全面回忆1990

想象力不错，全息幻影，植入式追踪器，自动出租车，但火星海关还盖章是不是低端了些，还有枪械依旧古朴。车的道具感觉好简陋，电瓶车似的。这就是谍影重重、不明身份的硬科幻版。反派小头目瑞克特是命令与征服GDI将军演的，又是这个酱油男。特工好像没有受过专业训练，乱杀人不说，还在火星上乱开枪，空气泄漏，自作自受。施瓦辛格真惨，鸡巴被踢了好几次。莎朗斯通被爆头，这电影似乎很喜欢爆人头。
既然豪斯是坏人，为什么要给魁德全息投影呢？坐以待毙的C区人，通风管道不可以爬出去吗？反正只有个大风扇。用激光枪就不怕打破圆顶了。打全息投影子弹岂不是都得打得对面人的身上了，第一次打魁德就没这种情况？寡头的手和外星人很像，是外星人？反应炉的开关一碰就开，太假了吧。按火星的气压暴漏在空气中立时便脑浆迸裂，不会有缓冲的时间。就算是反应炉溶化冰，喷出的蒸汽也足矣将男女主角二人烧死。
嗯，科幻就是科幻，没有这么对为什么，看便是了。

       新版《全面回忆》用惊人的视觉奇观打造了一部标准的商业电影。此时我们来回溯一下这部电影的鼻祖，经典的原版《全面回忆》。是什么让它成为经典？严谨认真的科幻元素设计功不可没。


        新版《全面回忆》用惊人的视觉奇观打造了一部标准的商业电影。此时我们来回溯一下这部电影的鼻祖，经典的原版《全面回忆》。是什么让它成为经典？严谨认真的科幻元素设计功不可没。
 architecture.uwaterloo.ca网站经常就各类影片的设计和概念提出一些预设的问题，向所有的访客征求每条400字的个人见解，然后再进行选登。自然他们也不会放过1990年经典原版的《全面回忆》（又名《宇宙威龙》、《魔鬼总动员》）。以下的内容就是从原版《全面回忆》的问答中选出的。
 
 
       保罗•范霍文之所以选中墨西哥城作为外景地，其中一个理由便是他看上了这座城市的“新粗野主义”建筑风格，这些建筑能够直观地表达出未来图景（不需进行改造，也就是说，能够节省搭建布景的开支）。您认为这一做法是否成功？无论是或否，都请给出理由。
 
 
       B. J. Smith： 大多数未来背景的科幻影片在描述未来图景时都会在两种表现形式中择其一而行。第一种是表现一个层次高度繁杂又饱经风霜的城市——经年累月的经历赋予了这些建筑和产业体系以一种过往与未来交错的风范，即便从最具未来风格的先进技术中，观众也能够体会得到其漫长发展历程的积淀。这样的图景通常都被用于支撑一种更接近现实、更加绝情的未来——敌托邦。这样的设定我们可以在《银翼杀手》、《第五元素》和《终结者》中看到。而另一种诠释——也就是原版《全面回忆》采用的手法，则更倾向于展现乌托邦式的理想图景，相比我们如今身处的时代，这些影片中的城市更为规范也更为整洁有序。它不仅试图展现未来图景和科技所能够带来的伟大进步，也往往忽视过去的历史，因此这种手法展现的城市都鲜有过往岁月的痕迹。我们可以在其他一些影片，如《2001：太空漫游》和部分《星际迷航》电影中体会到这种观念。
       墨西哥城的新粗野主义建筑便是这种乌托邦式未来都市的理想背景。它那井井有条的交通秩序、简洁的布局和缺乏历史积淀的特征酿造出了未来感——让观众置身于一个陌生的城市环境中，而且足以消解他们对未来景致的一切先入为主观念。而建筑物的材质同样也成了这种未来感的良性助推——大量的混凝土、钢铁和玻璃——这些建筑材料诉说着建筑技术进步的意义所在，特别强调了混凝土建筑单调划一的范型。这种整齐划一、秩序井然的风格帮助剧组营造出了一种由内及外的现代化高科技范儿，它不但有助于勾勒出未来图景，也确定了片中世界一切事务的运作规律——井然有序、清晰明了又整洁划一。所有这些图景都致力于描绘出一个生机勃勃的未来，并宣扬着一个理念——一切皆有可能，这也令整个故事的幻想性更上一层楼。科幻片中常通过布景设计来体现未来科技，而墨西哥城现有的建筑却能够轻易引出此类风格。综上所述，我认为原版《全面回忆》的选景成功地酿造出了未来的图景。
 
