TOTAL RECALL (1990) | FIRST TIME WATCHING | Reaction & Commentary

[@jeffridder4034]

If you really want to go down the Paul Verhoeven rabbit hole, you gotta check out Starship Troopers. Blood, guts, campy dialogue, and TONS of satire.

[@WhiteWoof]

And Clancy Brown! Can't forget that it has The Kurgan/Mr. Crabs :3

[@Britcarjunkie]

"MEDIC!!!"

[@michaelconnor1542]

It's Flesh and Blood.

[@christianlevesque5239]

Do you want to know more?

[@mcgilj1]

​@@WhiteWoofand "Golden Girl" Blanche Devereaux... Plus Michael Ironside shows up again as well.

[@Mikearice1]

I love how the troops formed a literal circular firing squad around Arnold's hologram but somehow didn't shoot each other.

[@terrylandess6072]

Not until Melina gets the device which makes it more hilarious.

[@-M0LE]

Also couldn't they see that there was no blood and I've seen ppl get shot they don't stay stood up

[@MessOfThings]

They were Storm Troopers

[@daliilars3350]

That part has always bugged me.

[@anonymes2884]

Holograms actually stop bullets, that's literally physics. (but _only_ holograms of Arnie on Mars - it's quite a small and not that widely known subfield of physics but it's _definitely_ real science. No need to google it)

[@Yezhanium]

Verhoeven said that 'technically both outcomes are correct, because clues throughout the film make argument for each and viewer shall come to their own conclusion.'

[@badatthis1190]

I've always considered it not a dream, for the simple fact that Recall implants memories, but we're exposed to much more than his memories throughout the story, whereas if it was just his memories, none of the scenes without him would've existed.

[@RebelCowboysRVs]

Yep, how do we know things he does not if its in his head. Right off the bat, we know how he ended up in a cab, he does not.

[@terrylandess6072]

People demanding it be one way or the other overlook the fact it's both or the story wouldn't 'work'.

[@anonymes2884]

@@badatthis1190 You _could_ speculate that we're seeing his delusion as if we're the camera, just like we saw his dream at the start. Though _that_ said, i'm now wondering if people even have delusions - or "scenes" from their delusions - that they're not in (I _think_ i've been in all my dreams for instance but can't say for sure). (personally I mostly land on "it's real" BTW - partly because "And it was _alllll_ a dream" is just so dull and writing wise, something we were taught is basically anti narrative from the age of about 10 :) - but that's how I may argue the opposite. As others mention though the fun part is wondering, thinking about the nature of memory etc. rather than having the "correct" answer)

[@vedlashouseofoldtvcommerci2340]

I think that he got exactly what he paid for - a vacation from himself, with the memory-story of a secret agent following a completely implausible plotline.

[@ym5891]

Definitely one of the best (action) movies ever made. Nothing says the 90s like this movie. Verhoeven gold.

[@ZebZanko]

"Running Man" isn't bad either!

[@MartinBeerbom]

There are a lot of Star Trek actors in it: The Johnny cab was voice and modeled after Robert Picardo, the holo doc from Voyager. The three-breasted hooker was played by Lycia Naff, who played engineer Sonya Gomez on TNG in 2 episodes (and voced her later in Lower Decks). The chief uniformed cop on Mars was played by Marc Alaimo (Gul Dukat from Deep Space 9). Ronny Cox played Capt. Edward Jellico in two episodes of TNG. Dr. Edgmar was played by Roy Brocksmith, who appeared as an arrogant strategist specialist in one ep of TNG. Marshall Bell (Kuato's host) had a few guest appearances, IIRC.

[@ZebZanko]

'Get your ass to Mars"--and "Consider this the divorce"...My two favorite lines from the movie.

[@TheJamieRamone]

0:25 - As Ashleigh always says: "You tried your best, you did good. I'm real proud of you!" 😊

[@asirb8015]

As others have mentioned, if you want peak Verhoeven experience watch Starship Troopers. It dials the gore and social satire up to 11, even beyond Robocop.

[@johnw8578]

Yes, I second that!

[@Cosmo-Kramer]

3rd

[@dernwine]

I would like to know more!

[@michaelconnor1542]

You can't assume whether it's real of in his head. Because for every bit that says it's real, there is an equally compelling piece that says it's fake. It is what makes this movie so compelling and rewatchable.

[@danielallen3454]

Yeah, but people don't like ambiguity. Blade Runner, the Thing, this film. Too many people *have* to know what REALLY happened. Or they just can't live their lives.

