Tuesday, August 17, 2010

BAD MOVIE REVIEW: Scanners (1981)

This movie will blow your mind!  I'm totally freaked out man.  Just kidding...but there is exploding heads and that is all you really need to know to make you want to see this movie had you not already.  Go ahead...I'll wait while you go watch it.  I'll just sit here and reminisce about how amazing it is.

Ok, you saw it right?  Pretty sweet huh?  I know, I know.  Michael Ironside is kick ass as the rogue scanner playing by his own rules aint he? hahaha ok ok, i'm done now.  The film is yet again another...Cronenberg Classic.  The majority of his work is classic and you can't call yourself much of a horror fan without watching and appreciating this man's work.  I love his use of effects and gore is used to enhance the experience rather than exploit it.  Like with the fly remake, this film has some very kick ass scenes but it doesn't detour you from the overall story.

I really enjoyed the cast.  The only one I'm familiar with is Michael Ironside.  I like that guy, I think he's so powerful on screen.  I really enjoyed the performances of the other main actors as well.  They didn't take anything too far and they were actually quite believable.  Who knew that mind fights could be so intense.  Quick shot to his face...back to the other guys face...flip flop flip flop.  Sounds awful but it was very enjoyable.

I love the idea of the scanners.  Telepathy and mind powers are great all in their own, but what Cronenberg created as a back story of their creation is anything but short of genius.  You could say there's some societal overtones there with medicine and drugs being the main cause of these mutations.  Perhaps a brief foreshadow of our next leap in the evolutionary chain?

You will probably want to watch it again after reading this just cause its so awesome.  I won't stop you, god knows I'll probably punch it in again soon.  I'm telling you the head explosion scene is the most amazing effect I've ever seen.  Well probably not, but in the past 2 hours it has.  It won't leave you disappointed and it will definately keep you interested and wanting to know more.

1 comment:

  1. Ironside. Another of my favorites. I just recently re-watched Scanners and the man was pitch perfect for the role. The expressions he gets on his face while he's working his mental mojo on his victims were priceless.

    I also agree about the effects, very impressive for their time and used tastefully. You'd think a movie that has exploding heads, rupturing blood vessels, and people bursting into flames while their eyeballs melt would be something more along the lines of camp classics like Motel Hell but Cronenberg really knew how to reign it all in and create a compelling, reasonably complex thriller.

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