Total Recall (Remake) Ok I'm against this one!

[GhostPoet]

I think they SHOULD remake Total Recall....the movie didn't age well at all.

 

[Penismightier]

Ok I'm all for remakes like Escape from NY, War of the Worlds, King Kong, Fantastic Voyage, Clash of Titans, etc...

But this is stupid. Total Recall (don't laugh) is still my #1 favorite film of all time. I just love it. The film didn't suffer from a low budget, it still looks damn good, and it's not really neccessary to make a remake of this film.

Now a sequel I could understand but even that isn't needed. It's not the type of franchise you want to see continue. It's a one shot deal. Escape from NY deserves it as do the others. Remakes are usually not better than the original when they try to just duplicate them and that's it. That's why I loved Assault on Precinct 13, the remake disguised as a sequel (The Thing), and so on.

This is not needed.

http://www.moviehole.net/news/20070910_a_total_recall_of_total_recall.html

You see, Escape from New York for me is like Total Recall for you. Neither of these films have aged horribly. I'd wager to say Escape has aged better, as it's more relevant in today's times. You don't want Total Recall remade because it's a beloved classic to you. Welcome to how a lot of other people feel about a lot of other remakes.

 

[DorkyFresh]

i think both films have aged badly...Escape a lot moreso than Total Recall but still, both of them are clearly outdated.

 

[Midnhtsun]

I'd wager to say Escape has aged better, as it's more relevant in today's times.

Thats even more of a reason to remake a movie, if its topic is still relevant or even more so today then in the past, then you would want to reiterate that. A remake would get more peoples' attention and spread the word much more. Younger kids now a days have probably never even heard of escape from new york without a remake they prob never would, and then the message just gets lost.

 

[Penismightier]

i think both films have aged badly...Escape a lot moreso than Total Recall but still, both of them are clearly outdated.

I'll grant you that, on the surface, Escape seems to have aged. The tracking device on his wrist is as big as a laptop and the 3-D model that really isn't looks incredibly primitive. But it's the message that Escape still sends, the anti-government message, still resonates now more than ever. In these times, it seems as though John Carpenter's vision of the future may slowly be coming true. What this pretty much means is that all of the aging of Escape is just surface details. It doesn't feel hokey at all.

 

[Penismightier]

Thats even more of a reason to remake a movie, if its topic is still relevant or even more so today then in the past, then you would want to reiterate that. A remake would get more peoples' attention and spread the word much more. Younger kids now a days have probably never even heard of escape from new york without a remake they prob never would, and then the message just gets lost.

The statement that can be made does not require Snake Plissken or John Carpenter. The statement can be made with other, newer characters that can be created that teenagers can relate to now. Then, when they get older, they will be exposed to films that were made before they were born.

 

[DorkyFresh]

But it's the message that Escape still sends, the anti-government message, still resonates now more than ever. In these times, it seems as though John Carpenter's vision of the future may slowly be coming true. What this pretty much means is that all of the aging of Escape is just surface details. It doesn't feel hokey at all.

true...the point that EfNY ultimately makes is more relevant today than Total Recall's, but EfNY is in a bigger need of a remake than Total Recall. the message is timeless, but the movie, on a whole, is severely dated....more so than Total Recall.

 

[Penismightier]

true...the point that EfNY ultimately makes is more relevant today than Total Recall's, but EfNY is in a bigger need of a remake than Total Recall. the message is timeless, but the movie, on a whole, is severely dated....more so than Total Recall.

That's the thing, while some of the technological elements in the film seem dated, the city, the theme, and the message of the film are still so relevant. The movie still looks like exactly what would happen if Manhattan was turned into a prison island today. And, the aging is a part of the film. It's a grindhouse film, it's supposed to be kitschy.

 

[Midnhtsun]

The statement that can be made does not require Snake Plissken or John Carpenter. The statement can be made with other, newer characters that can be created that teenagers can relate to now. Then, when they get older, they will be exposed to films that were made before they were born.

