******TURBINIUM-RICH SPOILERS!******

It was on a June day in 1990 when my sister and I attended a matinee screening of “Total Recall” on opening weekend at yet another in a long line of multiplexes that no longer exist. As fans of director Paul Verhoeven‘s “Robocop,” we looked forward to the Dutch filmmaker’s latest American opus. With the film also being an Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle, we went in prepared for over-the-top action and plenty of pun-filled dialogue. In those capacities, “Total Recall” did not disappoint.

The movie had been stuck in development hell off and on since the late 1970s, with screenwriters Ronald Shusett, Dan O’Bannon (“ALIEN”) and Jon Povill (“Star Trek: The Motion Picture”) finally getting their adaptation of the Philip K. Dick novella “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” off the ground. The writers did a more action-oriented rewrite after Schwarzenegger agreed to star. Actors such as Richard Dreyfuss and Christopher Reeve were previously considered to star, since they were more in keeping with the novella’s conception of the protagonist as a less physical, Walter Mitty-type.

At that time, Schwarzenegger (whose role as ‘governator’ of California was still 13 years away) was expanding his acting chops to include comedies (“Kindergarten Cop” “Twins”), and was wildly popular at the multiplexes. The actor’s involvement got the movie made. Schwarzenegger may not have been the best actor on the planet, but he was an undeniable star.

Philip K. Dick’s “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” (1966)

The story of “Total Recall” began with the 1966 novella “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale,” by the late Philip K. Dick (“Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep”). The story begins with a milquetoast menial worker named Douglas Quail who visits the virtual memory implantation service ‘Rekall’ to live out his fantasy of traveling to Mars. The opening of the novella is fairly faithful to the movie’s opening act, with Quail ignoring his wife’s pleas and visiting a slick Rekall doctor named McClane, who promises an exciting virtual vacation. While undergoing the memory implantation procedure, McClane learns Quail really is a top-tier government assassin previously based on Mars, whose true memories have been supplanted–and who is unwittingly keeping Earth safe from alien invaders.

The 1990 movie greatly expands upon the novella’s premise, while changing it considerably. For starters, Douglas Quail is now Doug Quaid (Quayle happened to be the surname of the United States vice-president at the time of the movie’s release). The renamed Quaid is no milquetoast, either; he’s now a musclebound construction worker whose thick Austrian accent betrays any chance of his being Irish-American. Also lost is Quail’s predestined role from childhood as galactic peacekeeper; with his very presence staving off an alien invasion. All versions of the story, including the 2012 remake, do manage to retain the novella’s palpable paranoia, as well as its competing issues of identity and memory.

“Total Recall” (1990)

Note: As we saw in 1981’s “Outland,” Hollywood has long exaggerated the effects of rapid decompression in thin atmospheres. In this case, the practically-made decompressing puppet head of Arnold Schwarzenegger (made by makeup wizard Rob Bottin, of 1982’s “The Thing”) is both terrifying and comical–which is in keeping with director Verhoeven’s dark, twisted sense of humor; his ability to make audiences laugh at the horrific.

Note: Sharon Stone was a relative unknown at this point in her career, but that would change after this film. Two years later, she’d explode with her star-making role as a mercurial murder suspect who seduces a cop in Paul Verhoeven’s “Basic Instinct.”

Note: The wall-screen TV windows at the Quaid breakfast table were science fiction in 1990, and are easily achievable today with modern flatscreens, but no one really seems to want this ‘feature’ in their home. “Total Recall” is set in 2084, yet we still see video phone booths everywhere. These days, real ‘video phones’ fit in our pockets (smartphones with FaceTime, Zoom apps, etc). Just try to find a working phone booth in your neighborhood these days…

Note: I had the pleasure of meeting actor Robert Costanzo (“Die Hard 2” “City Slickers”) at Ontario Comic Con Revolution 2021, and I’m happy to say that he’s a far cry from the boorish, often bullying characters he often plays onscreen.

Note: The Rekall sequence is more or less straight from Philip K. Dick’s novella, as Quaid (nee: Quail) pops a memory cap during the procedure and his own memories of being a secret agent on Mars violently resurface. It’s also interesting that Quaid’s ‘dream vacation’ program seems to forecast future events in the movie. More on that one later…

Note: The Johnny Cab automaton is voiced by future “Star Trek: Voyager” costar Robert Picardo, who’s reprised his holographic “Doctor” character for other Star Trek series, including “Deep Space Nine,” “Lower Decks” and ““Star Trek: Prodigy.” Interestingly, automated self-driving cabs are a reality now in 2025, nearly 60 years before the movie’s future of 2084. However, I will never set foot in one, thanks.

