Scanners

See scanner for references to devices like image scanners.

Scanners is a 1981 Canadian sci-fi horror movie written and directed by David Cronenberg.

Scanners are a group of people with telepathic and telekinetic abilities. ConSec, a corporation specialising in weaponry, is attempting to exploit their talents. When ConSec's last scanner is murdered by renegade Darryl Revok (in a notorious scene, Revok makes the man's head explode), Dr Paul Ruth recruits Cameron Vale to infiltrate Revok's group.

The story is structured as a futuristic thriller, involving industrial espionage and intrigue, car chases, conspiracies and shoot-outs (including a gruesome scanner duel between Vale and Revok at the end). It was the nearest thing to a conventional sci-fi thriller Cronenberg had made to that point, lacking the sexual content of Shivers, Rabid or The Brood; and it was also his most profitable film until The Fly six years later.

Because of the oddities of Canada's film financing structures at the time, it was necessary to begin shooting with only two weeks' pre-production work, and before the screenplay had been completed. As a result, Cronenberg has said that Scanners was a nightmare to make.

Cast

(incomplete)

• Stephen Lack ...as Cameron Vale
• Michael Ironside ...as Darryl Revok
• Patrick McGoohan ...as Dr. Paul Ruth, psychopharmacist
• Jennifer O'Neill ...as Kim Obrist

Sequels

Scanners also has sequels, a series of spinoffs, and a remake, none of which involved Cronenberg:

Sequels

• Scanners II: The New Order (1991)
• Scanners III: The Takeover (1992)

Spinoffs

• Scanner Cop (1994)
• Scanner Cop II (1995)

Remake

• Scanners (2005 'In production')

External links

• Scanners at IMDb
• Scanners II: The New Order at IMDb
• Scanners III: The Takeover at IMDb
• Scanner Cop at IMDb
• Scanner Cop II at IMDb
• Scanners (remake) at IMDb