Thats still not a reason on why not to do a remake. Yes newer characters and stories can tell the same thing, but if a movie can be expanded upon, improved and updated a new audience can enjoy a classic character.

Besides some people might not watch a movie cause its black and white or because its a 60's flick and so on. So why not revamp the movie and make it apply to the modern time. Every movie that has ever been made can be improved upon in one way or another.

 

[Midnhtsun]

That's the thing, while some of the technological elements in the film seem dated, the city, the theme, and the message of the film are still so relevant. The movie still looks like exactly what would happen if Manhattan was turned into a prison island today. And, the aging is a part of the film. It's a grindhouse film, it's supposed to be kitschy.

Actually one thing i have to argue with is the state of new york when the movie was made is a lot different now than when the movie was made. In the 80's New york city was a hell hole, today it is a lot cleaner and much safer than it was in the 80's. That was one of the largest reasons New york was picked as the city for this movie. Younger people born in the late 80's wont even remember how bad new york city was.

 

[Penismightier]

Actually one thing i have to argue with is the state of new york when the movie was made is a lot different now than when the movie was made. In the 80's New york city was a hell hole, today it is a lot cleaner and much safer than it was in the 80's. That was one of the largest reasons New york was picked as the city for this movie. Younger people born in the late 80's wont even remember how bad new york city was.

The New York in the movie was not supposed to be the New York of the 80's. It was set in the future. It was supposed to look like a city that was overrun with prisoners. Buildings were burnt out and there was wreckage in the streets. It looks like a bomb went off in New York City, and had nothing to do with how seedy areas of Manhattan were in the 70s and 80s.

 

[DorkyFresh]

That's the thing, while some of the technological elements in the film seem dated, the city, the theme, and the message of the film are still so relevant. The movie still looks like exactly what would happen if Manhattan was turned into a prison island today. And, the aging is a part of the film. It's a grindhouse film, it's supposed to be kitschy.

we're getting off topic here, but let me end my part of the argument by saying that EfNY is, visually, NO WHERE NEAR what New York would've looked like today....or even in the 90's. you said yourself that it's a grindhouse, kitschy film. grindhouse films are not timeless. they're very much a part of the 80's.

the message that the government can't be trusted will always be relevent as long as governments exist...but it's not EfNY's message alone. plenty of other movies have conveyed the same message in a better way. EfNY is, at heart, an action adventure taking place in a apocalyptic-type setting that's extremely dated by 80's technology and movie making standards.

The New York in the movie was not supposed to be the New York of the 80's. It was set in the future.

but the movie was made to reflect what the city might've eventually become had it continued on it's downward spiral. the movie was made because NY was becoming a slum...not because our government was betraying us.

 

[Midnhtsun]

The New York in the movie was not supposed to be the New York of the 80's. It was set in the future. It was supposed to look like a city that was overrun with prisoners. Buildings were burnt out and there was wreckage in the streets. It looks like a bomb went off in New York City, and had nothing to do with how seedy areas of Manhattan were in the 70s and 80s.

Well in the beggining of the movie crime was so high in new york that the government decided to close off the entire city and make it into a prison. Thats how many people viewed new your in the 70's and 80's, that it was going to just keep getting worse and worse. The future btw was 1998 wasnt it? so apparently they figured new york was gonna get bad in a short amount of time.

 

[cryptic name]

leave Total Recall alone. if they want to make a spy movie set on mars, then do that. i can't believe it's gotten to the point where they're remaking flicks from the 90's.


...start the reactor

 

[Midnhtsun]

leave Total Recall alone. if they want to make a spy movie set on mars, then do that. i can't believe it's gotten to the point where they're remaking flicks from the 90's.


...start the reactor

well when its been almost 20 years since the original movie was made, thats a whole new generation. Remaking a movie 5-10 years after it was made yea i can agree with you on that but 20 years is reasonable.