Note: Arnold doing what he does best; killing the shit out of people. While I have my own less-than-glowing opinions about Schwarzenegger’s governorship of my state, I still enjoy his movies. Sometimes you have to separate the art from the artist.

Note: Actor Michael Ironside has a long list of sci-fi/fantasy credits, including his nearly unrecognizable role as the villainous “Overdog” in 1983’s “Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone” (which I saw theatrically in its original 3D as a teenager), as well as his recurring role as ex-mercenary ‘Ham Tyler’ in “V: The Final Battle” (1984) and “V: The Series” (1985-1986). Ironside played a telepathic assassin in 1981’s sci-fi horror classic “Scanners” and would later costar as ‘Rasczak’ in Paul Verhoeven’s “Starship Troopers” (1997).

Note: Ronny Cox returns to the Paul Verhoeven universe, having played evil Omni Consumer Products vice president ‘Dick Jones’ in 1987’s “Robocop.” Cox would later play the USS Enterprise-D’s temporary hard-ass commander ‘Captain Edward Jellico’ in the Star Trek: The Next Generation two-parter, “Chain of Command.” Earlier in his career, Cox costarred as one of the ill-fated vacationers in “Deliverance” (1972), and as patriarch George Apple in the short-lived 1974 family TV series, “Apple’s Way.”

Note: The ‘big reveal’ always felt very suspicious to me. ‘Hauser’ seems too insincere. It was a suspicion I had when I first saw the movie 35 years ago, and of course, it plays out in the climax when he double-crosses himself. Watching it now, the smug Hauser persona seems too mustache-twirling to be believed.

Note: Rob Bottin’s practical animatronic makeup effects are a highlight of “Total Recall,” though the prosthetic is so mechanically elaborate that it’s hard to imagine it fitting over Quaid’s head. Nevertheless, it’s a nice gag made just before CGI would render such practical FX obsolete. Speaking of effects, Dream Quest Images won an Oscar for their visual FX in the movie, though I had issues with the film’s choice to make the Martian sky beet red. Even in 1990, we had a good idea of the Martian sky’s true coloring, based on the 1976 Viking missions, and it’s more of an orange-butterscotch hue. Then again, the Martian sky in “Total Recall” might just be a dream anyway, right?

Note: Ronny Cox delivers a deliciously over-the-top performance, and I’m here for every scene-chewing second of it. He also gets two of the movie’s best lines: “Who told you to think? I don’t give you enough information to THINK!” and “In 30 seconds you‘ll all be dead, and I’ll blow this whole place up and be home in time for corn flakes.”

Note: Actor Mel Johnson Jr. makes makes the most out of his scenes in the movie, creating one of the most memorable characters we meet in the movie. Sharp-eyed Star Trek fans might recognize Johnson as the all-too temporary Cardassian leader ‘Broca’ from the last two episodes of Deep Space Nine (“The Dogs of War,” “What We Leave Behind”).

Note: Mary is played by another Star Trek veteran, Lycia Naff, who played the recurring role of Ensign ‘Sonya Gomez’ in the Star Trek: TNG episodes “Q Who?” (which introduced the Borg) and “Samaritan Snare.” Naff would return to Star Trek as Captain Sonya Gomez in the animated Star Trek spinoff, “Lower Decks.”

Note: Rachel Ticotin had a surging career in the 1990s, after debuting in 1981’s “Fort Apache: The Bronx,” with roles in “Falling Down” (1993), “Con Air” (1996) and “Turbulence” (1997). She’s still active today, mainly working in TV/streaming roles. Her role as the revolutionary Melina in “Total Recall” remains her most memorable, and she easily bests Jessica Biel’s Melina from the 2012 remake.

Note: Dean Norris is, of course, best known for his role as brother-in-law/DEA agent ‘Hank’ in “Breaking Bad” (2008-2013), which starred Bryan Cranston, who plays ‘Cohaagen’ in the 2012 remake of “Total Recall.” Norris also had a small role as a cop in “Gattaca” (1997). Marshall Bell has a dual role of sorts, playing both resistance fighter George and resistance leader Kuato. Bell also costarred with Schwarzenegger in 1988’s “Twins.”

