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Retrospective: The Leading Ladies Of Michael Bay’s High-Octane Cinema
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Michael Bay. Love him or hate him, you can’t deny the director’s ability to make energetic, entertaining, and profitable action films for general audiences. His testosterone-fueled directorial style has influenced the visual vocabulary of the contemporary Hollywood blockbuster more than any other filmmaker.
Bay’s films have grossed $4.5 billion worldwide and are often characterized by explosions, lens flares, 360 Steadicam shots, and never-ending sunsets. While he’s often considered nothing more than an egotistical hack, Bay’s distinct high-octane style is instantly recognizable and – for better or worse – he’s been incredibly consistent throughout his career.
One aspect of Bay’s films that often gets lost in all the explosions and mayhem is the impressive lineup of actresses he’s included in his predominantly male movies. With his latest film, Pain & Gain, about to hit theaters this weekend, I thought it might be a good time to look back at Michael Bay’s filmography, specifically the leading actresses who have since went on to insanely successful careers.
So, check out below The Leading Ladies of Michael Bay’s High-Octane Cinema.
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Movie Review: Total Recall (2012)
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Total Recall
Directed by Len Wiseman
Starring Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston, John Cho
Columbia Pictures
Rated PG-13 | 118 Minutes
Release Date: August 3rd, 2012
“I don’t wanna spoil it for you, Doug, but rest assured, by the time the trip is over, you get the girl, kill the bad guys, and save the entire planet. Now you tell me… isn’t that worth a measly 300 credits?”
Based on the Philip K. Dick story We Can Remember It For You Wholesale, Total Recall was first adapted in 1990 by director Paul Verhoeven (RoboCop), based on a screenplay by Alien scribes Ronald Shusett and Dan O’Bannon.
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger (“Give these people air!”) and Sharon Stone, Verhoeven’s Total Recall is considered an influential, mind-bending sci-fi satire. In Hollywood, if something is “influential” that means there’s still some money to be squeezed out of it, which means it’s ripe for a remake. Enter Len Wiseman, director of the Underworld films and Live Free or Die Hard.
Directed by Wiseman and written by Mark Bomback, James Vanderbilt, and Kurt Wimmer, this “new” Total Recall feels like a combination of I, Robot, Minority Report, Blade Runner, and pretty much every science-fiction film made in the last 20 years. Set in the grim future of 2084, Earth is controlled by The United Federation of Britain, led by Vilos Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston). Unlike the original film, which takes place primarily on Mars, Wiseman’s remake replaces the red planet with The Colony, a wretched hive of scum and villainy where all the middle-class, blue-collar folks are forced to live.
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SDCC 2012: ‘Total Recall’ Panel
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The panel for Total Recall, with Colin Farrell, Jessica Biel, Kate Beckinsale, Bryan Cranston, and director Len Wiseman, started the Screen Gems/Sony Panel at San Diego Comic-Con. The remake of the 1990 classic, which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, looks to be another summer smash. A new trailer filled with about six minutes of footage showed the unrelenting, action-packed, smash and dash non-stop riveting adventure and vibrant world that the character of Farrell, one Douglas Quaid, gets thrust into by way of Rekall Industries, electrified the crowd in Hall H.
Farrell spoke about filling the large shoes in taking on Arnold’s role; Beckinsale expounded about being tongue in cheek about being incredulous that her husband Wiseman cast her to be a huge “bitch” as she takes on the role originated by Sharon Stone in the original production; Cranston waxed about his character (originated by Ronny Cox in the first film) and working with the film’s principles; Biel spoke about the training process, which involved multitudes of boxing and chicken, and Wiseman talked of making the movie.
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‘Total Recall’ Trailer: Colin Farrell Loses His Memory, Has Girl Problems
Colin Farrell has caught himself in quite a situation. Not only can he not tell what is real and what isn’t but he also has two beautiful women looking for him. One wants to kill him and the other wants to protect him.
A new trailer for Total Recall has appeared online which includes some nods to the Arnold Schwarzenegger-vehicle released in 1990. There’s the familiar circle of light that encompasses the chair, and then there’s the three-breasted woman (which was promised a while back, even with the planned PG-13 rating).
Check out the trailer below.
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Watch The ‘Total Recall’ Trailer With Commentary By Director Len Wiseman
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The trailer for the new adaptation of Total Recall (I hesitate to use the term “remake” since this movie, much like Paul Verhoeven’s 1990 movie, is based on Philip K. Dick‘s 1966 short story “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale”) was unveiled a week ago to little fanfare and the expected gnashing teeth of devoted fans of the Verhoeven movie and haters of remakes and reboots in general looking to justify the kind of boiled-over rage directed at this movie that you wouldn’t often find outside of Tea Party gatherings and Bill O’Reilly’s dressing room. To help alleviate rising concerns about the film’s fidelity – or lack thereof – to its source and the fact that it looks like just about every futuristic actioner out there (OOH! FLYING CARS!) the trailer for Total Recall is being presented complete with a few audio comments from the movie’s director Len Wiseman.
You can watch the trailer with Wiseman’s commentary here below.
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