       请谈谈您对片中发声活动傀儡装置应用的看法，它们是否有助于酿造出未来感？
 
 
       Andrea. Wong： 在本片中，发声活动傀儡既被用作服装道具，也被用来支持角色塑造和为其增添喜剧色彩。两者都对影片的未来色彩贡献良多，活动傀儡通过精密装置技术对活人的模仿，而令影片的整体美学口味变得更为真实可信。
 在服装道具类的发声活动傀儡中，给人印象最为深刻的莫过于那离经叛道的义军领袖，他寄生在一个大汉的腹部。而出租车的机器人驾驶员，它的外形似人而又非人，显然属于非现实主义的范畴，而且观众一看到它便会产生一种滑稽可笑的感觉。这些角色更接近于一种披着彩色塑胶外皮的机器，并且体现出枯燥乏味且麻木不仁的技术特征。未来充斥着这类毫无个性的自动化装置。
 
      请您评论一下片中模型对火星景观营造的成效如何。
 
 
        Derek. McCallum： 火星景物模型的应用是影片中举足轻重的一步，因为我们只能通过这些模型来亲眼看到火星殖民的全景和人类维生设施的建筑形式。
       火星殖民地的模型也道出了建筑形式与地貌的共生关系。在片中，我们能看到两头埋设在峡谷两端的绵延飞桥，也可以看出那些建筑实际上都是半埋在岩石中的。它们其实并不是建造在地表，而是被埋设在地里的。岩石的浓重红色与昏暗且锈迹斑斑的建筑物模型配色加以对比，便让观众留下了对火星实地状况的鲜明观感。通过这些模型，火星那原始而又严酷难以生存的环境特性便被活生生地具象呈现在观众们的面前。
 
       在这部未来背景影片中，饮食并不是重点要素。但在片中的地球和火星上都出现了不少饮食场面。请您评论一下片中对地球和火星饮食的描写。
 
 
        Helen. Pallot： 通过饮食状况，观众可以得知片中人物的日常作息和习惯。在地球上，食材都是自然作物。施瓦辛格有一场制作早餐蔬果汁的戏，他从瓶子里倒出液体和粉末，再将它们和成一顿足以喂饱壮汉的大餐。在这个场面中，人物使用的白色瓶子和透明玻璃容器传达了一种“健康环境”的信息。
        相对于地球上的私人早餐，火星上的饮食更多地体现在公共空间——比如那几场在公共食堂和小吃店的戏。这或许是在向观众重复传达一个信息——火星上的生活被控制得更为严密，由于生存环境的关系，在这里的一切都处于更严格的管制和监控之下。那儿不会有集市，小卖部里的零食品种也少得可怜。在这类贫瘠、孤立的环境状况之下，饮食问题只能靠众人分食大锅菜来解决。
        在整部影片中，玻璃杯和饮料出场的机会比食物多得多。影片结尾火星环境巨变的那场戏中，桌上碎裂的玻璃器皿中爆出了好多奶昔一样的东西，这就是火星食物的特点——固态食物较少，液态食物居多。或许随着时代的进步，我们今后吃饭的时候也用不着咀嚼了呢。
 
       这是片中地球上唯一一张出现自然景观的“图像”。地球上的都市景致非常刻意地回避了植被景观，请对此发表一下您的评论。
 
 
       Allison. Janes： 原版《全面回忆》的主角怀有一种莫名的冲动：他总是想离开地球，远赴火星。看不见一点绿色的都市环境反映了阿诺扮演的人物对地球上平庸乏味生活的厌恶。片中出现的地球建筑大都是混凝土浇筑的，这些千篇一律、缺乏色彩的生硬建筑反映着一种难以打破的单调——一如这位主角在地球上的生活状态，并且借此让我们看到他的生活是多么的机械而又乏味。片中的一切都是人造的，因此它们完全井然有序、波澜不惊。在人类的生活中，自然已经被边缘化了——这是因为人无法随心所欲地操控自然。
       因此这个画面非常契合剧情，阿诺的角色也只能靠电视投影的虚拟画面来体会体会虚假的自然了。而这个虚假的自然本身走的便是一种陈腐的老套路——你坐在桌前，面前是早餐，窗外是自然美景，好一个自欺欺人。
       这部影片中回避了自然景观的存在，因为本片的主旨便是探讨：何为真实，何为虚拟现实？自然景观则反映了某种程度上无法被操控的现实——也就是自然世界的混沌无序。
 
