When movie fans think of Scanners , the immediate association is its spectacular exploding-head scene . In fact, when anyone thinks of spectacular exploding head scenes… Scanners is always on top of the pile, right next to Dawn of the Dead and Maniac.

But while the work of special effects legend Dick Smith deserves much applause (in addition to Scanners , his credits include The Exorcist and Death Becomes Her ), there is more to David Cronenberg ’s 1981 thriller than one gloriously gory splatter. Even characters who keep their heads suffer horrible pain, and as the tension rises in the story, a sense of chaotic unease permeates the movie’s world, racing toward a final act that offers some catharsis but little closure.

Scanners marked Cronenberg’s first big shift tow

See Full Page