Box Break Junk Wax Edition: 1990 Pacific Total Recall

This was one of those late night purchases that was purely fueled by nostalgia. These old movie sets were mass produced to coincide with a major blockbuster release and because they were often last minute addition money grabs the cards were usually just a fuzzy screen grab tossed on to poorly designed junk wax era cardboard with a corny (or basic) description with the back including a short write up about the character or scene.

 

When Total Recall came out in June 1990 I was stoked, it was freaken Arnold Schwarzenegger going to Mars. The movie came out a week after I graduated high school and I took my girlfriend to see it a couple of times while it was in theaters and bought a copy when it came out on VHS later. Easily one of my favorite movies of the era.

While I love the movie I never had any interest in the card set until I came across an Amazon ad which peeked my interest. It isn’t the cards that grabbed me but the swag that came with it. Each box contained a card set plus some movie related “collectibles” but you will have to wait until the end of the break to see what made me drop $7.50 on a junk wax era movie set.

 

When I got the box yesterday it is still wrapped in 1990 wrap that actually has become so brittle that it stuck to the box and tore off in pieces, the sign of a quality product.

 

 

What is that on the right side? You will have to wait… or just scroll down, either way works.

 

 

The set is exactly what you would expect from the time, weak cardboard showing it’s age with fuzzy pictures on a generic star-like background and the movie logo. You get an entire 110-card  set in each box and the set goes in chronological order with card #1 being the title card and each card after being a continuation of the storyline. The back of the cards include the scene description along with some quotes.  Here is a selection of the cards from the set.

 

#12 Rekall Rekall Rekall

Arnie at work talking to his buddy Harry about possibly going to Rekall

#15 First Class Memories

Arnie getting ready to have his Rekall implant, which leads to everything going wrong

 

#41 The Fat Lady

This is the scene where Arnie, who is wanted and traveled to Mars dressed as a fat lady to avoid being captured, is asked how long she plans to stay on Mars and he/she responds with “Two weeks…” before he gets recognized. He pulls the head off and it explodes like a bomb

#67 …At The Last Resort

Arnie and his posse escape Richter by going in to the Last Resort Bar/Brothel. The bad guys get in and a shootout occurs.

 

#84 Hauser Volunteered?

Uh oh… we find out Arnie is a double agent with a wiped out memory, he is a bad guy. Don’t worry, he does the right thing in the end.

#104 Pyramid Mountain Blows Up

The beginning of the end here when Arnie does good and turns on a machine built by ancient Martians to produce oxygen to be released in to the atmosphere.

Card Back

Here is the back of the final card of the storyline, as you can see it is continued from a previous card and the final words from the movie. Cards #109 and 110 contain scenes from commercials/ads for the movie.

Now on to the Total Recall swag that made me drop the cost of a movie ticket on the whole shebang

Rekall Receipt

1199 credits for a virtual trip to Mars? Wow, that seems like a lot but at least I have the receipt to show I did it (if I am still alive in April 2084). I wonder if I can get a refund on this?

 

$376 Martian Dollars

There are 14 bills total with two of each denomination; $1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 & 100

Sadly each bill looks exactly the same with only the numbers/denomination and serial number being different. They all include Cohaagen on the front and Mount Pyramid on the back.

 

First Class Ticket To Mars

That’s right, I have my First Class ticket to Mars already booked, again if I live to 2084, which includes a private cabin at the Mars Hilton when I get there. Odd how this also cost 1199 credits, the same as the Rekall virtual trip. Maybe I can use it to take my wife to Mars for our 85th Wedding Anniversary.

 

The icing on top
 Mars Rock from Cramer’s Variety Store in Venusville, Mars.

Not really a Martian rock, it appears to be a lava rock really, but still cool. There are meteors that have been found, the most recent in the Sahara in 2011, that is made up of Martian stone but I am betting Pacific found it cheaper to use lava rock instead of a real piece from a meteorite.

 

If you are like me you are probably wondering if every memorable scene was included in the card set? Sadly, No. Pacific went the P.C. route and did not insert a card depicting our favorite three-boobed prostitute Mary, played by actress Lycia Naff. I felt it was my duty to rectify the situation so here you go, what would be considered card #50b on the checklist. Here is my What If? version of Mary's card.

#50b Wish You Had 3 Hands

I recently read a 2012 interview with Lycia Naff, where she said she was embarrassed about the part and has felt shame ever since. She didn't realize that the part required her to open her shirt (she apparently was only told during the first take), she thought the three-boobed prosthetic was just going under her blouse and she was actually crying on set before the camera began rolling. Naff is very thankful that Kaitlyn Leeb, who played the three breasted Mary in the 2012 remake, has embraced the role taking the limelight off of Naff.