Scanners Trilogy (1981-92)

Scanners (1981)

Dir. David Cronenberg

The eponymous individuals are able to kill with just a thought, and the film wastes no time in showing us one of them in action.

When a powerful corporation that wishes to control the Scanners no longer can, they need the help of a Scanner to stop the others. Yay for dramatic irony! It's kind of like needing your glasses to find your glasses, with the added danger that your glasses can telepathically kill you any time they like.

Patrick McGoohan is excellent as the fatherly psychopharmacist; Michael Ironside is unquestionably good as a menace; but, I'm sorry to say, while Stephen Lack did okay as a lost soul, he didn't have the acting experience at the time to make the inner conflict of the lead role hit as hard as it needed to.

If you're familiar with Cronenberg's early works, such as Stereo (1969) and Crimes of the Future (1970), you'll recognise trace elements of their structure in the film's settings and concerns, helped along by a budget that frees the production from being tied to an institute environment.

Howard Shore's unusual score does a first-rate job at helping us feel the pressure of both the killers and their victims. The actors must've felt like real idiots at those times, gurning and stressing out without the benefit of sound effects, but it works well when put together.

Scanners II: The New Order (1991)

Dir. Christian Duguay

Ten years is a long time to wait for a sequel, but that's how the film industry used to work. These days they'd have probably remade the original twice in that time.

There's no Cronenberg, Howard Shore, or any returning cast members, but overall part two isn't a bad film, even if the telepathy does occasionally overstep its boundaries, borrowing principles from the telekinesis camp without explanation.

The Scanners being exploited by a power-hungry group is once again an issue, but beyond that it actually tries to do something different with the component parts. It has some neat ideas of its own, meaning it's not just a retread of the first film's plot.

It follows David, a country-boy in the city; he's a tortured soul seeking a connection in a sea of other tortured souls. The difference for David is that he has powers that he can use to influence others, encouraging them to do his will. Even if the new direction isn't completely to your liking, there are still a few series-defining popping heads to keep you entertained.

Scanners III: The Takeover (1992)

Dir. Christian Duguay

If good intentions were enough to make a film good then part three would be better than it is thanks to the leading actress (Liliana Komorowska) giving it her all.

Elsewhere, it has a few interesting ideas and developments, such as offering up a scenario in which Scanner self-indulgence could go head-to-head with self-control, and it has a number of enjoyable kills.

It's a shame, then, that it's so badly constructed. The enthusiasm of Liliana meets its opposite in her male counterpart, sometimes dialogue was recorded too close to the microphone, and there seems to have been no effort made to hide the wires (or the cameraman on at least one occasion).

Two further films were made, Scanner Cop and Scanner Cop 2, but they're generally considered to be an offshoot more than a direct continuation. As such, I gave them a separate post. If you're interested you can read it here: Scanner Cop + Scanner Cop 2 (1994-95).