Scanners (1981) MOVIE REACTION! FIRST TIME WATCHING!!

Hello and Welcome back to Cinema Rules! The Master of BODY HORROR... David Cronenberg, we watch his 1981 movie Scanners and this one sparked our interest early and delivered on a gory ending!
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[@Kaitschi]

Michael Ironside's Revok is such an amazing Villain. The Score and Effects are still chilling

[@dimitrakapa4887]

Ikr!!!???

[@elskeletor3566]

Michael Ironside is a great actor.

[@carlossaraiva8213]

I discovered Michael Ironside with this movie. Been a fan since.

[@pattiharvey1787]

I like that "I'm going to suck your brain dry." Totally menacing 👍

[@frankgesuele6298]

@@elskeletor3566 Great villain is his forte😈

[@jimtatro6550]

I was 13 when this came out and my older sister took me to see it…..best sister ever!!! The head scene at the beginning is still a all time great moment. I love this movie!!😂

[@johnw8578]

I loved this seeing it in the theater as a kid!

[@extracaliber432]

Now for "Videodrome".

[@OddManeuver]

👀 I watched that movie when I was 13. It’s still part of my core memories

[@el34glo59]

Yes please. Much better movie imo

[@dimitrakapa4887]

@@el34glo59 " they live " too ..nice both

[@dimitrakapa4887]

@@OddManeuver i was just 1.... But i Saw all those olds in my 20 s....two years ago i rewatch all those cults...all good movies with awesome cast

[@stephenpmurphy591]

Welcome to the new flesh.

[@Malcontent-]

Michael Ironside is an OG character actor. Love his work. His voice work is also great. He's voiced many cartoon characters. He had a role on the 'V' tv series a couple of years after this movie. Jennifer O'Neill was a model turned actress. She went on to star in the 80's show called 'Cover Up'. She co-starred with the guy from show 'Voyagers' Jon-Erik Hexum. While filming an episode Jon-Erik Hexum, as a joke put a prop gun to his head and pulled the trigger. The the blast from the blank bullet caused brain damage and he died a few days later in the hospital. I remember all this as it happened real time back in the 80's. I was a teenager.

[@frankgesuele6298]

The Summer of '42 is Jennifer O'Neill best.

[@JohntheLNERP2]

6:05 that head explosion never gets old

[@zombiTrout]

You know what we all came to see, and boy it didn’t disappoint.

[@shainewhite2781]

They released 2 Sequels, Scanners II:The New Order in 1991, Scanners III: The Takeover in 1992, two spinoff films, Scanner Cop in 1994, and Scanners: The Showdown aka Scanner Cop 2 in 1995. In 2007, a remake was in development at Dimension Films, but in 2013 plans for the Remake were cancelled as David Cronenberg wasn't ready to see any of his films being rebooted. In 2022, a live action series in in development at HBOMAX.

[@seagull8415]

I remember being 8 or 9 years old and staying up late to watch Scanners on tv after reading about the heads exploding. I was so shocked by the first head explosion i had to turn off in pure terror. Now one of my all time faves and go to comfort movies!

[@kildogery]

That's what I was like with ED 209 shooting that bloke to bits in RoboCop

[@TheHurley108]

This is *my favorite* Cronenberg film, thank you for reacting to it 🙂 You guys ought to react to "The Dead Zone" (1983) next, that's my second favorite film by Cronenberg, a very underrecognized and underrated one.

[@groothewanderer3710]

Dead Zone is one of the best Stephen King adaptions to film. Christopher Walken was perfectly cast.

[@johnw8578]

I did not know Cronenberg directed that -- it is a great movie!

[@andys8483]

Def one of my faves too 👍

[@j9lorna]

Great choice. I've been saying it to other reactors but it goes unheeded

[@-DC-]

Agreed Dead Zone is an absolutely superb film 👊

[@shainewhite2781]

All thanks goes to special makeup effects artist Dick Smith for creating some of the most shocking and gruesome moments we'll never forget.

[@Silver-rx1mh]

Yes, Smith, the grandfather of make-up effects. He makes everything better.

[@clarencewalker3925]

Dick Smith was the inspiration for people like Tom Savini and Stan Winston.

