...	Herb Bennon
Katheryn Winnick	...	Rachel Brady
Scott Wilson	...	President Fremont
Julie Warner	...	Newscaster #1
Bruce Hensel	...	Newscaster #2
Rosemary Harris	...	VALIS (voice)
John Prosky	...	Dr. Goldfarb
Kelly Hare	...	Fremont House Tour Guide
Jon Tenney	...	FBI Agent #1
Rich Sommer	...	FBI Agent #2
Joel McKinnon Miller	...	Berkeley Detective
Peter Holden	...	Berkeley Cop
Alanis Morissette	...	Sylvia Aramchek

Storyline

Berkeley record store clerk Nick Brady (Jonathan Scarfe) begins to experience strange visions from an entity he calls VALIS that cause him to uproot his family and move to Los Angeles where he becomes a successful music company executive. With the help of best friend, science fiction writer Philip K. Dick himself (Shea Whigam) and a mysterious woman named Silvia (Alanis Morissette), Nick finds himself drawn into a dangerous political-mystical conspiracy of cosmic proportions. The story is set in an alternate reality America circa 1985 under the authoritarian control of President Fremont, a Nixon-like clone (Scott Wilson).

---

Plot Keywords:

alternate reality | satellite | los angeles california | california | totalitarian | 

---

Genres:

Drama | Sci-Fi

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some language, drug use and brief violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

Filming took place during some of the worst fires in Los Angeles County history affecting the films locations and schedule including having to completely find replacement locations.

---

Goofs

Early in the film, PKD tells his buddy that he just finished his new novel and it will be published in hardcover (a nice change, since his early SF were all published by cheap paperback houses), then in reply to the question of it's subject he says, it's a what if the Germans won WWll premise. He's obviously referencing PKD's arguably most successful novel (it won the Hugo) published in 1963. The film is set in 1985, but since Dick was dead for three years already in this universe, maybe it was an intentional distortion.

---

Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Philip K. Dick Adaptations (2016)

---

Soundtracks

I Wanna Destroy You
Performed by The Soft Boys

User Reviews

Mediocre movie -- mostly only for hardcore PKD fans.

Neither as good nor as bad as a lot of reviewers are saying. Flat acting, clumsy sound and cinematography--low levels of energy and interest. I never forgot I was watching a (mostly boring) movie. If you are a serious PKD fan you will want to watch it. If not, the first five minutes will tell you all you need to know--it does not get any better.

It's too talky. Dialogue and narrative seem to be recited pretty much straight from the novel, with little of visual interest on the screen most of the time.

Actors are not good at showing emotion. For instance, a main character is having an intense mystical vision, but in the reaction shots he could just as well be an American watching a cricket match.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 June 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

Свободное радио Альбемута

Filming Locations:

24/7 Productions, 1413 Cole, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,600,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,553, 29 June 2014

Gross USA:

$9,365

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,365

Company Credits

Production Co:

Open Pictures, Radio Free, Broadstroke Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Color:

Color