This past week we had the opportunity to have a chat with Bryan Cranston on his role in the 2012 science fiction action thriller Total Recall and how his role in the hit TV series Breaking Bad has all but skyrocketed him into the public eye. So well liked is the TV series that it ended up being spoken about at the press junket for Total Recall with the actor as much as the film was – but Cranston, ever the gentlemen, made no qualms about speaking on whatever the press had on their minds. How did the “goofy, silly, fun-loving dad” from Malcolm in the Middle transform himself into a science fiction villain with a methamphetamine dealer/science teacher in-between? Have a peek!
[Q] Len Wiseman [director of Total Recall 2012] brought up that he’d seen Breaking Bad [see the rest of that interview here] and said, ‘I want to work with this guy.’ Is that the common thing for you now, has that show changed your image in the business from the comedy guy only?
[Bryan Cranston] Yeah, I have ridden the hard work and sweat of Vince Gilligan all the way to another level. The best thing a director can do is to identify good actors and fit them in the right parts, and if you can do that in your pre-production, once you get to production you can let them fly, and let them feel safe to be able to experiment and try things. You’ll find happy accidents.
Above: Cranson (right) taking on a very different role in the television series Breaking Bad in which he plays a chemistry teacher with terminal cancer and a meth-cooking business
[BC] For an actor what I try to teach young actors – the best thing they can learn is to identify well-written material. The writing in our industry, in a story, is the most important element, bar none. It is always about the writing first.
So what I’ve been able to do – the thing I’m good at, really, is to identify well written material. Now that doesn’t mean the product is going to end up that way. It’s a recipe – and sometimes it doesn’t work – and you’re thinking, ‘oh well, wait a minute, I had all the ingredients, how did this happen?’ That’s going to happen.
But if you start with something that has good writing, you at least have a shot. If you start with something that is not well written, you have no shot of making something good. The best actor in the world can make “C” level material “C+” level material. Maybe “B-”, that’s it.
Above: Cranston poses with co-stars Jessica Biel and Colin Farrell at the Los Angeles press junket for Total Recall
[Q] You had this in you all the time, even before Breaking Bad, but people’s perceptions of you have changed. Have you thought about that since – Drive, and this, you’re given harder-edged characters and just a straight jacket perception of what your previous roles would be?
[BC] Well, the only thing that an actor really yearns for in a career is opportunity. We don’t ask to be given roles – [if you don’t] just give me a chance to get in the room, we have no shot. How I got Malcolm in the Middle – everything – what I try to teach young actors is that, ‘please know, that without a healthy dose of luck, you will not have a career.’ How do you do that? I don’t know. Just keep working, keep working hard, have faith, and this is your life!
“Without a healthy dose of luck, you will not have a career.”
Don’t give yourself some arbitrary number – ‘I’m going to give it a year – I’ll give it a good year’ – it’s like ‘stop now, go back to Idaho.’ You know? ‘Make some really nice potatoes. People will appreciate that.’ But it’s a joke – people, you’re either in this or you’re not in this. So that’s the first thing I say. But I was lucky to get Malcolm in the Middle. I was lucky to get Breaking Bad. And I have stories for those – but I don’t want to go in and monopolize that. But I know – the stars were aligning.
After you are able to get some level of success, like Malcolm in the Middle – seven years of doing a comedy – I got offers to do a goofy, silly, fun-loving dad. And had I taken those, I would have helped pigeon-hole myself as that guy.
You better – you better – if you’re on a hit show? You better save your money. You better, because you need to say no to those tempting offers of dollar bills to do the same thing you just did. To me it was no temptation. I just said no, I just did that. But you don’t know what’s going to happen next. I was very fortunate.
This is but one of several segments of the ongoing set of talks we had with the stars and director of Total Recall – stick around in our [Rekall portal] to see the future and past of the film as it rolls out in theaters this weekend! And of course don’t forget to check out our full movie review of Total Recall (2012) as well!
This afternoon we got the chance to exchange words with mc10 co-founder Ben Schlatka on how the company’s “electronics anywhere” tagline is being made a reality right here and now. Not only are they developing wearable technology for Medical and Industrial projects, they’ve also got consumer technology in the pipeline – and with their new R&D contract that includes Wearable Electronics for the Battlefield with NSRDEC, you’ll see how the modern soldier will soon be benefitting in full from renewable power sources that are as natural to wear as a helmet.
Again we’re speaking with mc10 co-founder Ben Schlatka, and for those of you looking for more information on getting in contact with the crew, you can head to their page over at mc10inc.com – and tell em SlashGear sent ya! Have a peek here at our very brief but very informative conversation below.
[Q] How do you see wearable technology fitting in with the rather mobile consumer landscape of today ?
[Ben Schlatka] There is increasingly strong market demand to measure everything about the body. And there are a number of wearable devices available that are trying to address this need. Unfortunately, most of these devices are bulky and uncomfortable to wear, and the quality of the data they provide varies widely.
MC10 is reshaping conventional rigid high-performance electronics into ultra-thin form factors that conform to the body. Imagine a kids’ fake tattoo that can sense how our bodies work: data from the heart, the brain, muscles, body temperature – even hydration levels. When a sensing technology conforms to the consumer and not the other way around, it can capture more insights for longer periods of time without discomfort or distraction.
[Q] I understand you’ve just secured an R&D contract for Wearable Electronics for the Battlefield with NSRDEC [US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development, and Engineering Center] – could you talk a little bit about that?