[@nenabunena]

This was 1 of the most violent films I saw as a kid, along with The Thing. I loved this film

[@robk.6591]

Yes! I've been waiting for this review! And there it is @6:04!

[@sophronius1149]

I love your Reactions. Much love from a Kiwi living in Germany.

[@Ringmaster138]

Videodrome (1982) is my favorite Cronenberg film. Definitely react to that movie.

[@thomasbaker2067]

Scanners is so fantastic to watch.

[@wickamo]

So I grew up on this movie. It was one of my favorite movies for so long. Yes the main actor is the most wooden actor ever...but the movie itself is so good. The plot is such a cool idea that had never been done before and when I saw this in the theater it blew peoples minds. The special effects had people literally leaving the theater because most people hadn't seen anything like it. When the guys head explodes people actually got sick.

[@traceyreid4585]

The moment it ended and you both went "well!?" mind blown 😂 literally! Yes it's dated, yes it's slow in the middle and it's definitely weird but it paved the way for special effects and alternative story lines. Its 41 years old and is still entertaining. Village of the Dammed is an older film from the 60's focusing on a similar mind meld theme, very good. Great reaction, the shock of the head explosion just never gets old!

[@esperanzacalifia]

Your facial reactions are worth more then platinum to me!

[@leedaley3404]

6.8? Madness. The rating for this film deserves to be much higher. Regardless, I always enjoy watching you guy's reactions.

[@jaymanuel3396]

You guys should watch Cronenberg’s The Brood next. It’s a great horror movie about divorce and child abuse, with a twist. I didn’t particularly care for the sequels. I did like Scanner Cop 1 & 2, though the original Scanners is the way to go.

[@ange1098]

Agree 100%

[@ACinemafanatic]

That one scene made me gag man it’s pretty gross but intriguing how they made it look so real

[@harrymc9263]

Much as I said about Phantasam and the silver ball, this was a massive home video hit but I bet the majority of people who watched it at the time can only remember the exploding head

[@ste.6026]

Nice reaction, saw this on VHS in the early 80's, love the film... 'A History Of Violence' & 'Eastern Promises' both with Viggo Mortensen are both excellent Cronenberg movies...

[@michaelbuhl4250]

I haven't seen a lot of Cronenberg movies, but *Videodrome* and *Crash* are both worth a watch.

[@doclewis8927]

Yes, the acting and script can be quite a slog but it's still an interesting movie. Love, love, love Michael Ironside. Thanks for the reaction, guys! Hope you enjoyed your party.

[@Mike-rk8px]

In 1987 I was in college and working as a waiter at a restaurant in Santa Barbara, California. One day Michael Ironside came in with several other people and I had their table. I had seen Scanners a few times in the early 80’s and it freaked me out. Most people remember the special effects, but Michael Ironside’s character was extremely disturbing to me. It was really bizarre taking his order and serving him, and I did my best not to let on that I knew who he was, but he was extremely nice. This restaurant did get lots of actors and musicians, and one of the rules of working there was not to bother anyone (don’t ask for autographs, don’t ask them invasive questions, don’t make a big fuss over them). It was just the way he looked, and the sound of his voice, had me thinking “Scanners” the entire time. He looked at me and smiled and it sent shivers down my spine because it was the same threatening smile he used in “Scanners”, all he needed was that scar on his forehead from trying to drill into his skull and I would’ve ran out of there fast.

[@shainewhite2781]

Fun fact: to create the exploding head work, they had a Special Effects technician pump a shotgun underneath the prosthetic head, and when the director said, "Action!", The technician blew the dummy's head right off, creating a memorable shocking movie moment.

[@jbjacobs9514]

The head was made of pudding.

[@PickleBread355]

4:53 I just listened to The Hobbit on audible for the first time so I'm so glad I appreciated this joke.

[@ThatsAndrew2]

Scanners is fantastic!

[@carograh]

Along the same lines you should watch The Fury from 1978 & Dreamscape from 1984

[@philrob1978]

I think this is a fair assessment, your criticisms are valid, however, it's still a classic. Everyone who is interested in sci-fi needs to see it at least once. Thanks for your candid response, as always :) - EDIT - and yes, Michael Ironside is the best thing about this.