[@michaelconnor1542]

@danielallen3454 except all those films are wildly popular. Mostly for their ambiguous nature. We may desire to know the truth, but the speculation is were the entertainment leighs.

[@danielallen3454]

@@michaelconnor1542 Oh, I agree with you. But I've seen way too many people who simply can't. They find ambiguity utterly insufferable.

[@dawn_bestofj2]

I always thought what happened in the movie after he got in the chair at Recall was the Recall package he purchased. The Mars has blue sky line is what made me feel this way.

[@christophermitchell6307]

Michael ironside who played Richter in this, always and no matter what other films he's played the part of the villain in, he always plays the villain with absolute excellence. Every bit of total recall is great, but the scene that gets me every time is with his hologram "you think this is the real Quaid, it is" 😆👍.

[@poolhall9632]

Jester.

[@emilmlodnicki3835]

He's also a method actor. He doesn't stop.

[@MikePerigo]

Can’t beat his introduction scene in Scanners 🤯

[@anonymes2884]

@@poolhall9632 Yeah but "Jester's _dead_ ! [Ahhhaaa]" and so doesn't count.

[@SierraSierraFoxtrot]

Scanners...

[@truevulgarian]

I think this was all a dream. If you remember Bob, the salesman, he laid out everything that would happen. The title of the dream was "Blue Sky on Mars." And at the end you hear the Rekall motif

[@endless013]

By the end you'll kill the bad guys, save the planet and get the girl.

[@ZeroOskul]

6:48 See: The IT Crowd scene Builder Outside Taking Off His Shirt That's just for context. Schwarzenegger worked construction when he first got to Hollywood to pay for his gym membership and acting classes. Soon, he started and owned a construction company that only hired bodybuilders, which attracted women as clients who enjoyed looking out the window and *not* seeing that guy from the IT Crowd clip taking off _his_ shirt. The company did so well that before anyone in Hollywood knew his name Arnold was already a multi-millionaire.

[@TheAbstruseOne]

The best thing about movies based on Philip K. Dick stories is that even after you watch the movie, you can still read the story without having had it spoiled for you because (aside from A Scanner Darkly) the movie and the novel/short story only share a very general basis.

[@jlcutright0723]

Kuato to Shanelle: "Take my hands and you will receive total clarity about who you truly are." (half a heartbeat later) Shanelle to Kuato: "Naw, I'm good!" 😀

[@rbrtck]

That dude was one fantastically durable human shield! I'll be sure to bring that up at his funeral. His family would be proud.

[@dpall38]

Hey Shanelle, I was one of the comments about the Tremors shirt. You have to admit, now that you have seen this it was spot on. Thanks for the shout out.

[@minasotah]

"That's a new one blue sky on Mars" he is still back at Recall

[@Bshep1396]

"See you at the party Rictor!!" In your best Arnie voice 🤣

[@dancolon47]

I was 14 when this movie came out ... and I must have watched it 50 more times on VHS before I started noticing the clues that Arnie really was dreaming. Years later the DVD commentary from the director confirmed it ... plus what the fade to white at the end of the movie symbolized for Arnie's character.

[@mcgilj1]

Did they actually confirm it? I never have listened to the commentary.. but i always love playing choose your own adventure ending depending on my mood. Lol

[@sephjnr]

if he was dreaming, why were we seeing characters interact when Arnie's not around? dreams are only experienced from one's own perspective.

[@dallesamllhals9161]

@@sephjnr How'd you know....if dreaming?

[@mcgilj1]

@@sephjnr that's one of the hints that he isn't. Especially when he's "passed out" and you hear the discussion. But there are other hints that he is dreaming.

[@hulkslayer626]

​@@sephjnrI have had dreams of other people interacting without me involved.

[@kojiromusashi13]

I echo others when I say you have to complete the Verhoeven Dystopic Sci-Fi holy trinity! Can't wait for Starship Troopers 😄

[@matthewmarcinko9157]

ANOTHER outstanding reaction, Shanelle! Your next stop should be "Starship Troopers", ANOTHER sci fi epic from Paul Verhoeven. He also did "Basic Instinct" with Sharon Stone, but that's a reality based thriller. Looking forward to your next reaction! Lovin' it!

[@davismccardle1]

"Consider that a divorce" - the best movie quote of the 90s.