[S] This is an exciting project, we’re working with the NSRDEC to develop a renewable power source that extends the capabilities of soldiers in the field. The modern soldier carries lots of high-tech gear but they can’t be effective if the devices run out of power. We’re developing solar cells that are integrated directly into the fabric of helmets and rucksacks so devices can be charged and ready to use at all times. And it sure beats lugging a battery around in addition to the gear our troops already carry.
Now imagine the design freedom this technology provides. Something like your jacket can serve the same purpose. As you go about your day, your jacket is collecting energy that you can use to charge your phone or other portable electronic devices. You no longer have to search the coffee shop or airport lounge for a free outlet.
This is where the technology is heading, and it’s not too far off in the future.
[Q] How do you predict wearable technology will reach the mainstream?
[S] Wearable technologies will only go mainstream if they can be virtually invisible to the user. If your sleep monitor is bulky and keeps you from falling asleep, what good is it? If your doctor wants you to monitor your hear rate and it requires wearing an uncomfortable device, what are the odds you’ll actually comply?
Today we conform to our electronics without even thinking much about it, we’ve adapted because the pros outweigh the cons. But as electronics increasingly conforms to us, the barriers to adoption decrease.
[Q] Are there examples of mc10 that are live and out in the wild right now that you’d like to share?
[S] Nothing ‘in the wild’ until later this year, we’re developing a new device with Reebok that is expected to launch in 2012. We’ve also convened a team of accomplished athletes and experts across a variety of sports to help us shape the next generation of athletic performance monitoring.
We are also really excited about the important role our technology can play empowering people to play a more active role in staying healthy. Given the skyrocketing cost of healthcare, it’s clear we need smarter, cheaper ways to monitor health status outside of the hospital. Today, we learn about our health very occasionally and episodically; as a result, we access care in a costly setting, often when a condition has worsened to extreme levels. By providing continuous access to high-quality biofeedback at an affordable cost, MC10 is empowering people to take more ownership of their health, and to take action in real-time, accessing care only if and when it’s needed.
HTC’s closure of its South Korean office may seem yet another blow to the company this year, but don’t be alarmed: we saw it coming. It’s a given that Peter Chou’s gang is cutting back in response to its recent weak performance, but the more interesting takeaway here is the fact that the South Korean smartphone market is one tough nut for foreign brands to crack open. Just walk into any carrier shop in Seoul and you’ll see the shelves dominated by devices from Samsung, LG and Pantech. If you’re lucky, you may spot the odd Sony, Motorola and HTC phones cowering in a corner. So why is that the case? Let’s take a look at the how it all started.
You do know that Parrot makes more than just the AR.Drone, right? It was at CES earlier this year that we first caught a glimpse of — and subsequently began geeking out about — the Parrot Zik by Starck. For those unfamiliar, these headphones are jam-packed with enough technologies to make even the geekiest audio lovers smitten. Priced at about $400, they feature Near Field Communication (NFC), Bluetooth connectivity, on-board capacitive touch-control, active noise cancellation, head detection, a jawbone sensor for speech and Parrot’s audio-enhancing DSP app for iOS and Android — not to mention a striking design by the renowned Philippe Starck.
This isn’t the first time Parrot and Mr. Starck have worked together, but this does mark their debut in the portable audio market (as opposed to home-based speaker systems). In the case of this review, not one, but two Engadget editors spent some time testing the product. So, do they impress? More importantly, are they worth the $400 asking price? You know the drill: meet us after the break where we’ll lay it all out.
The 2013 Cadillac ATS has some serious challenges ahead of it. Mid-life crisis convertible aside, there’s no car segment so fraught with identity issues as the compact sport sedan. So far, the BMW 3-Series has been the “I’ve made it” model to beat, a heady Teutonic mixture of performance, prestige and affordability, but Cadillac is hoping the smallest model in its range can light an American torch to rival it. The specter of the baby Beemer looms large over each aspect of the ATS, but that’s not to say the German icon has things all its own way. We caught up with Cadillac at a 2013 ATS preview to see whether the all-new car was truly as “world-class” as promised.
Design
Cadillac’s design language is clear, the crisp edges softened slightly from the more memorable of the “Art & Science” concepts like the Ciel and Sixteen, but still distinctively purposeful whether parked up or in motion. Some of the details are particularly pleasing: the huge trapezoid gape of the grill slashed across by the front bumper, for instance, and the way the headlamps flood down from the leading edge of the hood and spread somewhat, visually broadening the stance. The rear tapers to the familiar pinch of Cadillac’s existing XTS, the LED lights slashing neatly at the extremes of the trunk lid and haunches.
The 18-inch wheels – standard on the Premium model, an option on the Luxury and Performance – do a good job of filling the arches, though the standard 17-inch set are decent. Cadillac has obviously had the tape measure out to make sure the ATS blends in well with the rest of the compact sport sedan crowd: at 182.8 inches long, 71.1 inches wide and 55.9 inches high, it’s 0.3 inches off the length and 0.2 off the width of the 3-Series, while sitting lower than Mercedes’ C Class or Audi’s A4.
Engines and Performance
The ATS launches with a choice of three powerplants, starting with a normally aspirated 2.5L four-cylinder and topping out with a 3.6L V6, while a 2.0L four-cylinder Turbo slots in-between as the performance option. All are paired as standard with a 6-speed auto gearbox with slick magnesium paddles behind the wheel for those moments you want to take charge – though the turbo can optionally be outfitted with a 6-speed manual – and rear-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive an option on the two more powerful engines.
