Scanners
Perhaps best classified as the last of the b-grade horror films David Cronenberg directed before he started making masterpieces on a consistent basis, this film also started its own low-budget franchise that continued on thru four sequels as well. Telling the story of people who for unexplained reasons (until the end) possess psychic mind-reading and telekinetic ability, Cronenberg tries and fails to help us identify with them due mostly to the casting of Stephen Lack as the protagonist, Cameron Vale. To say Lack is awful and wooden would be almost generous in inself, as the lack of charisma or any screen presence whatsoever is kinda sad considering what good actors could have filled this important role. In addition Lawrence Dane as a villainous security chief is one-note and boring as well, and sadly Cronenberg lets him carry the ball as the de facto bad guy for most of the film. However, the true lead bad guy is Darryl Revok, played unforgettably by Michael Ironside particularly in his amazing introduction scene. Ironside is so creepy and spectacularly evil the viewer wishes he were onscreen more, instead of characters always making reference to him instead. In other roles, Jennifer O’Neil is hot as a female scanner who helps Vale along on his mission, and Patrick McGoohan (despite an improbably played out final scene) brings some weight to the role of the scientist who started it all. However, the bread and butter of the film (and the reason it became a minor horror classic), are the makeup FX. From Ironside’s first scene to several massacre scenes to the final showdown, this is the reason movies should never resort to CGI, as the veins popping up on people’s arms and faces and squirting blood are quite unnerving. In addition, Cronenberg wraps things up nicely in the last ten minutes by allowing Ironside to do some meaningful acting before the final battle. All in all, not quite great, but surely a sign of greatness to come…
7/10