Total Recall (1990)

For the Memories of a Lifetime.....

In the Year 2084, Douglas Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a mild-mannered construction worker just living the simple life with his loving wife Lori (Sharon Stone).  All seems well and normal, except he's been having these dreams.....about going to Mars, where apparently his eyes can get sucked out of his head if he tries to breathe freely on the surface?? :o Maybe they're not dreams, maybe he has been to Mars....and when he visits a local travel agency (sort of) named Rekall to get memories implanted about a possible trip to Mars, something happens.  People start trying to kill him...and worse, all is not what it seems.  

And what results is a wild, bloody adventure where Quaid not only goes to Mars but gets involved in an increasingly violent effort to fend off an oppressive corporate lead by Cohaagen (Ronny Cox) to exploit the population of settlers there by depriving them of air.  Loosely based on a science fiction novel by Phillip K. Dick (Minority Report) and directed by legendary Paul Verhoeven (Basic Instinct, Robocop), this lavish sci-fi action adventure became an instant phenomenon when it was first released thirty-five years ago this June.  Which leaves only one thing left to do....Get Your Ass to Mars!!!!

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon
Producer: Marlene Gershon

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Transcript

TOTAL RECALL - 1990

Directed by Paul Verhoeven

Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Ronny Cox, Michael Ironside, Marshall Bell, Mel Johnson Jr, Michael Champion, Roy Brocksmith, Ray Baker, Rosemary Dunsmore, David Knell, Alexia Robinson, Dean Norris, and Robert Costanzo

Genre: Sci Fi Action Thriller (Audio clip)

For the memories of a lifetime....get your ass to Mars! :) This movie is bat-shit insane as only a big budget Paul Verhoeven sci-fi epic starring PEAK Arnold can be...it says a lot that the reappearance of a three-breasted mutant prostitute late in the movie isn't even THE craziest thing we end up seeing at that point in the story. (No that would be our introduction to resistance leader Kuato a few minutes later which is pretty stomach-churning, pun intended!) This film is just an endless parade of crazy images, bone-crunching and blood-spurting action, scenery-chewing performances, and a heady mixture of twisty plot machinations with sleazy developments which would even make Brian DePalma sit up and take notice. :O

One reason that the film works so well is because it's always self-aware. How else to explain exchanges like this one:

"You wouldn't hurt me sweetheart....we're married!" - Followed by gun-shot..."Consider that a di-VORCE."

Both Schwarzenegger and Sharon Stone have always been the kind of outsized stars who could REALLY sell dialogue like that. Now is it the type of pithy banter you would have expected from a cerebral Phillip K. Dick sci-fi novel (which this was based on) OR a screenplay written by sci-fi whiz (original writer of Alien) Dan 'O'Bannon?? Probably not and that's likely the film's biggest weakness.

It starts out as a more sophisticated mind-bending mystery as we watch Arnold's Quaid - who initially comes off as mild-mannered construction worker - slowly realize that all of these mysterious dreams he has been having about being on Mars are MUCH more than just something floating around his sub conscience. He realizes that he's part of something much bigger and for much of the first act of this film, he's genuinely scared of the violence he's witnessing and also contributing to. It's all initially presented to us as more of a Hitchcockian plot that he's in the middle of...sort of a futuristic North By Northwest with loads of F-bombs and blood squibs.

But since this is an Ah-nold action vehicle, most of the intrigue is pretty much brushed aside by the third act as the story becomes simplified, the action gets bigger, and of course our main protagonist becomes much more quippy. 🤫 And there's nothing wrong with that when you have a talented director like Verhoeven keeping it moving with brisk pacing, some nice future satire, a VERY muscular score from Jerry Goldsmith (though extremely derivative of Basil Polidouris' Conan score from the previous decade), and eye-popping (literally) make-up effects from Rob Botin.

Best Needledrop (best song cue or score used throughout runtime of film): 

Now about that score from Jerry Goldsmith….no shade here as even THE best composers have been known to crib themes from others….Williams, Zimmer, Horner, they’ve all done it.  Here’s the thing though….you have two opening credit themes which both just kick genuine ass for iconic action themes starring Arnold so how could you NOT notice?  Here’s the opening theme for Conan the Barbarian from 1982… (Audio clip)  

Ok now HERE’S the opening credits theme for Total Recall, playing over this very cool font which the letters glowing and stretching….(Audio clip) 