At the entry-level, the 2.5L musters 202 hp at 6300 rpm and 191 lb.-ft of torque at 4400 rpm. Cadillac claims a 7.5 second 0-60 mph time and 22 mpg city / 32 mpg highway economy, though it’s worth noting that it also recommends regular fuel rather than the premium BMW, Mercedes and Audi would all prefer you to fill up with (in contrast, Cadillac only specifies premium for the turbo). We tested the ATS in a combination of road and track conditions, and while the 2.5L is obviously not the most powerful engine around, that only left more space for the steering and road-holding to shine.
The electric power steering avoids the vague sense of disconnection that some systems of its type suffer, instead being precise and accurate; there’s a sport mode, which tightens response up further, though it’s not an extreme difference in most driving conditions. Nonetheless, point the ATS at a corner and it simply follows, with no wheel shudder or fuzziness. Cruising in sixth gear is a matter of keeping a single finger on the wheel (though we’d recommend more, obviously), but the ATS instantly wakes up when you get to twistier stuff, albeit showing some of its power shortage and demanding you snap at the paddle once or twice to kick into a lower gear.
That’s not a problem that affects the 2.0L Turbo, and what the mid-range ATS engine lacks in capacity it gains in forced-induction grunt. 272 hp at a more usable 5500 rpm, along with 260 lb.-ft of torque at 1700-5500 and a 5.7 second 0-60 time, look better on paper and feel better on the road, and once the turbo has spooled up there’s a broad band of power to make use of. It’s a good foil for the excellent suspension and road-handling, the multi-link suspension – Cadillac’s first five-link system – doing a great job of clinging and smoothing in equal measure.
Cadillac’s own economy figure predictions suggest the Turbo will hit the same mpg as the 2.5L four-cylinder, though we’ll believe that when we see it. If we had a complaint it would be the soundtrack: Cadillac’s Turbo lacks the appealingly animal growl of rival engines, and is serviceable but uninspiring. We can’t criticize the brakes, though, the Brembo discs pulling the ATS to a 60-0 mph stop in 129 feet according to Cadillac’s own testing.
Finally, there’s the 3.5L V6, a step back toward luxury from the forced thrust of the Turbo, but still possessing enough blunt force to make the ATS a machine to be reckoned with on the road. 321 hp at 6800 rpm, 275 lb.-ft of torque at 4800, and a 5.4 second 0-60 run are paired with (estimated) 19 mpg and 28 mpg city and highway economy figures respectively. In short, it’s the fastest ATS but also the thirstiest and heaviest, though Cadillac is at pains to point out that it has undercut all of its segment rivals on the scales. The company scrupulously paired back curb-weight by shaving away unnecessary metal, punching holes through struts and bars, and generally refusing to accept a component if a lighter version was within budget (even down to picking smaller screws where possible, saving 36g apiece).
The biggest engine slurs along smoothly on the Magnetic Ride Control (a cost option on both the Turbo and the Premium models) with all the waft potential you might expect from a larger Cadillac. However, it doesn’t sacrifice all its performance: flick at the paddle shift (or, indeed, let the auto gearbox show its surprising degree of intelligence and handle the changes itself, which we often found we couldn’t fault) and you can expect most of the point-and-play excitement that a sports compact buyer might want. Cadillac’s various electronic driver aids tempered oversteer to the point where it was difficult to coax from the ATS, and it’s possible to throw the car around in ways rear-seat passengers really wouldn’t appreciate.
Interior
BMW, Audi and Mercedes haven’t just built reputations on style and performance, but the quality of their interiors, and thankfully Cadillac has stepped up with the ATS’ kit and trim as well. Pride of place is the latest iteration of the company’s CUE informatics and entertainment system, an 8-inch capacitive touchscreen with HD radio, Bluetooth connectivity for up to ten devices, CD, voice recognition, and both USB and SD connectivity.
CUE looks significantly slicker than most of its segment rivals, and uses the sort of swipes and gestures – such as pinch-zooming – that we’d more commonly associate with the iPad. That helps keep its breadth of functionality easy to approach, and it didn’t take long before we had hands-free calls working and music playing from our smartphone. Commonly-used controls like HVAC use touch-sensitive buttons embedded in the swathe of black running down the center console, with haptic feedback to let you know you’ve stabbed at them accurately. Our only complaint would be the occasional lag in moving between functions, though it was never enough to distract us too much from the road.
Bose has provided not only the speakers but a clever noise-cancellation system that uses the same sort of active noise-suppression as found in some Bluetooth headsets to reduce road and engine noise in the cabin. It works impressively well, and without introducing the bulk and weight of traditional sound insulation. Meanwhile, CUE also pushes information to a 5.7-inch display in the instrument cluster and to a head-up display (the latter part of the Driver Assist package).
Several leather finishes for the seats – or optional (and pleasingly grippy) sports seats – are on offer, including platinum grey, caramel, black and a fetching morello red, with a choice of brown or black accents and either wood, aluminum or real carbon fiber trim, the latter being a first for a Cadillac. The interior mood of the car changes significantly with the different color combinations: the lighter shades and wood trim are less successful to our eyes than the sportier dark leather and aluminum or fiber trim.
Either way, the rear accommodation feels a little more cramped than we’d like, with leg, shoulder and headroom all coming in shorter than what the 3-Series would offer. It’s not a deal-breaker, by any means, but that and the more limited trunk space – 10.2 cu.ft. versus the 12.4-13 that Audi, Mercedes and BMW supply – could be worth bearing in mind.
