Scanner Cop + Scanner Cop 2 (1994-95)

Scanner Cop (1994)

Dir. Pierre David

The opening scene lets us know that the first film in the offshoot of Scanners (1981) isn't going to wimp-out when it comes to delivering practical FX on a budget. It's ridiculous but so damn good!

It then jumps forward fifteen years, following a wet behind the ears police recruit named Samuel Staziak (Daniel Quinn). Sam prefers to keep his Scanner ability secret, but when a spate of brutal cop killings kicks off he feels the pressure to reveal himself and put his unique talents to use.

There's a hasty recap of what the ephemerol drug is and does, but to get the full backstory it'll be necessary to watch the previous trilogy.

The villains are rubbish; it's a major failing, but their agenda is what drives the protagonist and forces him to risk it all, so they at least have some use.

They're also responsible for a large amount of the weird shit that goes down in the finale. The film can support it, so the weird is welcome.

Scanner Cop 2 (1995)

aka: Scanners: The Showdown
Dir. Steve Barnett

A drifter is picked up by cops. They think it's a routine case. It's no surprise that they're wrong.

It continues the story of Samuel Staziak, the rookie cop from the previous film, once again played by Daniel Quinn. His role as a police officer is a more confident one, boosted by his gift/curse as a scanner to turn almost any situation to his advantage, but his acting is only marginally better. During the course of the film Sam is targeted by another scanner but doesn't know why.

There's a "special kind of ephemerol" that's very plot-convenient; you'll just have to roll with it if you're to get any enjoyment from the script.

Overall, it's a decent 'science gone awry' thriller with practical FX that are praiseworthy; there's an especially memorable one involving a screen door.