Total Recall

This movie is so much fun and never gets old. The right amount of action, laughs, cheese, and Arnie grunts. The best blockbusters are ones that don't take themselves seriously.

**Part of my 2022 Sci-Fi Tuesdays**

Paul Verhoeven's Total Recall is a movie filled with practical effects, gory violence, mutants, and three breasted women (Well, not that many of the last one, but still worth mentioning), and...I love it. The perfect blend of sleaze, cartoony characters and violence, and sci-fi storytelling. Well worth spending some time with now and then.

I was a bit too young to watch this in the cinemas back in 1990, but I remember the guys got together at my house to watch it as soon as it got a VHS release here in Norway. It was the event of that year for many of us. We were, of course, familiar with both Verhoeven (Because of Robocop) and Schwarzenegger (Because of Commando, Terminator and Predator), and were told that Total Recall would be better than anything we have ever seen, and to us, at that specific time, I think it was. That might have changed somewhat, at least for me, but it still ranks up there as an important moment in my movie watching life.

This time I watched it in 4k with the 30th anniversary Blu-ray, and I have to say it has never looked as good, although...there are some moments that you can see that the actors have worked in front of a green screen. I can't say I can remember that from any other release, but it didn't really ruin much of my enjoyment, so who cares.

I recommend both the 4k version and the film itself. Go get it and watch it!!

Houser and Quaid..sittin in a tree..R-E-C-A-LL-ING...1st comes a fake marriage, then comes a midget hooker who can fit in a baby carriage

I love how the first question the lady asked was his sexual orientation, I thought they were just scammers but they were really engaged in providing a good service!

I'm 42 years old and it's the first time I watch this movie complete, what a great experience! I'm also rewatching all Paul Verhoeven's works I watched as a kid/teen and it definitely sits different now!
This movie is awesome, I have no intention of watching the remake, I'm googling it all and it looks like all that brutalist locations are fake? Jesus, I'm so happy for what I just watched...

I'm still processing everything and I haven't read Dick's story but me personally, I think it was all a pre lobotomy dream...

Arnie gets kicked in the balls a lot of times in this film. I feel sorry for him. :(

The Remake will be totally shitty.

"Consider that a Divorce"

You can't go wrong with Total Recall, always entertaining.

"Total Recall" is a real winner as it features some thrilling Sci-Fi concepts, amazing action and very cool effects from Rob Bottin. Bottin is responsible for many effects wonders over the years including those in "The Thing", "Robocop", "The Howling" and "Legend". There are many memorable effects moments here like when Quaid's (Schwarzenegger) fat woman disguise goes haywire, Quaid pulling a tracking device from his nose and of course the mutant Kuoto. Who can watch this movie and forget the images of Quaid, Melina and Cohaggen choking, gagging and bulging in the toxic Martian atmosphere.

The story itself has been described as complicated but actually, it's relatively simple. It truly doesn't matter if Quaid is dreaming all of the events or not. If the viewer simply enjoys the twists and turns, it is an extremely fun ride.

Verhoeven creates some exciting images. His Martian landscapes and grungy Martian slums are a sight to behold. And this movie is violent. I don't know that it is as violent as a couple of other Verhoeven showcases, "Robocop" and "Starship Troopers", but it's brutal with numerous head shots, dismemberings and copious bloodshed.

Schwarzenegger does a better job acting at this point in his career than he ever had before. His trademark quips are present but despite that I was impressed with his crazed resistance while strapped into the memory chair at Rekall. He truly portrays it as a painful experience. The other performance I like was that of Sharon Stone. She is beautiful and sultry as the "wife" of Quaid. She was also one tough customer, battling, in fact, beating up Quaid on occasion.

If you're looking for a violent, Sci-Fi thriller that's a ton of fun, "Total Recall" is probably going to be just the ticket.

A film of films, nothing comes close to this kind of humour and action. The one-liners are the best you have heard. People said them at school in the 90 and now in the office today. 'See you at the party Richter' and the 'blonds' answer he gives in the club, epic volumes of them condensed in to two hours of fun.