TOTAL RECALL 1987 miniature effects

[@s2mann]

Wow very insightful. I love hearing all these folks talk about the work they did. What an amazingly fun job that must have been

[@blazerocker1734]

I knew there was at least one previous version planned but I never knew it had gotten this far into production. Thanks for the upload.

[@PhoenixWright101]

I love the Verhoeven movie. But this was very interesting - great work. It would be great to see some footage of the models, if anything was shot before they closed down the picture, that is.

[@kentallard8852]

I've heard about the earlier development but I had no idea they were actually in the process of building when it was called off

[@decibelfilm]

The revelation that the miniatures were sold off and repurposed for an Ultraman TV show compelled me to look up said show (the whole thing is available here on KZbin). Imagine my amusement and surprise when the first episode begins with a scene set on... Mars, of all places!

[@DeickFranfan]

Enchantingly fabulous these models that made history in many golden ages of cinema, and the way they represent these different facets 👌👌👌👌👌🥇🏆☑

[@TeddyLeppard]

How interesting! The version we never saw.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

I never knew there was a planned previous version of *TOTAL RECALL.*

[@piercefilm]

More than one. David Cronenberg was also going to direct a version.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

@@piercefilm >>> Rodger that...👌

[@gassaarm]

I remember going into the Sydney art department and seeing on the walls art from earlier attempts of productions including stuff from HR Giger , all lost now

[@kentallard8852]

@@gassaarm Is the Giger designs what one of them mentions about organic designs?

[@gassaarm]

From what I can remember the was an organic dome, which was the alien machine and a Giger type train. The train art was reused on a horror film (I don't remember which one) it was built as a miniature for a dream sequence.

[@dannyr2976]

Me at first seeing the title Total Recall, 1987... Whaaaa? Must either be a mistake or a really long production schedule, lol!

[@ballpointpress]

This is some *very* interesting stuff!

[@Netbug]

I think I may like the concept of the original core more.

[@davidjoe3368]

From Patrick Swayze to Arnold Schwarzenegger, and from the surface of Mars, to the interior of Mars! What a change!

[@Clay3613]

Wow those models look incredible...are there higher-res pics of them anywhere?

[@piercefilm]

Possibly on Facebook in the PEG group.

[@flashfish2005]

Even though Tony Doublin mentions Patrick Swayze and he's right that Swayze was going to be paid a half million (1987), the director, Bruce Beresford, really wanted to use Sam Neill, who was well known in Australia but not so much outside of the country. He had done Riley Ace of Spies, I believe as well as a number of other films. A screen test was done, which I saw, focusing on the moment when Quaid re-acquires "Total Recall". He looked great but Dino didn't have any confidence that he was a global level actor (wrong Dino...), so Swayze who was hot off of Dirty Dancing got the nod.

[@MindbodyMedic]

Neill is a solid actor, I can picture him in this role. It would certainly be a different flavour of film, with Arnie he adds the edge to some of the OTT satirical violence with lots of cheesy comic relief.

[@flashfish2005]

@@MindbodyMedic Sam Neill did a screen test. The director chose the scene where the character gets "total recall" and becomes a man of action. It was a physical piece shot somewhere in downtown Sydney. He was great but Arnold was bank.

[@Dinoslay]

To make up for it Neill later on got his break working with lots of Dinos in a certain Steven Spielberg production. ;)

[@Clay3613]

@@flashfish2005 Any footage?

[@flashfish2005]

@@Clay3613 There was indeed footage but it's not in my possession. I'm not sure that it even exists any longer. I do have lots of stills of the miniature work.

[@_Only_Zuul]

amazing story! i'm aussie and i never knew this!

[@piercefilm]

And there was a third David Cronenberg version!

[@polygonalmasonary]

You are from Australia !! I'm really surprised you didn't know the film changed from the surface of Mars to ... 'Down Under' :-)

[@_Only_Zuul]

@@polygonalmasonary well.. i was like 6 years old in 1987..

[@polygonalmasonary]

I think the organic core would have looked so much better, more like Ridley Scott movies, IE. Alien.

[@biffmercury]

Awesome!!! Thanks for posting. I was always curious about the versions of this movie that were aborted. Anyone know who the visual effects supervisor was on this version? Since it was Dino producing, I assume Van Der Veer was the optical house.

[@flashfish2005]

No, the VFX Super was William Mesa, now of Flash Films in Burbank. I was the VFX Producer. As I recall, there were no opticals planned for. It was to be done in camera using the Introvision System. The Introvision System was also employed on Outland.

[@rickytoddbotelho9555]

Ultraman great was a Fanfuckingtastic show😛👍❤

[@belaskifilms2162]

Talk about surprising First I didn't know there was gonna be a total recall in 87 Then they say the models were used in ultraman towards the future

[@thekaiser4333]

Why Australia?

[@piercefilm]

Cheaper to film there. Tax incentives. Same reason Lucas filmed his Star Wars prequels there. And the Wachowskis filmed the Matrix films there.

[@thekaiser4333]

@@piercefilm - Ah! Interesting. Thank you. Very good series, you made here.

[@creepyzebra]

@@thekaiser4333 Same now, there is a tax offset for any production that comes to shoot

[@dannyr2976]

@@piercefilm ...And Superman Returns I assume

[@Lumibear.]

Looks kinda mars-ey?