TORONTO MOVIE/TV NEWS

Monday, June 18, 2012

Beware Of 'Rekall': Don't Let Them Blow Your Mind

Sneak Peek more of the Toronto-lensed reboot, "Total Recall", directed by Len Wiseman ("Underworld"). The new movie ditches the 'Martian' storyline of the 1990 feature starring Arnold Shwarzenegger, with a story revolving around the futuristic nation states 'Euromerica' and 'New Shanghai'.
"Total Recall" stars Colin Farrell ("Minority Report") as 'Douglas Quaid', a factory worker who begins to believe he is a spy — although he doesn't know for which side.
Cast also includes Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad") as the main villain, Bill Nighy ("Underworld") as 'Quatto', leader of the 'Resistance', Kate Beckinsale ("Underworld") as 'Lori', Jessica Biel ("The A-Team") as 'Melina' and Ethan Hawke ("Training Day") who has a cameo appearance.
"Total Recall" is based on author Philip K. Dick's novelette "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale", first published April 1966, in "The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction", featuring a meshing of reality, false memory and real memory. That story followed 'Douglas Quail', a simple and ordinary man, who wishes to visit Mars. Unable to afford it, he visits a company, 'Rekal Incorporated' that offers implanted memories, or 'extra-factual memory'. The attempt to implant Mars memories of Quail as a secret agent reveals that Quail actually is an undercover government assassin with a mind full of dangerous secrets. The Rekal staff quickly get Quail out of their office; he heads home and finds certain physical evidence to support his new old memories. The government initially seeks his death but instead Quail manages to make a deal. He returns to Rekal to have his Mars memories once more suppressed, and is offered by way of compensation a set of heroic wish-fulfillment false memories. The Rekal staff begin the memory-implanting procedure — and uncover a different and older set of suppressed memories, revealing that the unbelievable memories they are about to insert are already there and are true. The title of the Dick short story is an allusion to the 1962 Broadway musical "I Can Get It for You Wholesale". Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Total Recall...