       影片中出现了视频通讯，您认为拍得足以令人信服吗？它是否符合片中的时代设定？
 
 
        Matt. Storus： 为了突出原版《全面回忆》的时代设定而在片中加入视频通讯的举动显然已经过时了。即便在90年代初的现实世界中，这也算不上什么先进科技了。但话又说回来，那些通话屏幕却非常出色地酿造出了影片的主旨——现实的不确定性。
 片中的视频通讯非常有助于勾勒剧情和主题。在观影过程中，观众始终会对阿诺扮演的人物抱有强烈的疑问：他的这些经历是真实的吗？抑或这只是他自己的妄想？从这层意义上来说，片中出现的那些通话屏幕恰好烘托了这种不确定性——因为那些终端原本的用途就是传播某种暗示，而这种暗示其实就是精心构建的虚拟现实（与之相对的则是人物亲身体会感悟的现实）。
 
      片中地球场景大都取自混凝土建筑占主导的墨西哥城，而火星建筑的主要材料却是金属和粗糙原始的岩石。您认为如此设计的用意何在？效果如何？
 
 
       Nathan. Rehorick： 我认为这就和《九霄云外》（Outland，1981）中的设定是一个道理，如果你要构建出一个足够可信的太空矿业殖民地，那么就必须将那里的生存空间质量设计得与地球完全不同，本片中火星与地球的差异便体现了这一考虑。而火星上空气紧缺的现状也迫使人们不得不在地下的岩床上搭建采矿设施。大部分火星上的镜头都在着力营造空气紧缺的气氛：所有的生活空间都处在密封罩内。所以相对于在地面上费劲造建筑，显然在地下开挖生存空间是更合理的做法——毕竟那是在布满岩石的火星上。
       火星上的生活区域是分为若干个层级的，最外沿的公共空间覆盖着玻璃穹顶，人们可以在其中眺望外部世界的景致；而抵抗组织则藏身于最为隐秘的掩体之中，你必须钻入极深的岩床地底，穿过越来越厚实的金属大门才能抵达此处。因此，片中各场所的材质特征也反映了它的公共或私密空间本质。当奎德和梅丽娜穿过通道迷宫闯入反应室时，这种差异性便戏剧性地升华了。
       这与地球上的生活形成了鲜活的对比：在地球上，大多数人的穿着都很平常，工人们上工时也穿着千篇一律的制服。但这终究只是奎德被洗去记忆之后被刻意安置的环境。地球上这些千篇一律毫无个性的混凝土建筑点出了“丧失记忆”这一主题。总体来说，我认为地球混凝土建筑和火星金属/岩石建筑的对比也带出了另一个伏笔：他们是在一颗没有大气的行星上建房子。这是一种戏剧性的手法，它强调的不仅仅是技术上的特征，也深化了作品的主题：记忆的丧失与重构。

On Total Recall and Video Game Aesthetic in film
关于电影全面回忆和电影中的电子游戏美学

原文：http://10oclockdot.tumblr.com/post/47364423600/on-total-recall-and-video-game-aesthetics-in-film