Now the themes are similar but it’s clearly obvious that for THIS music, Goldsmith is using a lot more synth….which fits since this is a space-based story.  Honestly I love both kind of equally as they’re both FANTASTIC table-setters for the blood-soaked insanity to follow.  And yet from Total Recall soundscape, my personal highlight (and I’m sure I’m not alone on this one) would be when Basil and orchestra just REALLY go for it with one of the more otherworldly pieces of music I have heard….and it’s coupled with some genuinely unique imagery on-screen no less.  I’m referring to THE iconic sequence from this movie which most remember….it ALL kicks off with our hero finally being introduced to a VERY important AND unique little mutant….Kuato. (Audio clip) 

Ok if you haven’t seen this movie, I’m honestly NOT sure there is way to truly describe Kuato which will do him justice….I don’t know, he looks like a dried out baby emanating from a grown man’s stomach?  Needless to say, this remains a genuine marvel of animatronic and make-up effects….he’s both unnerving to look at and yet you’re just kind of transfixed too ESPECIALLY as the camera closes in on his eyes….and that mystical voice too with the reverb.  Arnold to his credit ALSO does a excellent job of selling this moment….the genuine weirdness of it.  Once inside Quaid’s mind, Verhoeven presents us with this pretty mind-blowing MASSIVE underground reactor as we see his camera swoop across a background of ice with machinery emanating from it….for anybody seeing this on the big screen, this was a SIGNATURE moment.  But let’s not discount the music as Goldsmith treats us to a mixture of synth and orchestration which genuinely rivals the majesty of what we’re seeing on screen…..augmented flutes building in the background, whooshing sounds coming from cymbals and timpanies….it DEMANDS to be seen on the biggest screen with the most immersive sound system possible.  This track is elegantly referred to as….”The Mutant.” (Audio clip) 

Wasted Talent (most under-utilized talent involved with film):

If you’ve listened to my review of Robocop – which was Verhoeven’s film before this, TRUE all-time classic – you might recall that the biggest waste as far as I was concerned was how the franchise potential for that character was COMPLETELY squandered…..with two weak sequels and a perfunctory remake.  Now I don’t know if this left a lot of sequel potential but I’m still at a loss as to the purpose of that lame, boring remake from 2012 starring Colin Farrell.  And Farrell’s a GOOD actor, arguably better than Arnold and he had some strong support from Bokeem Woodbine and Bryan Cranston….but to no avail, it was PG-13, had ZERO involvement of the planet of Mars, and didn’t stretch things at ALL creatively even though there was some rich material to pull from with the original short story.  Just completely unnecessary….

Trailer Moment (scene or moment that best describes this movie):

So you would THINK that the whole Kuato/reactor sequence would be a no-brainer for this category right?  And in most movies, it WOULD be…..but for me, it would be what many (myself included) to be both the smartest AND tensest sequence in the movie exactly an hour in no less.  We’re taking a bit of breather here….or ARE we?  Quaid is staying in his hotel room and who should come calling but Dr. Edgemar from Rekall….played sublimely by the late, great Roy Brocksmith. (Audio clip) 

It's a mind-bender of a scene for sure…..all dialogue and performance, not only from Brocksmith who REALLY starts to ramp things up but from Sharon Stone too….and at the center of it is Arnold holding up his guy and with the wheels definitely turning attempting to figure his way out of this.  It’s not that different from the red pill/blue pill scene which would occur in The Matrix just nine years later, though a bit more twisted.  Of course Quaid HAS to make a decision and the remainder of the story pivots on that decision. (Audio clip)  

MVP (person most responsible for the success of this film):

Even though this is VERY much a director’s movie and Verhoeven’s pulling off things here with sound and effects which were pretty crazy for this time, I have to give this to one of the FEW stars in my lifetime who could STILL deliver a true movie star performance amidst ALL of this sound and fury.  I mean to think back to all of these standout  oments fighting Sharon Stone, KUATO, getting screamed at by Ronny Cox….mutants all around him including three-boobed women and yet still, it’s ARNOLD who commands the screen.  His heft, his humor, his unique guttural screams….he still makes this HIS movie and therefore, Arnold Schwarzeneggar is the MVP. 

Final Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5 

Even though it had the potential for something deeper and more thought-provoking along the lines of Minority Report or Blade Runner (which were both also based on Phillip K. Dick stories) Total Recall is still gloriously entertaining and that's no small feat. :)So by all means….if you haven’t already…..get your ass to MAHS! 

Streaming on fubo, MGM+, Prime Video, Paramount Plus, & Philo

And that ends another SCHIZOID EMBELISM review!