MovieMonday.com - Scanners with Jennifer O'Neill, Stephen Lack, Patrick McGoohan, Lawrence Dane, Robert Silverman, Michael Ironside

Techno Films

Scanners (A-)

STARS...
Jennifer O'Neill, Stephen Lack, Patrick McGoohan, Lawrence Dane, Robert Silverman, and Michael Ironside.

PLOT SUMMARY...
A drug given to pregnant women results in babies born with E.S.P.

QUICK SCAN...
This film could be compared to "Altered States". SCANNERS features action and FX. A scene of a "Scanner" blowing up a guy's head is both spectacular and gory. Patrick McGoohan (The Prisoner) is relaxed and commanding as the doctor in charge of the scanner project.

DIRECTOR: David Cronenberg
YEAR & RATING: 1981 (R)

BEST BETS:

Scanners 2

Videodrome
SYNOPSIS...
A homeless person is picked up by agents from a private company. He turns out to have E.S.P., as a result of a drug his mother took during pregnancy.

The "Scanner" is sent out to find an evil Scanner. Our hero hooks up with members of the Scanner underground. He finds out that a drug is being sent out to create thousands more Scanners.

Our hero is captured by the evil Scanner, who turns out to be his brother. The two Scanners fight it out in an E.S.P. battle. Although his body is destroyed, the good Scanner manages to transport his mind into his evil brother's body.

Review:

Director/Writer David Cronenberg's ("The Fly"), SCANNERS is a powerful Sci-Fi techno fable. Cronenberg's other films include "Videodrome" and "Naked Lunch", among others.

Cronenberg's SCANNERS has a great premise: an experimental drug used on pregnant women in the late Forties resulted in babies with a particular kind of E.S.P. Now a private organization is trying to turn the grown up kids, called "Scanners", into killing machines.

Patrick McGoohan ("The Prisoner", "Ice Station Zebra") commands the screen, as usual, as Dr. Paul Ruth. Under Cronenberg's assured Direction, McGoohan delivers the goods with lines like, "You're a Scanner, but you don't realize it. That has been the source of all your agony."

Michael Ironside ("Total Recall", "Extreme Prejudice") makes a strong impression as an evil Scanner. In a scene, in black and white, depicting him as a younger man in a mental institution, Ironside is particularly effective AND disturbing.

As a good guy Scanner, Stephen Lack is a bit flat, playing most of his scenes wide eyed, with little facial expression. This may have been Director Cronenberg's desired effect, but hey, I'm no mind reader!

Jennifer O'Neill ("Summer of '42") is okay as a good Scanner Lack hooks up with. While no great shakes as an actress, she IS a sympathetic screen presence.

The exploding heads are kept to a minimum in this SCANNERS outing, which is a good thing. Dick Smith gets the credit for the clever, if gory, Special Make-up Effects.

SCANNERS Music is powerful, stark, and relentless, like the soundtrack to a nightmare. Howard Shore gets the credit.

Director of Photography, Mark Irwin, delivers striking screen imagery. Particularly good is a shot of a large sculpture of a head, laying on its side in an artist's studio.

SCANNERS should be rather watchable for most Sci-Fi viewers. Cronenberg and McGoohan fans will be well entertained.

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Scanners (A-)
	STARS... Jennifer O'Neill, Stephen Lack, Patrick McGoohan, Lawrence Dane, Robert Silverman, and Michael Ironside. PLOT SUMMARY... A drug given to pregnant women results in babies born with E.S.P. QUICK SCAN... This film could be compared to "Altered States". SCANNERS features action and FX. A scene of a "Scanner" blowing up a guy's head is both spectacular and gory. Patrick McGoohan (The Prisoner) is relaxed and commanding as the doctor in charge of the scanner project.
DIRECTOR: David Cronenberg YEAR & RATING: 1981 (R) BEST BETS: Scanners 2 Videodrome	SYNOPSIS... A homeless person is picked up by agents from a private company. He turns out to have E.S.P., as a result of a drug his mother took during pregnancy. The "Scanner" is sent out to find an evil Scanner. Our hero hooks up with members of the Scanner underground. He finds out that a drug is being sent out to create thousands more Scanners. Our hero is captured by the evil Scanner, who turns out to be his brother. The two Scanners fight it out in an E.S.P. battle. Although his body is destroyed, the good Scanner manages to transport his mind into his evil brother's body.
Review: Director/Writer David Cronenberg's ("The Fly"), SCANNERS is a powerful Sci-Fi techno fable. Cronenberg's other films include "Videodrome" and "Naked Lunch", among others. Cronenberg's SCANNERS has a great premise: an experimental drug used on pregnant women in the late Forties resulted in babies with a particular kind of E.S.P. Now a private organization is trying to turn the grown up kids, called "Scanners", into killing machines. Patrick McGoohan ("The Prisoner", "Ice Station Zebra") commands the screen, as usual, as Dr. Paul Ruth. Under Cronenberg's assured Direction, McGoohan delivers the goods with lines like, "You're a Scanner, but you don't realize it. That has been the source of all your agony." Michael Ironside ("Total Recall", "Extreme Prejudice") makes a strong impression as an evil Scanner. In a scene, in black and white, depicting him as a younger man in a mental institution, Ironside is particularly effective AND disturbing. As a good guy Scanner, Stephen Lack is a bit flat, playing most of his scenes wide eyed, with little facial expression. This may have been Director Cronenberg's desired effect, but hey, I'm no mind reader! Jennifer O'Neill ("Summer of '42") is okay as a good Scanner Lack hooks up with. While no great shakes as an actress, she IS a sympathetic screen presence. The exploding heads are kept to a minimum in this SCANNERS outing, which is a good thing. Dick Smith gets the credit for the clever, if gory, Special Make-up Effects. SCANNERS Music is powerful, stark, and relentless, like the soundtrack to a nightmare. Howard Shore gets the credit. Director of Photography, Mark Irwin, delivers striking screen imagery. Particularly good is a shot of a large sculpture of a head, laying on its side in an artist's studio. SCANNERS should be rather watchable for most Sci-Fi viewers. Cronenberg and McGoohan fans will be well entertained.