Total Recall
Get ready for the ride of your life.
Total Recall (1990)
Production
Budget
$65 000 000
Revenue
$261 299 840
Director
Composer
Producer
Actors
Rachel Ticotin
Melina
Sharon Stone
Lori
Michael Ironside
Richter
Marshall Bell
George / Kuato
Michael Champion
Helm
Mel Johnson Jr.
Benny
Roy Brocksmith
Dr. Edgemar
Short description
Total Recall is a science fiction action film set in a future where Douglas Quaid, a construction worker, is troubled by recurring dreams of Mars. He visits Rekall, a company that sells implanted memories of virtual holidays, and chooses a trip to the red planet. The procedure goes wrong, and Quaid finds himself unable to tell whether his life is real or manufactured. People around him turn violent, including his wife Lori, and he sets out to uncover who he actually is. The film was directed by Paul Verhoeven, the eighth of the sixteen features he has directed in chronological order, arriving between RoboCop and Basic Instinct. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays Quaid, with Rachel Ticotin as Melina, Sharon Stone as Lori, Michael Ironside as Richter, Marshall Bell as George and Kuato, and Michael Champion as Helm. Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Shusett and Gary Goldman wrote the screenplay, and Ronald Shusett and Buzz Feitshans produced. It was made for 65 million dollars and took 261 million dollars worldwide, a strong return on its budget. On IMDb it holds 7.5 out of 10 from 379,000 votes, and on TMDB 7.3 out of 10 from 6,696 votes. A critics' rating of 7.4 out of 10 from 78 reviews places it close to the audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- The film's screenplay was in development for 10 years.
- Richard Dreyfuss initially worked on the screenplay, and David Cronenberg worked on it at a later stage.
- David Cronenberg wrote 12 versions of the screenplay.
- Arnold Schwarzenegger initially wanted to get the lead role. William Hurt and Patrick Swayze also auditioned for the part.
- Dino De Laurentiis' studio was handling the project's implementation. Sets were already being built in Australia when De Laurentiis' company went bankrupt.
- After Carolco took over, the lead role was given to Schwarzenegger.
- After Arnold Schwarzenegger was cast, the unassuming clerk Quail was transformed into the muscular construction worker Quaid, and the film's ending was rewritten.
- Robert Picardo voiced Johnnycab, and the robot itself was created based on Robert's appearance.
- The original version of the film received an 'X' rating due to excessive violence on screen. The film was subsequently re-edited: the most brutal moments were cut, and new camera angles were used. The shootout in the subway, where Quaid uses a human body as a shield against bullets, underwent the most additional editing. Eventually, the film received an 'R' rating.
- According to the diagram shown to Quaid in 'Recall', space travel becomes less safe with each passing year.
- The rights to adapt the story were purchased in 1974, but it took 16 years for the film to finally reach cinema screens.
- A work pass to "Pyramidal Mines" on Mars can be seen in Quaid's metal briefcase.
- The entire film crew suffered food poisoning during filming, with the exceptions of Arnold Schwarzenegger, who only ate food delivered from the US, and Ronald Shusett, who took extreme personal hygiene measures, such as brushing his teeth exclusively with boiled water.
- The miniature models used to film the Martian landscapes were made based on photographs of the Martian surface.
- The role of Douglas Quaid was offered to Christopher Reeve.
- In early versions of the script, the main character was named Douglas Quail, just as in Philip K. Dick's story. However, at the time of filming, Dan Quayle was the Vice President of the United States. This was likely the main reason for changing Arnold Schwarzenegger's character's name.
- Initially, Richard Rush was supposed to direct the film. Bruce Beresford was also considered as a director.
- Jeff Bridges, Matthew Broderick, and Richard Dreyfuss were considered for the role of Quaid.
- According to editor Frank J. Urioste, panoramic shots of the city on Mars were not originally planned, as producers believed they were too expensive and could lead to a budget overrun. Frank shared this problem with Arnold Schwarzenegger, who managed to convince the producers to film these scenes.
- In the subway scene where Arnold Schwarzenegger breaks the train car window and jumps onto the train, a small charge of explosives was used. However, in one of the takes, the explosives failed to detonate, and Schwarzenegger actually broke the glass with his hand.
- It took 15 puppeteers to control Quato's movements.
- The name Quato comes from the Spanish word “cuate,” which means double.
- When Quaid is shown pictures on a monitor in 'Recall,' one of them depicts the very reactor on Mars.
- The device used by Michael Champion (Helm) to locate Quaid was created by Casio.
- The film contains several references to the no less famous work of another popular author – “The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams. One of these is the towel wrapped around Quaid's head during the chase on Earth. It was in “The Guide” that it was stated: “To hide from pursuers, wrap a towel around your head.”
- In reality, when a person enters open space or a vacuum, their eyes cannot burst, as shown in the film. A person remains in a normal state for approximately 10-20 seconds, allowing them to return to a safe place. But even if they do not return, they will still be alive for approximately a minute, although unconscious. The only problem that could arise is the rupture of eardrums and possible blindness (if the eyeballs remain intact).
- When Quaid is dressed as a fat woman, the passport he hands to the guard is the real passport of Priscilla Allen, who played the fat woman.
- The scene in which Dr. Edgemar (Roy Brooksmit) explains to Quaid that he is in a dream state is based on the scene between Paul Newman and Ludwig Donath in the film “Torn Curtain” (1966). Some camera angles precisely replicate the Hitchcock picture.
- During filming, Sharon Stone complained to Paul Verhoeven that she was unsure whether her character was a figment of Doug Quaid's imagination or if her character was actually married to Doug.
- In the scene where the protagonist runs home after the attack, he shows his wife his hands – they are covered in blood. A few seconds later, when he takes off his jacket, it is noticeable that there is no blood on his hands.
- "Total Recall" is based on the short story "We Will Remember It For You" by Philip K. Dick.
- Film producer Ronald Shusett wanted to create "Raiders of the Lost Ark" set on Mars.
- After watching "RoboCop" (1987), Arnold Schwarzenegger personally pushed for the script to be approved, insisted on the cast and crew, and demanded that Paul Verhoeven direct the film.
- The largest billboards visible in the scene where Quaid exits the subway are real billboards that were located near the "Insurgentes" station in Mexico City. The most prominent of these are Fuji Film and Coca Cola.
- Kurtwood Smith was offered the role of Richter, but he declined, as he considered it too similar to his character in the film "RoboCop" (1987).
- The shootout in the subway was filmed at the Chabacano station in Mexico City. The only addition to the natural scenery was signage and station names in English.
- David Cronenberg was supposed to direct the film. To do so, he relinquished the director's chair for "The Fly" (1986), which Robert Bierman was then slated to direct. However, Robert later left the project, and David, due to the prolonged pre-production, also gave up his directorial duties on "Total Recall" and returned to directing "The Fly".
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