[@Tigermania]

The sun didn't come out at the end on Mars. I am pretty sure I read the director said it was Quaid dying in the chair at recall and going "into the light", because the implant went wrong and he lived out the memory/dream of a secret agent, with a sleazy woman and a final blue sky on Mars. One last twist from the director, or you choose to believe it was a heroic action story.

[@Splurr]

i think hes realy stuck in this dream. I can give some reasons. 1 The dream is made to be realistic, so it begins excatly where he sat down. In the chair in Total Recalls office. 2 He gets two implants. one is the real implant with the vacation and the other is part of the story where he is a spy who haves an implant. The implants contradict each other and makes him belive that the spy story is real. 3 The Guy with the pill is a real employe. You have seen him before. He is the narrator in Total Recalls comerical, the one shown on the subway in the begining. 4 One thing about the violence, there is no violence before the implant, but a lot when the vacation has begun. Its a great movie i love it.

[@jasonbuter9493]

other movies and one streaming show based on Philip K Dick's work - Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report, Paycheck, A Scanner Darkly, Adjustment Bureau, and The Man in the High Castle are all based on his work, and ALL are worth a watch, and arguably all are great.

[@pathatfield2543]

I would add Impostor to the mix.It’s not as good as the others,but,in my opinion,it’s still fun and entertaining,and,if you’re going to watch those others you might as well be a completist and see ‘em all.There’s also another series that adapts P.K. Dick’s short stories.

[@donovanmedieval]

You missed the episode where she swore blood oath on the Bible that she would never do Blade Runner.

[@pathatfield2543]

@@donovanmedieval I must have definitely missed that episode.I can’t imagine why anybody would be that anti-Blade Runner

[@DavidSmith-pg1ob]

Yep, he was one unusual, but highly talented, science fiction writer. Another unusual science fiction writer that is also worth a read: Stanislaw Lem.

[@fedos]

Not really any reaction content for A Scanner Darkly. Would love to see some.

[@rbrtck]

Since the hierarchy is like it is in _RoboCop_ , it was good of Verhoeven to hire the same actor to play the evil executive.

[@ShanelleRiccio]

Right now, the first 500 people to use my link will get a one-month free trial of Skillshare! skl.sh/shanellericcio11231

[@misterprickly]

Ya gotta love those Rob Botin heads! Fun facts: All the cars were electric vehicles. -All the supposed CGI were either practical models or hand drawn line animation. -"Get yer ass to mars" was inspired by "Follow the yellow brick road". -Originally David Cronenberg was supposed to Direct and he wanted a Bruce Willis (or someone like him) because Quaid is described as an everyman. Not every man is like Arnold. -In the novelization (which I recommend) After killing the Doctor, every time there's a rumble or tremor, Quaid wonders if it's real or is he having a seizure at the recall centre. This is one of my favorite movies and is the best start for action movies going into the 90's.

[@jamielandis4308]

Another Arnold classic! This movie was slammed for violence when it came out, I recall. I love the score of this movie and Ronny Cox steals every scene. His line about being home in time for cornflakes cracks me up every time. Onto “Starship Troopers!”

[@sellingacoerwa8318]

I'm glad Shanelle found the secret to some success, only filming herself from the shoulders up.

[@stevenmoules4955]

That Danny devito guy!...that was funny😁

[@terrylandess6072]

Starting the video with open acknowledgement of Paul's unique style which really shines in several movies made me feel warm and fuzzy. Welcome to the club. No snails were harmed in the making of this film.

[@Wannabe_Baby]

You're killing it with the action movie reactions lately, Shan. :) I laughed at your reaction every time the woman with three breasts showed up! "Did he just kill the only woman on all of Mars with three tits?" indeed.

[@emilmlodnicki3835]

she was Ensign Gomes on Star Trek TNG... she was the cute girl that followed Geordie around for 2 episodes, then nothing. She spilled her drink on Picard.

[@znk0r]

Starship troopers really pushes the social commentary angle. Its really good.

[@bladasound]

This practical effects are amazing

[@tofersiefken]

I'm definitely a "Shan fan" and during another phase of my life I was a film-making student as well. Love the commentary from a film-maker's point of view. You have great observations and are informed enough to really appreciate good film-making, patient enough to understand the limitations of film during preceding eras, and quirky enough to keep me coming back over and over.

