Verhoeven signing in autumn 1988; 500 crew, 45 sets and eight Mexico City sound stages; Rambo III as the costliest film; Stone's Playboy shoot; the VHS-cover setting date; the four-breasted mutant draft

In the discussion (6)

Approx. transcript time · 00:08:43Read transcript

The research segment was flagged early as the place to cover how the script kept falling through.
The hosts say Verhoeven signed in autumn 1988, and 500 people built 45 sets on eight sound stages in Mexico City over six months.
Correction: the most expensive film before this was Rambo 3, not Rambo 2.
Sharon Stone posed nude for Playboy to coincide with the release, which the hosts recall was a common move then.
The VHS cover gives the film's year, which the hosts say Verhoeven confirmed, though it is not stated in the movie.
A favorite find: the three-breasted mutant Mary was originally meant to have four breasts, but producers thought it looked like a cow, leading to jokes about studio notes in Verhoeven's office.

Roger Ebert's review

In the discussion (3)

Approx. transcript time · 00:23:01Read transcript

Roger Ebert is said to be coming off a loss on the Tommy Boy episode, where he gave that film one out of four stars and put it on his most-hated list.
For Total Recall, Ebert gave three and a half stars, called a good comeback.
Ebert is quoted as calling it one of the most complex and visually interesting science fiction movies in a long time, showing Schwarzenegger's talent through more confusion and vulnerability; the host fully agrees.

Casting What-Ifs

Richard Dreyfuss or William Hurt as Quaid; Robert Davi or Kurtwood Smith as Richter

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 00:57:53Read transcript

In the mid-80s Dino De Laurentiis had Richard Dreyfuss attached as Doug Quaid, around the time of Stakeout; the hosts mock the idea with a Dreyfuss impression.
David Cronenberg was given the script, wanted William Hurt and envisioned it as a Spider-Man-goes-to-Mars story, before Arnold took it.
Robert Davi and Kurtwood Smith turned down Richter before Ironside stepped in.
The hosts say Verhoeven cast Stone in Basic Instinct for her ability to flip from sweetheart to diabolical, and said on the commentary that this is how she is in real life.

Recasting Couch

Bill Paxton as the Rekall salesman

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 01:05:51Read transcript

Bill Paxton is proposed for the Rekall salesman who talks Quaid into the vacation.
An objection: Paxton was too young in the Aliens era; the role needs a sleazy 40-something used-car-salesman type, and he lacked the gravitas to talk Quaid into the chair.
A rebuttal: Paxton's voice makes him someone who could talk you into anything.
David Caruso is nominated but judged too sinister; Judd Nelson is judged too weird, and Paxton is called the right move.

Picking Nits

Neck injections; the oversized nose tracker; Arnold punching Lori without a mark; the Hauser memory-wipe plot; sending a recognizable giant to Earth; the name Quaid near Kuato

In the discussion (7)

Approx. transcript time · 01:15:50Read transcript

Mostly riding with the premise, but neck injections, also seen in Escape from New York, magically work with no lingering pain.
The tracker he pulls from his nose was gigantic, the size of a ping-pong ball or AirPods case.
Arnold punches Sharon Stone and she has no mark; a host explains a jaw punch would not leave marks.
The plot says Hauser worked for Cohaagen, switched sides and underwent the memory wipe; the hosts find this confusing.
Asked, Jason says he thought Cohaagen wiped him and stashed him on Earth, wonders why Cohaagen does not just kill Quaid, and why Hauser would wipe his own memory. — Jason Concepcion
Asked to explain, Shea lays out two plot lines: Richter truly wants Quaid dead, while Cohaagen and Hauser planned to wipe him, push him back to Rekall and Mars to infiltrate the mutants and kill Kuato, then restore Hauser. — Shea Serrano
Further flaws: sending a 6'3", 280-pound hero back to Earth unnoticed, and the name Quaid being so close to Kuato.

Probably Unanswerable Questions

Whether the three-breasted woman is attractive or datable; whether Arnold made a run at Sharon Stone; whether the movie was real or a Rekall dream

In the discussion (9)

Approx. transcript time · 01:20:38Read transcript

A high-school debate with a friend: is it OK to be attracted to the three-breasted woman, and could you date her? The answer given is yes.
The three-breasted woman has already drawn far more air time than an expected 40 seconds; Cohaagen versus Trump is deferred to a separate podcast.
Did Arnold make a run at Sharon Stone? One host calls it a 100% lock, reasoning that the lack of rumors proves it.
Shea agrees Arnold took a swing, and she likely said no thanks, or maybe found it fun. — Shea Serrano
Was it real? The hosts say Verhoeven wanted it ambiguous and believed it was a dream, while Arnold's casting pushed toward reality.
Dream evidence: the salesman promises he will get the girl, kill the bad guys and save the planet; the chosen woman's face appears on screen; 'Blue Sky on Mars' is named; the sweat-drop doctor describes later events. This host's official answer is a dream from the moment he is at Rekall.
Counter: it cannot start at Rekall because the film opens with him already dreaming of Ticotin's character; the construction coworker's and Lori's suspicious looks suggest it is real, and one host says it has to be real.
Asked, Jason says it is a brain-damage delusion, running the memories in a loop because his brain was fried; another host calls that depressing. — Jason Concepcion
A closing view: they are all kind of right, because Verhoeven put everything on the table and wanted ambiguity; there is more evidence for a dream, but it could go either way.