{"id":2230,"date":"2008-08-06T14:06:19","date_gmt":"2008-08-06T13:06:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.filmdetail.com\/?p=2230"},"modified":"2008-08-06T21:26:02","modified_gmt":"2008-08-06T20:26:02","slug":"dvd-pick-total-recall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.filmdetail.com\/2008\/08\/06\/dvd-pick-total-recall\/","title":{"rendered":"DVD Pick: Total Recall"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>One of the consequences of the recent hook up<\/a> between Optimum<\/a> and Studio Canal<\/a> is that a selection of Arnold Schwarzenegger<\/a> action movies from the 80s and 90s have been re-released in a box set and as individual titles.<\/p>\n

The best of these is Total Recall<\/strong><\/a>, the 1990 sci-fi adaptation of Philip K Dick<\/a>‘s story ‘We Can Remember It For You Wholesale<\/a>‘ which stars Arnold as blue collar worker who dreams of Mars.<\/p>\n

When he visits a company who can offer him a virtual holiday by implanting memories it inadvertently unlocks his ‘real’ past as a secret agent and he then has to escape to the red planet for real.<\/p>\n

Directed by Paul Verhoeven<\/a> (after the success of RoboCop<\/a> in 1987) it is definitely the best of Schwarzenegger’s films between the two Terminators and contains some interesting ideas, even if the emphasis is skewed towards action.<\/p>\n

The production design is still impressive and the visual effects by Rob Bottin<\/a> still stand up very well – in many ways they foreshadow how SFX as a whole would develop in the 90s with films like T2<\/a> and The Matrix<\/a>.<\/p>\n

One of the highlights on the extras is an excellent commentary with Verhoeven and Schwarzenegger recorded for the previous Special Edition, as they complement each other very well.<\/p>\n

Arnold seems especially amused at some of the more gruesome scenes<\/a> whilst Verhoeven has many thoughtful riffs and views on the plot twists and themes of the story.<\/p>\n

The director also frequently reveals that he wanted the film to be even more <\/em>violent (one scene in particular<\/a> sent the MPAA<\/a> crazy) which is saying something, as it is probably one of the most brutal mainstream action films of its era.<\/p>\n

That said it is still a solidly entertaining and at times surprisingly clever slice of sci-fi.<\/p>\n

The other extras include:<\/p>\n