Tri-Star Pictures released Total Recall on 1 June 1990.

It’s a fun film. But the more you think about it, the more you realize you’ve been conned. Does the film end with Quaid watching the Martian sky turn blue? Or is Quaid on Earth trapped inside a delusion?

And the answer is clear: both.

There is a big problem with the script. It went through so many revisions that the end result doesn’t come from a particular point of view. But director Paul Verhoeven clearly had a point of view! He thought it was a delusion. And a close viewing of the film bears that out. But repeatedly, the film contradicts itself.

Consider Melina (Rachel Ticotin). We see her at the beginning of the film on Mars — in Quaid’s dream. Then, at Rekall, we see her as the computer model for the vacation adventure Quaid purchased. So what is it? It can’t be both! (Well… Read any religious apologetics! You can harmonize literally anything! So I can think of a way to harmonize these two things. But, notably, they are not based on the film. They are just extra stories.)

Reality vs Fantasy

I have no problem with ambiguity in stories. But this isn’t really ambiguity. This is just a bunch of filmmakers fucking with the audience. And then it’s all over! But the viewer must work out what happened. You can’t turn to the filmmakers. Let’s look at what the writers thought in their order of involvement:

This shows that the script was moving toward pure fantasy. And that’s fine! But the filmmakers continued to have this pretense that they were splitting the difference. If they had wanted to do that, they should have stayed with Jon Povill, who only got story credit!

So we get a film with a clear point of view. But it is one that is riddled with problems! Say what you will of M Night Shyamalan, The Sixth Sense doesn’t make you feel tricked when you rewatch it!

Not that any of this is all that important. William Castle (and not so much screenwriter Robb White) absolutely manipulates the viewer in House on Haunted Hill. I still enjoy both films. But it shouldn’t be encouraged!

Other 1 June Anniversaries

Filmmakers

• Frank Morgan (1890-1949): The Wizard in The Wizard of Oz.
• Robert Clarke (1920-2005): Actor known for 1950s science fiction films like The Hideous Sun Demon.
• Edward Woodward (1930-2009): Actor known for The Wicker Man and Breaker Morant.
• Morgan Freeman (1937-): Actor known for many things including Seven.
• Brian Cox (1946-): Actor known for Manhunter and Trick ‘r Treat.
• Jonathan Pryce (1947-): Amazing actor known for Brazil and Ronin.
• Danielle Harris (1977-): Actor with roles in many psychotronic films — especially the Halloween films.

Films

• Jungle Woman (1944): A woman turns into an ape and kills people.
• The Frozen Ghost (1945): Wax museum horror.
• The Horror of Party Beach (1964): Sea creatures attack teens having a good time.
• Orgy of the Dead (1965): Horror-themed nudity dance show written by Ed Wood.
• The Brood (1979): A woman’s rage creates murderous children.
• Alien Dead (1980): A meteor turns people into zombies.
• Star Trek III: The Search For Spock (1984): The crew must get Spock’s mind out of McCoy’s head.
• The Amityville Curse (1990): People spend the night in an abandoned Amityville house and get what they deserve.
• Frankenhooker (1990): Young inventor tries to bring back his recently dead girlfriend.
• Satan’s Schoolgirls (2004): A priest fights evil at a Catholic girls’ school.
• Demon Hunter (2005): Adventures of a half-breed demon hunter.
• Mr Brooks (2007): A successful businessman is a serial killer.
• Old Habits Die Hard (2009): Cannibal funeral home family.
• The Gainsville Ripper (2010): Story of the serial killer.
• Killer Hoo-Ha! (2010): Killer at a beauty pageant.

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Total Recall (1990) poster via Wikipedia under Fair Use.