[@peterfromgermany2431]

As a teenager, I was really scared of the film back then. Just like the Flying Guillotine, a kung fu movie. I hope you're watching two more surprise hits from the 80's! "Night of the Creeps" and "House1". Two horror comedies like "Fright Night", of which there was a second part shortly afterwards. With a woman as a vampire. And if you're new to the classic „Fearless Vampire Killers“ that would be awesome.

[@groothewanderer3710]

fyi - They already reacted to Night of the Creeps and Fright Night. They are also two of my favorite 80's movies.

[@markjone671]

Scanners was a low budget Canadian film and I think they achieved something amazing with limited resources however there is an earlier Hollywood film called The Fury from 1978 directed by Brian De Palma which was made on a much larger budget and covers pretty much the same ground as Scanners. It has an A list cast and a much slicker pace to it. Unfortunately The Fury is kind of overshadowed by Scanners when it is just as good as the Cronenberg movie. I would strongly suggest you check it out.

[@dewismaximus]

Scanners is very indicative of much of Cronenberg's work; imperfect in its execution but undeniably distinct and possibly ahead of its time.

[@YolandaAnneBrown95726]

I was 14 years old when I saw this. The first Cronenberg movie I ever saw. And it's still "mind-blowing".

[@brb-blitz4592]

David Cronenberg said that this was the most frustrating film he'd ever worked on because the studio greenlighted the movie without a finished script. There was significantly, Very, VERY little time for preproduction because of the enforced deadline the studio imposed so that they could take advantage of the tax incentives. They had to start shooting immediately, with Cronenberg up all night writing scenes that were the day before non-existent, and the production team driving around town looking for any place suitable to shoot what he just wrote.

[@Welsh_Dragon756]

History of violence is really good. Definitely worth a watch. Other great cronenberg films include shivers, an early film of his... The Dead zone, his one Stephen king adaptation and Videodrome!!! Videodrome I highly recommend.

[@dudlEEk]

Fantastic film. Howard Shore's soundtracks are everything !

[@festyfestiva]

Michael Ironside is phenomenal in this but he’s amazing in all his roles.

[@carlossaraiva8213]

This is the movie that invented the concept of the psychic nosebleed, that today we mostly associated with Stranger Things. Or Beyond The Black Rainbow (directed by Panos Cosmatos of Mandy and Guilhermo Del Tor's Cabinet of Curiosities's episode 7 The Viewing's fame) if you are into indie SF/horror films

[@pookiepook7351]

You guys mentioned A History of Violence. I really like that film. The lead actor played Strider (Aragorn) in LOTR. He's a very good actor and I love the mafia angle in the film.....it's just a really sad, violent story of redemption.

[@doclewis8927]

"Nightbreed" is a weird movie too but he's only an actor in it. "Nightbreed" is a Clive Barker movie (the guy who wrote & directed the first Hellraiser). I would still recommend it just for the hell of it.

[@Patti-sg1fv]

One of the most iconic sci-fi movies of all time that was buried under poor distribution costs and went overlooked.👍

[@raevies]

6:04 That part always reminded me of Linda Hamilton's monologue in SNL.

[@AlexGVid]

Fun reaction guys and insightful analysis as always. What you and many of the viewers may not know is Cronenberg’s back story … Up until this film he was basically this weird Canadian director making weird low budget films in Toronto. But after Scanners built some notoriety in the theaters, he started to get better funding and with that, he started to get A-List actors for his still shot-in-Toronto films. Next was Videodrome with James Woods and Debbie Harry (Blondie) - definitely continuing on the weird train. Then The Dead Zone with Christopher Walken and Martin Sheen - a more main stream Stephen King adaptation. Of course The Fly remake with Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis - that one really put him on the map in the US. Dead Ringers with Jeremy Irons playing twin gynecologists. Naked Lunch with Peter Weller, Judy Davis, and Ian Holm - an adaptation of what everyone said was an unfilmable novel. M Butterfly with Jeremy Irons again - adapted from the stage play. Crash with James Spader and Holly Hunter - notoriously outrageous to the point of getting a special award at Cannes. eXistenZ with Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Ian Holm - back to the weirdness again. Spider with Ralph Fiennes, Miranda Richardson, and Gabriel Byrne. A History of Violence with Viggo Mortensen. Etc, etc, you get the idea. What all the actors that worked with Cronenberg have in common is that they all have stated how much they LOVED working with him, to the point that Viggo is on film number 4 !

