Scanners (1981)
- written August 2000
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Cameron Vail isn’t like everyone else. He hears people’s thoughts, control’s people’s minds and can basically kill anyone without touching them. And he’s not alone. Back in the 1950’s some good doctors decided that ephemerol would be a good drug for mothers to us enduring pregnancy to ease the pain and suffering on those 9 months. But when the kids were born they started having adverse side effects, which awakened the telepathic parts of the brain – but also could help exacerbate evil tendencies. The good doctor who dreamed up the drug is also trying to stop a rebel band of outlaws with these abilities, scanners, from killing everyone in the world. So his mission is to have Cameron go in undercover, infiltrate the organization, and kill the rebel leader, Darryl Revok. But Darryl knows all this as he has a mole himself in ConSec headquarters and is awaiting Cameron’s presence. But before he gets to him, he has to clean the city of its non-loyal scanner population. Oh yeah, Darryl got a few more secrets under his sleeve!
Overall: Definitely an A+ horror film. This is one of the first films to ever have an exploding head – and focusing on it as it exploded. Awesome camera work and effects. The battle between Cameron and Darryl is quite classic and the film as a whole works in many levels. You get to see the evolution of the scanning ability by looking at 4 separate individuals and the stages scanning has gone through: Darryl with the insanity and ruthlessness, Ben Pierce with his insanity and peace, Kim Obrist with her passive acceptance and of course Cameron who is but a virgin with the whole idea. But Darryl and Cameron are special and more powerful than the others and this really shows how complex they can be. A definite must-see for you all! Comparison: Lawnmower Man meets Star Wars |
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Scanners Reviews Page
Scanners 2 Reviews Page
Horror Films A-K Review Page
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