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TOTAL RECALL (1990)
Douglas Quaid is haunted by a recurring dream about a journey to Mars. He hopes to find out more about this dream and buys a holiday at Rekall Inc. where they sell implanted memories. But something goes wrong with the memory implantation and he remembers being a secret agent fighting against the evil Mars administrator Cohaagen.
At what point are you not sure which is more real: your memories or your realities?
Join co-hosts Elysabeth Gwendolyn Belle and Robert Meyer Burnett as they review the 1990 Arnold Schwarzenegger classic, TOTAL RECALL.
Hi Rob and Elysabeth,
Nice pick with the original Total Recall.
I only recently saw it for the first time last year, despite saying to myself for years I would watch it. And as far as I am concerned, I made a big mistake because it’s terrific. I liked the performances, from Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside, Ronny Cox, and Dean Norris. Jerry Goldsmith’s music was really good. All the action was great to look at, and bloody. I thought the character designs were very good and original, like the woman with 3 boobs and the man with the mutated baby on his chest or stomach. I thought the villain’s death, where his head starts getting bigger, was interesting look at. I also found it interesting how the ending was ambiguous, as an earlier draft of the script had a definitive answer.
The movie came out in the summer of 1990, becoming one of the top 10 highest grossing movies that year, alongside another Schwarzenegger starring film, Kindergarten Cop, and won an Oscar/Special Achievement Award for Best Visual Effects.
Paul Verhoeven had previously done Fourth Man and Robocop, then did this, and then made Basic Instinct. However, his career was never on peak as it was before, as he did Showgirls after Basic Instinct.
At the time this movie came out, Arnold Schwarzenegger was at the height of his career. He had done Terminator, Commando, and Predator which made him well known, but with Twins, this film, Kindergarten Cop, and Terminator 2, he was at the peak of his career, as the biggest movie star in the world. Last Action Hero didn’t do so well, but he bounced back with True Lies. But by then, his status as the biggest star in the world started to decline.
The film was remade in 2012, with Colin Ferrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, and Bryan Cranston, but I’ve actually never seen the remake, so I cannot say anything on whether it’s good or not.
While it never got made, I would have been interested in seeing Verhoeven and Schwarzenegger team up again, as they were planning to make an epic called Crusade, for 1994. If Verhoeven made that film after Basic Instinct instead of Showgirls, his career peak might have lasted a little longer. Also, Schwarzenegger’s status as the biggest star in the world might have lasted a bit longer as well, as he also had True Lies as one of the top 10 grossing movies of 1994. However, it was never meant to be, as Carolco chose not to make the film because the budget would have exceeded $100 million.
Carolco chose to make Cutthroat Island instead, under the delusional thought it would be a hit and save the studio. It instead became one of the biggest box office bombs in history, and eventually Carolco was defunct.
Anyways, it was a nice pick for the original Total Recall, as I did enjoy that film quite a bit.
Thanks, live long and prosper.
Salutations Ace & Rob,
Let´s talk about Total Recall . This film is the memory of a lifetime.
This is a classic Schwarzenegger film. This film has got everything: Schwarzenegger doing his grunts, Sharon Stone in spandex, Rachel Ticotin, little people, freaks, Sharon Stone and Rachel Ticotin fighting, Schwarzenegger getting a ¨divorce”, a trip to Mars and a mystery to figure out why people are trying to kill him all the classic makings of a great rainy day popcorn film.
It is hard to believe that that this film is 31 years old and sure some of the special effects are a little outdated but they are like practical effects and those are the best kind and it is still a fun film to watch.
The 4k edition is clear and the sound on it is just fantastic. It was fun revisiting a film that my dad and I would watch from time to time when it was on television. Total Recall is just that , one of those films if it is on you just have to watch it and go for the ride to Mars. Two members of the cast who deserve shout out are Ronny Cox ( of Beverly Hills Cop fame) and Michael Ironside who both play the quintessential late 80´s early 90´s bad guys with the cheesy anger problems. Without them the movie doesn´t work .
There are a few favorite Schwarzenegger films that I love: Twins, Red Heat (underrated film with Jim Belushi), Junior, Escape Plan, and The Last Stand (which is almost like a modern take on a western..bringing WINEing full circle).
So in conclusion, this film in my opinion was worthy of an episode of WINEing and also worthy of its 4k release as well.
Thanks for reading my letter and remember: Every trip you take to Mars ends up with a visit with Kuato and all you have to do is….look for him.
Until my next letter,
Tom Jr Jackson