Total Recall
Total Recall is an American science fiction media franchise based on the 1966 Philip K. Dick short story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale," which explores themes of memory manipulation, identity, and reality. The franchise includes two films, a television series, novels, comics, and video games, with the core narrative typically revolving around a protagonist uncovering suppressed memories of being a secret agent amid corporate and governmental conspiracies, often set on a colonized Mars or Earth.[1] The franchise originated with the 1990 film Total Recall, directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as Douglas Quaid / Hauser, a construction worker who undergoes a memory implant procedure at Rekall Inc. that awakens recollections of his past as a spy fighting oppression on Mars.[2] Set in 2084, the story involves espionage against the tyrannical administrator Vilos Cohaagen (Ronny Cox), betrayal by his wife Lori (Sharon Stone), alliance with resistance leader Melina Jami (Rachel Ticotin), encounters with mutants, and the discovery of an ancient alien terraforming device. The screenplay by Ronald Shusett, Dan O'Bannon, and Gary Goldman expands the original story into an action-packed psychological thriller.[3] Produced by Carolco Pictures on a $65 million budget, the 1990 film was released by TriStar Pictures on June 1, 1990, after filming in Mexico City and Los Angeles. It grossed $119.4 million in the United States and Canada and $261.4 million worldwide, becoming the fifth highest-grossing film of 1990.[1] Renowned for its practical effects by Rob Bottin and score by Jerry Goldsmith, it received a Special Achievement Academy Award for Visual Effects.[2] The franchise expanded with a 2012 remake directed by Len Wiseman, starring Colin Farrell, which reimagined the story on a dystopian Earth; the 1999 Canadian television series [Total Recall 2070](/page/Total Recall 2070), a noir detective show set in a futuristic Detroit; and various tie-in media including comic books, novelizations, and video games.[4] Critically, the 1990 film was praised for its direction, effects, and Schwarzenegger's performance—earning three-and-a-half stars from Roger Ebert—though some noted its violence; it has since achieved cult classic status, influencing science fiction on simulation and identity.[5]Origins
Short story
"We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" is a science fiction novelette by American author Philip K. Dick, first published in the April 1966 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction.[6] The story was reprinted in the magazine's 30th anniversary issue in October 1979 and later collected in The Collected Stories of Philip K. Dick, Volume 5: The Eye of the Sibyl, published by Underwood-Miller in 1987.[6] Spanning approximately 20 pages, it exemplifies Dick's concise style, focusing on psychological depth rather than elaborate settings. The plot centers on Douglas Quail, a low-level government clerk in a near-future Earth that has established a colony on Mars. Yearning for excitement, Quail visits Rekal Incorporated, a company specializing in implanting artificial memories to simulate dream vacations or adventures. He requests recollections of a covert mission as an Interplan secret agent on Mars, complete with interactions with alien beings. However, the procedure uncovers that Quail's subconscious harbors genuine suppressed memories of such a role, where he retrieved a Martian artifact capable of annihilating Earth from extraterrestrial invaders. Pursued by Interplan agents intent on maintaining secrecy, Quail flees and returns to Rekal for a new implant based on a childhood fantasy of single-handedly thwarting an alien invasion of Earth—only to realize these "false" memories are also authentic, revealing layers of buried identity and reality.[6] Key themes include the indistinguishability of implanted memories from lived experiences, challenging the foundations of personal identity and self-knowledge.[7] The narrative delves into paranoia over governmental conspiracies and cover-ups, portraying a world where official agencies manipulate civilian perceptions to conceal threats like alien incursions.[8] Dick employs brief references to the Mars colony and enigmatic alien artifacts to evoke a tense interstellar context, but the story prioritizes internal psychological conflict over detailed world-building, heightening its thriller-like intensity. Dick's influences for the story stem from Cold War-era fears of espionage, surveillance, and hidden global threats, which infuse the plot with undercurrents of institutional distrust and suppressed truths.[9] His own experiments with psychedelics, such as mescaline, contributed to the exploration of altered consciousness and the fragility of perceived reality, elements that permeate the memory-implantation motif.Development history
