Total Recall (1990)
In Paul Verhoeven's big-budget, violent science-fiction
action thriller based on Philip K. Dick's story We Can Remember
it For You Wholesale:
- the amazing special effects, production and art
design
- the scene of construction worker Doug Quaid (Arnold
Schwarzenegger) taking a vacation through a strange travel agency
named Rekall, Inc. - a 'virtual' trip to the planet of Mars - with
the sales pitch from Bob McClane (Ray Baker) that actually revealed
the film's plot ("By the time the trip is over, you get the
girl, kill the bad guys and save the entire planet")
- the early scene in which he defended himself from
his treacherous, attacking agent wife Lori (Sharon Stone)
- the scene of the subway shoot-out in which widescreen
scans showed skeletal shapes and weapons
- the segment in which Doug extracted a large bugging
device from his brain via his nostril
- the scene on Mars in a sleazy red-light district
bar when confronted by mutants and a three-breasted hooker named
Mary (Lycia Naff)
- the later scene in which Doug mercilessly shot his
conniving wife in the head - with the one-liner: "Consider that
a divorce!"
- the scene in which Quaid appeared to be killed by
gunfire from evil mercenary Vilos Cohaagen's (Ronny Cox) thugs -
but he laughed and was revealed to be only a deceptive hologram as
he shot them from behind
- the film's ending when Cohaagen, Quaid, and beautiful
brunette love interest Melina (Rachel Ticotin) were spewed out into
the airless atmosphere of the reddish planet of Mars - and their
eyes bulged and faces swelled due to the lack of oxygen
- the film's ambiguous ending in which the scene faded
to a brilliant white as Melina and Quaid kissed -- was everything
part of the VR dream vacation implant, or was what he experienced
real? Did he get lobotomized, to bring him back to reality?