Arnold Schwarzenegger has not been taken seriously as an actor for many years. To this day, his reputation as a muscleman precedes him. And musclemen don’t have much of a brain, as we all know. Do they? Bullshit. Schwarzenegger did his job as governor of California. And he’s made movie history, whether as the Terminator, Conan the Barbarian, Running Man, Predator Killer, or Douglas Quaid in TOTAL RECALL.
TOTAL RECALL – THE STORY
The year is 2084, and overpopulation on Earth has led humans to Mars and other planets. Here they are building large settlements but suffer under the thumb of powerful, corrupt dictators.
A simple construction worker, Douglas Quaid, is haunted by dreams of living a life on Mars. He asks his wife Lori (Sharon Stone) to travel to Mars with him. He wants to find out what his dreams are all about. Of course, Lori has no desire to do so.
So, Doug secretly books a virtual trip to the Red Planet with the company Rekall Inc. The company offers realistic-looking experiences through so-called memory implants. But something goes wrong for Quaid, and he suddenly finds himself in a completely new identity.
Brutal killers take up his cause, and his wife tells him she is an agent for the Martian dictator Cohaagen. Has Quaid’s consciousness been manipulated? Is he dreaming all this, or is it a reality?
So, to discover his real identity, Doug has only one chance: he must travel to Mars and complete the mission that his new self has begun. And so a dangerous search for total recall begins.
THE FILM’S LEGACY
Total Recall celebrates its 30th anniversary next year, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at the film. Even today, the special effects are simply great, just as the story is still visionary. The themes hinted at in the movie are still relevant.
Perhaps even more significant than ever. Because it doesn’t take Rekall Inc. to be manipulated by others. But it can take just the Internet to call one’s own identity into question. Precious resources like clean water, and clear air, must not be controlled by a few small powerful group only. They must be available to all.
With his film, Dutch cult director Paul Verhoeven (“Robocop”) created an old-school masterpiece and the sci-fi cult flick of the 90s with Arnold Schwarzenegger in top form.
TOTAL RECALL was also Sharon Stone’s first big breakthrough. Just two years later, “Basic Instinct” followed and topped Stone’s first success even further.
The Blu-Ray impresses with first-class quality. The pictures and sounds are stunning. Well Done. The bonus material is also worth seeing.
THE EXTRAS INCLUDE:
- Total excess: How Carolco changed Hollywood
- Open your mind: The film soundtrack
- Dreamers within the dream: The genesis of Total Recall
- Extras: Audio commentary by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Paul Verhoeven
- The special effects of TOTAL RECALL
- Making of
- Interview with the film team
- Trailer
As the winner of the Special Achievement Award for Special Effects at the 1991 Academy Awards®, TOTAL RECALL belongs on every Si-Fi shelf. And, now it’s time for you to win one Blu-Ray or DVD. We’ll help you snag one of the highly coveted discs. Just answer the following question.