Which parts of the story were changed in the reshoots?

This is a really interesting discussion about a movie that is, as you say, a guilty pleasure. One by a pretty good screenwriter, directed by a man who had made an interesting sci-fi film before (Quiet Earth)and one that create a fairly unique dystopia

What we know about the extensive reshoots, we know from interviews with Estevez and Shussett. Estevez has said that Murphy let them down, focusing more on the action than on the ideas. Shussett was brought in for reshoots after a disastrous test screening. He briefly talked about adding more humour and how it tested better.

As for your ideas about where the reshoots fit in-it's hard to tell either way

Certainly the going to Michalette's office smacks of clumsy re-editing.

The Hopkins not being dead idea/dying idea is interesting, you're right there is inconsistency. The early scenes with him talking to Rene do look much cheap. More importantly it's such a lame "surprise" that the big guest star, who does nothing the whole film suddenly turns out to be the big villain. Maybe it was set up earlier that he was pursuing Estevez. Also the early scene with the hooded figure with Emilio's face looks very clumsily shot/re-edited-Clearly trying to establsh why Estevez is being chased

The Bonejacker/Michaelette forces *is* clumsily shot, and seems to be part of something bigger, particularly when Emilio puts a helmet on, and we get a big POV shot, to no greater effect. Could this be some of the action

Similarly John Shea's character just drops in, saves the day briefly and then disappears. Perhaps he had more to do

Watching it again I remember thinking how Amanda Plummer's character could've had extra scenes added. I'm sure her first scene was always there but her later scenes are so extraneous. It seems so ridiculous that she'd be allowed to talk/act that way to a major businessman, it seems strange that she'd BE there anyway. But the scene is presented as great comedy. Could this be some of the "humor" Shussett talked about adding?
One thing about bad test screenings is that if a certain character tests well they often get extra scenes no matter how extraneous to the plot (See the hunter robot in Heartbeeps).


I really wish there was a more comprehensive interview about the making of this film, or failing that an original screenplay. This was supposed to be the next Total Recall, and even though it fails that, there is still nothing like it

Why is it so hard to find details on the production of this movie? Thanks guys for all your info. Wish I had something to add... before the rise of the internet some of these movies fade into relative obscurity (which sucks)

Thanks for the interesting info. This movie is not a masterpiece by any stretch of imagination. But consider the cast - Anthony Hopkins (just after Silence of the Lambs), Mick Jagger (a legendary rock icon), Emilio Estevez (still a hot thing at the time after his 80s teen movies). It's clear that the producers hoped the movie would be big.

One thing I noticed is how Mick Jagger is dubbed as saying something like "We almost got Michelette but he got away" and when Michelette shows up in the final scene he is noticeably bruised and bloodied, which happens offscreen, which is quite awkward. My theory being whatever scene that explained how Michelette got beat up involved plot points dropped from the final cut...

What I'm talking about is stuff like some funny editing when Alex, pretending to hold Julie "hostage," goes up the elevator to the Victor Maitlin guy's office, a scene which appears to have been spliced in after the fact. It's set up with a very awkward shot of Ripper (Esai Morales) saying, "They're headed for Michelette's office!" which then cuts to stock footage of Mick Jagger from an earlier part of the movie, to make it look like he's listening to him.


I 100% agree with this, the whole last act looks like it was reshuffeled from this point onwards.

I don't think Jagger did any reshoots so they used what they had.

There's something odd about the lobby shootout between the Bonejackers and Michellete's security detail. First of all, there's a funny-looking Rene Russo double in the elevator. Second, given the elevator funny business above, I wondered if this was supposed to happen in a different part of the ending sequence.


I have a theory the two never supposed to be in the elevator during this scene and were added later to explain things.
I think originally Jaggers lot must have invaded the building taking out the security, McCandless(Who is still alive) called him becuase Michelette mutinied and had to be delt with, it would also explain why he's beaten to a pulp at the end.

It would also explain why the Office scene and "The TRACE" were added, becuase McCandless now has the twist of being dead they need a way to get jagger to the building and a reason why they are shooting the guards.

I am starting to wonder if, originally, Hopkins was not dead but still alive for the body swap! At first you see him in the desert "welcome to my mind" landscape. So far, he looks healthy. But then after the transfer machine rises out of the ground, we see an inconsistent view of Hopkins, now right there in the room with Emilio, differently lit, and with an unhealthy look to his skin.

Again i agree. The welcome to my mind sequence always seemed like it was something that should have happened during the mind switch, Rather than at the top floor of the building. We enter through the eye and into his mind while they are face to face. with only Emilio there.