Total Recall easily sits in the top 5 Schwarzenegger films that I just love. And now it looks like the Verhoven film from 1990 is going to be getting the remake stamp.
Power producer Neal H. Moritz is currently developing a “contemporary version” of Total Recall at Columbia Pictures.
Total Recall is one of only a handful of films (Blade Runner being another) based on a short story by sci-fi author Philip K. Dick. “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” follows a man haunted by a recurring dream of journeying to Mars who buys a literal dream vacation from a company called Rekall Inc., which sells implanted memories.
Total Recall has a special place for me as it marked the day I was old enough to go see a Rated R film (legitimately). It came out on my birthday and I proudly showed the ticket girl (she herself not old enough to see the movie) my ID and I was IN.
Blood, Action, Special Effects! Even a cameo appearance by the Triple Breasted Whore from Eroticon 7! My innocent eyes were peeled open.
Fortunately for me it turned out to be a great action flick with a cool storyline. When I found out it was also based on a Philip K. Dick short story, I tracked it down. My geekdom was challenged as well as my sexual identity as my friends giggled when I went to the bookstore looking for Dick. But I digress…
Total Recall getting a remake? Lets check that with The Rules to see if its a good idea.
1) The original has to have a good story Check. The movie version elaborated on Dick’s story, but if either are the source material I am in.
2) Majority of current audience hasn’t seen the original The original is a Schwarzenegger classic, but it might be hit or miss as to who might have seen it. I’d say majority haven’t though enough have that it won’t be considered obscure.
3) Original has to be at least 20 years old By the time they get around to making this, it will JUST be 20.
4) The story would benefit from a modern telling I think this story foundation is solid. Philip K Dick is an incredible writer and though he died in 82, his stuff never gets old. I only hope that in adapting this remake when they say “a more contemporary version” that they go with a dramatic sci-fi thriller instead of the splodey action genre popular back then.
So the votes are in and TMB approves of this remake.
So who should play the lead if this isn’t going to be all action like the 1990 film version?
I could see Liam Neeson, or maybe cast Nic Cage to save his career. Someone mature and sincere. Who do you think?
Thats the most fuckin’ retarded thing I’ve ever heard…
Well not really…but WHAT THE HELL?! Of all the films to be remade…Why??? Total Recall is a classic action-scifi film that’s still so easily watchable today.
Seems to me they’re making another ‘Psycho’ by doing this :P
lol i said the same thing, but remember TDTESS is was a classic and yet they still remade it
What is TDTESS??
The Daye The Earth Stood Still.
lol i meant Day not Daye
I love Total Recall and do not think it needs remaking at all. In fact,I reject your supposed “guidelines” for remakes. A great movie,like a great novel, speaks for itself.
I see them casting Will Smith for the lead. I hope they put like Nathan Fillion but he is not big enough for this film even though he deserves it.
Total Recall never did it for me. I have no nostalgia for this movie so I welcome a complete remake.
Neal Moritz? That guy is Mr. PG-13. I hope someone dumps him on Mars without an oxygen mask.
I would not go as so much as call Moritz “Mr. PG-13”
After all, he DID produce a number of horror slashers, most notably the first two Urban Legends and the I Know What You Did Last Summer series.
Am I the only who thinks this is a bad idea? I mean a cut of the original 1990 version wouldn’t be passed by the mpaa with anything lower than an X rating. Who knows what they’ll do with the remake? Maybe they will water it down to reach a younger demographic? Which would suck cause part of the monster that was total recall was how over the top it was with the violence.
::sigh:: I own this movie on Blu-Ray, it rocks my socks, this new one will blow.
How can you assume it will blow? Got that crystal ball out already?
We know nothing more than they are developing a remake. But you already know with NO Information that it will suck?
Do you always jump to conclusions before hearing anything at all about it?
I feel this film is not as obscure as people think. Just because no-one talks about it dosnt means its obscure. When was the last time anyone had talked about Revenge of the Nerds, or Dances with Wolves? Reminds me of that episode of South Park where Speilburg and Lucus were re-make/re-release their old films and updating them to fit the times. Why not re-make Gond with the Wind and make it relatible to modern times?
As movie fanatics we don’t fit that “everyone” format.
The casual movie attending market is not as up to date as we are.
As any random on the street under 25 if they ever saw total recall and I bet they don’t know what it is. I am sure the majority of the readers on this site have seen it.
