Total Recall

Trivia: Arnie was injured twice during the making of this movie. He cut his hand badly while smashing a train window, and broke a finger during a rehearsal of the hotel room fight scene. (00:30:20 - 01:03:00)

Daz

Trivia: The Kuato model was handled by about 15 puppeteers, each controlling a different part of his face and hands. (01:15:30)

Daz

Trivia: Most of the movie was shot in Mexico because it was believed labour costs to build the sets would be cheaper there, but it turned out that the cost of importing required materials from the US negated this benefit.

Daz

Trivia: Total Recall was based on a 1966 short story from pulp-fiction writer Philip K. Dick called "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale". He also wrote other mind bending novels on which futuristic films like 'Minority Report', 'Blade Runner', 'Impostor', 'Screamers' and 'Paycheck' were based. Like many movies, the plot is only loosely based on the original story. In this case, the movie follows the original story up to visit to Total Recall after which the two diverge completely.

Trivia: Originally, Helm's death was more graphic. Thumbelina had actually gutted Helm from crotch to sternum with the Bowie knife. To secure an R rating, the filmmakers had Thumbelina stab Helm in the stomach instead. During the final battle between Quaid and Richter, Richter's arms are cut off, and he falls to his death. However, the comic book sequel "Life on Mars" resurrects Richter with a pair of robot-like prosthetic arms.

Trivia: The fake passport Quaid gives as the "fat lady" is signed "Priscilla Allen." Priscilla Allen is the woman who played the fat lady.

Bishop73

Trivia: The name on the fake Pyramid Mines ID Quaid takes out of the briefcase is "Steve Lionetti." Lionetti was a production assistant for the film.

Bishop73

Trivia: Kuato's voice saying 'open your mind' was sampled in early 90's Italian electronic/dance group Usura's European hit of the same name.

Trivia: The burly miner Quaid encounters on the train to the Mars hotelstry is Mickey Jones, who performed Michael Ironside's partner Chris Farber in the series "V". Ironside also wears the same kind of clothes he did as Ham Tyler in that series. (00:48:00)

Daniel4646

Trivia: The sound effect used for when Quaid presses his hand into the device to start creating air on Mars is the same as the targeting reticule in Predator. (01:43:10)

GalahadFairlight

More for Total Recall

Mistakes

Plot hole: When Hauser/Quaid returns to Mars, some of the people that knew him before as Hauser call him Quaid. (00:45:40)

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: If you're talking about when he's disguised as the fat woman, only Richter calls him Quaid. But he knew him as Quaid.

Bishop73

More mistakes in Total Recall

Quotes

Lori: They erased your identity and implanted a new one. I was written in as your wife so I could watch you and make sure the erasure took. Sorry, Quaid, your whole life is just a dream.
Douglas Quaid: Okay then, if I'm not me, who the hell am I?
Lori: Beats me. I just work here.

Bishop73

More quotes from Total Recall

Questions

Question: At the beginning of the movie, Quaid has a friend at work (if my mind's not failing me his name is Harry) that tells him not to go to Recall because some person got lobotomised. Later, when Quaid is returning from Recall his friend stops him and tries to kidnap (or kill) him because Quaid "talked about Mars". I can't understand the role that this man has in the plot. Quaid told his wife that this man is a spy (I wonder how he knew that), and I'd like to know which side he seems to be fighting for (the Agency or the rebels).

Answer: Harry works for the Agency the same way Arnie's wife did. While the wife watched him at home, Harry was to watch him at work. Harry told Arnie that story to keep him from going to Recall and to keep him from having to kill Arnie for bringing up his memories of Mars.

T Poston

Answer: It depends on whether you choose to believe the events of the film are real or in Quaid's lobotomized brain. If the events are real (i.e. Quaid is actually Houser with his memories blocked) then Harry is from the agency and is there to make sure Quaid doesn't say or do anything that would potentially break his memory block (like going to Recall). If you believe everything is in Quaid's mind after he goes to Recall, then Harry really was just his friend.

More questions & answers from Total Recall

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