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    About This Item

    Unique ID Code: 0000013018
    Added by: DVD Reviewer
    Added on: 20/1/2001 23:43
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    Total Recall (Australia)

    8 / 10
    1 vote cast
    Rate this item
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    They stole his mind, now he wants it back
    Certificate: R
    Running Time: 109 mins
    Retail Price: 34.95
    Release Date:

    Synopsis:
    Arnold Schwarzenegger explodes out of the year 2084 A.D. with gut chrunching, white knuckle, non-stop action, as he smashes his way through a horrifyingly real fantasy world, complete with a gorgeous but deadly wife (Sharon Stone), and into a mind-bending, nightmarish reality of a Martian mining colony ruled over by a terrorizing dictator (Ronny Cox), who can alter reality to suit his whims.

    The red planet erupts with rebellious mutants, the fire of an alluring and mysterious woman (Rachel Ticotin) and a vicious and savage enemy.

    In this film, directed by Paul Verhoeven ("Robocop"), with special effects by Dream Quest (Academy Award for "The Abyss"), it`s total war, total action, total Schwarzenegger... TOTAL RECALL.

    Special Features:
    Interactive Menus
    Scene Access
    Teaser Trailer

    Video Tracks:
    Widescreen Anamorphic 1.85:1

    Audio Tracks:
    Dolby Digital 5.1 English
    Dolby Digital Surround 2.0 English
    Dolby Digital Surround 2.0 Spanish
    Dolby Digital Surround 2.0 French

    Subtitle Tracks:
    French
    Hebrew
    English
    Spanish
    Portuguese
    Dutch

    Directed By:
    Paul Verhoeven

    Written By:




    Starring:
    Michael Ironside
    Ronny Cox
    Sharon Stone
    Rachel Ticotin
    Arnold Schwarzenegger

    Casting By:
    Judy Taylor
    Valorie Massalas
    Mike Fenton

    Soundtrack By:
    Jerry Goldsmith

    Director of Photography:
    Jost Vacano

    Editor:
    Frank J. Urioste

    Costume Designer:
    Erica Edell Phillips

    Production Designer:
    William Sandell

    Producer:
    Ronald Shusett
    Elliot Schick
    Robert Fentress
    Buzz Feitshans

    Executive Producer:
    Andrew G. Vajna
    Mario Kassar

    Distributor:
    Artisan Entertainment

    Your Opinions and Comments

    8 / 10
    R4 continues to impress me with yet another superior release. Total Recall is, in my opinion, one of Arnie`s best, up there with the first and second Terminator films, and Predator.

    I`m sure everyone knows the story by now (the film is over a decade old), so I`ll dispense with a lengthy explanation, but here`s a brief synopsis:

    Arnie plays Doug Quaid, a man who is not what he appears to be. Quaid keeps having recurring dreams about Mars, strange alien artefacts, and a mysterious woman. In spite of warnings from his wife (Sharon Stone), Quaid takes a trip to Rekall Inc., a company that specialises in artificial memory implants. Hoping to receive an implanted memory of his dream vacation, Quaid doesn`t bet on something going wrong with the process. After waking up in the back of a cab, with no memory of how he got there, Quaid finds himself the target of all manner of unpleasant characters. On the run, not knowing who to trust, he sets off for Mars in an attempt to discover the truth. But is Quaid really who he thinks he is, or is it all just an elaborate `head trip`?

    They don`t make films like this any more. You just couldn`t get away with it today. For a start a film such as this would be bogged down with so many computer generated effects as to be untrue. There`s something very satisfying about 80s and early 90s action flicks, and Arnie did them better than anyone. I love their purity, they don`t pretend to be anything they`re not (unlike a film such as The Matrix, with it`s philosophical undertones). They are popcorn-munching thrill-rides and that is all. This is one of the better examples of the genre, with a good premise and engrossing set pieces. The film is violent, a Verhoeven trademark, but not excessively so. The acting is competent, and actors such as Ronny Cox and Michael Ironside give good performances. Even Arnie (who, let`s face it, isn`t the greatest actor in the world) is better than usual, although his one-liners are still groan inducing. Sharon Stone also looks particularly tasty in this flick. Total Recall can`t stand up to the likes of The Phantom Menace or the aforementioned Matrix in the special effects stakes, but it still has the ability to entertain more than a decade after it`s release.

    Video is presented in anamorphic 1.85:1. There are a few noticeable instances of grain, but this can be forgiven for a film of this age. They don`t particularly detract from what is a good overall transfer. Suffice to say that this DVD does the film justice visually.

    Sound comes in the form of either Dolby Surround or Dolby Digital 5.1, the latter obviously being the format of choice. The 5.1 mix is great, the bass growls suitably during the films many explosions, and dialogue remains clear throughout. The surrounds are also used to good effect when called for.

    Extras, to be fair, are pretty dire, with only a teaser trailer on offer. This is of poor quality too, and I doubt it`ll be given a second viewing. This film had so much hype at the time; they should have been able to dig up a few more trailers, featurettes and interviews etc. The disc is also crying out for a commentary track. Paul Verhoeven`s other commentaries are often amusing, although he does tend to slide into irrelevancy occasionally.

    Overall then, this is a very enjoyable sci-fi romp and a good disc. It`s just a shame about the extras.
    posted by Chris Gould on 21/1/2001 04:27