- Actors: Jennifer O'Neill, Stephen Lack, Patrick McGoohan, Lawrence Dane, Michael Ironside
- Directors: David Cronenberg
- Format: PAL
- Language English
- Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: 18
- Studio: Arrow
- DVD Release Date: 25 Oct 1999
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00004CZO7
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 83,567 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Amazon.co.uk Review
David Cronenberg's 1981 horror film Scanners is a darkly paranoid story of a homeless man (Stephen Lack) mistakenly believed to be insane, when in fact he can't turn off the sound of other people's thoughts in his telepathic mind. Helped by a doctor (Patrick McGoohan) and enlisted in a programme of "scanners"--telepaths who also can will heads to explode--he becomes involved in a battle against nefarious forces. A number of critics consider this to be Cronenberg's first great film, and indeed it has a serious vision of destiny that rivals some of the important German expressionist works from the silent cinema. Lack is very good as the odd hero, and McGoohan is effectively eccentric and chilly as the scientist who saves him from the street, only to thrust him into a terrible struggle. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com
Special Features
English
Region 2
Region 2
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A splatter movie for the discerning viewer,
By nigel@netspecialist.com (Amsterdam) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Scanners [VHS] (VHS Tape)
I have watched this film at least 50 times and I never tire of seeing it. It's proof that Cronenberg was, even nearly 20 years ago, a visionary with a strong stomach. The exploding head, the ruptured veins, nosebleeds and spontaneous combustion should have produced a film whose violence is completely tasteless, but it didn't. Instead, the director uses strong photography, an interesting notion for a plot (Cronenberge studied as a biochemist, and many of his films deal with the concepts of disease and infection) and a gripping soundtrack by his long-time collaborator Howard Shore, to build a film which is truly enjoyable. Despite the uniformly wooden acting and appallingly weak dialogue, the 'kinda' happy ending and a rather obvious 'right versus wrong' storyline, the overall effect is still gripping and - somehow - great fun. Great.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Scanners - Exploration of gifts as a curse,
By
This review is from: Scanners [DVD] (DVD)
Scanners are humans who can interact with another nervous system, in the film principally human beings. They can read thoughts and remotely effect the person they are scanning.
I watched this film when it was released and the impact for me then as it is now is the sub-theme of the ability to scan as being a curse. I remember that the attraction at the time was the special effects but the study of the burden of being a scanner within the film lifts it above pulp horror/sci-fi. The opening scene where the main character is tormented by unconsciously reading what two strangers are thinking about him and the troubled artist who keeps himself sane by putting the voices into his art are some of the most memorable scenes in the film. Michael Ironside is excellent as the villian. Patrick McGoohan (Danger man and the Prisoner) is on top class form. The film is really well crafted in that there really aren't any superfluous scenes. A good tight well-scripted film. It could possibly have been made a bit longer but any extra scene would have just been padding. Excellent.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Blow Your Mind,
By
This review is from: Scanners [1981] [DVD] (DVD)
Scanners was notorious at its time of release for the exploding head sequence. A scene the late great Kenny Everett spoofed on his television show.This film along with Rabid, The Brood and Dead Ringers cemented David Cronenbergs name as a master of urban horror.Any film that can get a restrained performance from the normally vigorous Michael Ironside has to be worth checking out. He is actually rather good in this. For me the excellent Patrick McGoohan is what lifts this very original film above the rank of a mere gorefest. If your a thinking mans horror fan add this to your stash. Its excellent.
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