[@anonymes2884]

Saw this in the cinema. Unfortunately I went to a midnight showing after a long day and actually fell asleep in the movie (one of only two times that's happened to me as an adult*) until a friend nudged me awake - so there was a 5 ish minute chunk in the middle that I didn't see until the VHS release (I think it's _probably_ to the movie's credit that I could absolutely still follow what was going on :). * for trivia completists, the other one was the Tom Cruise movie "Oblivion"

[@3DJapan]

The thing about memory is that you forget it. I went to Japan in 2017 for 12 days and I can only remember snippets from it. As years go on I'm sure I'll forget even more.

[@BenjWarrant]

Are you sure...?

[@anonymes2884]

The other thing about it is, you basically make it up every time (one of the reasons it's unreliable is that it turns out we _reconstruct_ a memory every time we recall it).

[@BenjWarrant]

@@anonymes2884 Was there a bit of a 'whoosh' there...?

[@raydurz]

Technically he didn't use a human as a shield...he used a corpse.

[@shweppy]

I think the whole reality/dream argument comes down to the fact that we, the viewers, are able to see the scenes of the villains plotting where Quaid is not present. If this was all his dream, we would not have those.

[@cassidywest5539]

Paul Vernhoven's version of Cap'n Crunch: Oops! All bones!

[@Vulcanerd]

Shan-Shan cackling away at people being turned into Swiss cheese. Genuinely distressed at the rat being blown up (she’s right, though, rat did not deserve it). 😂

[@martinm8991]

This movie was definitely in my top-3 while being a teenager. Shanelle created the very very best reaction-cut of Total Recall, hats off and thanks My most favorite Sharon Stone movie is 1994 "Intersection" - a massively underrated masterpiece (with young Richard Gere) I have zero fear of flying (no idea how come), plus I fall asleep during takeoff and snore for most of the flight.

[@stephenridolfi6464]

There are two ways of watching this movie, Quaid really is a secret agent who had his mind erased, or Quaid is actually having a schizoid embolism. There are actually several hints that Quaid is having the embolism. Every option Quaid had chose for his "Ego Trip" came true, including two-headed monsters and alien artifacts. Also, when the technician looks at the implant, he says, "Blue Sky on Mars, that's a new one" and at the end, we see a blue sky on Mars. Then when the president of Recall shows up, he says that if Quaid doesn't take the pill, he says he will end up being bosom buddies with Cohaagen, which later on in the movie, Quaid finds out that Howser and Cohaagen are friends. Finally, as Quaid and Melina are kissing at the end of the movie, the screen fades to white, which represents Quaid getting a lobotomy.

[@bobkilla430]

Also, it's the first time noticing Cohaagen saying: "You're nobody, you're a stupid dream." Referencung when Quiad said he wanted to be somebody at the beginning of the movie.

[@themoviedealers]

Except things happen in the movie when Arnie is not in the room. So did Arnie see that in his "dream", or just us?

[@themoviedealers]

Also, if it's a program, how did his "friend" that he worked with jackhammering things, get inserted into the program by Recall? Was he extracted from Quaid's memory?

[@Pandaemoni]

Blade Runner and Total Recall are also both adapted from Philip K. Dick stories, so you really have a lot of connections going on in your recent reactions.

[@toddhensley880]

And Minority Report!

[@Richard_Ashton]

The story is not only around 20 pages long but also hilarious, You could read it while your tea cools enough to drink.

[@vincegamer]

I prefer the way the short story ended, but it was not written to be an 80s action movie, so no diss against this version.

[@VectorParallax]

I never noticed until now, the guy from Recall that comes in to tell him that he's dreaming is the same guy from the Recall commercial at the beginning.

[@mikefoster6018]

I was 15 when this movie came out. It's absolutely peak action blockbuster from that time.

[@kaizen5023]

You're growing on me, it's always fun to re-watch a classic movie with you! You appreciate the cheese and camp as well as the subtle nuances and film-making expertise, acting, set design, all of it. New sub!

[@Lothian55]

I saw this and Back to the Future 3 as a double feature in 1990 when I was 14 with around 10 friends from school. A very memorable day. As others have suggested, Starship Troopers is a must now. Love your reactions, respect, and knowledge of movies. Take care Shan.

[@MrZnarffy]

It has so many things crossreferencing one another.. Like how the plot suggested to him as his "holiday" was as a spy, with the chick he later met, saving mars with alien tech.. Which really makes you question the final ending....

[@DaneofHalves]

I love watching you talk about films. Cheers!

[@JayM409]

I saw it in 1990 when it came out. I have a special edition DVD that comes in a round metal case that looks like Mars.

