Scanners (1981)

Director:

David Cronenberg

Writer:

David Cronenberg (written by)

Release Date:

14 January 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

There are 4 billion people on earth. 237 are Scanners. They have the most terrifying powers ever created... and they are winning.

Plot:

A scientist sends a man with extraordinary psychic powers to hunt others like him.

Plot Keywords:

Psychic Power | Psychic | Doctor | Driveby Shooting | Tied To Bed

Awards:

3 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Jennifer O'Neill	...	Kim Obrist
Stephen Lack	...	Cameron Vale
Patrick McGoohan	...	Dr. Paul Ruth
Lawrence Dane	...	Braedon Keller
Michael Ironside	...	Darryl Revok
Robert A. Silverman	...	Benjamin Pierce (as Robert Silverman)
Lee Broker	...	Security One
Mavor Moore	...	Trevellyan
Adam Ludwig	...	Arno Crostic
Murray Cruchley	...	Programmer 1 (as Lee Murray)
Fred Doederlein	...	Dieter Tautz
Géza Kovács	...	Killer in Record Store (as Geza Kovacs)
Sonny Forbes	...	Killer in Attic (as Sony Forbes)
Jérôme Tiberghien	...	Killer in Attic (as Jerome Tiberghien)
Denis Lacroix	...	Killer in Barn
Elizabeth Mudry	...	Killer in Barn
Victor Désy	...	Dr. Gatineau (as Victor Desy)
Louis Del Grande	...	First Scanner
Anthony Sherwood	...	Scanner in Attic (as Tony Sherwood)
Ken Umland	...	Scanner in Attic
Anne Anglin	...	Scanner in Attic
Jock Brandis	...	Scanner in Attic
Jack Messinger	...	Scanner at Door
Victor Knight	...	Dr. Frane
Karen Fullerton	...	Pregnant Girl
Margaret Gadbois	...	Woman in Mall
Terrance P. Coady	...	Security 1 Car Passenger (as Terry Coady)
Steve Michaels	...	Security 1 Car Driver
Malcolm Nelthorpe	...	Ray, Security 2 Car Driver
Nicholas Kilbertus	...	Security 2 Car Partner
Don Buchsbaum	...	Large Man in Mall
Roland Nincheri	...	Large Man in Mall
Kimberly McKeever	...	Hallucinating Guard
Robert Boyd	...	Hallucinating Guard
Graham Batchelor	...	Yoga Technician
Dean Hagopian	...	CONSEC Programmer 2
Alex Stevens	...	CONSEC Programmer 3
Neil Affleck	...	Medical Student in Mall
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sam Stone	...	Security Guard (uncredited)

Directed by
David Cronenberg

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
David Cronenberg		written by

Produced by
Pierre David	....	executive producer
Claude Héroux	....	producer (as Claude Heroux)
Victor Solnicki	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Howard Shore

Cinematography by
Mark Irwin		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Ronald Sanders

Art Direction by
Carol Spier

Costume Design by
Delphine White

Makeup Department
Stephan Dupuis	....	special makeup
Brigitte McCaughry	....	makeup artist
Constant Natale	....	hair stylist
Tom Schwartz	....	special makeup
Dick Smith	....	special makeup effects consultant
Chris Walas	....	special makeup

Production Management
Don Buchsbaum	....	production manager
Jean Savard	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jim Kaufman	....	first assistant director
Anne Murphy	....	third assistant director
Michael Williams	....	second assistant director (as Mike Williams)

Art Department
Alfred	....	set designer
Peter Borowski	....	sculptor
Jean Bourret	....	property master
Peter Bray	....	set dresser
Serge Bureau	....	assistant set dresser
Michel Comte	....	assistant propsman
Tom Coulter	....	sculptor
Peter Dowker	....	sculptor
Melanie Johnson	....	assistant set dresser
Barbara Jones	....	assistant art director
Michael Joy	....	draughtsman
Claude Simard	....	construction supervisor
Ernie Tomlinson	....	assistant propsman

Sound Department
Charles Bowers	....	sound editor
Peter Burgess	....	sound editing supervisor
Terry Burke	....	assistant sound editor
Don Cohen	....	sound
Paul Coombe	....	sound re-recordist
Gary Daprato	....	assistant sound editor
Mike Hoogenboom	....	sound re-recordist
Peter Jermyn	....	sound editor
Bruce Nyznik	....	sound editor
Gabor Vadnay	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Don Berry	....	special effects assistant
Louis Craig	....	special effects assistant
Jacques Godbout	....	special effects assistant
Dennis Pike	....	micro effects
Gary Zeller	....	special effects

