Total Recall Remake Trailer Remembers Things Differently

[wildpeaks]

I'd rather see a new season of Total Recall 2070: even if it had hardly anything to do with the movie, it was frakking brilliant.

 

[Vigormortis]

Seems like they're taking more information from Philip K. Dicks' work then the 80s version did...it's probably only called Total Recall because 'Overdrawn at the Memory Bank' is less dramatic.

Don't you mean "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale"?

Anyway, I loved the original Phillip K. Dick story. I've always felt that "Ah-nold" film was utter shit. I've never been a fan of Paul Verhoeven's adaptations. In my eyes, he's responsible for taking some of the better sci-fi stories ever written and turning them into awful, B-grade schlock; often with half-assed socio-politic "statements" crowbarred in. He ruined "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale (Total Recall)" and he ruined "Starship Troopers".

Therefore any "remake" of Total Recall, even if it does turn out to be just another "generic summer sci-fi action flick", will be better in my eyes than that abortion of a film Verhoeven made.

Here's hoping this one's closer to the book. Which, at first blush, it seems to be the case, even if they're seemingly removing the whole "Mars" aspect of it. Likewise, I've high hopes for the "Starship Troopers" remake. By all accounts, it seems they're aiming to adhere to the novel's version of the story rather than Vehoevens.

I was actually referencing this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overdrawn_at_the_Memory_Bank

A silly Canadian movie influenced by Dicks' work that was on Mystery Science Theatre (even though it's based on a John Varley story). It was a bad joke about how Hollywood is remaking everything.

I hadn't heard of that made-for-TV movie. (sounds like that may be a good thing, based on that wiki info)

But yeah, I get your joke now. It's sadly true. Even worse, the "original" ideas are either shit or based on some other property.

I mean, hell, did you know that besides Battleship there are film adaptations of Ouija, Candyland, and Stretch Armstrong in the works?

Stretch....****ing....Armstrong.

:|

 

[EnigmaticSevens]

In what psychotic hell was the original Total Recall a good film by any stretch of the imagination. I'm as fond of nostalgia goggles as much as the next guy, but I rather clearly remember a couple hours of Arnie beating on people while spouting the most gloriously narmy sci-fi dribble I think I've ever heard. I also remember a sentient, vaguely human shaped tumor growing out a man's stomach leading the revolution against "insert evil megacorp here." That's not innovative or necessarily creative in any good sense of the word, it's someone's acid trip gone horribly, horribly wrong.... Now get your ass back to Mars.

 

[Andy Chalk]

Total Recall wasn't good, it was AWESOME.

But hey, we'll see how the sequel is.

 

[dthree]

What can they do? Rename it to any other title and keep the "based on the Phillip K. Dick story" in the credits, only to have smarmy internet writers point out that "hey, this is just a ripoff of the Arnold movie!"

It's a tough spot but one the producers put themselves in. Claiming that it's an adaptation of the novel and not a remake of the movie, while at the same time using the title of that movie, is just a cheap cop-out. Maybe it won't suck but comparisons are inevitable, and while I hate to burst anyone's bubble, Total Recall is widely regarded as a pinnacle of the classic Hollywood action blockbuster industry. Maybe you don't like the genre, maybe you think it's silly/cheesy/campy/whatever, but I don't you ("you" meaning anyone, btw) can reasonably dismiss it, and furthermore, I do think that in 20 or 30 or 50 years, when we're talking about films that left a mark, it will be the 1990 version, and not this one, we'll be talking about.

Here's an idea: DON'T REMAKE IT. Do something new. Want a thought-provoking story to build a new sci-fi feature around? Dig into PKD's collection of yet-unfilmed stories. The guy wrote a lot [http://www.philipkdick.com/works_stories.html]