Like it or not, Total Recall is coming. Len Wiseman's remake of the cult classic 1990 Paul Verhoeven/Arnold Schwarzenegger flick is set to hit theaters on August 3rd, and more and more I find myself asking: why? Oh sure, I know the original Total Recall took some serious liberties with the Philip K. Dick story on which it was based ("We Can Remember It for You Wholesale"), so theoretically you could go back and make a more faithful adaptation. But from the look of the trailers, they seem to be just taking Mars out of the equation, hitting all the same beats, and removing the over-the-top cheesiness that made the first one so much fun. Thankfully for fans of the original Recall, there's a new Blu-ray version of the film hitting next month, just in time to ignore the remake in theaters.
Total Recall: Mind-Bending Edition is set to debut on Blu-ray on July 31st for a list price of $14.99. While Recall has had a Blu-ray release before, this edition features a new high-def transfer of the film. It also includes a brand-new interview with director Paul Verhoeven and a "restoration comparison" to highlight the improvements of the new transfer. The disc will also pack in other bonus features including a behind-the-scenes documentary, a “making of” featurette, a special effects featurette, audio commentary with Arnold Schwarzenegger and director Paul Verhoeven, a photo gallery and the theatrical trailer. Some of these are recycled from earlier releases, and the Verhoeven/Arnie commentary is a must-listen. Not because it's good, mind you, but because you can barely understand Verhoeven and Schwarzenegger literally spends the entire commentary just describing what is physically happening onscreen at the time.
