Total Recall Page #5

Synopsis: Douglas Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a bored construction worker in the year 2084 who dreams of visiting the colonized Mars. He visits "Rekall," a company that plants false memories into people's brains, in order to experience the thrill of Mars without having to travel there. But something goes wrong during the procedure; Quaid discovers that his entire life is actually a false memory and that the people who implanted it in his head now want him dead.
Production: TriStar Pictures
  Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 14 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.5
Metacritic:
57
Rotten Tomatoes:
82%
R
Year:
1990
113 min
$119,000,000
864 Views


QUAIL But I remember it! All of it!... Us!

KIRSTEN All implanted.

QUAIL Our friends... my work... eight years.

KIRSTEN The job's real -- you've had is six weeks -- since you got back

from Mars.

He sits down, holds his hand to his head.

KIRSTEN (continuing) It's all a fabrication, Quail. Everything you

know.

QUAIL This is crazy! If all my memories are false, who am I? What am I?

Jesus... it's like I don't exist.

KIRSTEN You exist, all right. (very cold) That's the problem.

A pause as Quail mentally gropes frantically, for what to do next.

QUAIL Why did you try to kill me? Why does E.I.O. want me dead?

KIRSTEN They don't particularly. That was my idea. This assignment was

boring me to death. The personality they gave you wasn't too thrilling.

QUAIL Well, what did I do on Mars that they have to keep me from

telling?

KIRSTEN I've no idea. I just work here.

QUAIL All right... I'm leaving. Don't try and follow me --

KIRSTEN I don't have to follow you. You can't get away from E.I.O.

Nobody does.

Quail looks at her as if seeing her for the first time.

QUAIL No wonder you got the role as my bitchy wife -- type casting.

He leaves. Kirsten smiles secretively. She goes to a drawer, opens it

and removes a tiny instrument that looks like a TV channel-changer.

There is a very small light on the instrument, which begins flashing

on and off, as the instrument begins to make BEEPING SOUNDS.

21EXT. STREET OUTSIDE QUAIL'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Quail walks briskly out onto the street, controlling his paces, trying

not to look suspicious. After a beat, he heads for the nearest subway

entrance.

22INT. SUBWAY STATION - NIGHT

Now underground, Quail tries to blend in with the other subway people.

He heads toward the weapons check.

23EXT. STREET SUBWAY ENTRANCE - NIGHT

An OFFICIAL VEHICLE slams to a halt next to the subway entrance and a

whole load of INTENSE MEN pours out of it.

24INT. SUBWAY - NIGHT

Quail now shuffles along in a lineup of people waiting to get through

the WEAPONS CHECK. He tries to control his nervousness. He passes. The

guard smiles at him, pleased to see he has remembered his gun.

25INT. SUBWAY - NIGHT

All the men with guns drawn come pouring down the subway stairs. The

SUBWAY COPS and WEAPONS CHECK are stunned to see four large men

brandishing guns push their way through the weapons check gate without

seeming to notice them. One gunman flashes a HOLOGRAPHIC BADGE ENCASED

IN PLASTIC at them.

The gunman reach the bottom of the stairs and race closer to the subway

train, which is just departing. The men halt abruptly.

FIRST GUNMAN F*** it!

The second gunman adjusts a small plug - a radio receiver - in his ear.

SECOND GUNMAN (EARPLUG WEARER) We won't be able to track him again

until he comes up above ground!

26INT. SUBWAY CAR - NIGHT

Quail sits in the subway car as it barrels through the night, not

knowing exactly where he will go. He is confused, distraught. A

commercial comes onto the video.

TV AS VOICE OVER Tired? Exhausted? Need a vacation? Don't settle for

memories, experience the real thing. Daily departures on the space

shuttle to Mars. Visit the wonders of....

27EXT. SUBWAY STOP - NIGHT

Quail emerges from underground and looks around. The streets are almost

deserted.

