''Scanner Cop'' is a 1994 Canadian
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...
action horror film
Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include lif ...
. It is the fourth film in the ''
Scanners
''Scanners'' is a 1981 Canadian science fiction horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg and starring Stephen Lack, Jennifer O'Neill, Michael Ironside, and Patrick McGoohan. In the film, "scanners" are psychics with unusual telepathi ...
'' series and the first film in the ''Scanner Cop'' series. It was written, produced, and directed by
Pierre David.
Daniel Quinn
Daniel Clarence Quinn (October 11, 1935 – February 17, 2018) was an American author (primarily, novelist and fabulist), cultural critic, and publisher of educational texts, best known for his novel ''Ishmael'', which won the Turner Tomorrow ...
stars as the title character, a police officer with psychic powers.
Plot
A scanner goes crazy and is shot by officer Pete Harrigan (Richard Grove). Harrigan discovers the scanner had a child and adopts him. 15 years later Harrigan is now the leader of the LAPD and the child, Sam Staziak (Daniel Quinn), is a rookie cop with the same Los Angeles Police Department.
Staziak is also a 'Scanner' (a person born with
telepathic
Telepathy () is the purported vicarious transmission of information from one person's mind to another's without using any known human sensory channels or physical interaction. The term was first coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Frederic ...
and
telekinetic
Psychokinesis (from grc, ψυχή, , soul and grc, κίνησις, , movement, label=ㅤ), or telekinesis (from grc, τηλε, , far off and grc, κίνησις, , movement, label=ㅤ), is a hypothetical psychic ability allowing a person ...
abilities), although he keeps the powers hidden.
Dr. Karl Glock (Richard Lynch) is a psychiatrist who is using a cult he leads to brainwash individuals to kill police.
As the string of murders begins to decimate the police department, Sam faces sensory overload and possible insanity as he reluctantly uses his powers to hunt the man responsible for the killings.
Sam scans the memories of a coroner (Gary Hudson) who committed suicide, providing clues to find Glock. Police psychiatrist Dr Arden discovers puncture marks. indicating those who have been killing officers were drugged. A scan by Sam of a wife who killed her police officer husband shows the drug makes the victim see a giant version of whatever phobia they have.
Glock traps Sam, but Sam escapes. Sam attempts to scan Glock but is blocked by a metal plate in Glock's head. Glock attempts to pose as Harrigan's surgeon, but Sam scans the plate out of Glock's head killing him.
Production
Directed by
Pierre David, who is better known as the producer of various psycho-thrillers including the original Scanners.
Written by George Sanders and John Bryant Hedberg based on a story by Pierre David.
The 25th Anniversary DVD release contains a thorough 30 minute documentary on the making of the movie.
Release
The film was released on VHS and LaserDisc by
Republic Pictures. A DVD has been released in Canada, along with the sequel ''
Scanners: The Showdown'' (also known as ''Scanner Cop 2'').
The film along with ''Scanners: The Showdown'' was released on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray from
Vinegar Syndrome
Cellulose acetate film, or safety film, is used in photography as a base material for photographic emulsions. It was introduced in the early 20th century by film manufacturers and intended as a safe film base replacement for unstable and highly ...
in a double feature set on May 28, 2021.
Reception
''
Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
'' rated it 2/5 stars and described it as a "moderately enjoyable horror movie, that suffers for its cast and script". ''
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news.
The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008.
Corpora ...
'' rated it 2/4 stars and wrote that the film "works as a solid exploitation item", though it criticized the
police procedural aspects.
Glenn Kenny
Glenn Kenny (born August 8, 1959) is an American film critic and journalist. He writes for ''The New York Times'' and '' RogerEbert.com''.
Biography
Kenny attended William Paterson University, where he majored in English literature.[Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...]
'', in an article critiquing recent direct-to-video releases, rated it D+ and called the plot an excuse for "gruesome special effects".
Writing for ''
Bloody Disgusting'', Daniel Baldwin praised the film for taking the ''Scanners'' series in a new direction, describing it as "a tightly-written and paced cop thriller". Moira gave the film two stars, found it not a dire as the other films in the franchise, and it was competently made but otherwise found it pedestrian.
TV Guide
TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program listings information as well as entertainment and television-related news.
The company sold its print magazine division, TV Guide Magazine LLC, in 2008.
Corpora ...
found that the movie depends a bit too much on the police procedural portion of the plot, but overall the movie is intriguing and works as a solid exploitation movie. It did note that Glock should have been given more screen time
Sequel
''Scanner Cop II Volkin's Revenge'', also known as ''
Scanners: The Showdown'', was released in 1995.
References
External links
*
{{Scanners
1994 films
1994 direct-to-video films
1994 horror films
1990s action films
1990s science fiction horror films
Canadian direct-to-video films
Canadian science fiction horror films
English-language Canadian films
Canadian action horror films
Direct-to-video sequel films
Scanners (film series)
Films about telekinesis
Films scored by Louis Febre
1990s English-language films
1990s Canadian films