THE DANMAN CAN

All right, I'm gonna do this review the Scanner way; I'm gonna suck your brain dry. There is a definite charm, iconography, and staying power about  Scanners  (1981), despite some wooden, soap operatic acting from its lead  Stephen Lack  ("lacking," for sure), weird pacing, and no real surprises. Additionally, gorehound that I may be, I actually find the phone booth scene the most thrilling, ingenious, and ahead of its time aspect of the whole film (though that isn't to say I don't love the infamous exploding head scene  and  the final battle). Because this is a  David Cronenberg  film, it is of course more than simply a sci-fi horror thriller—he uses imagery and themes that refer to political radicals, counterculture hippies, and the budding yuppie culture, as well as side effects and birth defects caused by prescription drugs. Scanners  has more than a few things in common with  Brian De Palma 's  The Fury   (1978), including...

The Brood  (1979) is where  David Cronenberg   really hit his stride. This tale of manifested rage holds up exceptionally well over the years thanks to committed lead performances by  Oliver Reed  and  Samantha Eggar , a hair-raising  Howard Shore   score (his first of many with Cronenberg), a high level of unease throughout, and a perfect blend of psychological drama and low budget horror. David Cronenberg Feature Films Ranked Top 20 Directors