Exclusive: Verhoeven Spits on Total Recall Remake!

A few days ago I ran into Paul Verhoeven at a cafe in Venice and I could not help but to interrupt his breakfast to express my disgust in the new Total Recall film and proclaim my love for the 1989 original. The whole way through the new film, I wished the projector would break and that they'd substitute that damaged film with the original Arnold Schwarzenegger/Verhoeven masterpiece.

Paul Verhoeven: Thank you for your enthusiasm (about our movie!). Yes, I saw the remake and it wasn't good, you did not care about anybody and thus all the chases and shootings an jumping became boring. Also: they took themselves very seriously and decided to leave all humor out. And the theme reality vs dream (by purpose not solved in our movie) was completely 'castrated'.

On the positive side of the new Total Recall disaster, it's making fans appreciate the original film all the more!

"Nice thing, Arnold (and me too) got the best reviews of his career for the original! If you see him: give him my warmest regards, I hope he enjoys the retro-active praise as much as I do," Verhoeven concluded.

If you're a huge Paul Verhoeven fan and you want to hear more about one of his possible future films with Schwarzenegger, then pick up a copy of Arnold's Army: A Schwarzenegger Uprising on sale September 22nd. In the book you'll also hear Verhoeven give me a long exclusive interview regarding the rise and fall of Crusade and what it was like working with The Austrian Oak!