[@TheJamieRamone]

33:15 - Yeah, what they established earlier is that it's like a live projector, not a recorder.

[@Maya_Ruinz]

I’m still convinced that is all a dream, even the characters in his recall experience make tons of references to dreams and how the storyline he is playing out is just a ride. “Kiss me before you wake up”, “you’re just a stupid dream” all the intentional dialogue by the characters to throw him off and convince him it’s real when it isn’t. All of the tropes of spy adventures just appear out of nowhere, right after the recall visit.

[@AaronWilson55]

I saw this as a freshman in college in the prime of Arnie-mania. Always love coming back to this movie for all the practical effects, goofy one liners and over the top violence. The story is a lot deeper than it gets credit for. You can totally make a case that the entire story on Mars was in fact a dream from Rekall, but I think most everyone assumes it's actually happening. i'll echo a few comments that you should try Starship Troopers next and finish off the Verhoeven trilogy.

[@paulschuckman6604]

This one competes with being my favorite movie of all time. I did see it in theaters when I was ten. I bet that plays a part.

[@TheJamieRamone]

39:29 - You can say that again, I had no idea! That's why I love your world famous trivia section, always learning something new. 🤗

[@craigday2850]

The hero shot at the end to finish the Recall fantasy is perfect

[@alissonlares2926]

Last action hero, also with Arnold Schwarznegger. A must watch.

[@badbiker666]

This movie is based on a 1966 Sci-Fi book by Phillip K. Dick called "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale." I read it in the early 70s and I remember being really excited that they made a movie out of it. Honestly, I can't remember the book, nor can I remember how the book and the film were different. But I seem to remember that the two were very different. Regardless, I think the movie is great. But I love Arnold Schwarzenegger, so if I was disappointed that the film didn't follow the book, it wouldn't have mattered.

[@anonymes2884]

It's a short-story rather than a book (though there _is_ also a volume of his collected short fiction that has "We Can Remember it for You Wholesale" as the title story). (and agreed, broadly similar but different - generally true of PKD adaptations IMO, they tend to be a bit looser plot-wise and more adaptations of the "spirit" of the source material)

[@badbiker666]

@@anonymes2884 Ah yes, I think you're right about that. You have a good memory!

[@anonymes2884]

@@badbiker666 Hah, well it has its moments but actually, by pure coincidence I re-read it about two months ago so I don't think my memory deserves that much credit :).

[@wesleyrodgers886]

We can remember it for you wholesale. Phillip K Dick. Great writer. 😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@mgdonner312]

HIS CROTCH WAS ON FIRE AFTER THIS KICK WITH HEELS

[@TheJamieRamone]

2:09 - "Shillscare" that's gotta be the most relatable moment for me in this video...and of all of them. 😮‍💨

[@TheRealRodent]

Predator, Blade Runner, The Fly, RoboCop and now Total Recall.... Shanelle's doing all my childhood movies recently xD I grew up on these films.

[@SighDontWantAHandle]

The fact that you have no idea if it was just a simulation or not, is what intrigued when this came out. It's a bit like the sixth sense in that you view the scenes quite differently on the second watching. Like the ridiculous sunrise on mars at the end. Exactly the sort of thing you'd get in a simulation.

[@christopherten-eyck4473]

You make my day, thanks Love your insight and commentary Hello from Pa USA 🇺🇸 💖 💓 ❤❤

[@1972myc]

Loved this movie in 1990, forgot about it, loved it again when I saw it again in the 2000s. Did you noticed it was based on a book? I read it, very good!

[@ulfgard4734]

This is an absolute delight. Ngl, the last few months have been a lot of movies I'm not at all familiar with so I've largely skipped them, but this month has been full of favorites! Keep on rocking, Shanelle!

[@TreysLosingItRapidly]

The bulging eyes is actually the reason I haven't watched this movie in about 20 years. Thanks for the renewed creepy dreams lol

[@johnmavroudis2054]

I've always enjoyed this film... Saw it when it first came out... still a hoot! A few films you will ADORE, Shanelle: "PLEASANTVILLE," "STRANGER THAN FICTION," "GRAVITY," "AMELIE"...and, of course, "THE MARTIAN"... Cheers! (and Happy Holidays!!!)

[@notjustforhackers4252]

Please do "Amélie", damn I love that film.

