Among filmmakers, few dare to venture into the realm of pure weirdness as boldly as Dutch maestro Paul Verhoeven. His satirical, outrageous films often transcend absurdity to achieve a profound sense of gravity. Decades later, it's still astonishing that "Starship Troopers" remains misunderstood as a mere satire on the perils of fascism. But of all Verhoeven's cinematic ventures, none compares to the 1990 sci-fi masterpiece "Total Recall."
The story follows Douglas Quaid, a humble construction worker (portrayed by the indelible Arnold Schwarzenegger), who opts for a virtual Martian adventure as a brain-implanted getaway. Little does he know that the details of this supposed fantasy will bleed into his actual life, leading him to a real-life adventure on Mars where he must confront a tyrannical dictator. Along the way, he encounters a motley crew of mutant Martians, the most unforgettable of which is a sex worker boasting an unconventional anatomy: three full-sized breasts!
Verhoeven's films are renowned for their brazen nudity, and he even stripped down himself to ease the cast's discomfort during a shower scene in "Starship Troopers." But this three-breasted sex worker stands out as a benchmark in cinematic history. Initially, Verhoeven had envisioned an even more extreme design, but was dissuaded by a wise few on the set.
The three-breasted look aligns perfectly with the film's cartoonish tone, a stark contrast to a more realistic four-breasted alternative. The prospect of an entire chest covered in nipples, like a feline or canine, might have been intriguing, but it would have entailed a monumental prosthetic effort. Given the already elaborate creations, such as the animatronic Kuato character emerging from another's abdomen, perhaps the triple-breasted design was the most pragmatic choice. Even Verhoeven acknowledged that the decision was the right one, solidifying this three-tittied lady as a legend in the annals of sci-fi cinema.
