Basic Instinct vs. Total Recall

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4 comments

Yay, the Paul Verhoeven showdown! Both have intrigue and suspense (mostly thanks to Jerry Goldsmith in my opinion) and Basic Instinct probably has the more famous scenes in it. Unfortunately I do feel that the overdose of gratuitous sex can be a little bit distracting at times; one could probably call it one of the most sophisticated porn films of all time if one were being cynical, which is only a good thing if you're an adolescent boy (which, to be fair, I was not so long ago). Total Recall has fantastic effects considering it's age, and it's probably one of my favourite Schwarzenegger films, but it is let down by being incessantly corny. On balance, I think Total Recall is less problematic and more enjoyable as a film, not to mention the fact that I prefer Sci-Fi to Crime Thrillers. That said, both are good to watch in their own right. Total Recall wins

il like most of Basic Instinct its a sexy thriller but I really dig the cult action film of Total Recall -Arnie has never been cooler its a sci-fi treat the crazy action and insane plot is one of my favs.

Watched both for the first time this week and loved them. Of the three Verhoeven films I've now seen (the other being RoboCop) Basic Instinct is my favorite and that doesn't seem likely to change. It kind of blew me away.

Good matchup. Love both, but Basic Instinct gets the edge I think. The script and score are just too good.

Total Recall > Basic Instinct