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)
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

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 | exploding head | scientist | sabotage | investigation | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the nearest thing to a conventional science fiction thriller David Cronenberg had made up to that point, lacking the sexual content of Shivers (1975), Rabid (1977), or The Brood (1979). It was also his most profitable film until The Fly (1986) six years later.

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Goofs

After the famous "exploding head" scene, there wasn't a drop of blood on Revok or the table.

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Quotes

Woman in Mall: [to her companion, as Cameron Vale approaches, staring at them] Don't look now but I think we're being
[sarcastically]
Woman in Mall: picked up.

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Crazy Credits

Credits scroll like words on the CONSEC computer monitor.

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Alternate Versions

The original Finnish video version is cut, especially the scene were Revok caused the other scanner's head to explode was trimmed. The re-released on VHs & DVD by Future Film in 1996 is uncut.

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Connections

Featured in Terror in the Aisles (1984)

User Reviews

Scanners is one of Cronenberg's early films of worth

David Cronenberg is one of the most provocative horror directors ever as one of his early films like Scanners proves. Stephen Lack has just been picked by Dr. Patrick McGoohan to infiltrate a sinister organization of scanners-people of telepathic abilities. Lack is one of them who gets administrated a drug to control his more intense urges. Michael Ironside is the one they're looking for. Jennifer O'Neill, Lawrence Dane, and Robert Silverman also lend support. See heads explode and veins pop! There's lots of exposition but more than enough gore and action to satisfy any hard core fans out there. Film actually seemed a little short but there's not a wasted minute here. All Cronenberg and horror fans should definitely seek this one out.

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:

CAD4,100,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$14,225,876

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$14,225,876

Company Credits

Production Co:

Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC), Filmplan International, Montreal Trust Company of Canada

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1