Monday, July 2, 2012

SCIENCE FICTION MOVIE REBOOTS CONTINUED....

We Can Remember It for You Wholesale is a science fiction short story written by legendary science fiction novelist Phillip K Dick (Not to be confused with equally legendary Doctor Who scriptwriter Terrence Dick).  April 1966 was the date it was published in the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.  Essentially, the plot was about some dude named Douglas Quail, who failing to have the cash for a vacation to Mars has phony vacation secret agent memories planted by computer chip into his brain.  However, when it turned out that there were already real memories messing up the fake memories, he gets chased around by evil government types.  A compromise is struck in which Douglas Quail gets fake memories of being a nine year old child who saves the world.  That plan ruins when real memories of being a nine year old child who saves the world messes up the fake memories of being a nine year old child who saves the world. 
Now then, a lot of Phillip K Dick stories are being adapted to films.  Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? becomes the Harrison Ford movie Blade RunnerSecond Variety becomes ScreamersConfessions of a Crap Artist becomes Confessions d'un Barjo.  The Minority Report becomes Minority ReportImposter becomes Imposter (One of those rare moments in which a Phillip K Dick story doesn't have it's title changed).  Paycheck becomes Paycheck (Here again the title isn't changed).  A Scanner Darkly becomes A Scanner DarklyThe Golden Man becomes Next.  King of Elves becomes King of Elves.  The Adjustment Team becomes the Adjustment Bureau
Let's face it, Hollywood won't be satisfied until every single story that Phillip K Dick becomes a film.  So it's natural that his short story, We Can Remember It for You Wholesale becomes the 1990 era film Total Recall starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as Dougless Quaid/Hauser, Sharon Stone as Lori Quaid and Rachel Ticotin as Melina.  Anyway, Total Recall which altered the ending and removed the nine year old child who saves the world part in favor of an overthrowing the evil empire and recreating the atmosphere of Mars overnight instead.  Hey, why have the Dougless Quaid (Dougless Quail in the story) turn out to be a wimp and compromise with the bad guys, when he could force democracy across the universe instead.  Anyway, Total Recall was so successful, that it spawned a 2012 era remake reboot with Colin Farrell as Doug Quaid/Hauser, Jessica Biel as Lori Quaid and Kate Beckinsale as Melina.  It also produced a one season maximum television series entitled Total Recall 2070 (Which was losely based on the two film series).  Who knows, maybe there might be a third Total Recall film and another television series season.  Sadly, the planet Mars appear to have dropped off the list of storytelling requirements for both the remake reboot film and the one season maximum television series.  Let's hope the next Total Recall film and/or television series will being the planet Mars back to the story again.
Anyway, who can forget Sharon Stone who stole the show and walked away with the film as the original Lori Quaid---The female pschopath employee of Vilos Cohaagen---The main villain and sworn arch enemy of the Total Recall two film series and one season maximum television show season (Lori Quaid doesn't call the shots on the planet Mars nor does she call the shots on Earth either).  Hey, at least Sharon Stone as Lori Quaid gets to pound the pulp out of Rachel Ticotin as Melina and make her bleed really bad.  That's got to be worth something.