Scanners (1981)

Director:

David Cronenberg

Writer:

David Cronenberg (written by)

Release Date:

14 January 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

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 | Psychic Power | Doctor | Car Crash | Murder

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:
John Brasington	...	Hazmat-Suit Worker (uncredited)
Chris Britton	...	Hazmat-Suit Worker (uncredited)
Jack Canon	...	Hazmat-Suit Worker (uncredited)
Richard Chapman Jr.	...	Hazmat-Suit Worker (uncredited)
Leon Herbert	...	Hazmat-Suit Worker (uncredited)
William Hope	...	Hazmat-Suit Worker (uncredited)
Thomas Kovacs	...	Boyfriend (uncredited)
Ian McQue	...	Scanner / Security Guard (uncredited)
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)
• Ciné Paris Distribution (1981) (France) (theatrical)
• New World-Mutual (1981) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Nippon Herald Films (1997) (Japan) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Toei Company (1981) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Transcontinental Film (1982) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Video (1982) (USA) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (UK) (2005) (UK) (DVD) (box set)
• Astral Video (????) (Canada) (VHS)
• Atlantic Film (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (1983) (USA) (VHS)
• European Video Corporation (EVC) (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Future Film (1997) (Finland) (VHS)
• Future Film (2003) (Finland) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Malofilm Home Video (1987) (Canada) (VHS)
• Nelson Entertainment (1988) (USA) (VHS)
• Reserva Especial (Brazil) (VHS)
• Transvídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Van Blad (2002) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Vídeo Network (198?) (Brazil) (VHS) (as "Scanners - Sua Morte Pode Destruir") (dubbed in Portuguese)

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:

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 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Spain:18 | 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:

William S. Burroughs' 1959 novel 'Naked Lunch' contains a chapter concerning "Senders", a hostile organization of telepaths bent on world domination, a clear literary inspiration for this film.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Cameron Vale first visits Kim Obrist, before going up the stairs to meet her, some lighting equipment and the boom microphone is reflected in the glass door as it closes behind him.

Quotes:

Cameron Vale:Benjamin Pierce?
Benjamin Pierce:Why don't you leave me alone?
Cameron Vale:I need some help. You're the only one that can give it to me.
Benjamin Pierce:Is that right? Me?
Cameron Vale:Yes.
Benjamin Pierce:[Benjamin bursts out in laughter] Then I think you're in big trouble, chump.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Indestructible Man (#5.9)" (1992)

Brilliant underrated Sci-fi shocker!

In a world populated among humans, there is a race of super-powered mutant human beings called "Scanners" who have a unique form of ESP that can read minds even destroy them literally including machines through telekinesis as well. Cameron Vale (Stephen Lack) is a homeless Scanner who was minding his own business until he is to be given a task by a kind doctor named Paul Ruth (Patrick McGoohan) to hunt down an evil scanner named Daryl Revok (Michael Ironside). Joining with him is a female Scanner named Kim (Jennifer O'Neil) along his side they must try to track him and his goons down before he has a plan to take over the human race.

A solid and underrated cult Science Fiction horror thriller from the brilliant David Cronenberg. Sure Stephen Lack's acting is very weak but the other actors like McGoohan and Ironside are just great aside from wooden Lack, i also love the realistic and gruesome make-up and gore effects by Dick Smith and Chris Wallace that still hold up today very realistically without CGI such as the famed exploding head scene everyone remembers. I also like Howard Shore's chilling music score long before his scores to "Silence of the Lambs" or "Lord of the Rings", the film is a metaphor on birth defects and how a drug can mutate a child into something different that they will grow up into even something dangerous. It also does offer a statement on humanity and how another race of being can be accepted or discriminated against sort of like how the "X-Men" movies worked out.

It's definitely not for the squeamish but for those looking for a good thrilling and intelligent Sci-fi horror thriller then this is it.

Also recommended: "Videodrome", "Akira", "Firestarter", "The Dead Zone (1983)", "Carrie", "Making Contact (a.k.a. Joey)", "Re-Animator", "Maniac (1980)", "The Brood", "The Fly (1986)", "The Toxic Avenger", "C.H.U.D.", "Dawn of the Dead (1978 and 2004)", "The X-Files 1 & 2", "X-Men Trilogy", "The Thing (1982)", "X-Men Origins: Wolverine", "Rabid", "Ichi The Killer", "Grindhouse", "Tokyo Gore Police", "The Shining", "From Beyond", "Brainstorm", "Altered States", "Blade Runner", "28 Days Later", "Return of the Living Dead 3", "28 Weeks Later", "Day of the Dead (1985)", "Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky", "ExistenZ", "Suspect Zero", "The Gift", "Tetsuo The Iron Man", "Hulk", "The Incredible Hulk (2008)", "Cannibal Apocalypse", "Inside", "Twilight Zone The Movie", "Final Destination Series", "Tourist Trap", "Chopping Mall", "Halloween III: Season of the Witch", "The Blob (1988)", "An American Werewolf in London", "Pyrokinesis", "Battle Royale" and "The Hills Have Eyes (2006)".