StudioCanal, out now

Construction worker Doug Quaid takes a virtual vacation to Mars, but what’s real, and is he really who he thinks he is?

Based on Philip K. Dick’s short story We Can Remember it for You Wholesale, Paul Verhoeven’s 1990 sci-fi spectacular is a violent, joyous and bloated slice of cinema that has been given a 4K transfer for its 30th birthday. Never have the bright lights looked so vibrant or the Red Planet so… red!

StudioCanal’s release starts with the disclaimer that it reflects historical attitudes which viewers may find offensive, and it has to be said that this is an extreme movie. Maybe I’d been saturated by all the other violence of late 80s movies, but I’d forgotten just how violently brutal and sadistic this movie is. True, it’s comic book in its approach, but the bloodshed is quite remarkable. Arnold Schwarzenegger is perfectly cast as dupe Quaid, sitting here at the top of his game, and what a fantastic, pounding score by Jerry Goldsmith, which impresses even more in the Dolby Atmos track.

Director Paul Verhoeven had just come off RoboCop when offered a huge budget by Carolco to make this sci-fi actioner from a long-circulating script by Alien writers Ronald Shusett and Dan O’Bannon. With some innovative visual effects by Rob Bottin and busy sets by William Sandell, the quality of the workmanship scrubs up well in this UHD transfer, giving the movie a 3D feel at times. And what a supporting cast for Arnie – a pre-Basic Instinct Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside and Ronny Cox.

This steelbook features a fun commentary by Paul Verhoeven and Arnold Schwarzenegger as well as a number of extra features. Total Excess: How Carolco Changed Hollywood is a one-hour overview of the rise and fall of Mario Kassar and Andrew J Vajna’s movie empire that dominated the box office with hits like First Blood, Rambo, Basic Impact, T2 and… Showgirls!

Open Your Mind: Scoring Total Recall (21 mins) looks at Jerry Goldsmith’s spectacular score,  and there’s other production features – Models and Skeletons: The Special Effects of Total Recall (23 mins), The Making of Total Recall (8 mins), Imagining Total Recall (30 mins) Dreamers Within the Dream: Developing Total Recall (8 mins). The Collector’s Edition also includes the CD Soundtrack across two discs, art cards, a booklet and poster.

Verdict: As expensive 90s sci-fi goes, Total Recall was always a big hitter, and that investment in money is still evident in the way that the fantasy world holds up after this time. Looking for three-breasted, eye-popping, head-splitting, hand-chopping, excess? Get ready for a big surprise with StudioCanal’s excellent release. 9/10

 

Click here to order from Amazon.co.uk