Limitless, The Movie

Well, here’s another example of how movies differ from books.

I wrote about my love of the original novel, The Dark Fields, back in 2008.

The original story was set in America, with Americans, but, after seeing the movie version, I have to admit it wasn’t a modern American story. It was, however, a traditional American story.

And Hollywood no longer does traditional American stories.

It’s no big secret that most of America is hopped-up on pills of various kinds. The one that drives Silicon Valley has the brand name of Provigil. It’s use isn’t limited to the Valley. It’s used in the military too.

Hell, even Sherlock Holmes was hopped-up on cocaine.

Hell, even I was begging for a session with the spirit molecule after seeing that movie.

And that’s what I think Limitless will do. Encourage more drug use.

In fact, Limitless is probably the pinnacle of pro-drug movies.

Who doesn’t want to be more than they are?

But what Limitless actually says — and is bound to be lost on those rushing out to try pills because it says it fleetingly — is that it can’t make a genius out of a moron.

Eddie Morra makes the connections he does because he is accessing all of his mind. All that gold he’s stored away after years and years and years of education and experience is suddenly accessible like a Google Instant search of his brain. His brain has been overclocked.

So when he sits down to bash out his novel …

… it’s not the result of the drug. The drug didn’t put the novel in his head. It just let him finally put down on paper what already existed in his mind.

But I think that important point is going to be lost.

And that’s the difference between the book and the movie.

The book says, you’ll pay a price for this.

The movie says, you can get away with this.

Traditional America versus modern America.

Given the insanity modern America has become, maybe it’s time for fewer pills out there. Because they’re not being taken to improve genius. All they’re doing is limiting morons being able to see they’re morons.

Read the book first. Then see the movie.

And don’t think there’s any damn way you can become limitless.

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