Two active safety packages are available, dubbed Driver Awareness and Driver Assist. The former includes buzzing seats that warn you if you’re drifting from your lane, forward collision monitoring (that warns but doesn’t prevent bumps), rain-sensing wipers and rear thorax airbags, while the latter adds front and rear automatic braking, collision preparation, adaptive cruise control, side blind-zone and rear cross-traffic alerts, and the head-up display.
Pricing
The 2013 ATS starts at $33,990 for the 2.5L RWD auto in standard trim, stepping up to $38,485 for the Luxury trim. The 2.0L Turbo is $24,615 in RWD with the manual transmission and standard trim, rising to $39,110, $41,510 and $44,315 for Luxury, Performance and Premium trim respectively. The automatic gearbox is between $1,180 and $1,475 depending on trim level, while AWD (which is only available with the auto box) is between $2,575 and $3,280 more than the base Turbo, again depending on trim level.
Finally, the 3.6L RWD Auto is $42,090 for the Luxury spec, rising to $44,590 and $47,590 for the Performance and Premium trims respectively. The AWD option is around $2,000 more. In short, Cadillac undercuts its German rivals and is competitive with Lexus too, despite heaping on the toys.
Wrap-Up
It’s been a long time since Cadillac broached the compact sport sedan segment, but the company has risen to the challenge admirably. Speaking to Cadillac executives, there’s an interesting blend of humility – recognizing the lofty goals of the 3-Series – and ambition; recognition that the 2013 ATS is more than just a shrunken XTS. Yes, it can deliver the traditional Cadillac wafting, but it can also unleash not only a turn of speed but the road-handling to deal with it both with safety and entertainment in mind.
Our complaints are few: a more aggressive exhaust note from the Turbo, perhaps, to match its punchy midrange, and accommodation for passengers and luggage once you get back beyond the front seats is tighter than others in the segment. CUE is ambitious and capable, making the few stumbles we experienced all the more glaring. We’d like to see an ATS-V performance version, too, though that’s likely to arrive in time (something Cadillac wouldn’t confirm, but didn’t seem too keen to deny with any great vigor).
Overall, then, the plusses outweigh the minuses. The 2013 Cadillac ATS looks great, is tightly constructed inside and out, rides brilliantly and does so at a price that’s highly competitive with the high-flyers in its segment. That it’s from a US brand and doesn’t spare the toys are factors that will undoubtedly appeal to many as well. BMW’s “ultimate driving machine” reputation was an ambitious target for Cadillac to choose, and that the 2013 ATS comes so close in many ways should be a huge wake-up call for rivals and buyers alike.
This past week we got the opportunity to sit down with film director Len Wiseman at the Los Angeles press junket for the newest science fiction blockbuster of the summer: Total Recall. Wiseman revealed that not only is he a long-standing superfan of science fiction in general, he’s had a bit of a history with the original Philip K Dick short story that inspired the 1990 film Total Recall – and of course loves Arnold as well. Have a peek at this 2012-based vision for the future from the meistro’s seat right here and now.
Also be sure to check out our full review of Total Recall (2012) and stay tuned for a collection of interviews just such as this one coming up over the course of the week – we’ve got Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, and your favorite and mine: Bryan Cranston – coming up soon as well!
[Wiseman] It started with a phone call. I wasn’t aware there was a Total Recall script being put together so it was a surprise to me. Neal called me and had me come down and read it – and I went into it with quite a bit of hesitation, first off, being a film of the first film but also being a part of Die Hard as a franchise. I’d just gotten done with a previous project and I wasn’t ready to go through with this at first, I was still developing some things of my own.
So it was one of those projects that I read wanting not to like it, but I felt like I should just read it, and I’d been wanting to work with Neil for a long time, so – as I went through it it became more ‘ah man, this is actually pretty good.” And then I just got hooked. So that’s what it was initially, it was just at first trepidation, then just really loving the new take on the script – that’s how it all started for me.
From left: Brian Cranston, Jessica Biel, Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, and Len Wiseman as they appeared in Los Angeles for the Total Recall junket.
[Q] Obviously you stayed away from wise-crackery which was one of the trademarks of the original movie but there were lines, you did keep actual lines – what was your take on that?
[W] Yeah we did kind of our own take on certain lines and there were certain things that – you know – it’s a tough mix to bring in things that are familiar – and the original script, it deviates so much [from the original film], especially towards the second half. This film doesn’t go to Mars, and the second and third act [of the 1990 film] are on Mars. So there were some things that I wanted to bring in that were familiar. But the lines and things that we have are just slightly skewed in a different tone.
[Q] What were some of your influences in developing the look of the film?
[W] That’s such a hard question to answer because there are so many influences in being such a fan of science fiction in general. So a lot of it – for me – I collect a lot of science fiction artwork, and always have, so if you go to my house it’s just geek out, it’s like a library of science fiction material.
And then a lot of the elements, the colony world specifically, where part of what influences or builds out this world is a melting pot of different societies. Because the world is at a point where there are only two zones that are inhabitable. So it was drawing in on a lot of that district in Brazil, there’s a lot of asian influence, and there’s a lot in terms of architecture to put those things together.
“Everything from Blade Runner to Aliens and Star Wars.”
And then everything I’ve been growing up with, sci-fis, everything from Blade Runner to Aliens and Star Wars. It’s probably endless in terms of what is probably engrained in our minds and what we’ve got to draw from, ideas where you don’t exactly know what you’re influenced by. I can’t say specifically, but you’re influenced by watching movies like this and reading books and comic books and everything since I was a kid.