 

[Penismightier]

I don't want to turn this into an Escape thread so I'll make a few short points before I get back to Total Recall.

1. Escape is the rare paradox of timeless kitsch. Carpenter crafted a definitely 80s film, but that has timeless appeal.

2. While any movie can be improved upon, the question is whether or not it can be improved upon enough to make a remake worthwhile. For me, Escape is not one of the movies where it would be worthwhile to remake it.

Same goes for Total Recall, it's not worthwhile to remake it since its still good and still holds up well. A better idea would be making another Philip K. Dick story into a film.

Now, I'm not against remakes entirely. I think they should be used intelligently and sparingly. Like, remake movies from the 40s and 50s that are incredibly obscure and seem hokey. That would make a remake worthwhile. The same rules would also apply to movies from the 80s in 30 or so years.

 

[BloodyWolverine]

Arnold is over rated it could be a better film with someone else.

Blade Runner with Harrison never. Total Recall could have been alot better.

 

[Midnhtsun]

I don't want to turn this into an Escape thread so I'll make a few short points before I get back to Total Recall.

1. Escape is the rare paradox of timeless kitsch. Carpenter crafted a definitely 80s film, but that has timeless appeal.

2. While any movie can be improved upon, the question is whether or not it can be improved upon enough to make a remake worthwhile. For me, Escape is not one of the movies where it would be worthwhile to remake it.

Same goes for Total Recall, it's not worthwhile to remake it since its still good and still holds up well. A better idea would be making another Philip K. Dick story into a film.

Now, I'm not against remakes entirely. I think they should be used intelligently and sparingly. Like, remake movies from the 40s and 50s that are incredibly obscure and seem hokey. That would make a remake worthwhile. The same rules would also apply to movies from the 80s in 30 or so years.

I'm a big fan of escape I cant even count how many times Ive seen it. Yea I think it will take a lot to make a newer version that was better than the first, (Look at EfLA that was just bad) but being so much of a fan of the original im actually looking forward to how well they can redo it and improve.

But yea were getting off topic....

so.....

3 boobed woman, who do you want to see play her? haha

 

[PLAS]

I didn't like the first one that much, specially after reading the original story, but a more close adaptation from the original short story would be great, with a different name, maybe

how come nobody has mentioned Phillip K. Dick yet?

okay, the penismightier did

 

[OobeDoobBenubi]

3 boobed woman, who do you want to see play her? haha

Megan Fox because it would bring new meaning to Fox t:

 

[PLAS]

Thats even more of a reason to remake a movie, if its topic is still relevant or even more so today then in the past, then you would want to reiterate that. A remake would get more peoples' attention and spread the word much more. Younger kids now a days have probably never even heard of escape from new york without a remake they prob never would, and then the message just gets lost.

kids need to dig more

 

[Advanced Dark]

Arnold is over rated it could be a better film with someone else.

Blade Runner with Harrison never. Total Recall could have been alot better.

Blade Runner still holds up to the films of today. I loved Total Recall. Escape from NY is awesome but it left much to be desired. It's low budget really showed and the concept was so damn cool I'd love to see them pull it off with better financing and with today's F/X and weaponry.

 

[ANTOINE X]

or maybe a sequel? with the rock?

 

[Advanced Dark]

The Rock to me hasn't proven that he can even act yet. He's just a personality with about 1/10th the charisma of Arnold. Hell Van Damme is a better actor than Dwayne. LOL

 

[Advanced Dark]

I didn't like the first one that much, specially after reading the original story, but a more close adaptation from the original short story would be great, with a different name, maybe

how come nobody has mentioned Phillip K. Dick yet?

okay, the penismightier did

Phillip Dick rules. How's that. Screames was an awful flick and I think Minority Report was a mess with Tom Cruise.

Regarding Totall Recall alot of my friends think he wasn't dreaming...but he was. He was still at recall the entire film.