Wednesday, May 8, 2013

RFA to Screen at Lincoln Center Film Society


In news from the Movie Roll Out That Never Ended, Radio Free Albemuth, Director John Alan Simon's indie take on PKD is being shown at a prestigious film festival at the exalted Lincoln Center in NYC on June 4.

Here's John Alan Simon on the latest development: "I'm really excited to screen RFA at Lincoln Center in NYC.  It's a great honor to be selected for their prestigious indie series.  We hope the success of this one-night only event will be the kick-off for our theatrical launch in the fall.   We're counting on the help of PKD fans to spread the word to  friends in New York to make this the same kind of sell-out, standing room only success as we had at the Philip K. Dick Film Festival Event in December.   Plus I look forward to talking about all matters PKD to all the real PKD readers out there.   Thanks to David Gill and all the other other PKD fans and scholars out there for helping us get this indie labor of love out there!  Like the Aramchek conspiracy, we've put up a great fight against the forces o darkness - now there appears a wondrous ray of pink light at the end of this long tunnel."

I know from your comments that many of you just want to see this film, and you don't particularly care if you watch it in a theater or streaming on Netflix. I get that. But, need I remind you, Hollywood is an evil, soul-crushing place which, in the past, has committed great crimes against our sainted SF writer: Next, Paycheck, Adjustment Bureau. Surely you can wait a little longer to see an adaptation unsullied by either Tom Cruise or tacked on car chases. And if you can't, well don't be mad at RFA's makers, instead be angry at the heap of tepid garbage Hollywood prefers to fund (and ruin).

Here's a write up and a link to buy tickets.

3 comments:

Robert Cook said...

I've got MY tickets! I bought them the other evening immediately when I saw this announced. Although I'm sure I will see RFA eventually in a streaming video or dvd release, I relish the opportunity to see it projected in a theater on a big screen, as any movie is made to be and should be seen.

John Alan Simon said...

Thanks, Robert. We have put heart and soul into this film and hope that as many Dick-Heads as possible will get to this work as it was intended to be seen. In the dark, with other people, on a big screen - where we can gather in darkness to dream the dream of Philip K. Dick together.

Robert Cook said...

Josh, I was there last evening and was thrilled to finally see the film, and a wonderful presentation of Dick's book it was!

I missed it when it showed at the Tribeca Film Festival two years ago, a constant and aggravating miss for me, given the circumstances. I work in Tribeca, literally just a few blocks and minutes' walking time from the theater where it was being shown. I had no idea it was going to be shown until I got home from work. I decided to check this blog, which I had not done for a few days. I saw the announcement about the showing and I saw that it's showtime was within minutes of my discovering it was being shown at all. No time to rush back downtown and catch it! Oh, the humanity!

One thing that did result from that experience is that I reread the book, having not read it since it's original mid-80s publication. I was just certain the film would find a distributor swiftly and would be available on multi-plex and arthouse cinemas throughout the land in no time! I wanted to be sure to renew my acquaintance with the book first. I discovered all over again what a gripping and excellent book it is--in my mind, if not Jonathan Lethem's--more enjoyable then VALIS. Given the events and political developments that have occurred in America in latter days, the book is even more frighteningly pertinent that when first available. (I remain annoyed at Lethem, despite his intrepid championing of Dick's work, for not having included RFA in the omnibus volume published by the Library of America of the so-called "Valis Trilogy," VALIS, THE DIVINE INVASION, and THE TRANSMIGRATION OF TIMOTHY ARCHER. At the very least, even given Lethem's qualms or quibbles with the book, what a fascinating opportunity to present readers in one volume with two wildly differing treatments by the same author of the same subject matter and autobiographical experiences. Ah, well.)

In any case, I thank you for your hard work, investment of time and money, and diligence not only in getting the film made, but in touring it around the world to be shown to select audiences. I will make a pledge through your Kickstarter project in hopes we can get this sucker out to the world at large!