The development of Total Recall began with the acquisition of film rights to Philip K. Dick's 1966 short story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale," which centers on the implantation of false memories as a form of virtual vacation.[10] In 1974, producer Ronald Shusett optioned the story for $1,000 and collaborated with screenwriter Dan O'Bannon to adapt it into a screenplay, expanding the narrative to include a Mars colonization setting and action elements while retaining the core psychological ambiguity of implanted memories.[10] Their initial draft, completed in the late 1970s, faced challenges in securing production due to the era's limited special effects capabilities for depicting otherworldly environments.[11] By the mid-1980s, Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis acquired the project through his De Laurentiis Entertainment Group (DEG), commissioning multiple script revisions that explored varied tones, including horror-infused psychological thriller versions under director David Cronenberg, who emphasized fidelity to Dick's introspective themes of identity and reality.[12] O'Bannon's contributions leaned toward genre-blending sci-fi with comedic undertones in some iterations, but creative clashes arose, leading to over 40 drafts and the project's stagnation.[11] Dick's death from a stroke in March 1982 precluded his direct involvement, leaving adapters to navigate debates over preserving the story's cerebral focus on perceptual uncertainty versus broadening it into a more commercially viable action spectacle.[10] The project's momentum shifted in 1987 when Shusett pitched it to Arnold Schwarzenegger, who aggressively pursued the lead role despite De Laurentiis's initial rejection, viewing it as a vehicle for his action-hero persona.[12] DEG's bankruptcy in 1988 halted pre-production, prompting Schwarzenegger to facilitate the sale of rights to Carolco Pictures for $3 million, positioning the film as a high-stakes launch for the franchise with innovative practical effects and miniatures to realize Mars sequences.[13] Carolco's involvement addressed budget hurdles, estimated at $65 million—one of the era's most expensive productions—while planning groundbreaking visual effects, including early CGI for skeletal animations and extensive prosthetics, to balance thematic depth with explosive set pieces.[11] This evolution marked the transition from Dick's intimate psychological premise to a expansive action framework under director Paul Verhoeven, who joined in 1989 to infuse satirical and violent elements.[12]Films
1990 film
Total Recall is a 1990 American science fiction action film directed by Paul Verhoeven and loosely based on the 1966 short story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" by Philip K. Dick.[14] The screenplay, credited to Ronald Shusett, Dan O'Bannon, and Gary Goldman, expands the source material's concepts of implanted memories and identity into a broader narrative of espionage and rebellion on a colonized Mars.[15] Produced by Carolco Pictures on a $65 million budget, the film was released on June 1, 1990, by TriStar Pictures and runs 113 minutes.[14] Principal photography occurred primarily at Estudios Churubusco in Mexico City, which served as the stand-in for the dystopian Martian colony, supplemented by locations like the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada for exterior Mars scenes.[16] The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as Douglas Quaid, a construction worker in 2084 Earth whose recurring dreams of Mars prompt him to visit Rekall Inc. for a memory implant of an off-world adventure.[15] Supporting roles include Sharon Stone as Quaid's wife Lori, Rachel Ticotin as his ally Melina Jons, Ronny Cox as the tyrannical administrator Vilos Cohaagen, and Michael Ironside as the enforcer Richter.[15] Verhoeven's direction emphasizes explosive action and graphic violence, hallmarks of his style seen in prior works like RoboCop.[5] In the plot, Quaid's Rekall procedure malfunctions, awakening suppressed memories that reveal him as a former secret agent framed by Cohaagen's regime, which monopolizes breathable air on Mars through turbinium mining.[17] Fleeing assassins, Quaid travels to Mars, joins a mutant resistance led by the psychic leader Kuato, and discovers an ancient alien reactor buried in the planet's core that could release a limitless atmosphere, sparking a rebellion against Cohaagen's colonial exploitation.[17] The story culminates in a confrontation exposing Quaid's true identity and dismantling the air cartel, blending personal amnesia with planetary liberation. The film's visual effects combined practical makeup and animatronics with early digital enhancements, earning acclaim for their innovation.[18] Rob Bottin led the practical effects team, creating grotesque mutants affected by radiation, including the memorable three-breasted woman and Kuato's psychic form.