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记忆，梦，影像三点交汇的区域已成为大批影像制作者探索和演绎的重点，从像Bruce Conner这样的实验先锋，到像Paul Verhoeven这样的动作大片能工巧匠无不参与其中。Jason Vest 在他的书《Total Recall》(后来被Philip K.Dick搬上荧幕)中探索了真实记忆，虚拟植入记忆和科技产生的幻想梦之间的区别。影片提供了大量的线索，促使我们不得不怀疑剧情的现实地位，但是它也重申了，一个身在现实和感觉中的人，无法确切的监测自己现实与感觉的地位。
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 除此之外，Verhoeven 提供了大量的讽刺意味和旺盛的自我意识来模糊界限。我们该怎么制作Edgemar 和 Quaid对峙场面的屏幕？用一个Quaid家有两扇窗大小的巨大的视频屏幕怎么样？我们应该用通过动作因素把他们归位的方式来忽视难以置信的情节吗？还是我们应该把难以置信的部分都归于Quaid的梦境幻想？这里梦境和戏剧的链接再次显现出来，就像Buster在Sherlock中的角色一样，Jr梦到了一个幻想的冒险旅行，象征悬疑电影因素，也许Quaidz只是想在梦中表现火星冒险，完全取决于动作因素的隐喻。
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在传统的关于梦的优秀影片中，Total Recall 保持了视觉上的难以置信来肯定的说出了梦境和清醒状态的不同。因此我们难以确切的说出电影是应该像清醒现实一样拍摄，还是应该成为Quaid的关于他第一次到Rekall下面那一刻的梦。我必须说，对于电影本身的认真理解，后续带来了更多的观众。除了Total Recall中不可置信的荒谬部分，考虑到Rekall雇员似乎拥有怪异的洞察力，Bob McClane,试图给Quaid推荐作为秘密特工 的火星度假套餐，并承诺他“你得到了这个女孩，杀死了坏人，你就可以拯救整个星球！”确实，这就是事实。
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在电影中，Dr.Edgemar 试图说服Quaid，他正在经历精神分裂，“自由妄想的基础是我们的记忆纽带。”当对此质疑的Quaid对Edgemar进行武力威胁时，E解释了接下来会发生的事“”确实，所有的预言也都发生了，在电影最后耀眼的强光掩盖了吻。Verhoeven说过，白色代表了Quaid迷失在他的意识中，他成为了Lobotomized，这是和一个和影片角色预言一致的完美解释。
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所以如果我们接受了这个影片是一个梦，这是一个什么类型的梦？E告诉Q,他的妄想是基于R的记忆纽带，但是“你在进程中自行创造了新的。”由程序控制的创意交互对我的暗示更多。更进一步，我探讨的是Quaid像玩一个游戏一样接受了这个记忆模拟。事实是，人们可以通过调整虚拟现实电影中开发的交互工具在电影中交代更多。但是我认为没有比假定Total Recall是一个录制的游戏更符合他的美学和过渡的了。
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一幕接一幕，Total Recall的美学就像电子游戏的美学。在Rekall，McClane向Quaid规划了游戏的承诺：一个成为另一个人的机会。他说：“你在自我之中完成一个旅行。他是最先进的旅行形式，叫做Ego Trip。”当Quaid同意之后，McClane和Dr.Lull 让他进入了选择角色的流程。年轻的技术员Ernie重申“他一定不想回来。”这确实就是后来发生的。之后当Edgemar面对Quaid,给了他两个选项，回到现实还是继续游戏。未在游戏中感到满足的Quaid，由于脑内的判断和可见的原因（滑落的汗滴），让他不相信Edgemar所说，而去追逐更多交互的体验。
就在Johnny出租把Quaid从ReKall送到目的地之后，他工作的朋友和三个坏人把他堵住想要杀死他。但在不可思议的肉搏之后，他杀死了他们四个。像很多游戏一样，游戏角色杀死了非游戏角色的人物，武器用来用来解决很多问题。4人死时瓷砖的网格和空白的墙壁在视觉上是一个未分化的多边形空间，是一个电子游戏建筑的隐喻。
在解决了这4个坏人之后，Quaid打赢了游戏的“第一关”。就好像要强调这一点一样，游戏里克切换到文字交互游戏：Quaid的假妻子Lori，正在玩一种全息网球。
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在和Lori的争执之后，推动Quaid的奔跑。电影通过一系列巧合推动了情节，诸如设计恰到好处的巧合推动Quaid完成一系列扭曲的目的性动作。一个不知道从哪冒出来的制服男，推动了情节把Quaid带向了火星。Benny的出租车总是恰好出现在恰当的时机，有效的吧Quaid送到下一个情节点。在另一个叙述模式，观众唾弃像围绕角色发展的恰到巧合的剪辑，这种剪辑用叙事的张力绑架了观众。但是，在电子游戏中，玩家预想的情节，通过让不论不可能的或不符合逻辑的实现，都会在适当的时机出现。最终，观者开始注意到Quaid的个人自由其实与他追寻的环境线索并不相关。
当Benny用一个巨大的机器攻击Quaid的时候，不只是一个出现在恰当时机恰当地点的武器，而且是一个具有巨大穿墙力量的机器，解释了地下室的存在，引出了第三幕的高潮。在和Benny的段落结束后，Quaid和Melina的伤奇迹的痊愈了（之前也发生过多次）。就好像他们都升级并回血了一样。紧接着，古老的外星反应堆——最终的boss，等待着他们登上最终的决斗场。
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在这个意义上，全面回忆是媒体领域中电子游戏崛起的先驱。不仅仅是电子游戏开始接管好莱坞经济，而且是每年70亿美元世界市场份额的响应，采用游戏美学已经成为电影的共同之处。这种情况也发生在那些没有采用游戏的电影之中。诺兰的盗梦空间展示了一个规则约束的宇宙，暴力称为解决冲突的首选模式。不断升级动作的分离关卡以及难度（和梦境分级重合），以及有着超乎常人能力且不会受伤的顶住敌人强火力的角色（SAITo是个特例，但他伤的加剧推动了其他角色的挑战）。Jim Emerson明智的认为，盗梦空间是一个设想为电子游戏的解谜电影。
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但是尽管这些特性让全面回忆成为一个hypermasculine, misogynist, ultraviolent, sensory-motor-reward-circuit automatic-reaction thought-destroying pleasure-center-stimulation-fest的电影，全面回忆事实上是一个过于复杂的电影。通过使用通用的符号和强化的风格，全面回忆提示观者让位真实，而相信一个难以置信的叙事空间。之后，电影指出这些不可信，并让他们在电影中对立。之后从叙事中给我们一个答案，让我们去怀疑电影中所谓的真实。因此，全面回忆的伟大之处包括，他通过把反身性的怀疑植入叙事结构基础合理化了普遍的恐惧。就像诸如Grindhous这个电影尝试邪恶合理化，或就导演意图而言,全面回忆要求他本身的恐惧作为影片含义的重要架构。没有这些滑稽的类型记号，这个电影就不会提高一切只是QUAID梦境的可能。但是双重可能让我们更有自由选择到底是更向往冒险还是直视嘲讽糊涂。叙事本身包括了叙事本身和我们自己的选择。还有什么比夸赞一个电影是通过装作愚蠢来彰显它的智慧，一个当我们合理肯定他的辉煌时我们总是感到异常优越，更好的称赞呢？
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全面回忆诞生在艺术的一个特殊过渡时期。结局归功于令人吃惊的广告，包括小说化和电子游戏化。在20世纪中叶，艺术审美和游戏架构开始融合。OuLiPo 实验，偶然音乐，和之后的自己选择冒险书，孤立的艺术通过和读者或音乐人共同创作经验的方式与游戏元素第一次结合。Romans a clef（RPS小说）存在百年，有挑战性的读者可以拆解未解之谜，和像Bruegel’s Netherlandish proverbs 鼓励a decoding practice somewhere betweenWhere’s Waldo, a rebus, andAmelia Bedelia. 但就这样看，当阅读和观看的经验保持基本可观时，这个解释提供了谜题（或游戏）元素。在艺术作品中添加游戏元素使得观众成为联合创作者。而不是给观众呈现一个设定好的已经完成的美学知觉。被游戏影响的艺术作品包含了更多可能和观众交互创造经验的算法。不用说，这是一个巨大的改变。