[Q] Can you talk about working with Kate [Beckinsale, aka Wiseman’s wife] and speak on if she was always going to play the role she’s in or if she was considered for the other female lead in the film?
[W] She was never considered for the other role, I had considered her for the Lori role early on. It was just a combination of what I wanted Lori to be which was not exactly what was on the page. I just had the confidence and knew what Kate could bring to it. And then schedules changed and they pulled up her Underworld schedule.
So she took off to do Underworld which just meant that this was cancelled out and so we started a long casting process but it was just not going to happen. And then my movie got pushed. Luckily I was behind, so we got pushed back 3 weeks which created literally a 2 day window. She finished up Underworld, we put her on a plane, she came out. So there was this weird process – it was something that I was excited about, that happened, and then the schedules opened up again.
“She finished up Underworld, we put her on a plane, she came out.”
[Q] With both Underworld and Total Recall both being action movies, what did you do to push the envelope with Kate and make things different?
[W] I think it’s always different. It’s just movies in general, it’s such a wonderful business because as much as you feel like you’re crafting or fine tuning your career route, each movie is a completely different challenge, so it’s different even with those little details. Every fight sequence is different, and everything even in just the terms of the action sequences, it’s always different.
So I can really enjoy that, and she’s been in enough of these [action movies] now where it’s not starting from ground zero, where she’s just terrified to throw a punch. She’s not the same girl now. So that part gets a lot easier. So it’s always different, which is great.
[Q] The idea of class separated society is an element that’s present both in the Philip K Dick story and here in the movie, and fortuitously the Occupy Movement started after you’d envisioned this whole thing – how did that factor into this movie, with the class warfare aspect of it all?
[W] The class warfare was obviously there, it was in the script as well, and it’s a help to think about what would happen if we did have two zones that were left, and everyone had to just survive in these two areas, and what would our society do with that setup? So it’s commenting on that, and it’s the state of the world – in my mind, would that realistically unfold? So I tried to stay true to that. That was the starting point from what was actually already in the script.
[Q] Was there talk of any cameos from the original film planned or executed here in 2012?
[W] There was talk of it, I was tempted as just a fan of the original. I think of the original Total Recall as an Arnold movie. I wasn’t really aware of Philip K Dick at the time, I was 14, and I was just went to see – I want to see the Arnold film. So there was talk about it very early on, there was talk of Sharon Stone, and I don’t know if they were contacted, I’m not sure. But as we started to develop our film, I didn’t want to distract too much. So it would be a fun idea, and that fan in me really wanted to see it happen, just the storyteller [won me over]. Every time I’ve seen it happen – Lou Ferrigno shows up in the Hulk – it does take me out of it. It just seems Comic Con a little bit too much.
[Q] What elements were you insistent on keeping from the first one? Obviously like the three breasted hooker was a memorable one: were there any ideas you wanted to keep?
[W] Yeah the first thing I wanted in there, it’s absolutely one of the things I remember most about the original one, and it’s just at the core of this concept was the representative from Rekall comes back in and sets the stage. And tells Quaid that he’s actually living out a fantasy. And it’s that great core battle of fantasy vs reality. That was one of the things that I wanted to make sure that was really fleshed out, and then to push it further, was one.
Then some of the fun more superficial stuff we just wanted to put in: I had made a list, a list of about 10 things or so that I remembered from the film before I went back and watched it. And it had been about 20 years for me since I’d seen it, so I wanted to write that out before I watched it again. I thought that if those were things that had stuck with me through the years, that I would want to highlight some of those.
“I made a list of about 10 things I remembered from the film before I went back and watched it.”
And they were things like – the three breasted woman was one of the top things, like I said I was 14, so that was very memorable to me. And then I just remembered Arnold pulling that big tracker out of his nose, freaking out about that, and going through the immigration booth with the heavy set red-headed lady. There were a lot of moments that I remembered. So we just wanted to put them in in a different twist. We give an homage to them but we switch em up, twist em up a bit.
[Q] Where there any things like Johnny Cab that you wanted in there or thought about but couldn’t get in there for one reason or another?
[W] Yeah there were things that – I’m trying to think of them – actually Johnny Cab was one of them, but it didn’t end up applying to us. There was also actually an element, the oxygen element that didn’t really fit in to our storyline. Obviously, we don’t go to Mars. But at one point there was a sub-plot about an oxygen level within the colony, but within this universe and on the planet it just didn’t make much sense.
[Q] Could you talk about choosing Colin Ferrell, you spoke about going specifically to see an Arnold movie where comparatively Colin Ferrell is a more real actor – and could you talk about that shift in dynamic?
[W] I had absolutely no intention of replacing Arnold. And there were a few things that made me want to do the movie, the first that the script took a different direction to it, and a different tone, and this was a chance to do a very different kind of Quaid. I didn’t read the short story until I went to college, so I had kind of a reverse knowledge of it.
I had seen it first as an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, then it wasn’t until college that I read Philip K Dick’s story and I remember at the time thinking, ‘oh that’s that Arnold movie that I love when I was in high school’, and just reading the story had a very different effect on me than what I remember, just from the tone of the story. And Quaid, or Quail as he is in the story, is a bit more of an everyman.
“If Colin Farrell is the every-man then I’m living in the wrong city!”
