Scanners (1981)

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

Director:

David Cronenberg

Writer:

David Cronenberg

Stars:

Jennifer O'Neill, Stephen Lack, Patrick McGoohan

3 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jennifer O'Neill	...	Kim Obrist
Stephen Lack	...	Cameron Vale (as Steven Lack)
Patrick McGoohan	...	Dr. Paul Ruth
Lawrence Dane	...	Braedon Keller
Michael Ironside	...	Darryl Revok
Robert A. Silverman	...	Benjamin Pierce (as Robert Silverman)
Larry Perkins	...	Security One (as Lee Broker)
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

Storyline

Darryl Revok is the most powerful of all the scanners, and is the head of the underground scanner movement for world domination. Scanners have great psychic power, strong enough to control minds; they can inflict enormous pain/damage on their victims. Doctor Paul Ruth finds a scanner that Revok hasn't, and converts him to their cause - to destroy the underground movement.

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Plot Keywords:

psychic power | scientist | sabotage | investigation | telepathy | 

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Taglines:

Their thoughts can kill!

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 January 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Scanners

Filming Locations:

Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

CAD 4,100,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$14,225,876

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC),Filmplan International

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In February 2007, Darren Lynn Bousman was announced as director of a remake of the film, to be released by The Weinstein Company and Dimension Films. David S. Goyer was assigned to script the film. The film was planned for an October 17, 2008, release, but the date came and went without further announcements, and all the parties involved have since moved on to other projects. In an interview with Bousman in 2013, he recalled that he would not make the film without David Cronenberg's blessing, which was not granted.

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Goofs

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".

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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.

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Crazy Credits

As the credits end, the words "Max Security Self Destruct Seconds 1" flash on the screen, then the screen flashes green, as if someone shut the monitor off.

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Connections

Featured in Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy (2010)

User Reviews

Occasionally creative but mostly just plain bad

On the good side, the special exploding body effects are good and the "artist" scanner's sculptures are memorable and disturbing.

On the bad side, the lead actor, Stephen Lack, has about the acting ability of a brick. I haven't seen acting this bad outside of Mystery Science Theater 3000. The movie moves slowly and fills the long spaces between action with overly involved exposition or pointless filler, and the "twist" at the end of the film is cheesy enough to make one cringe.

Cronenberg is a great director, but only when he has a budget for something other than just special effects and only when he DOESN'T write the screenplay. Avoid.