Scanners, 1981. My Journey into Science Fiction Part 18.

 

Hello, and welcome back to My Journey into Science Fiction Part 18. Scanners is a science fiction horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg. The film stars Stephen Lack, Jennifer O’Neill, Michael Ironside, and Patrick McGoohan. The movie was released on January 14th 1981 and was a success at the box office. However, it was not nominated for any major awards, but The Academy of Science Fiction gave it a Saturn Award in 1981 for Best International Film.

The world is changing as some men and women are born with telepathic and telekinetic powers, and these people are called scanners. Darryl Revok is a powerful scanner with a plan for future domination. Doctor Paul Ruth needs someone who can help bring down Daryl and Cameron Vale is dispatched by ConSec to seek him out.

I have to admit that I was scared by the Scanners poster as a child and it’s a film I have somehow avoided, until now. Starting this journey has made me realise I’m becoming quite the fan of David Cronenberg, as I have already reviewed The Fly for this project. There is something unique in his style and when we meet Cameron Vale Stephen Lack in the shopping mall, I am so impressed with his ability to make a film look like a piece of modern art. There is plenty of colour in the mall, but it feels cold and uninviting. Add the music by Howard Shore and I’m already out of my comfort zone. Cameron is an outcast of society, and when he eats in a cafe, he can hear the thoughts of two ladies who mention how terrible he looks. Unfortunately, for one of them, this results in Cameron’s mind sending her into spasms on the floor. Cameron looks like a man out of control and before he can get himself together, he is chased, drugged and dragged away by a couple of very official-looking men. As I watched the woman shake on the floor, it left me feeling uncomfortable and helped set the tone for the film. I can’t explain it, but Cronenberg makes me feel completely vulnerable to the feelings and images I always try to avoid.

Cronenberg said that the film had been his most difficult to make, and the fact he had to write the script while in production shows how talented and prolific he is as an artist. However, I will admit, I felt a little frustrated with the structure and pacing of the film. And, I’m wondering why that is. I think the plot is solid, but I can see how Cronenberg was trying to bring it all together, on budget and on time. It’s not a bad film, but some scenes seemed weak compared to the big-money sequences. However, I usually think this way, and on a second viewing find a completely new film. I guess the most famous image from the movie is the exploding head scene. I admire the vision that went into making it work, which included filling it with leftover burger meat and blasting the prop with a real shotgun, but it’s another head that made a far bigger impression on me. Benjamin Pierce Robert Silverman is also a scanner, and Cameron has tracked him down to try and find the location of Darryl Revok. Benjamin, is a successful artist who lives in his studio, along with a huge gigantic head. At this exact moment, I wondered if this was more than a body horror film, and would start to delve into the human psyche. Well, until the shotguns began to start firing. I thought Benjamin was an interesting character, and I felt he was meant to contribute more to this film. I suppose this is when things started to feel rushed and put the entire telekinesis power at a disadvantage. It doesn’t matter how strong your powers are, if you have a lot of people with guns or even a sniper close by, you’re as good as dead. 

I guess that leaves the final scene to discuss, and what a fantastic ending. In this showdown, it turns out Cameron and Darryl are biological brothers, and to add insult to injury, Dr Paul Ruth Patrick McGoohan is their father. Darryl asks Cameron to join him on a crusade to rule the World but Cameron, using the same facial expression he has used throughout the entire film, politely declines. I think this is Cronenberg at his best, as he uses the talents of those around him to help create a unique vision that belongs to him only. I love the intensity of this scene as Cameron and Darryl’s veins start bulging like a steroid injection on a training day. The moment Cameron starts to pull the flesh from his face reminded me of Raiders of the Lost Ark but executed better. Eventually, Cameron bursts into flames and his eyes explode. Not to worry though, as it turns out, Cameron isn’t dead. He has simply transferred his mind into Darryl’s body. It took me a while but I finally realised what Cameron’s burnt corpse reminded me of and it’s the burning monk photograph. I think that’s why I’m starting to love this director, as that picture is so powerful, that when you add it to a film like this, it makes me think about the real sacrifice humanity has made in the pursuit of freedom.

So, at the end of the day. I enjoyed this film, but I can see how Cronenberg was restricted somewhat. I believe, if he had been given the right chance, he could have created a legacy for Scanners that is far bigger than the one we have now. Watching this film also made me realise the eighties could be remembered as the most science fiction-embraced decade in history. We were ready to accept the changes coming, and the furniture and décor certainly tell you that. Now, we have gone back to soft furnishings and taken a step back, that is a real shame in my opinion. Scanners may be a film that I will need more time to appreciate. However, David Cronenberg has already made a huge impression on my love for cinema. I only hope I can learn to truly understand his vision and appreciate more about life in the process. 

So, where to next in My Journey into Science Fiction Part 19? Well, I want to keep this one simple, because this is a film that I have wanted to watch for a long time, and now I have my chance. Okay, I know this film is a biopic, but there is some low-budget science fiction in the story. Howard Shore composed the music for Scanners, and eventually worked on Ed Wood 1994, with Tim Burton, and that is the film I will be watching next. I have heard so many good films about this film, and I am curious to see if those rumours are true.

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