Stunts
Alex Stevens	....	stunt coordinator
Céline Fournier	....	stunt woman (uncredited)
Gary Hymes	....	stunt performer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Jock Brandis	....	gaffer
François Dupéré	....	key grip (as Francois Dupere)
Denis Fugere	....	still photographer
Maris H. Jansons	....	grip (as Maris Jansons)
Claude Langlois	....	best boy
Robin Miller	....	first assistant camera
Michel Périard	....	grip (as Michel Periard)
Lynn Rotin	....	apprentice assistant camera
Arshad Shaw	....	electrician
Gregory Villeneuve	....	second assistant camera

Casting Department
Ginette D'Amico	....	casting assistant
Muriel Fournier	....	casting assistant
Daniel Hausmann	....	casting: Montreal

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Fabienne April	....	assistant dresser
Renée April	....	dresser
Blanche-Danielle Boileau	....	costume assistant (as Blanche Boileau)

Editorial Department
Robert Boyd	....	assistant editor
Chris Hutton	....	assistant editor
Thomas Metzger	....	color timer
Bill Wiggins	....	post-production coordinator

Transportation Department
Armand Thomas	....	driver: action vehicles
Charles Toupin	....	driver captain

Other crew
Neil Bibby	....	production assistant
Victor Blazevic	....	production assistant
France Boudreau	....	continuity
Robert Boyd	....	assistant: Mr. Cronenberg
Christine Burt	....	location manager
Pierre David	....	presenter
Patrick Ferrerro	....	production assistant
Kay Gray	....	unit publicist
Nerses Kolanian	....	production assistant
Guy Landry	....	production assistant
Glendon Light	....	production assistant
Marilyn Majerczyk	....	production assistant
Serge Major	....	production accountant
Kim Obrist	....	assistant: Mr. Heroux
Danièle Rohrbach	....	production coordinator (as Daniele Rohrbach)
Nick Rose	....	production assistant
Victor Solnicki	....	presenter
Claire Veillet	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC)
• Filmplan
• Victor Solnicki Productions

Distributors

• AVCO Embassy Pictures (1981) (USA) (theatrical)
• Astral Films (1981) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Ciné Paris Distribution (1981) (France) (theatrical)
• Transcontinental Film (1982) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Video (1982) (USA) (VHS)
• Astral Video (????) (Canada) (VHS)
• Atlantic Film (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (1983) (USA) (VHS)
• Future Film (1997) (Finland) (VHS)
• Future Film (2003) (Finland) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Nelson Entertainment (1988) (USA) (VHS)
• Reserva Especial (Brazil) (VHS)
• Transvídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Van Blad (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Vídeo Network (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Intrigue

Other Companies

• Canadian Casting Associates  casting: Toronto
• Film House, Toronto  mixing facilities
• Film Opticals  opticals
• Negbec Films  negative cutting
• Paratel  publicity

Also Known As:

Telepathy 2000

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Italy:VM14 | Finland:K-18 (original rating) (1981) | Portugal:M/16 | Germany:16 (re-rating) (2007) | West Germany:18 (original rating) | Finland:K-15 (DVD rating) | Brazil:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:R | Canada:R | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Iceland:(Banned) | Norway:16 (cut) | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC)

Trivia:

A very early treatment from 1976, entitled "Telepathy 2000" takes place in the future, begins with the protagonist (who is named Harley Quinn) telepathically raping a woman in a subway, and was set as a spy movie. In this version, a company called Cytodyne Amalgamate was breeding evil Scanners to take over the world and the U.S. Government was employing good Scanners to stop them.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When the security escort guard is ordering his driver to slow down, he says "I'm going to kill you if you don't do it!". He is seen to mouth "stop" instead of "do it".

Quotes:

Paul Ruth: You are 35 years old, Mr. Vale. Why are you such a derelict? Such a piece of human junk?
Paul Ruth: [pause] The answer's simple. You're a scanner, which you don't realize. And that has been the source of all your agony. But I will show you now that it can be a source of great power.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "South Park: Cartman's Incredible Gift (#8.13)" (2004)

Dark and Dysphoric

Scanners is Cronenberg's venture into telepathy and the strange workings of the mind(he seems to do one movie on each theme, doesn't he?) While it is not as good as many of his other movies, it's still worthwhile.

First of all, the effects are really good. Some shots easily beat what the best CGI can do today, and some are just plain sick(you'll jump, I promise you). I was actually scratching my head over some things, thinking "how did they do that?", which is a good measure of special effects skills.

Second, the atmosphere is very powerful. It's a dark and unknown world in here, and no-one living in it likes it at all. The characters are all slightly off colour, subnormal. Our hero is no exception. The unknown Stephen Lack does a good-enough job, what with all the grimacing and psycho-playing. The supporting cast is over all sufficient. A treat is, as usual, Michael Ironside, who gives his pretty simple character a nice edge and a personality.

As for the story, it's sometimes hard to follow, and sometimes it lacks something. The ending is a bit rushed as well(even though the climax is incredible).

Still, Scanners is a cult movie and if you can find time, and you're in the right mood, it's certainly worthwhile for it's innovative gore, moody atmosphere and Michael Ironside.

7/10