'Total Recall': How will the remake stack up? Discuss - Los Angeles Times
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‘Total Recall’: How will the remake stack up? Discuss

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Do you remember “Total Recall,†that sci-fiaction flick from the 1990s starring Arnold Schwarzeneger before his stint as governor? The filmmakers of the upcoming remake won’t be disappointed if you don’t recall it. Join The Times’ Michelle Maltais and film writer John Horn for a chat at 11 a.m. Thursday about Sony‘s $125-million reboot starring Colin Farrell, Jessica Biel and Kate Beckinsale.

Like its predecessor, the film is loosely based on the short story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale†by Philip K. Dick, whose writings were the source material for “Blade Runner,†“Minority Report†and “Paycheck.†But unlike the earlier film, this “Total Recall†eschews corny dialogue and cartoonish violence in an attempt to play the premise fairly straight.

PHOTOS: ‘Total Recall’ premiere

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Director Len Wiseman -- who worked on the four “Underworld†films starring Beckinsale, his wife -- said that when he became involved he wanted to shift the story and screenplay away from science fiction toward human drama.

“I wanted to make it much more of a character thriller that involved sci-fi themes,†Wiseman said. “How would somebody really react to being told that even though you think you’re inherently good, you’re being told you’re a bad guy? You want to feel you could imagine yourself in Quaid’s predicament.â€

If you’d like to ask a question or post a comment, you can do it here or on Twitter at #asklatimes during the chat.

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