Total Recall: The Deluxe Edition
Arnold Schwarzenegger action films are so superfluous that when cynics try to dismiss the subgenre, it's been all to easy to throw out the baby with the bath water, to dump aTrue Liesalongside aRaw Deal. But 1990's Mars-setTotal Recallremains one of Ah-nold's best, a reality-bending adventure that not only anticipatedThe Matrixin key ways, but took action films to a new level of intensity, thanks largely to the direction of the ever-relentless Paul Verhoeven and a trend-setting score by sci-fi master Jerry Goldsmith (Planet of the Apes,Alien,Star Trek). This deluxe edition has nearly twice the music of the original, a virtual 70-minute action concerto of driving rhythms, bold brass, and subtly integrated electronic effects. Goldsmith's tenseRecallformula would become one of the templates for action scores in the 1990s and beyond, and this set finally gives it a proper showcase. Also included is a richly illustrated liner booklet that details both the film and its dynamic music.--Jerry McCulley