[@blastingweevil2968]

good god i feel old now .. had just turned 25 when this came out remember watching this at the movie complex was soo cool on the big screen.. for its time the Special effects were pretty good..

[@ronk701]

Great Review Shanelle. Must say of all the Arnold Movies he has made for me this is the most memorable and love watching it over and over. I vote it as the best Arnolsd Movie of all times. Love the story and the sequence of events in this movie. Best Wishes Shanelle.😘 Again, Great Review Shanelle.

[@pallenda]

Woah! How didn't I know the writers also wrote Alien! Now you really need to see Starship Troopers. 😃 RoboCop, Total Recall and Starship Troppers are 3 of my favorite action movies me and my brother rented on VHS waaay back.

[@yw1971]

9:58 - Those are signs that the story already begun... And so the end is known & the rest is just a ride... What a movie

[@ilovevegimite]

Ronnie Cox never dies from being shot, but from going out of a window LOL

[@nedzed3663]

This movie is a personal fave of mine because of not only it being Arnie at his most late 80's, early 90's Schwarzenegger-ist, giving us such iconic one liners as "Geeetchu ass too Mahzzz" and "Effff I'm naht meee den who da hell ammm eye?". But we also get a record number of fake Arnie prosthetic heads ever committed to cinema. When you have a sequence where a fake Arnie head emerges out of another fake prosthetic head, in a single scene, in a movie already strewn with fake Arnold prosthetic heads, the conclusion you can jump to is that Paul Verhoven is a crazy man, a demented authentic whacko, this man must be stopped!!! I also wonder if any of the cast and crew got to bring some of the fake Schwarzenegger prosthetic heads home with them after shooting the movie, I'd take one home, you kidding. I guess the subversive story on identity and the nature of reality with that Verhoven criticism on unregulated capitalism is pretty good, too. But the heads are the selling point, make no mistake

[@IAmNative-px4mx]

Great reaction. This movie is an absolute classic. You mentioned something about Sharon Stone and her portrayal of a "quiet evil" character. Maybe you might like Basic Instinct. That's the movie that made her famous. The interrogation scene is also a classic.

[@ShanelleRiccio]

Definitely into checking that one out!

[@IAmNative-px4mx]

@@ShanelleRiccio Hope you do and all I'll say about it so it's not ruined for you is that it's a thriller, not a sci-fi or super hero movie or anything. I think you'd like it.

[@Sunsetjoy]

Sharon Stone already do an "evil" persona before that in Magnum P.I. (1984, S05E01-E02) :)

[@IAmNative-px4mx]

@@Sunsetjoy lol okay 👍 Magnum P.I.? There's a name I haven't heard in years. That had to have taken some research. Thank God for the internet, right? 😆 Magnum P.I. was a t.v. show and I don't think I've seen that episode so I wouldn't have known about it. Basic Instinct is where I first heard of Sharon Stone. That interrogation scene was memed a million times but thanks for letting me know. 😜👍

[@MRxMADHATTER]

The fade to white at the end....classic movie symbol for wakeing from a dream. It was all a dream. I watched this the day before it was released in a completely against the rules employee only sneek peek at 2AM in Houston, TX. I remember shouting out B.S. after the eye bulging scene at the end. The whole, very irreverant, audiance of theater employees busted out laughing.

[@DanielTate-wt9jt]

I love Total Recall. I saw it in the theaters when it came out. And I'm pretty sure after watching it all these years that everything that happened WAS his implant at Recall. When he first goes to Recall and they strap him into the chair the workers there are talking to each other and you hear one say "Huh blue skies on Mars." And when the lady asks him about what kind of woman he wants in his secret agent vacation she shows him a screen that pick the woman based on his info and it shows a picture of Melina's face on the screen. They also mention alien artifacts, and you see an alien pyramid on the screen. I also think when the doctor showed up on Mars to tell him he was still at recall, that was ligit, because when Quaid shot him, immediately the wall just exploded in a very unrealistic way (as if reality itself blow up). If it was real, why wouldn't more bad guys just come in through the door? Why explode in at that exact moment for no reason? In the end, he saved the girl, saved the planet, and brought blue skies to Mars. Everything that was described would be in his Recall package trip when he went to Recall. I think at the end of the movie with the sun getting brighter and brighter, if continued, the light would dim back down to a hospital light to reveal Arnorld in a vegetative state in a hospital. Lost in his minds illusions of Mars and him as its savior, with his actual wife Sharon Stone holding his hand weeping. It's not nearly as good an ending for certain!!! But I think that's what really happened (storywise) after watching this movie hundreds of times.

