UHD Review Total Recall: 30th Anniversary UHD Review (1 Viewer)

[lark144]

The final shot is soft, but I believe this to be representative of the original film as opposed to any issue with the transfer.

Yes. The final shot always looked like shit, even in a wet gate print.

Whether or not that was done on purpose, for me that fuzzy, out of focus shot with poor color registration helps to undermine the ostensible "commercial" ending, and evokes the jaundiced world view of Philip Dick, especially if you've read the original story, in that it questions the "reality" of everything that has come before. I know the producers were dead set against Philip Dick's original ending--Croneberg apparently reinserted that ending into the script, which is one of the reasons he was fired--so the fake qualities of that last shot may have been Verhoven's way of letting the audience know what you were seeing wasn't necessarily to be trusted.

 

[Carlo_M]

It is interesting how the filmmaker/writers kind of play both sides of the fence. By that I am referring to the theory that everything after he enters Recall is a dream. There's enough that happens pre-Recall visit (sidelong glances from Laurie, Harry, etc.) that says something is truly up.

But there are other triggers (like Melina and The Machine being in the computer simulation for the memory implant) that can justify the other theory.

Also that last shot looking so blurry and out of focus and surreal...could be interpreted as a waking-from-a-dream moment. I mean they clearly can shoot a very clean film for nearly 2 hours, why suddenly did they get so bad for the last 30 seconds? Was that the C-crew shooting it? Did Eastman Kodak run out of good film?

(saw lark's posting as I'm writing this, so we're kind of on the same page)

 

[Carlo_M]

No need to be insulting to Total Recall, a genuine thought provoking action blockbuster.

I know not everyone will share my opinion of Carpenter's work, but to me, comparing Total Recall to Big Trouble in Little China is by no means an insult. For me, that's high praise.

 

[Nelson Au]

Carlo, so are you referring to Carolco films that will be released on blu ray with the plus 20 decibel logo music? Or just this release. That Carolco logo reminds me of the early days when these movies came out on laser disc and then DVD and hearing that logo.

 

[Carlo_M]

The Carolco logo is fine. What's +20db is the Studio Canal logo. And not the one right as the film starts, but the one as soon as you pop in the disc. I assume Studio Canal took over a lot (all?) of the Carolco film home distribution? They're the guilty party. Carolco logo music volume is fine.

 

[Nelson Au]

Thanks Carlo. Well, if I make a MKV file, it might skip the Studio Canal logo. I will watch the disc this weekend. I haven’t seen it in a while.

 

[Worth]

I know not everyone will share my opinion of Carpenter's work, but to me, comparing Total Recall to Big Trouble in Little China is by no means an insult. For me, that's high praise.

I like Total Recall, but it doesn't hold a candle to Big Trouble.

 

[Carlo_M]

Major Mea Culpa

It is the Lionsgate initial logo/music that is too loud.

I think I was PTSD'd by scrambling for the remote that I didn't notice it was the Lionsgate logo/intro that shook the room. When the movie finally started, the Studio Canal logo then came on before the Carolco logo, so I assumed it was the Studio Canal logo that had deafened me at the beginning.

It was not. It was Lionsgate.

Same "mute right after you pop in the disc" warning applies, but wanted to set the record straight on who deserves blame.

Also, can we take a moment to appreciate the cover art for the Steelbook?

Not only is it done in a "classic movie poster style" that is a bit reminiscent of the original Star Wars posters...I totally dig that the taxi cab robot and the "woman costume" also made the cover.

Well played.

EDIT: also, there is a plastic sleeve encasing the steelbook, which has the title and letters. Once you remove the sleeve, only the art remains on the Steelbook case. Not even the movie title is on it. Stunning.

 

[Nelson Au]

Thanks for the clarification Carlo.

I have been admiring the artwork for the Steel case. It reminds me of Bob Peak’s movie poster art of that era. Now you’re making me want to try to get a copy.

 

[Alan Tully]

It is interesting how the filmmaker/writers kind of play both sides of the fence. By that I am referring to the theory that everything after he enters Recall is a dream. There's enough that happens pre-Recall visit (sidelong glances from Laurie, Harry, etc.) that says something is truly up.

But there are other triggers (like Melina and The Machine being in the computer simulation for the memory implant) that can justify the other theory.

It could only all be in his head (otherwise the film would be as stupid as, say, Armageddon - is such a thing even possible?). I mean, a big shot of steam is all that's needed to give Mars a breathable atmosphere & a blue sky, the big glass structure on Mars seems to be just ordinary glass, & people are allowed to shot guns in there, bullets shatter the glass & people are sucked out to die in the Mars atmosphere...& the most bonkers thing...a big red button has to be manually pressed to bring the safety shutters down, & a hundred other things.

...& let's not forget the superb special effects make-up created by the great Rob Bottin (he also did fantastic work on Robocop & John Carpenter's, The Thing). He seemed to drop out of the industry for years (no doubt a victim of CGI), & then his name turned up on a single episode of Game Of Thrones, the one where the nasty young King Joffrey comes to a sticky end (it's a dry pie!).

 

[Carlo_M]

This is hardly the first action sci-fi movie that has taken liberties with what's real and plausible. You can't criticize it for unrealistic Mars scenarios but then fully accept it's possible to implant dreams/memories. It's fiction, it's going to take liberties. And especially a film like this which obviously is not trying to pass itself off as anything too serious (I mean, look at Verhoeven's work during this span of his career).