So I wanted somebody that you could just relate to a bit more. The whole idea of that story was that it has such a strong wish fulfillment to it – of a man that wishes he could be more, then turns into a super spy, verses my recollection of what I felt when I watched the original Total Recall: we’re watching a guy who you already feel is a super spy because we’ve seen him in such a capacity. So I wanted a guy who was, I think of an everyman.
My sister-in-law says that, ‘if Colin Farrell is the every-man then I’m living in the wrong city.’ *laughter* So he’s the Hollywood everyman, I guess. So that was exciting to me, when it first came out there was so much talk about, ‘who’s gonna replace Arnold.’ And The Rock came up, all these wrestlers, all these people that I was totally unaware of.
[Q] Did they pitch these actors and ideas to you, or what?
[W] Ah no, it was all over, like, online. Speculation about who the next Arnold was going to be. And I was like, ‘alright, when I announce who the next Quaid is going to be, and not the next Arnold, maybe they’ll like it and maybe they won’t.’ But it was quite a reaction and very well received and I think it immediately helps to set a tone of what we’re trying to do.
[Q] Where there any other actors that were considered for the role?
[W] Just The Rock. Ha, no. No, he was my first choice which, I feel like a director rarely talks about if you don’t, you don’t have that conversation. Like, ‘he wasn’t my first choice but man, he worked out great.’ *laughter*
[W] I’m actually glad to not have to cover or navigate around, he was my first choice and it was great, it was a situation where, also with Kate, it just works out. Bryan Cranston, who I was watching on – I had really been sucked into Breaking Bad at the time, and I was thinking, one, I want to work with this man at some point. He’s fantastic. And then when the script came about I thought he’d be perfect, and, first choice, yeah that was really fun.
[Q] What were you considering when Colin Ferrell was cast, were you thinking international appeal, his accent, what do you think about when you put that together? Because obviously the movie has to hang on this guy, is he a big enough box office star, is he a good enough every-man and appealing?
[W] To be completely honest I didn’t think of any of those things, I thought just simply that he’s a fantastic actor. And I want to take an actor and more so, if anything, my job would be to turn an actor into an action star rather than an action star into an actor. That rarely works. I want to start with just a really good actor.
And when you put his whole body of work together: we just said we’re going to create Quaid. Just as a starting point, as a springboard, there were elements of Quaid, the Quaid that I had read, the one that I had pictured: a little bit of Phonebooth, a little bit of In Bruges, a little bit of – he’s done so much. So it was really that.
It was really that I wanted to work with an actor for Quaid, I really want to push that, everything like the physicality, once this character has to turn into this super spy, you have to really believe him. But that’s more of a thing that’s just getting people into the gym and working with stunt players and all of that. I want the security of a fantastic actor.
[Q] Did Colin feel bad about fighting with Kate ever? Or did he just go for it?
“I think he felt ok after she blasted him in the neck at one point.”
[W] He didn’t tell me then, but he tells me now that it was a little bit nerve-racking just because of the fact that it’s the director’s wife. I think it would be kind of weird, I guess. I think he felt ok after she blasted him in the neck at one point. So I think then it was ok for the gloves to come off.
[Q] Could you speak on the conceptual design, the whole look of the film, and all the little gadgets (like the hand phone), and how real this film’s environment is compared to other concepts that films have presented?
[W] It was definitely a large part of the focus for me to have it all. I love science fiction more than the fantasy, and the distinction of how science fiction is based off of science. And where science could possibly go. It’s such a what-if quality where fantasy is kind of the study of a different thing, so I’ve been drawn towards that, and it’s this reality of: these things could possibly happen.
So it was very much – for instance that palm cell phone – I want to think that a think like that crazy of an idea [could be real.]
I saw something, it was a while ago, where it was in Japan and they were putting in LCD tattoos, that they were putting into the skin. Whether it ever came through or not. But the LCD tattoos that you see in the film as well as the phone systems – what they’re also doing is the car.
[W] With the car design we were talking to an engineer that you guys were really developing things in a way where that makes sense to how the world would progress, in a sense. At some point were going to have to start building up. You’re going to run out of room to build houses. And once you build up you have to design and build in a way with a transportation system that will also accommodate that. So that’s what we’ve done.
So yes, I’ve very much into what could possibly happen.
[Q] When Quaid is in the bank and opens up his safe and gets his money – did you have input as to who was on those bills?
[W] Did I have input – oh, yeah. Because one of those bills is my dad. It’s right by Obama, the next one over is my dad Loren. so it was perfect to put him right as one of the presidents. And yeah I thought, yeah, we see our presidents heads up, I thought Obama would make a bill.
[Q] Do you have any independent projects coming up?
“I love to build worlds … it’s what I got into this industry to do.”
[W] Yeah, you know, people say why did you take three years off after Die Hard – I have not taken one day off since after Die Hard. I have been actively developing projects that didn’t go through for various reasons – mainly of budget. It’s really difficult to get an original idea that’s not attached to a comic book or a book itself or some awareness that’s over a hundred million dollars.
And I love to build worlds, since I was a kid, it’s what I got into this industry to do. Three of those projects were ones that I had written, seven months here, with Tom Cruise, and folks saying ‘this is gonna happen’, and the budget doesn’t add up.
[Q] What one was that?
[W] It was a movie called Motorcade, it had Dreamworks, and he took off to do [something else] – and the funding wasn’t coming through, it was expensive, and it was an original title, and he went to do The Time of Day.
[Q] Do you have a Rekall fantasy yourself?
[W] Rekall fantasy myself, ah, god. Probably too many. I would love to travel to the future, just to file some things so there’s no guesswork.