[@dx315]

Fun fact, Howard Shore who did the awesome score for this movie also did all the music for the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Which is so crazy to me lol

[@csb7376]

Remember being on the video van as a small kid and seeing the cover of this. Didn't see it till much later, but the artwork always stuck with me.

[@betsyduane3461]

I remember this from my youth, it's amazing, a guy's head explodes and the guy sitting 1 foot from him doesn't have a drop of blood on him.

[@clemdane]

Have you done The Fury? That one was also a mixture of scary and funny. Kind of a classic 70s psychic/supernatural film.

[@IndyCrewInNYC]

All I remember when I saw THAT scene was having this sudden craving for lasagna.

[@frozengamer3030]

I love these type of movies. It’s so entertaining

[@redangel169]

A history of violence is a great film as well. I think you'd like it.

[@carlossaraiva8213]

Other must see David Cronenberg movies are The Brood and Videodrome. Especially the later, Videodrome, as that movie marked a turn for Cronenberg's career, that was the movie where you can see a much grown sophistication in Cronenberg's filmmaking, with Videodrome he went from a very good genre director to a great director period. The other must seen Cronenberg movie are: Dead Ringers. Even though it's a drama, most people find it scarier and disturbing than most of his horror films. Spider: Same as above. Crash: Same as above. The Dead Zone: one of the best film adaptations of a Stephen King story.

[@serpentsepia6638]

I completely agree with your guys' analysis of the movie. It's one of my favorites. Also, I think the main character was the way that he was, because he was made to be taken over by another, more stronger, consciousness. But only at the end did the main character wake up and achieve his full potential and was able outwit his opponent. Anyway, that's what I got out of it.

[@shainewhite2781]

Never revealed ,it's implied that the movie takes place in the year 1985, the so called "Not too distant future." This is confirmed in the movie novelization.

[@homelessjesse9453]

Still the best head explosion of all time. The sequel was also very good. I just remember the main baddie making hilarious facial gestures.

[@plastique45]

That was a tiny budget indie movie from over 40 years ago. Let that sink in! This level of ingenuity, originality and creativity is long since gone from the film industry.

[@shainewhite2781]

6:05, your reaction! Lol!!

[@steved1135]

Nice. Classic Canadian horror. Shot in and around my home town. Cronenberg is an odd fellow to be sure...

[@matthewstroud4294]

Videodrome is a must-watch. Better acting, great concept and better polished.

[@fractaljack210]

Best head explosion explosion of all time. Fun reaction. As always: finish Carpenter's Apocalypse Trilogy: 2) Prince of Darkness and 3) In the Mouth of Madness.

[@experi-mentalproductions5358]

In the Mouth of Madness is such an underrated film (it goes pretty well with 1981's Possession as well (both being Lovecraftian Sam Neill films)

[@christiaanvandenakker901]

Cronenberg's Videodrome (1983) and eXistenZ (1999) make a fine pairing.

[@thomasfrei7711]

Oh nice guys. A true Cronenberg classic. Super^^ 😎😎

[@ronrobbins6585]

You should watch David Cronenberg as an actor, in "Nightbreed!"

[@misterkite]

The most Cronenberg film is Naked Lunch. Then there's his insane scifi film Existenz.

[@ThreadBomb]

Yes! It's a wild coincidence that eXistenZ came out in the same year as The Matrix, as they look at similar themes in a very different way. And after the boys watch Naked Lunch, they should check out the song Bug Powder Dust. I rediscovered this song recently, and it's still a banger.

[@XFLexiconMatt]

Random point, but you know Cronenberg was an actor in Clive Barker's "Nightbreed" (1990), Check out the director's cut!

[@rowanc88]

BEST....EXPLODING....HEAD....EVER!!!!!

[@Oder_Aber]

Make sure to check out Cronenberg's new film "Crimes of the future" while it's still in the cinemas! It's important to support those kind of movies against all the franchised crap!

[@jondishmonmusicandstuff2753]

An oldie but goodie? You should do "The Poseidon Adventure."

[@mrjohn.whereyoufrom]

During the VHS era, the exploding head scene was voted number one in the most paused moment.