28INT. MOVING OFFICAL VEHICLE - NIGHT

THE GUNMEN SIT IN THE OV. The one with the ear plug [suddenly talks.]

EARPLUG WEARER Coming in again. Loud and clear.

He looks down at an illuminated street map built into the car's

dashboard.

28AEXT. SUBWAY STOP - NIGHT

A cab comes into view. Quail quickly hails it and jumps in. Cab moves

off.

28BINT. CAB - NIGHT

Quail is still pondering what to do next. He glances out one window,

though not at anything in particular. Suddenly, the silence is

shattered as bullets rip through the window on the other side. Quail

ducks to the floor.

28CEXT. CAB - NIGHT

A wide shot shows that the cab is being fired on by a man leaning from

the window of an official patrol vehicle. He is aiming at the tires and

driver, rather than directly at Quail.

28DINT. CAB - NIGHT

Bullets are still pouring in.

ROBOT DRIVER (unemotionally) You are being fired on, sir or madam,

please leave the cab at once.

From the floor, Quail pushes the door handle and rolls out onto the

street. The pursuing car occupants fail to notice his exit.

28EEXT. STREETS - NIGHT

Cars continue, as Quail picks himself up from the gutter and moves off

down a narrow side street.

28FINT. CAB - NIGHT

ROBOT DRIVER [Please....]

Bullets rip into the robot driver's neck, severing the head from the

body. The head hits the window then bounces back onto the front seat.

It continues talking.

ROBOT DRIVER (continuing) ...leave the cab as bullets are hitting the

vehicle in considerable quantities.

28GEXT. STREETS - NIGHT

The taxi mounts the footpath and smashes through the display window of

a store. Clothes models are scattered and broken. When the noise

abates, the severed head of the robot driver is lying among the

dummies.

ROBOT DRIVER This company, sir or madam, will institute legal action

for damages...

29EXT. STREET - "END OF THE LINE" HOTEL - NIGHT

Quail emerges from the side street and sees "End of the Line" Hotel. It

is clean, bland, middle class. He quickly crosses the road and enters.

29AINT. "END OF THE LINE" HOTEL LOBBY - NIGHT

The foyer is brightly lit and empty. Quail approaches the DESK CLERK,

who is reading a book. "Dr. No", marked, in flowing script, "from the

classic series".

DESK CLERK (without looking up) Help you, sir?

QUAIL (handing over money) A room for the night.

DESK CLERK (reluctantly putting down the book) ID.

QUAIL (handing over money) Here's ten thousand. Forget the ID.

DESK CLERK looks up at him, with interest. His hand hovers over the

money.

QUAIL (continuing) I have a liaison with a lady... and I'm married...

DESK CLERK I understand, sir. Nothing like a bit on the side, eh? Bit

of fugitive flesh. The greatest aphrodisiac is a new body, wouldn't

you say, sir?

Quail looks at him with distaste but is only anxious to be given the

key to his room. He says nothing.

30INT. "END OF THE LINE" HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT

Quail unlocks the door and enters. No sooner does he relock the door

then THE PHONE RINGS. He freezes, stares at it for three rings, then

picks it up.

QUAIL (into receiver) I told you, I don't want to be disturbed.

TELEPHONE VOICE (filtered) If you want to live, don't hand up.

Quail is stunned. He says nothing, but doesn't hang up.

TELEPHONE VOICE (continuing; filtered) They've got you bugged...

They're gonna find you. Faster than you can say "Back Rodgers".

(quickly) And don't bother shaking down your clothes -- the monitor is

embedded in your skull.

QUAIL (reeling) Who are you? What the hell is this?

30AINT. BAR BASEMENT - NIGHT

Rate this script:4.0 / 2 votes

Ronald Shusett

Ronald Shusett is an American motion picture screenwriter and producer, usually in the science fiction genre. He wrote the original story for Alien with Dan O'Bannon. more…

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