 1. The triple overlap of film, memory, and dream has become a crucial locus of investigation and play for a number of reflexive filmmakers, from experimental pathbreakers like Bruce Conner to crafters of slam-bang action blockbusters like Paul Verhoeven. Jason Vest argues in his well-titled book on Philip K. Dick adaptations in cinema that Total Recall (1990) reflexively explores the indistinguishability of real memory, fictional implanted memory, and a technologically-produced fantasy dream. The film offers a number of clues to suggest that we should doubt the reality status of the diegesis, but it also reasserts (as Plato and Descartes once did) that one cannot definitively test the status of one’s own reality or perception while bound within that reality and perception.

2. In addition to this, Verhoeven provides a number of hiply ironic and self-aware flourishes (as well as some classically metacinematic gestures) to further blur the lines. What should we make of the prominent mirrors in the scene where Edgemar confronts Quaid? How about the large video screens in Quaid’s home which double as window simulators? Should we dismiss the implausibility of the plot by situating it solely within the action genre, or should we narratively account for its implausibility by explaining that it’s all Quaid’s dream-fantasy? Here dreams and cinema link up again; just as Buster Keaton’s character in Sherlock, Jr. dreamed up a fantasy adventure determined (and overdetermined) wholly to the tropes of the mystery film genre, perhaps Quaid merely dreamt his adventure on Mars (while hooked up to a machine at Rekall) entirely according to the tropes of the action genre.

