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 | exploding head | 

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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

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.

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Goofs

Before the scene where Cameron is officially introduced to Kim at the apartment where all the good Scanners meet up, there is a zoom in on Darryl (Ironside) who is waiting outside. You can see Michael Ironside is standing on what is the end of the dolly tracks which is used to smoothly truck the camera in for the zoom camera move on his face.

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Quotes

Darryl Revok: [strikes back at Cameron with scanner abilities] All right. We're gonna do this the scanner way. I'm gonna suck your brain dry! Everything you are is gonna become me. You're gonna be with me Cameron, no matter what. After all, brothers should be close, don't you think?

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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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Alternate Versions

In the scene when Cameron Vale is in Revok's factory, he checks the computer. When we see the monitor, there's a green frame in this version and there's also a green frame at the closing credits. This version appeared on the VHS distributed by MOKÉP.

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Connections

Referenced in The Goldbergs: Mister Knifey-Hands (2018)

User Reviews

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