Programmer Morgan Hyde showed me this movie recently and it’s plagued my mind ever since. Maybe what haunts me here is the choice to sequel-and-three-quelize this David Cronenberg movie. The first Scanners is a sedate opening move from the man who later becomes synonymous with body horror, mostly consisting of chase scenes in food courts and industrial factories with its one notable brain blast being its sole echo in the collective cinematic consciousness. That there’s a Scanners II? Ludicrous. By the time we’re at Scanners III, a goofy time is guaranteed. Yet what’s served up is so much more: a silly soap-operatic tale of female empowerment, a Thai monastery, incredible gore, and – as so delivered in its progenitor – a whole lotta Canadian culture. Put on your EPH-3 patch and prepare for a real trip, man. – James Scott