[18] Stan Winston Studio contributed animatronic creatures and additional prosthetics to support Bottin's overburdened crew.[19] Total Recall received three Academy Award nominations at the 63rd ceremony: a Special Achievement for Visual Effects (Eric Brevig, Rob Bottin, Tim McGovern, Alex Funke), Best Sound (Michael J. Kohut, Carlos DeLarios, Aaron Rochin, William B. Kaplan), and Best Sound Effects Editing (Stephen Hunter Flick, Richard Stone), winning the latter.[18] Commercially, Total Recall was a major success, grossing $119.4 million in the United States and Canada and $141.9 million internationally for a worldwide total of $261.3 million, making it the fifth-highest-grossing film of 1990.[1] It opened at number one with $25.5 million, setting a record for the largest debut at the time.[20] Critically, the film holds an 81% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with praise centered on its thrilling action sequences, Schwarzenegger's charismatic performance, and Verhoeven's satirical take on fascism through Cohaagen's authoritarian control.[21] Reviewers highlighted its exploration of identity confusion amid memory manipulation and critiques of colonialism via Mars' resource exploitation and mutant oppression, elements amplified from Dick's original story.[5] Roger Ebert awarded it three-and-a-half stars, lauding its "mind-bending" plot twists and blend of spectacle with philosophical undertones.[5]2012 remake
The 2012 remake of Total Recall was directed by Len Wiseman, with a screenplay written by Kurt Wimmer and Mark Bomback, based on a screen story by Ronald Shusett and Dan O'Bannon from Philip K. Dick's short story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale."[22][23] Produced by Neal H. Moritz and Toby Jaffe under Original Film, in association with Columbia Pictures, the film had a production budget of $125 million.[24] Principal photography took place primarily in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, utilizing locations such as the University of Toronto, Lower Bay Station, and downtown Guelph to depict futuristic urban environments, with additional stages at Pinewood Toronto Studios.[25] The film was released on August 3, 2012, by Columbia Pictures, running 118 minutes and earning a PG-13 rating for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, some sexual content, brief nudity, and language.[26][22] The cast featured Colin Farrell as Douglas "Doug" Quaid, a factory worker plagued by recurring dreams; Kate Beckinsale as Lori Quaid, his wife who reveals a hidden agenda; Jessica Biel as Melina, a resistance fighter and Quaid's ally from his visions; Bryan Cranston as Chancellor Cohaagen, the authoritarian leader of the United Federation of Britain (UFB); and Bill Nighy as Matthias Lair, the head of the Colony's resistance movement.[27] Supporting roles included Bokeem Woodbine as Harry, Quaid's coworker, and John Cho as Bob McClane, a Rekall technician.[28] In a dystopian future where nuclear war has divided Earth into the prosperous UFB in the north and the oppressed Colony in Australia, factory worker Doug Quaid visits Rekall Inc. to implant vacation memories as a secret agent, only for the procedure to activate suppressed real memories revealing his true identity as a UFB spy infiltrating a rebellion of synthetic human workers (synths) fighting for rights against exploitation.[29] Pursued by UFB forces led by Cohaagen, who seeks to crush the uprising through a synthetic toxin, Quaid teams with Melina to navigate a conspiracy threatening the Colony's transit system and the synths' freedom, emphasizing themes of class division and artificial intelligence rights over the original's interplanetary focus.[22] The narrative shares the core premise of memory manipulation and identity crisis from the 1990 film and source material but relocates the action to a unified Earth setting.[30] Visual effects, handled primarily by Prime Focus World, relied heavily on CGI to create sprawling futuristic cityscapes, high-speed hovercar chases through multi-level urban structures, and dynamic action sequences, including a prolonged pursuit evading robotic enforcers and collapsing environments.[30] Notable changes included a digitally rendered three-breasted woman in a brief street encounter, toned-down compared to the original's practical effects, and reduced graphic violence to align with the PG-13 rating, resulting in a more streamlined but less satirical tone.[26] The shorter runtime and emphasis on spectacle over philosophical depth marked departures from the source, prioritizing kinetic set pieces like synth rebellions and zero-gravity fights.[22] The film grossed $198.5 million worldwide against its $125 million budget, with $58.9 million from the U.S. and Canada, underperforming expectations for a summer blockbuster despite a $25.6 million opening weekend.[24] Critically, it received mixed reviews, holding a 30% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with detractors citing a lack of the original's sharp wit, humor, and social commentary, while praising the taut action choreography, impressive production design, and exploration of class warfare and synth oppression as fresh thematic angles.[22] Farrell's performance was noted for grounding the high-stakes chaos, though some felt the remake prioritized visual bombast over narrative innovation.Television