3. In the tradition of the best films on dreams, in Total Recall it remains visually impossible to definitively tell the difference between dream and waking states. Thus, we cannot say for certain whether the entire film should be taken as waking reality, or whether the film becomes Quaid’s dream the moment he first goes under at Rekall. I’d like to suggest that a careful interpretation of the film turns up more evidence for the latter. In addition to the unbelievable absurdity of the plotting of Total Recall, consider the uncanny clairvoyance which Rekall’s employees seem to have (and they’re not even mind-reading mutants, though they do have mind-hacking technology). Bob McClane, trying to upsell Quaid to the “secret agent” Mars vacation package, promises him, “you get the girl, you kill the bad guys, and you save the entire planet!” And indeed, this is just what happens.

4. Then, at the midpoint of the film, Dr. Edgemar arrives to try to convince Quaid that he’s experiencing a schizoid embolism, “a free-form delusion based on our memory tapes.” When disbelieving Quaid threatens Edgemar with violence, Edgemar explains what will happen next: “One minute you’ll be the savior of the rebel cause, then, next thing you know, you’ll be Cohaagen’s bosom buddy. You’ll even have ridiculous fantasies about alien civilizations–as you requested. But in the end, back on Earth… You’ll be lobotomized” (script here). And indeed, all the rest of that happens, too, right down to the blinding glare of light that overwhelms the kiss at the end of the film. Verhoeven himself has said that this white-out represents Quaid’s loss of consciousness as he is lobotomized (see Vest, p. 38), an interpretation perfectly consistent with the predictions of the most reliable characters in the film.

5. So if we accept that the entire film is a dream, what kind of a dream is it? Edgemar tells Quaid that his delusion is based on Rekall’s memory tapes, but “you’re inventing it yourself as you go along.” This brand of creative interaction with a program implies more for me than Quaid taking over his memory simulation and constructing it according action film clichés. Rather, l argue that Quaid takes over his memory simulation and begins to play it as though it were a game. To be sure, one can account for quite a lot in Total Recall by adapting interpretive tools developed for simulated reality films (like World on a Wire) or dream films (like Waking Life), but I argue that nothing rationalizes its aesthetics and excesses better than postulating that Total Recall is a recording of gameplay.

6. Scene by scene, Total Recall’s aesthetics resemble the aesthetics of a video game. At Rekall, McClane lays out for Quaid the promise of video games: the opportunity to be someone else. He says, “You take a vacation from yourself. It’s the latest thing in travel, it’s called the Ego Trip.” When Quaid agrees, McClane and Dr. Lull take him through the process of character selection (see above). Ernie, the young technician, remarks, “He’s not gonna wanna come back.” And indeed, this is what happens. Later, when Edgemar confronts Quaid, he gives him the choice, in essence, between returning to reality or continuing to play. Quaid, sensing that the game has not yet fulfilled his desires, invents both conceptual justifications and visible reasons (the trickle of sweat) to disbelieve Edgemar so that he can pursue more of his interactive fantasies. Just after the Johnny Cab drops off Quaid from his first visit to Rekall, his buddy from work and three other thugs corner him with the intent to kill him. But with inexplicable adeptness for hand-to-hand combat, he disarms and kills all four of them. As in many games, the character has skills which the player does not, and weapons are used to solve a great many problems. The tiled grid and blank wall upon which the four others die visually suggest a space of undifferentiated polygons, a metaphor for video game architecture. Having dispatched these four bad guys, Quaid has beaten the first “level” of the game. As if to underscore this point, the film immediately cuts to a literal interactive game: Quaid’s ersatz wife Lori playing some sort of holographic Kinetic tennis.

