Remember at the school's playground, when you were about 10-12 years old, and discussing with friends which super-powers you wanted to have, or which Superhero you wanted to be? Everybody wanted to be Spider-Man or Superman, or desired for X-Ray vision or the ability to talk with animals... Yours truly wanted to be a Scanner. Read people's minds, make them do stuff for you, etc. And if teachers, or adults in general, become annoying, you could always make their noses bleed and their foreheads sweat, or - why not - make their heads go kaboom! Admittedly, I was a weird kid.
In all seriousness, though, the original "Scanners" - written and directed by the almighty David Cronenberg - is one of few movies that made a deep and everlasting impression on me. The fact I was far too young when I first saw it plays a role, but also the idea of telepathically gifted people causing harm to others and abusing their powers truly disturbed me. And yes, that exploding head is still in my top 3 of legendary horror moments. I loved Cronenberg's film so much that, for 30 years, I refused watching the sequels and spin-offs. There was only one "Scanners" for me. Only recently, when I watched and enjoyed both "Scanner Cop" movies, I've been looking for the two direct sequels.
"Scanners II: the New Order" is as good as a belated (10 years gap) sequel can be, especially considering director Christian Duguay was inexperienced, and the film doesn't feature any of major cult stars from the original, like Michael Ironside or Patrick McGoohan. What I liked most here is that the good characters are genuinely likable and sympathetic, whereas the bad characters are truly loathsome and terrifying. Police Commander Forrester and Doctor Morse are not Scanners themselves, but they developed the fiendish plan to create the New Order; - a superior police army existing of Scanners enforcing a zero-tolerance policy. Their only problem is that their Scanners are either dangerously volatile projectiles (like the psychotic Drak) or drooling zombies addicted to medicines. They stumble upon the powerful but pure Scanner David Kellum from the countryside, but he fights back!
There are multiple highlights in "Scanners II: the New Order", like the opening sequences in which crazed Drak trashes an entire Arcade video-game hall, the liquor store robbery when David discovers his powers, the quest for the milk-poisoner, David hearing the truth from his parents, or the brutal and gore-soaked finale at the hospital facility. The anonymous cast does a terrific job, notably Yvan Ponton as the evil Forrester and Raoul Trujillo as Drak, and the special effects & make-up art is downright sublime. Whoever said 90s horror wasn't worthwhile?
In all seriousness, though, the original "Scanners" - written and directed by the almighty David Cronenberg - is one of few movies that made a deep and everlasting impression on me. The fact I was far too young when I first saw it plays a role, but also the idea of telepathically gifted people causing harm to others and abusing their powers truly disturbed me. And yes, that exploding head is still in my top 3 of legendary horror moments. I loved Cronenberg's film so much that, for 30 years, I refused watching the sequels and spin-offs. There was only one "Scanners" for me. Only recently, when I watched and enjoyed both "Scanner Cop" movies, I've been looking for the two direct sequels.
"Scanners II: the New Order" is as good as a belated (10 years gap) sequel can be, especially considering director Christian Duguay was inexperienced, and the film doesn't feature any of major cult stars from the original, like Michael Ironside or Patrick McGoohan. What I liked most here is that the good characters are genuinely likable and sympathetic, whereas the bad characters are truly loathsome and terrifying. Police Commander Forrester and Doctor Morse are not Scanners themselves, but they developed the fiendish plan to create the New Order; - a superior police army existing of Scanners enforcing a zero-tolerance policy. Their only problem is that their Scanners are either dangerously volatile projectiles (like the psychotic Drak) or drooling zombies addicted to medicines. They stumble upon the powerful but pure Scanner David Kellum from the countryside, but he fights back!
There are multiple highlights in "Scanners II: the New Order", like the opening sequences in which crazed Drak trashes an entire Arcade video-game hall, the liquor store robbery when David discovers his powers, the quest for the milk-poisoner, David hearing the truth from his parents, or the brutal and gore-soaked finale at the hospital facility. The anonymous cast does a terrific job, notably Yvan Ponton as the evil Forrester and Raoul Trujillo as Drak, and the special effects & make-up art is downright sublime. Whoever said 90s horror wasn't worthwhile?