[Q] What effect does working with your Wife onset have on your marriage – do you ever feel like you’re working together too much?
[W] No, it’s a weird thing. And there’s lots of directors that work with plenty of the same actors, over and over, many more times than I have. And actually I’ve worked with Bill Nye more times than I’ve worked with Kate, and I’m not married to Bill Nye, so that never comes up. I love to work with actors where I know what I’m going to get from them, as many others do, so it’s not something – you build as well as you would accrue, as well, you build up the people. It’s so risky, there are people you know you can trust, you know what you’re going to get from them, its why directors do it a lot of times.
But if people would say, ‘you’ve hired Bill Nye too many times’, I’d say, ‘well I don’t care.’ He’s fantastic.
Be sure to check out the rest of our Rekall-toting content in our Total Recall portal and check out the ever expanding timeline below to see what else we’ve got for the film in the way of unique or otherwise fabulously interesting Total Recall content!
We’ve had our fair share of experience with Google Wallet since it launched several months ago, and now that it’s been updated to include all major credit and debit cards, it’s time to once again address the most important question of all: is it safe? As it turns out, Google Wallet is really, really safe. You’ve got several ways to lock down your account, and starting today, you’ve also got a remote shutdown option too. Additionally, just as it is with any other use of a credit card, each use of Google Wallet at “more than 200,000 retail locations” across the USA require that you show a picture ID to make it work.
Are my cards secure?
With Google Wallet you’re able (starting this week) to add your whole collection of credit and debit cards. Once your cards are in your account, you’ll be working with NFC to wirelessly charge money essentially the same as a credit card does. To enter a card into your Google Wallet account, you need to enter the number on the card into your mobile app, your online wallet, or into your Google Play account (which uses your same Google login) when making a purchase. Though you do not need to make a purchase to enter a card, it does make the whole process seem like less of a chore.
Once you’ve got your card or cards entered in to your account, your locked-down mobile app version of Google Wallet will have that card – or all your cards – on record and ready to use whenever you need them. Each time you use a card, you’ll see a transaction record on your phone or tablet instantly with the merchant name and the dollar amount listed clearly. This information is also emailed to you instantly if you wish, and all of your account history can be found in your online wallet.
All of your cards are stored on “highly secure” Google servers, as they make sure to make clear on all documents for the system. This is opposed to keeping all the cards on your phone locally where they can be hacked – because they’re in the cloud, they’re actually a bit more secure, in this case. The only way a person can gain access to your cards is with your wallet ID. Your wallet ID is a pin number you create yourself – this number is stored in the “secure storage” area of your phone or tablet.
Our original hands-on with Google Wallet can be seen here:
What if I lose my phone and someone had my pin number AND ID card?
If someone has your phone or tablet, your pin number, and looks similar enough to you that they’re able to pass off your driver’s license as you, you might be in trouble. If that extremely rare and near-impossible situation should arise, Google has another solution for you. Remote Disabling is a new feature of Google Wallet with the update that’s just been dropped this week. With it, you’re able to visit the Devices section of your online wallet, select the device you wish to disable, and poof! It will no longer be able to be used by the villain.
What this service actually does is to remotely reset your mobile wallet, this then making it impossible for the person whose stolen your device to use the wallet unless they go back and enter in all your account information manually once again. At that point it would be easier to kidnap you and steal your real wallet. But you don’t have a real wallet anymore – you’ve got Google Wallet!
So all is well and safe and secure – and you’re ready to go!
You can get Google Wallet on a select number of devices right this minute, including two of our favorites, the Nexus 7 and the Galaxy Nexus. You can check out our hands-on with Google Wallet from back when it was first released and you can check our our full review of the Galaxy Nexus as well as our full review of the Nexus 7 too – grab em!
As Microsoft brings on a whole new era of computing – or so they hope – with Windows 8, so too do they attempt to take on the beast that is Gmail with their own Outlook email service on the web. What we’ve seen thus far is not a far cry from Gmail, with Microsoft taking what’s good about their Metro stylings from both Windows Phone and Windows 8 and working to make the email service as user-friendly as their biggest competitors. And what’s best – you can use the email address you already have to get all your mail in to this inbox quite simply.
When you sign in with your Microsoft account – an account you’ve already got if you have a Windows Phone, mind you, you’re instantly presented with a nice, clean, nearly-empty inbox. In the inbox you’ve got one mail from the Outlook Team and another from Windows Live Hotmail. That’s right, legacy internet users, incase you’ve not been following along – Hotmail is fully teamed up with Microsoft for this release.
Up on top you’ve got the Outlook name and logo, a + New button to start up a new email, and all the way on the right you’ve got Messaging (which connects with Facebook), settings, and a quick-link to your profile – and more account settings too. The fact that this profile link and settings are up in the upper-right-hand corner should be setting off some bells for Google. It’s a little too familiar, and we’re sure Google will have a bit to say about it soon as well.
That said, it certainly is where these elements belong. Google didn’t put them up there because they just thought they’d look nice, that’s for sure. Next you’ve got Search Email in the upper left-hand corner of the screen under the Outlook logo. This search bar is also right where it should be and makes a whole heck of a lot of sense in being there. You’ve got your Folders under this with a simple refresh button, Inbox, Junk, Drafts, Sent, and Deleted folders too. You can also make a new folder right from this list too.
Under that you’ve got several different options for how to see your email with Quick Views – documents, flagged, photos, shipping updates, and New Category again. I’m certain we’ll be using the Shipping Updates view more often than any of the rest.