7. After his altercation with Lori puts Quaid on the run, the film threads the plot through a number of deus ex machinas - cheap just-in-time coincidences designed to propel Quaid down a twisting path of goal-driven action. A man with a suitcase appears out of nowhere so that the plot can take Quaid to Mars. Benny’s taxi always seems to show up at just the right moment to efficiently ferry Quaid, et al, to the next plot point. In other narrative modes, spectators spurn deus ex machinas as tawdry shortcuts around character development, things which rob the audience of a proper working-out of the narrative tension. But in video games, the player expects that the plot will always arrive just in time, by whatever implausible or illogical means available. Eventually, the viewer begins to notice that Quaid’s individual free will becomes irrelevant as he tracks down whatever clues the environment drops in his lap (he follows them to Mars, to the Last Resort, to Kuato, and so on). When Benny turns on Quaid and attacks him with a large mining machine, not only does a weapon appear at exactly the right place at exactly the right time to penetrate the cabin and kill him, but the machine even unbelievably breaks through a rock wall, revealing the subterranean chamber which will provide the third-act climax (a towering ejaculation of air). Within moments after this run-in with Benny, Quaid and Melina’s injuries have miraculously healed (as they have several times before), as though they each just leveled-up and earned a restoration of health. And instead of simply blowing up the ancient alien reactor, Cohaagen - the final boss - kindly waits around for Quaid to arrive so that they can engage in a final battle.

8. In this sense, Total Recall was one of the many harbingers of the rise of video games in the blockbuster media landscape. Not only have video games begun to take over the economics of Hollywood, but in response to their 70 billion dollar annual world marketshare, it has become commonplace for films to adopt the aesthetics of gameplay. This is the case even in films which were not adapted from games. Christopher Nolan’s Inception (to return to a familiar touchstone) presents a rule-bound universe, violence as a preferred method of conflict resolution, discrete levels of escalating action and difficulty (which uncoincidentally correspond to the levels of the dream), and characters which are able to withstand inordinate swaths of opposing gunfire without injury (Saito is the only exception to this, but his exacerbating injuries work to deepen the challenge for the other characters). Jim Emerson wisely opined that “Inception was conceived as a kind of video game puzzle-movie.”

9. But despite the fact that all these characteristics make Total Recall a hypermasculine, misogynist, ultraviolent, sensory-motor-reward-circuit automatic-reaction thought-destroying pleasure-center-stimulation-fest, Total Recall is actually quite a sophisticated film. Through its generic markers and stylistic excess, Total Recall prompts its viewers to make concessions on reality and believe in an implausible diegesis. Then, Total Recall takes this suspension of disbelief (which is what allowed us to accept a filmic reality which has so little in common with extrafilmic reality) and turns it against itself, giving us a reason from within the narrative to mistrust a majority of what the film seems to present as reality. As such, Total Recall’s greatness consists in the way it justifies its own generic terribleness by implanting reflexive skepticism into the very foundation of the narrative. Whereas a film like Grindhouse attempts to justify its badness intertextually (it references other bad movies, so it’s okay) or in terms of the director’s intentionality (they meant it to be bad, so it’s okay), the narrative of Total Recall requires its terribleness as essentially constitutive of the film’s meaning. Without the ludicrous markers of genre, the film wouldn’t raise the possibility that nearly all of it is just Quaid’s dream. But its double-address allows us full freedom of choice over where we will enjoy the adventure and where we will scoff at its silliness! The narrative itself circumscribes both reactions and our oscillation between them. What’s more audience-flattering than a film that shows its intelligence by pretending it’s stupid, a film we can always feel superior to while justifiably insisting on its brilliance? (See quotation #6 here)

10. Total Recall arrived during a strange moment of transition in the arts. The end credits surprisingly advertise both a novelization and a video game based on the film (see above). In the second half of Twentieth Century, the aesthetics of art and the structure of games began to converge. In OuLiPo experiments (like this one), certain aleatoric music, and then later in Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books, isolated artworks first toyed with incorporating game elements by forcing the reader or musician to co-create the experience of the work on the fly. To be sure, Romans a clef had existed for centuries, challenging readers to crack an allegorical riddle, and paintings like Bruegel’s Netherlandish Proverbs encouraged a decoding practice somewhere between Where’s Waldo, a rebus, and Amelia Bedelia. But in such cases, the interpretation provided the puzzle (or game) element, while primary experience of reading or viewing the work remained basically an objective one, autonomous of any audience activity. Introducing game elements into an artwork turns the spectator into a co-creator. Rather than presenting the viewer with a stable set of aesthetic percepts, as artworks have always done, the game-inflected artwork contains a field of possibilities and a set of algorithms through which the viewer’s interaction creates an experience. Needless to say, this is a big change.