Total Recall 2070
Total Recall 2070 is a Canadian science fiction television series that serves as a loose spin-off from the 1990 film Total Recall, set in a dystopian future on Earth in the year 2070. The show follows detective David Hume and his android partner Ian Farve as they investigate crimes in the sprawling mega-city of New Berlin, often involving advanced memory manipulation technology and rogue replicants. It incorporates elements like the Rekall company, known for implanting artificial memories—a concept echoing the original Philip K. Dick short story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale" and the films—along with subtle references to Mars colonization.[31][32] Created by Art Monterastelli, the series was a Canadian-German co-production filmed in Toronto, Ontario, and consisted of 22 episodes aired over one season. It premiered in Canada on CHCH-TV on January 5, 1999, and concluded on June 8, 1999, before debuting in the United States on Showtime on March 7, 1999, with weekly episodes on Fridays. Produced by Alliance Atlantis and PolyGram Television, each episode had a budget of approximately $1.5 million, allowing for detailed production design inspired by cyberpunk aesthetics. The complete series was released on DVD in 2001.[33][34][35][36] The main cast includes Michael Easton as the human detective David Hume, a dedicated officer grappling with personal and professional challenges; Karl Pruner as Ian Farve, the enigmatic android partner with a mysterious past; and supporting roles such as Cynthia Preston as Olivia Hume, David's wife, and Michael Anthony Rawlins as Lieutenant Martin Ehrenthal, their superior in the Citizens Protection Bureau (CPB). The series blends procedural detective work with speculative elements, focusing on cases tied to corporate corruption and technological ethics.[37][38] Thematically, Total Recall 2070 explores corporate dystopia, the moral implications of artificial intelligence, and the fragility of human identity in a world dominated by memory alteration and synthetic beings. It adopts a noir-infused sci-fi style, emphasizing atmospheric tension and philosophical undertones over high-octane action, drawing visual influences from Blade Runner in its rainy, neon-lit urban landscapes. Despite receiving praise from critics for its moody atmosphere and intelligent storytelling, the series was not renewed after its single season due to low viewership ratings on Showtime. Over the years, it has gained cult status, with a 2024 article marking its 25th anniversary praising its prescient themes.[32][39][40]Episodes
The Total Recall 2070 series consists of 22 episodes, blending self-contained detective procedural stories with serialized elements exploring memory technology and corporate conspiracies in a dystopian 2070 setting. The two-part pilot "Machine Dreams" premiered on Showtime in the United States on March 7, 1999, followed by weekly airings through August 6, 1999; in Canada, episodes began airing on CHCH-TV from January 5, 1999. Production notes highlight notable guest appearances, such as David Warner in the two-part episodes "Brain Fever" and "Begotten Not Made," and a consistent cyberpunk visual style achieved through filming in Toronto, emphasizing neon-lit urban environments and practical effects for android and Rekall tech sequences.[41][42][32] Episodes were generally praised for their engaging standalone narratives reminiscent of film noir in a sci-fi context, allowing accessible entry points for viewers, though the series faced criticism for leaving key conspiracy arcs—such as the full extent of the alpha-android origins and Rekall's global influence—unresolved due to its abrupt cancellation after one season.[40][43] Note: The following table lists episodes in production order with their US Showtime air dates where available; due to differences in airing schedules between Canada and the US, dates may not be strictly sequential.| Episode | Title | Air Date (US/Showtime) | Director | Writer(s) | Synopsis |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Machine Dreams: Part 1 | March 7, 1999 | Mario Azzopardi | Art Monterastelli | Detectives Hume and Farve pursue a gang of highly intelligent rogue androids enhanced by experimental Rekall memory implants, uncovering ties to corporate corruption on Mars.[41][44] |