For what it's worth, having rewatched it for the first time in over a decade, I'm also of the belief that everything after the Rekall visit is a dream. Not because of the unrealistic Mars atmosphere/dome setup (otherwise Star Wars, Star Trek, Aliens, etc. are in a whole heap o' trouble), but rather because of the clues inherent in the film (things characters say/do, the way it was shot, etc.).

An interesting side note: I started watching the commentary (which I believe was recorded for the 2012 disc?) with Verhoeven and Arnold. Despite acknowledging both sides of the potential story interpretation, it's kind of becoming clear from the first half (I fell asleep midway through it, it was past midnight) that Verhoeven leans more towards everything after Rekall is a dream, and that Arnold is more "it's all real".

Reminds me of the Ridley/Harrison is Deckard a Replicant split.

 

[Jeffrey D]

This is hardly the first action sci-fi movie that has taken liberties with what's real and plausible. You can't criticize it for unrealistic Mars scenarios but then fully accept it's possible to implant dreams/memories. It's fiction, it's going to take liberties. And especially a film like this which obviously is not trying to pass itself off as anything too serious (I mean, look at Verhoeven's work during this span of his career).

For what it's worth, having rewatched it for the first time in over a decade, I'm also of the belief that everything after the Rekall visit is a dream. Not because of the unrealistic Mars atmosphere/dome setup (otherwise Star Wars, Star Trek, Aliens, etc. are in a whole heap o' trouble), but rather because of the clues inherent in the film (things characters say/do, the way it was shot, etc.).

An interesting side note: I started watching the commentary (which I believe was recorded for the 2012 disc?) with Verhoeven and Arnold. Despite acknowledging both sides of the potential story interpretation, it's kind of becoming clear from the first half (I fell asleep midway through it, it was past midnight) that Verhoeven leans more towards everything after Rekall is a dream, and that Arnold is more "it's all real".

Reminds me of the Ridley/Harrison is Deckard a Replicant split.

This issue- dream vs. real- was a difficult thing for me to decipher the first time I saw it. I tend to think it’s real, and not an Arnold dream.

 

[Tino]

The soundtrack is available here: https://quartetrecords.com/product/total-recall-30th-anniversary-edition-2-cd/

Is this available in the US??

 

[Nelson Au]

Tino, Neil was nice enough to provide a link for buying the CD from Screen Archives, here’s the post with the links.

https://www.hometheaterforum.com/community/threads/total-recall-30th-anniversary-%E2%80%93-uhd-review.370086/post-4937060

 

[Tino]

Tino, Neil was nice enough to provide a link for buying the CD from Screen Archives, here’s the post with the links.

https://www.hometheaterforum.com/community/threads/total-recall-30th-anniversary-%E2%80%93-uhd-review.370086/post-4937060

Missed it. Thanks!

 

[Alan Tully]

This is hardly the first action sci-fi movie that has taken liberties with what's real and plausible. You can't criticize it for unrealistic Mars scenarios but then fully accept it's possible to implant dreams/memories. It's fiction, it's going to take liberties. And especially a film like this which obviously is not trying to pass itself off as anything too serious (I mean, look at Verhoeven's work during this span of his career).

Well I don't criticize it for unrealistic Mars scenarios, as it's so obviously taking place inside Arnie's bonce. All this talk makes me want to see it again, but I'll be strong & wait for the Christmas period (in the UK, there's sod all on TV in the Christmas hols).

 

[titch]

(in the UK, there's sod all on TV in the Christmas hols).

What? Not Sound Of Music, even?

 

[Nelson Au]

I watched the new blu ray last night. I tried the 4K at first but switched to the blu ray. I only changed because I thought the opening music sounded odd and my audio system does not have Atmos capability. I have not seen this movie in quite a while too. I saw it quite a few times on DVD and laser disc back in the day. The opening music sounded so thin and a lot of it was coming from the rear, so I wondered if there was a problem. When the film starts going though, the sound is ok. I guess I just havent heard it in a long time.

The blu ray looks great! But what struck me more then anything else was how it felt dated. It felt like a late 1980’s film, the hairstyles, and costuming and make up. That’s not a bad thing, it’s just reminding me of that era of my youth. And the cast looks so young! Sharon Stone and Arnold looked so young.

Bottin’s work for the makeup still holds up, even if the faces of Arnold and others don’t quite look as real when the probe is pulled from Hauser’s nose and Melina and Arnold as they are suffocating on the surface of Mars. But the expressions and movement in the faces looks great. It is really really darn good. The other thing it reminded me of was Robocop. Verhoven made both and I forgot he cast Ronnie Cox in both as similar bad guys. I remember a friend hated Total Recall because it was so violent. But I thought it was part of the fun of it. Like Robocop, it was over the top and became absurdly funny. But Robocop to me was more deadly serious when we see Murphy die.

I also watched the extra about Jerry Goldsmith’s score for the film. Interesting to see and hear Jeff Bond and Lukas Kendall discussing it. I am awaiting for the score CD to arrive.

 

[Alan Tully]

Yeah, CGI done well looks fantastic, but I do miss those physical effects, there's something solid about them, but there's no going back, & even if they tried, there's no one to do it. I understand that Rick Baker retired & sold up due to lack of work.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

You know, I had to go into Sam's review and read about the audio at this very moment.

I experienced something while watching TOTAL RECALL and didn't want to bring it up for fear of being chastised.

However, then I started reading comments on Facebook groups that agreed with my assessment.

The audio track is not very good here. Sam kind of points that out in his review. For me, it was evident right at the opening credits. There is just no punch to the mix. It's like it's missing a bass line. I also had to turn the volume level up just to get a decent level of surround.