Talk:Total Recall (1990 film)

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This article is written in American English, which has its own spelling conventions (color, defense, traveled) and some terms that are used in it may be different or absent from other varieties of English. According to the relevant style guide, this should not be changed without broad consensus.

Total Recall (1990 film) is a featured article; it (or a previous version of it) has been identified as one of the best articles produced by the Wikipedia community. Even so, if you can update or improve it, please do so.

This article appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page as Today's featured article on August 22, 2024.

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Soundtrack article

There should be an article about Jerry Goldsmith's score, as I've seen that one rather short album was released (Arnold's face is blueish) and later a special edition (Arnold's face is now reddish) of I think one hour long, or perhaps two. Importance? Goldsmith "Total Recall" one of his greatest scores, and his personal favorite. This would then make place for the following:

Total Recall - Most Expensive Film

Acoording to the page on Arnold Schwarzenegger, Total Recall, at that time, was the most expensive film in the world. But it doesn't say anything about that here, is it true or not? And if it is, I think it should be on this page!

No way. Even if it was, it was soon overshadowed by Hook, then Waterworld and subsequently, Titanic. Pictureuploader

Themes section

I edited some of the stuff in the Themes section. Besides the information relating to how Total Recall relates to other sci-fi films, the only issue discussed in this section is whether or not Quaid's adventure is real or not. I figured it could have it's own title in bold, and storypoints which indicate both sides of the argument could be listed. The section is not cohesive at the moment, but the main pro/con points are in there now.

Terbinium or turbinium?

The article uses the "turbinium" spelling, but on Wikiquote I found the "terbinium" spelling. Curious which was right, I opened the subtitle file of my "convience" version of the film (read: if movie studios offered DRM-free downloads for reasonable prices I'd have paid for it) and found the "terbinium" spelling. These subtitles were most likely obtained by using OCR on the subtitles of the DVD or Blu-ray, while some corrections may have been applied it's unlikely the terbinium/turbinium spelling would have been changed.
That being said, it's not a direct official source. I'm actually unsure if I have this one on DVD, but if I do I can't find it. I also found some Dutch subtitles in which the "turbinium" spelling is used, but it's inconsistently capitalized and a different language, so only more questionable as a source. The Guardian uses the turbinium spelling as they mention it, but this should be sourced to a primary source.
So, can someone (who isn't a newly registered user) who has an official legit copy of this movie on DVD or Blu-ray (like a physical thing, not "untouched Blu-ray image" please, although additional data points won't hurt) check the English subtitles? The term is mentioned around:

6:19 and 7:55 in the news broadcast
45:33 by a security goon
48:15 by a train passenger
49:25 by Cohaagen
1:21:14 by a scientist
1:35:45 by Quaid
1:40:53 by Cohaagen

Just in case the spelling wouldn't be consistent in the subtitles either I listed all mentions. Television broadcasts or streaming services are NOT acceptable for this: [1] [2]. So it must be a DVD or Blu-ray. Preferably a US release as I know that for example Dutch DVD distributors frequently burn Dutch subtitles into the image as their hobby, making too many DVDs I bought virtually unwatchable and letterboxed DVDs sadly also exist. I wouldn't really trust them to never use pirated subs either considering the level of amateurism. — Alexis Jazz (talk or ping me) 11:05, 7 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]

The novel spells it "Turbinium". Chaheel Riens (talk) 12:16, 7 September 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Totally Mindless Killing

Might there not be a section relating to the mindless levels of violence within this film? Also, could such a section highlight way this and other action films desensitised people to pain, killing and death? 46.69.169.32 (talk) 15:46, 22 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Sure; do you have sources that have discussed this? DonIago (talk) 16:23, 22 August 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Edgemar proposes a pill to Quaid

The wikipedia synopsis of the movie claims that Dr. Edgemar only explains the situation to Quaid (Quaid is supposedly asleep, installed in Rekall's device with fabricated memories implanted in his brain). In reality he does explain the situation, but orders abruptly Quaid to take a red pill he handed out to him, claiming it would make him fall asleep in his "dream" and that he would safely avoid "the walls of reality crash down on him" and "permanent psychosis". He does so being held at gun point by Quaid who doesn't trust him, the moment the pill was presented. For all we know the pill could be poison or anything else (a drug maybe even a sedative), a possibility the movie lets the spectator guess.

In the sequence, Quaid asks what could happen if he refuses said pill. Edgemar replies that it would not have the least detrimental effect in real life for himself (its only a dream) but that Quaid would face permanent psychosis and lobotomy, Edgemar then enumerates further events such as Quaid being considered by people on Mars as "a saviour" of the cause, a "rebel leader" and even having "fantasies of alien civilizations", a prediciton supposed to instill doubt in Quaid and even scare him, as Edgemar claims that past these fictive events the damage would be too great and would be have Quaid inevitably lobotomozed "in the real world". Edgemar asks calmcly for Quaid to place the pill in his mouth and to swallow, the latter procedes to do do so but doesn't swallow , Edgemar now adopts a harsh condescending tone and reiterates the order to swallow the red pill, Lori plays good cop asking gently Quaid to swallow the pill as well. A long silence follow, Quaid observing Edgemar for a while then noticing he's sweating profusely, takes this as a sign that Edgemar and Lori were conspiring against him: he then shoots Edgemar point blank in the forehead then spits the pill on the now lifeless body.

Does anyone think the choice of taking or not said pill -in the movie- isn't pivotal? It is necessary to understand the movie differs from the original story in many ways.

I proposed to replace the following synopsis excerpt:

"In his hotel room, Quaid is confronted by Lori and Dr. Edgemar from Rekall, who explains that Quaid is still at Rekall on Earth, trapped in his fantasy memory and on the verge of permanent brain damage " (37 words)

by this revised excerpt:

"In his hotel room, Quaid confronts Lori and Dr. Edgemar from Rekall who ask him to take a red pill to safely escape Rekall's artificial martian adventure memory or face permanent brain damage in the real world" (37 words, same as before, so it doesn't alter the total synopsis word count, which consist on being kept below 700 words).

Additionally a comparison with other movies directly inspired by this sequence should be present in the wikipedia article but in a separate section. 2a01:e0a:208:4130:103d:1801:aa4b:2686 (talk) 00:44, 4 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

I think the pill could be mentioned if it can be worked in without removing the more important point that Edgemar tries to convince Quaid that he is still at Rekall on Earth, trapped in a fantasy. If forced to choose between these two points, the latter is far more significant than the fact that a pill is involved. It's one of the most important points in the film, and is the basis for the ambiguity that some critics have noted, the possibility that most of the movie is Quaid's delusion. The new wording obscures this point in the words "escape his artificial martian adventure memory"; the original is clearer by saying explicitly "Quaid is still at Rekall on Earth, trapped in his fantasy memory". CodeTalker (talk) 01:05, 4 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]