The center has your emails with quick actions for more than one selection, easy to read and see fonts all around, and emails having quick-action buttons appearing when you mouse over each of them. You can also flag emails from here and you’ve got tags that show how important each mail is as well. Inside each email you’ve also got a majorly impressive view. HTML is in full effect here, with large beautiful text bodies for all to see.
The whole layout is rather respectful to the eyes, and the only piece of baggage the whole system carries over from the old world of email is the set of Bing Shopping ads that sit on the right. We’ll have to see how we can… deal with those soon. Skype for video chat will be popping up too, we’re sure, so stick around for the updates as they happen.
You can check this system out right now by heading to Outlook.com, and be sure to let us know how you like (or dislike) it all soon!
This week we got the chance to speak with Gene Dolgoff, known for his invention of the LCD projector, digital projection in general, and his new device that’s up on Fundable right this minute. As he’s more than ready to let you know, he’s also got an incredibly fun fact up his sleeve: he inspired Gene Roddenberry to create the holodeck in Star Trek. It’s from there you’ll find yourself a bit intrigued with the next step in our current abilities to present 3D video and images through our own devices – with help of 3-D Vision technology that Dolgoff presents here and now.
We shot a few pointed questions at Dolgoff before he jumped right in on his Reddit AMA which, we’ll vouch for, is certainly going on today right here: [Ask ]. Have a peek at what we got to know about the project as it’s being developed for the consumer world as we speak.
SlashGear: What’s your ultimate goal with 3-D Vision technology?
Gene Dolgoff: I have been involved in the effort to promote 3-D to the world since the beginning of the 1960s. Now that the world is finally catching up, but is stalled when it comes to consumer 3-D at home (for TVs, computers, projectors, and handheld devices), I want to break that logjam with our revolutionary technology and move the world to the next level so that everyone can view and make 3-D anytime and anywhere they want.
SG: Will the device being released in the Fundable program you’ve got up right now require special eyewear for the user to see 3D? Or will the output completely depend on the device it’s working with?
GD: Our Instant 3-D Converter(TM) is currently designed to use special 3-D glasses. One type is for use with any TV set and the other type is for use with computers and handheld devices. We include one pair of each type of 3-D glasses with the converter (additional glasses will also be sold separately).
SG: What are the limits of the video content 3-D Vision technology can convert successfully?
GD: Our Instant 3-D Converter can convert any video content to 3-D instantly with high quality. Our inputs are composite, component, VGA, and HDMI.
SG: Why did you choose to work with Fundable rather than seeking out funding via traditional means?
GD: We have a business plan and even a draft private placement memorandum and are starting to talk to potential investors. However, that route is typically a slow route, and we want to get this technology out as quickly as possible. Crowd funding potentially provides a faster route for initial funding if your product and company meets the right criteria (which I think ours does).
I had been talking with the founders of fundable.com since before they launched their site. We all felt that, working together, we could be beneficial to each other both in raising some initial capital in a relatively short period of time, and in demonstrating consumer interest, which can be very important in influencing potential conventional investors.
SG: What are your plans for projects beyond this one? Will you continue your work towards a real Star Trek holodeck situation?
GD: We do have other consumer-oriented as well as commercial 3-D products in the pipeline, and will intend to continue to develop them into products and large markets. If we are successful enough to produce the kind of funding needed, we will continue to also pursue the development of holodeck-like products and applications.
Stay tuned as we follow this project through to full funding and beyond! Also be sure to check out the 3-D Vision Fundable project right now and toss in some cash for early access to the device!
This week we’ve got our hands on the newest set of myTouch phones from T-Mobile, both of them having essentially the same specifications and being made by Huawei. While there are some LG devices out there that have essentially the same names as these two devices, rest assured: these are made by Huawei and will be popping up at T-Mobile very, very soon. Now that we’re clear on that, let’s have at it: both devices work with Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread with Huawei’s own unique user interface, both have a 4-inch display at 480 x 800 pixel resolution, and both work with 5 megapixel cameras on the back.
These devices are certainly both made for the lower end of the Android-toting universe as they’re both running a version of the software that’s a couple generations old and both have a single-core 1.4Ghz processor from Qualcomm inside. With such a processor and software you’re still certainly going to be able to do a whole lot, of course, as most of your everyday functions like web browsing, interacting with social networks, and emailing all work just great on a single-core processor as they should.
Note: T-Mobile is marketing this duo as a set because they are so extremely similar. The only real difference we can tell from what we’ve seen thus far between the two is the slide-out QWERTY keyboard – and the thickness, of course.
They’re also both rather small at 0.56 x 2.5 x 4.9 inches for the Q and 0.41 x 2.46 x 4.5 inches for the myTouch without the keyboard. They both have a lovely look, just as all myTouch devices have had over the past few years, regardless of manufacturer. Have a peek at our myTouch 4G review from 2010 and our myTouch 4G Slide review from 2011 as well. And if you’re really looking for a thrill, head back to our T-Mobile myTouch 3G unboxing from back in 2009!
Though they make look similar, these devices are not the myTouch phones of old. Their build is significantly lower quality than the past versions of the myTouch lineup – where HTC chose high quality hard plastic and a solid build, here we’ve got what feels like a slightly more flimsy set of details.
That said, we’re giving these devices the benefit of the doubt for now. We’ll give you the full scoop when our full review ramps up for both devices very, very soon. Meanwhile you can check out the rest of our [Phone Review Portal] to see all the other choices you’ve got on the market today – with more from T-Mobile on the way as well!
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