| 2 | Machine Dreams: Part 2 | March 7, 1999 | Mario Azzopardi | Art Monterastelli | Continuing the hunt, the partners track the androids to a hidden colony, revealing erased memories in an immigrant family manipulated by a shadowy "Collector."[41][45] |
| 4 | Self-Inflicted | March 19, 1999 | Jorge Montesi | Ted Mann | A corporate doctor returns from a space station to find her husband dying from a mysterious illness, prompting a biohazard probe that hints at a contagious memory-altering virus.[41] |
| 5 | Allure | March 26, 1999 | Fred Gerber | Jeff King | Hume probes a bizarre suicide where the victim resembles a living person and later decomposes into an elderly corpse, exposing Rekall's experimental allure simulations.[41] |
| 6 | Infiltration | April 2, 1999 | Mario Azzopardi | Art Monterastelli, W.K. Scott Meyer | A murder investigation stalls due to interference from Uber-Braun security and Rekall executive Vincent Nagle, revealing industrial infiltration tactics.[41] |
| 3 | Nothing Like the Real Thing | April 9, 1999 | Terri Ingram | Elliot Stern | An accountant enters a trance and kills a deliveryman under the influence of a black-market memory implant; Hume and Farve investigate the illicit seller.[41][46] |
| 7 | Rough Whimper of Insanity | April 16, 1999 | Ken Girotti | Ted Mann | Farve behaves erratically after probing an assault by a malfunctioning service android, leading to a corporate espionage case involving reprogrammed machines.[41] |
| 8 | First Wave | April 23, 1999 | Jorge Montesi | Elliot Stern | A member of a genetic engineering cult hacks the CPB's network, disrupting operations and forcing Hume and Farve to trace the ideological threat.[41][47] |
| 9 | Baby Lottery | April 30, 1999 | David Warry-Smith | Michael Thoma | A baby with flagged criminal genes goes missing, drawing interest from black-market buyers and the parents in a case of eugenics-driven abduction.[41][48] |
| 10 | Brain Fever: Part 1 | May 7, 1999 | George Mendeluk | Elliot Stern | The head of the Mars Miners Union is assassinated, and Farve experiences an inexplicable connection to the shooter, hinting at deeper android links.[41] |
| 11 | Begotten Not Made: Part 2 | May 14, 1999 | David Warry-Smith | W.K. Scott Meyer | With a clone of Dr. Latham killed, the detectives search for the genuine scientist amid cloning conspiracies and escalating threats to human-android relations.[41] |
| 12 | Brightness Falls | May 21, 1999 | Rod Pridy | Art Monterastelli | A cult leader is found crucified, prompting Hume to visit his paranoid father while unraveling a memory-based religious manipulation scheme.[41] |
| 13 | Burning Desire | May 28, 1999 | Mario Azzopardi | Jeff King | A man is incinerated in a public sublimator device, raising alarms for Hume about his wife Olivia's safety in a plot involving desire-amplifying implants.[41] |
| 14 | Astral Projections | June 4, 1999 | David Warry-Smith | Michael Thoma | Murders aboard a crashed cargo ship in the New Territories lead to an investigation of astral projection tech used for remote killings.[41][49] |
| 15 | Paranoid | June 11, 1999 | Rod Pridy | Michael Thoma | A murder tied to a dating service uncovers Rekall's mind-control experiments, with Olivia discovering her name on a target list.[41] |
| 16 | Restitution | June 18, 1999 | Jorge Montesi | Art Monterastelli, Elliot Stern | The kidnapping of young Brant demands a $40 million ransom, complicating matters as Olivia grapples with her own memory distortions from Rekall therapy.[41] |
| 17 | Bones Beneath My Skin | June 25, 1999 | Mark Sobel | Ted Mann | An android's sabotage at a chemical plant exposes anti-android prejudice, straining the partnership between David and Olivia over Rekall's influence.[41][50] |
| 18 | Assessment | July 2, 1999 | Terry Ingram | Jeff King | Ambushed by the Assessor's Office, the team faces accusations of Farve plotting against humanity, delving into themes of AI autonomy and possession.[41] |
| 19 | Eye Witness | July 9, 1999 | Jorge Montesi | Art Monterastelli, Elliot Stern | Olivia witnesses a murder but doubts her recollections due to memory implants, forcing a reevaluation of evidence in a high-stakes cover-up.[41] |
| 20 | Personal Effects | July 16, 1999 | David Warry-Smith | Kris Dobkin | A shuttle crash survivor hides a vital vial sought by Vari Dyne Inc., leading to a chase involving personal identity and corporate retrieval operations.[41] |
| 21 | Virtual Justice | July 23, 1999 | Mark Sobel | Jeff King | Hume suspects vigilante justice when a cop kills an escaped convict, probing virtual reality simulations used for extralegal executions.[41] |
| 22 | Meet My Maker | August 6, 1999 | Mario Azzopardi | Art Monterastelli, Ted Mann | After a near-fatal memory interface, Farve leads Hume to confront his creator, offering a climactic glimpse into the android conspiracy's origins.[41] |