Scanners

1981
X
1h 43m

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

64K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

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Body Horror Conspiracy Thriller Tragedy Horror Sci-Fi Thriller

A scientist trains a man with an advanced telepathic ability called "scanning" to stop a dangerous Scanner with extraordinary psychic powers from waging war against non scanners.A scientist trains a man with an advanced telepathic ability called "scanning" to stop a dangerous Scanner with extraordinary psychic powers from waging war against non scanners.A scientist trains a man with an advanced telepathic ability called "scanning" to stop a dangerous Scanner with extraordinary psychic powers from waging war against non scanners.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

64K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

4,568

105

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 3 wins & 9 nominations total

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

Elizabeth Mudry

Killer in Barn

Victor Désy

Dr. Gatineau
(as Victor Desy)

Louis Del Grande

First Scanner

Director
- David Cronenberg
Writer
- David Cronenberg
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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9:57

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
David Cronenberg once called this the most frustrating film he'd ever made. The film was rushed through production - filming had to begin without a finished script and end within roughly two months so the financing would qualify as a tax write-off, forcing Cronenberg to write and shoot at the same time. Cronenberg also cited difficulty with and antagonism between the leads, particularly Patrick McGoohan and Jennifer O'Neill.

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

Quotes
Benjamin Pierce: My art... keeps me sane.
[gestures at plaster head]
Benjamin Pierce: Art.
[taps his temples]
Benjamin Pierce: Sane.

Crazy credits
Credits scroll like words on the CONSEC computer monitor.

Alternate versions
The death of the first scanner ('Victor Del Grande' ) was filmed in two different ways: the theatrical release has Revok (Michael Ironside) causing his head to explode; an alternate take, featured in television versions, shows him dying of a grotesque heart attack instead. The Sci-Fi Network has shown the scene intact.

Connections
Edited into 365 Days, also Known as a Year (2019)

User reviews251

Featured review

Mind-Blowing Experience

Scanners is a film about a group of human mutants that are able to basically make people go mad, and finally they can make their minds actually explode. Supposedly created out of the scientific work of a scientist working on a product for pregnant women(or something like that), the scanners(as they are called) are divided into two factions. One is out to destroy all other scanners and the other works for the labs that created them. This is an intensely philosophical film filled with many thought-provoking questions and issues. Director David Cronenberg again uses the idea of the human body in an aberrated state as the focus for terror. He directs with style and suspense, and uses a lot more gore in this than most of his previous features. Don't let that keep you from seeing this film. the acting is solid all around with Stephen Lack giving a nice performance in the lead, and Michael Ironsides giving yet another chilling performance of dementia. He sure can play one sick and crazy guy! Patrick McGoohan plays the fatherly scientist with style and finesse. One of Cronenberg's best!