Note: Yet another Star Trek veteran appears in the cast; Roy Brocksmith (1945-2001) would play the smug war games expert ‘Kolrami’ in ST: TNG’s “Peak Performance,” and would return to play the Bajoran ‘Karn’ in DS9’s “Indiscretion.” With so roles in many movies and TV, I personally enjoyed Brocksmith’s role as the small town coroner in 1990’s spider-thriller “Arachnophobia” (think “JAWS,” but with creepy-crawlies).

Note: With so many grisly shots of blood, viscera and bullet-ridden heads, it’s no surprise the original “Total Recall” was released with a hard R-rating by the MPAA.

Note: Before anyone Googles it, there’s no such element as “turbinium” on Earth or Mars. There are no gaps in the periodic table (sorry, dilithium–that includes you, too). Why turbinium is so highly prized isn’t made clear, but judging from its energy potential seen in the final act, I assume it makes powerful weapons for the fascist governments controlling Earth.

Note: One element retained from the novella is the use of telepathy to probe Quail/Quaid’s mind. In the novella, it was used to track his movements–something done electronically in the film.

Note: During his mind-meld with Kuato, Quaid learns the core of Mars is made of ice. While it’s true Mars has more water-ice than previously known (if melted, it would drown the entire surface to a depth of about 100 feet/30 meters), the core of Mars is mostly iron, with about 15% nickel and some sulfur as well.

Note: Once again, Cohaagen makes the classic (and fatal) Bond villain mistakes of revealing his plans to the hero and leaving the room before the hero’s been neutralized.

Note: The hologram-generating wristband gag was set up much earlier in the film, and I was surprised it wasn’t used more often. I also wonder if the device could be programmed to generate other distracting images, beyond a live-feed of the wearer?

Note: Sorry, but I still think “You’ve been disarmed!” would’ve been a more fitting Schwarzenegger pun-liner than “See you at the party, Richter!”

Note: Ronny Cox plays the final moments of Cohaagen’s life as unexpectedly pathetic, when he begs Quaid not to activate the alien reactor. Cox’s voice raises to a high-pitched whimper (“No! Don’t do it! We’ll all die!”) before Cohaagen is blown out of a tunnel and dumped into the near-vacuum surface pressure of Mars. Fittingly, the villain dies a pitiful coward (as most bullies/despots are at their cores).

Note: It’s absolute nonsense that a thick, breathable atmosphere (breathable for humans, of course) could be generated on Mars in a matter of minutes. Mars’ entire surface area is roughly equal to all land masses on Earth combined. Not to mention that Melina and Quaid would both be dead from decompression. There’s also the dual problems of Mars’ weaker gravity (roughly a third of Earth’s) and, more importantly, its lack of a magnetic field. Mars wouldn’t be able to hold onto its new atmosphere for long, let alone shield it from solar wind and cosmic ray bombardment. Then again, maybe none of it actually happened?

Note: As a movie fan, the thought I hold onto to as I watch “Total Recall”‘s scientific crimes taking place is that the entire story–from the moment Quaid suffers his schizoid embolism–is nothing but a Rekall memory implant. Quaid’s trip to Rekall sets it all up, too; the dream woman Quaid ‘ordered’ looks exactly like Melina. McClane also promises Quaid “alien artifacts” in his program (the pyramid mines) and that everyone will be out to kill him, but in the end, Quaid will “get the girl and save the planet.” Check, check and check.

However, the biggest spoiler is leaked almost subliminally by Rekall technician ‘Ernie’ (David Knell) as he prepares Doug’s Mars program: “That’s a new one…blue sky on Mars.” This telegraphs the very ending of the movie. With all of that in mind, I firmly believe what we see in the movie is nothing more than Quaid’s “ego trip” fantasy program, and on those terms, the nonsensical science and near-instantaneous terraforming works like a charm. This is how I can still enjoy this movie as much as I do, 35 years later; it’s all a fantasy. I would love to see a short film sequel someday where the current 70-something Arnold Schwarzenegger wakes up in the Rekall chair as a much older Douglas Quaid, and says, “That was a hell of a program, guys. Thanks.”

The End.

