Watching Total Recall (1990) on Blu Ray. I have seen in before 3, maybe 4 times or so, but not for a while.
I think it’s Verhoeven’s 2nd best film, and that his best film Robocop, is the greatest film of all-time. Possibly the biggest budget B Movie ever?
But, SPOILERS, not going to blur this shit so stop reading if you don’t want the film mildly ruined. Do you think it is reality (in the film), or that it is the recall experience? I’ve never made my mind up on this…
Love this film! I actually like not having my mind made up, it changes every time I watch it. Mars feels like a properly fleshed out place in a way many other exotic locations don’t and the effects are great too. They may not be as flashy as CGI but the physicality really sells them. Except for maybe the eye pop
I’m actually half way through End of Days, which I’d never seen before, and was so bored I came on here to distract me while it drudges on.
Everyone’s having a blast too! Michael Ironside is a great baddie.
It’s great, so well done, I meant Total Recall being the or feeling like the biggest budget B Movie ever (not Robocop). Michael Ironside is so good in it, as are all of the cast, whatever type of character he played he seems to nail it.
Michael Ironside jinx there! Wow!
I heard a podcast before Xmas that Michael Ironside’s sister had a bad diagnosis whilst they were filming Total Recall and Arnie noticed he looked shaken on set. They talked about it and Arnie phoned her with dietary advice and sent health care, he followed this up every week and still apparently checks in on her every week with a phone call even to this day. I think the podcast listen nudged me to another watch. What a film.
Have you brought any fruit or vegetables onto the planet?
Two weeks
Excuse me?
Quaid, that’s him… HER
Get ready for a surprise!
ABSOULTELY CLASSIC stuff.
Robocop followed by Total Recall, you could basically just retire in that 1-2 alone
The hands clawing at the mouth!
It’s great - as far as real vs recall, I think it is structured so that it is impossible to tell.
If it is all recall though, imagine going back to your normal life after that shit. Having murdered your wife and run off with a kickass-rebel-hooker then having to turn up to work (with a bunch of other people you remember murdering) the next day.
And Mars not having an atmosphere would probably be a let down too.
For the sake of the Hauser/Quaid (right names?) I kinda hope it was all real.
Reckon you should probably blur spoilers, bit unfair to say stop heading then do a spoiler next line and not attempt to cover it
Also think the film is not good
This guy
Robocop is, I feel, flawless, and so dark and satirical, the comments it makes and the 80’s violent movie way it goes about it. Basically the film Troma always wanted to make but could never afford. It’s a masterpiece, I’ve seen it over 100 times. Used to watch it daily when I owned the VHS for a while circa 1990.
I’ve posted this before, but I got home about midnight when I was about 17 and everyone in the house was asleep, and my Mum had rented Robocop on video. I watched it, absolutely taken it, what a film, then, this is the only time I have ever done this, but when it ended, I re-wound the VHS and watched it again. I know every line in it, have the Arrow box set and it never gets old, it just gets better. I think Total Recall is Robocop, maxed out, with a BIG name in it, love how it is almost a computer game, make your own ending…
In commentary PV is explicit that he’s in the Rekall machine and all of it is in his head. I believe this is why it fades to white which I understand to mean the end of a mental fantasy. Pretty sure a big film of the last few years did this at its conclusion too. Spoilers: Joker
Woah is that a yourethemannowdog?! That’s a blast from the past
Also the commentary is pretty fun because they actually paid Arnie to do it* (normally they are, or were, done for free or next to nothing) and when Verhoeven says it’s definitely all a fantasy, Arnie argues that we can’t be sure and it seems like he feels almost emasculated by the thought he wasn’t playing a big action hero but just an average guy, all along.
*75,000 bucks iirc
I have the short story in a Dick anthology somewhere downstairs, must dig it out. Can’t remember how similar it is or how explicit the real/rekall thing is
I think the thing that sways me most is the bead of sweat to make me think it’s real not Recall? Still unsure.