[@jamesgatz4490]

Why do you two look like you're in heaven? This video reminds me of the Silent Hill movie, I was expecting a Sean Bean cameo

[@clemdane]

I remember as a child when this came out I was too scared to see it and I guess I never went back and watched it so this is my first time seeing it.

[@Rudy4099]

I cannot believe you guys are reacting to SCANNERS! Wow!

[@rastiga9196]

Michael Ironside, nuff said!

[@DaringDasher]

"Is everything under control?" 🤣

[@sergiodavila5269]

One of the greatest head explosions EVER cinema y’all!!! 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯

[@OneAndOnlyMe]

Scanners was so different and fresh at the time. I remember reading about it in Fangoria and eventually watching a pirate VHS of it. Still wish you guys would watch "The Entity". Also Brian De Palma's "The Fury".

[@thatllputmarzipaninyourpie3117]

This is one of those movies that my parents took me to see when I was a little kid, and don't exactly feel proud about it now

[@aidanfarnan4683]

I first watched this on late night tv with my dad after a few beers, and to this day we both love it. It's such a cult classic and i love the psycic battle at the end.

[@artofsam]

I watched this specifically for the head exploding scene and it didn't disappoint.

[@rabbitandcrow]

Oh yes, now we're talking. Try The Brood, The Dead Zone and Dead Ringers too.

[@XFLexiconMatt]

Starting, boys you are in for a throw up! LOL.

[@Primo_Luca]

Cronenberg, Michael Ironside and Howard Shore, too much talent for one movie. Gotta say, migraines became fucking terrifying after this one.

[@WickedKingLycoan]

You should see Cronenberg’s first film “Shivers”.

[@andreraymond6860]

1981 Scanners, Wolfen and An American werewolf In London ushered in the Heyday of Prosthetic Effects. The main actor who played Cameron was not an actor. He was an up and coming Canadian sculptor. Cronenberg coached a performance out of him. I'll leave it at that.

[@zona999]

Hey guys-check out the great 80s horror film, "Angel Heart"(1987) starring Robert DeNiro and Mickey Rourke.

[@walterw9829]

Finally this amazing movie is being reviewed. 2 and 3 are enh. This one is special.

[@ronbock8291]

Clinical is the best word I can think of to describe early Cronenberg. They’re like actual nightmares, including the total sense of remove from what’s happening, and the lack of emotional logic. For me, that’s why they stay with you. On first watch, I react the way you just did, but then they stay with you. Videodrome really messed me up at the time. And Dead Zone is the 3d best Stephen King film, restrained by his early standards. Dead Ringers is bonkers.

[@johnlochness]

One of those movies I saw as a teenager and it scarred the bejesus outta me. Still love it. Such a great concept, strange it’s not been remade.

[@pobstrel]

I guess if it was remade they would just use CGI for the effects.

[@brucster99b2]

So-so film, mainly revered for the exploding head scene. Nice to see Patrick "The Prisoner" McGoohan as Doctor Ruth though.

[@Oi325]

One of Cronenbergs best movies!

[@Scott_Forsell]

I'd also recommend Dead Ringers.

[@bradfromtn9929]

We need a compilation vid of all the times Shaun scares Tom when movies get quiet! lol

[@reuben854]

Very interesting reactions on this film. I saw it when it first came out and loved the visual effects. I would like to recommend watching the remake (2009) of The Last House On The Left and your assessments. It's a much superior movie than the original.

[@grazynafrey7545]

"Firestarter" (1984) would be a good second course.

[@DevInvest]

Lads- “Phantasm” 😮🔥

[@SedriqMiers]

Lets goooooooooooooooooo about time you viewed this cult classic.

[@MikeSmith-qg3bf]

Another awesome film review from Cinema Rules.

[@billvegas8146]

DePalma's "The Fury" is a great 'scanner' movie.

[@coreyhendricks9490]

Cool reaction as always fellas, you both take care and have a great weekend

[@sam-jf6cq]

I think the movie is incredible. I suppose though, you have to remember that all movies can't stand the test of time. Some movies, like star wars, they have all the ingredients to be amazing for years to come. Back then, that movie was tremendous. I guess just see it through that lense. What would this have looked like in 1981! lol

[@dazd6267]

Sean jumpscaring Tom every f*cking movie xD