“Total Recall 2070” (1999)

I’ve only seen the pilot episode of Showtime’s “Total Recall 2070” series (1999), and I’ve largely forgotten it, to be honest. Starring Michael Easton, Karl Prune, Cynthia Preston, Michael Anthony Rawlins and Matthew Bennett (“Battlestar Galactica”), the in-name only series seemed more about spy shenanigans involving Rekall’s memory wipes/implants than Mars-based heroics, though Mars did figure into the pilot episode’s opening fantasy sequence. With its largely no-name cast and a mid-1990s made-for-cable feel, the series pilot captured little to none of the 1990 movie’s wildly entertaining audacity.

“Total Recall” (2012)

Directed by Len Wiseman (“Live Free or Die Hard”), with a script rewrite by Kurt Wimmer and Mark Bomback, the 2012 remake of “Total Recall” feels like a remake of a remake; being based more on the 1990 screenplay and characters than Dick’s original novella; right down to story beats, character names and bits of dialogue. However, instead of a space-based romp, the remake eliminates Mars entirely, opting instead for a po-faced, ersatz “Blade Runner” dystopia.

The remake takes place on an Earth rendered largely uninhabitable through chemical warfare, with two safe zones; the United Federation of Britain in the northern hemisphere, and ‘the Colony’ (Australia) in the south. Both regions are accessible through “the Fall”; a massive express elevator system that travels daily through Earth’s core. Colin Farrell (“Minority Report”) is the new Douglas Quaid/Carl Hauser, and while he’s clearly a better actor than his predecessor, he lacks Arnold’s star power and charisma. Kate Beckinsdale (“Underworld”) combines the roles of Lori and her tenacious hitman husband Richter into one character, while Jessica Biel is less believable as tough Resistance operative Melina. Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”) bares his Bond villain chops as UFB Chancellor Cohaagen (a promotion for the character).

Despite its dystopian Earth setting, the story proceeds much as it did in the 1990 version; right down to the three-breasted hooker and the frumpy, redheaded “two weeks” tourist (a red herring now). However, the remake is awash in dull, desaturated color, layers of faux grime, and gobs of green-screened CGI. Lacking the original’s deranged fearlessness, this admittedly slick but detached version of “Total Recall” feels more like a cheaply-administered memory implant. The well-executed, though numbingly protracted action of its second half only adds to a prevailing sense of redundancy.

In the two times I’ve watched this film, I found myself looking at the clock rather than losing myself in its world. This is a so-so movie largely devoid of the original’s boldness.

Summing It All Up

Like many of the late Philip K. Dick‘s stories, “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” was not going to be an easy adaptation because of its reality/fantasy ambiguity. After languishing for decades in Development Hell, 1990’s “Total Recall” adaptation managed to capture the novella’s feverish paranoia while providing a vehicle for action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger within a wildly entertaining sci-fi romp. It even managed to work in World War 2 survivor/director Paul Verhoeven‘s ever-present views on police state fascism (“Robocop,” “Starship Troopers”); something increasingly relevant in the United States today.

Despite its absolutely ludicrous space science and movie physics (such as the near-instant terraforming of Mars), “Total Recall” is less about science and more about audacity. The movie’s universe is oozing with dark humor and populated with some lovably trashy and despicable characters. Director Verhoeven doesn’t judge his heroes too closely, since they can be as ethically questionable as his villains–or paradoxically the same person. Even the marginalized Martian mutants operate within the same gray morality; equally willing to seduce or kill just to gain a little leverage or money. Placing the movie on Mars also adds a ‘wild frontier’ element to the mix the remake sorely lacks (among other things).

At the end of the day (or daydream), this rampaging, mind-f**king movie is topped off by a heroic, yet disorienting Jerry Goldsmith score that keeps us slightly off balance as we wait for the next twist. While hardly cerebral science fiction, the film is more than just mindless action, even if its shootouts do seem a bit interminable. With its bull-in-a-china-shop mindset, “Total Recall” is pure entertainment for its own sake; made more remarkable 35 years later for not being based on a comics superhero or other preexisting franchise.

So strap into the chair, “open your mind,” and prepare for a reckless yet memorable Martian getaway…

Where to Watch

“Total Recall” (1990) is currently streaming on Paramount+, and is available on Blu-Ray/DVD from various online retailers (Amazon, Barnes & Noble.com). The 2012 remake of “Total Recall” is currently streaming on Netflix, and is also available on physical media as well. The short-lived 1999 TV series isn’t currently available for streaming anywhere (and perhaps that’s for the best).