[@stephenmalloy88]

Loved Total Recall from the first time I saw it in the theater. Great job picking movies for your channel, you’re on a roll lately. I’m pretty sure I saw somewhere that the subway scene was shot in Mexico City. Anyone else remember that?

[@SJeffersonDavisIV]

At recall the package is "Blue Skies Over Mars" and the recall guys and the "Head of Recall" both tell exactly what happens. So it could be real or just the recall trip! Great story writing.

[@richardv.2475]

The funny thing is if memory implants actually work, then an ordinary trip looks exactly like the event of this movie. That's kind of the philosophical point of the original story, being alive is so improbable by itselt that one cannot really wonder if it turns out suddenly that a dragon-like interstellar alien built an atmosperic processor on Mars just because he wanted to kill some time. And one also cannot really wonder if all of that is just a dream.

[@olehber1997]

I've heard that the clue to the film is that all those adventures on Mars and Milena were really a dream, which he bought into the memory company.

[@mauz4588]

Along the same lines as the question "Is Deckard a replicant?", when Quaid is being prepped at Recall, one of the techs comments, "Blue sky on Mars? That's a new one." The implication is that the recall program is interacting with his mind, and feeding off his dreams, to create the false reality, so things are as real as he imagines them to be. While he takes the bead of sweat to be a sign that it's not fake, there's no actual reason why it would be. Nothing in the movie actually contradicts the possibility that he is still in the Recall office. Robocop, Total Recall, and Starship Troopers are a sort of thematic trilogy from Verhoeven, with a lot of commentary about authority through a stylized science fiction reality. I'd also suggest reading the short story that Total Recall is based on Philip K Dick's "We Can Remember it for you Wholesale." It starts in a pretty similar way, but goes in a very surprising and inventive direction. It's easy to see how someone licensed the rights for the short story, yet there was no way they were going to actually stick to the original material. Philip K Dick was also the author of "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" which was the book that Blade Runner was based on. A very common theme in PKD's writings is perception and reality not being the same.

[@noguardrails47]

The "blue skies on Mars" at the very end lines up with a comment one of the Rekall programmers make right before he loads the program for Quaid.

[@slearl]

This movie and Kindergarten Cop are loaded with so many soundboard (prank) clips that I laugh WAY MORE in this movie than comedies.

[@whiteshadow8520]

When you think about it, fake memories can’t work like that. Everyone around you would know you’re not a secret agent and didn’t go to mars, and if you genuinely thought you were that could create weird problems for you

[@adm.petercowell9573]

Every commercial flight I take as a passenger the thought does cross my mind. Just briefly. Even though I am a pilot myself and know that it almost never happens. So your not the only one...

[@traceyreid4585]

Always look forward to your recap it the end and trivia section, saw this at the cinema, big Arnie fan since Terminator in '84. Also Tony the mutant from the bar is Dean Norris who played hank in BB

[@TheJamieRamone]

34:45 - Mine too (favorite visual)! And quite accurate to death by sudden oxygen deprivation as well.

[@TheJamieRamone]

28:52 - Yeah, that must have you crying in bagels. 😂

[@lunog]

This is another movie based on a Philip K. Dick novel (as is Blade Runner and also Minority Report).

[@johnmorris8444]

I was 7 when this movie came out and it was the first Arnold movie I saw in theaters. Real classic.

[@ComicCrossing]

I do think it was a dream mainly because the Recall doctors literally spell out the whole movie before he goes under. The biggest hint being "blue skies on Mars". But its left enough up to interpretation that it could work however you want it to.

[@enjoy98366]

6:57 Det. Bullock, what a heck are you doing here? :D

[@CaseFace981]

This movie is just straight up BANANAS, so to see your expression at each bizarre reveal was so much fun.

[@paulhunter7002]

'Total recall' is based on a short story by Philip K. Dick 'We can remember it for you wholesale' the film has more elements added to it than the book.

[@stevelettieri]

Yes! Psyched to watch this one. Love this movie. “See you at the party Richter” is one of my all-time favorite movie quotes!

[@colormedubious4747]

28:30 -- Tell us you're from New York without telling us you're from New York. 🤣🤣🤣

[@ericmkendall1]

This makes two movies in a row on your channel based on the works of Philip K. Dick. “Blade Runner” was based on his novel “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”; “Total Recall” was inspired by his short story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale.”