SCANNERS (1981)
Article 3922 by Dave Sindelar
Viewing Date: 4-30-2012
Posting Date: 5-10-2012
Directed by David Cronenberg
Featuring Jennifer O’Neill, Stephen Lack, Patrick McGoohan
Country: Canada
What it is: Science fiction thriller

When a group of mutant telepaths (whose powers can do physical damage to their victims) known as scanners band together in an organization bent on world conquest, a security group recruits an unattached one to track down and destroy the leader of the organization.

I was one of those people who managed to catch the notorious trailer for this one in the theater, and I will admit that it had a way of grabbing the attention. I thought I’d actually seen this one years ago, but having watched it now, I’m not so sure; outside of the segment used in the trailer and a few scenes I recognized from stills, nothing else in the movie jarred any memories. As I usually do with Cronenberg’s films, I find it very interesting, though the plot takes a while to sort itself out. One of the most common accusations leveled against this one is that the script is muddled, and, though I do think the plot eventually works itself out, some of the character moments don’t really ring true, and at times it feels rushed and oddly paced. Nevertheless, Cronenberg’s ideas make it worth the watching.