Transmissions From Atlantis 35: The Return of Sci-Fi to SyFy and the Jayne Hat Controversy

Greetings Atlanteans, it’s time for yet another fun filled episode of Transmissions From Atlantis. In this week’s episode, Rita and JC rejoice at the return of Science Fiction to the channel formerly known for the genre – SyFy by giving you a preview of their new show Defiance and letting you in on what shows they have in development. We also give you the low down on the Jayne Hat Controversy – BROWNCOATS ASSEMBLE!

We give big reviews on GI Joe: Retaliation and Total Recall (2012). In Who, we talk about the other Doctors in the 50th, give you are updated theories on Clara, review Rings of Akhaten, preview Cold War and give you the scoop on the Ice Warriors. In Legacy Who Redux, we profile the Third Doctor, Jon Perwee.

All that and much more on Transmissions From Atlantis!

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Schedule and Links after the jump…

Movie review: Is ‘Total Recall’ a worthy reboot?

By Ashley Bergner, Box Office Buzz

First, a confession: I have never seen the original 1990 “Total Recall” film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. As a big fan of sci-fi movies, it’s probably one I should have seen by now, but for whatever reason, I’ve just never got around to watching it. So when I heard Columbia Pictures was going to be releasing a remake of this sci-fi classic, I decided to put off watching the original because I thought it would be interesting to see how well the remake worked as a stand-alone film.

“Total Recall” — which was released in theaters last Friday and stars Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel — is based on a short story by Philip K. Dick called “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale.” The film is set at the end of the 21st century and follows a seemingly ordinary factory worker named Douglas Quaid. Quaid has become bored with his mundane job, and he’s unable to escape the haunting feeling that something is missing in his life. He decides to visit a place called “Rekall,” a sort of virtual reality lounge that allows visitors to act out their fantasies (becoming rich and famous, traveling to outer space, working as a secret agent, etc.). However, Quaid’s visit to Rekall has an unintended side effect — he learns almost all of his memories have been manufactured, and he is not really the man he thinks he is. He finds he has suddenly become a threat to the government, and while on the run, he must struggle to put the fragmented pieces of his life back together and figure out who he was, who he is and what he wants to become.

First Total Recall set pics reveal robo-cops, hover cars and more

By Kevin Hall, Device.com

Hey, did you hear? Total Recall, the sci-fi action classic that brought us full-body X-ray airport scanners and demanded we get our ass to Mars, is coming back sometime next year with a star-studded cast. These shots from the set offer a glimpse at some of the sweet tech we can expect.

We see what looks to be robotic cop-bots (or just police officers in really skinny armored suits), hovering police cars, a passport from “New Asia” — to get one’s aforementioned ass to Mars, of course — and an interior shot reminiscent of the security checkpoint on Mars from the 1990 movie. Also, confirmed in image four: the robo-cop-that-may-be-people of the future like to smoke in corners and use iPhones.

See all the images on Device

Total Recall reboot gets both Kate Beckinsale AND Jessica Biel

With Colin Farrell signed to take over the role originated by Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Total Recall remake, the next question was: who would play the ladies in his life? Well, now we know.

Collider reports that Kate Beckinsale has officially been cast as Lori, the wife of Douglas Quaid (Farrell) in the “real” world, while Jessica Biel will play Melina, the woman he meets in his “other” life as a spy. The roles were played by Sharon Stone and Rachel Ticotin respectively in the 1990 original. There’s no real surprise about Beckinsale’s casting: she was rumored for weeks to have the role, seeing how she’s married to director Len Wiseman, with whom she’s also collaborated on the Underworld films.

What do you think? Read the story here

Total Recall remake gains Bryan Cranston, but loses Mars

Emmy-winning actor Bryan Cranston is negotiating to play the villain in the upcoming remake of Total Recall. That’s the good news.

The other news? According to Heat Vision, the new version of the story will not take place on Mars like Philip K. Dick’s original story (“We Can Remember It for You Wholesale”) or the 1990 film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Instead, the script for the new film involves a battle between the nation-states Euromerica and New Shanghai.

Cranston will play Vilos Cohaagen (same name as the villain in the 1990 film), who in this version is the leader of Euromerica and is planning to invade New Shanghai.

Thoughts?