And there is a big difference about “updating” a movie that is a period piece (though updating Romeo and Juliet or Pride and Prejudice worked). We are talking about movies that took place in “present day” that are now dated because they take place in a different time. What passed for funny or cool in the 80s just doesn’t work today. Ask Robert VanWinkle.
Just because someone is not a movie fanatic that doesnt mean they havent seen certain movies. Hell my brother was hook on The Breakfast Club even after the film been out for 20 years and isnt a movie fanatic. I also dont see how Total Recall is outdated? We havent colonized on Mars, we still use guns, we still hate corporations. Its not like watching Back to the Future Part 2 and seeing 2025 looking like a live action Jettsons movie.
The point is that the film is 19 years old, and most people will not have seen anything from over 19 years ago.
MOST people.
We are not most people. You cant gauge what movies people will see on your own experience.
Revenge Of The Nerds remake *almost* came to pass about a yr ago, until the locations the prod. locked down became unavailable, and then, like dominoes, the whole thing fell down.
Give the devil his due.
So by that definition films that pass 20 years demand a remake. OK George Lucas, heres your chance to really re-make Star Wars the way you want it. You say you cant gauge what people have seen or not based on my own experiences by hollywoods been doing it for years.
Grave, hyperbole only diminishes your point. Try to avoid it.
As mentioned in the post (in case you didnt read it), we have some general guidelines by which we determine if a movie is ready for a remake.
See, right up there. Its ok, I will wait til you read it then come back.
The age of a movie is only one requirement, and even by our guidelines, it is not absolute.
If you want to try and use my words against me, you may want to consider reading them.
Well sure hyperbole only diminishes my point.
And I have read the rules on remakes so dont act like a prick telling me i need to read it and where it is.
However, hollywood doent follow those rules, we wish they would but unlikely. They re-made Batman and Hulk and they were not 20 years aboart nor had the majority not seen the last incarnations. I do agree with the rules but it dosent apply to every film.
Everyone stop remaking classics!!!!
They messed up Day The Earth Stood Still
and well….that goes for most remakes.
Pretty soon, it’ll get so ridiculous that they will remake The Shining (Man, I hope I’m wrong there, no one should be allowed EVER to touch that)
Didn’t they already attempt a Shining remake with a mini-series in the late 90s?
aaron they probably wont stop remaking films as long as people keep paying to see them, i mean TDTESS sucked(IMO), but it still made money.
Yea they did remake the shinning Oh and there Remaking a another big Classic Bonnie And Clyde .
First of all:
1- The “remake” of The Shining is a slight mislead. The 90’s mini-series was closer to King’s novel (and King himself wrote the script) while Kubrick’s version was a loose adaptation, only retaining the mere skeleton of the King novel. BTW, I consider them both to be wonderful on varied levels. Kubrick’s was more on a psychological level and less of the King supernatural one. Kubrick’s had no redemption, and treated the ghosts of the Overlook as mere hallucinations at least until the last shot of the film.
2-Bonnie & Clyde.
I don’t consider that a remake either, because both characters are historical figures.
I’m not really ‘sold’ on this as a remake, unless … Two of the main selling points of what made the ’90 film so great (aside from over the top violence) was the slight ambiguity of reality vs. comatose dream, and the second was a subplot that never got filmed but used more as a build up for a mythology and backstory.
It is the latter which I can sort of see as a reason for a remake.
“You mean the ancient Martian pyramids and artifacts?” Yes. That’s exactly what I mean. There’s also a possibility that the new film could be closer to the source material as well.
As to who would play Quaid (or Quil) I will not go there. I’m tempted to scream ‘STATHAM’ but I…I’m just not going there.
As to what should remain the same? Four things.
* Johnny Cab [although instead of Bing Crosby, may it look/speak like Arnold!]
* The play on ambiguity, as noted.
* Doublecrosses/triple crosses/backstabbing SOBs left and right, not excluding the wife, the cabbie, your co-workers…and yourself!
* MOST IMPORTANT. Do not mess with the Jerry Goldsmith score. Keep some of it at least.
i dont think this classic should be remade, but if it does i could see Neeson in the lead role.
Seriously Matt, your brain will not know the difference……and that’s guarenteed or your money back ;)
Recall, Recall, Recall…..
if they remake it i hope they keep the woman w/ the three or more titties(or is that another film)