An Acute Case of Sequelitis: SCANNERS II: THE NEW ORDER (1991)

Prolific Canadian producer Pierre David could be called a lot of things, but “stupid” isn’t one of them. After exec-producing several movies for the then, up and coming director David Cronenberg (including VIDEODROME, 1983), Pierre David somehow managed to convince Cronenberg to sell him the rights to SCANNERS. I'm guessing this is one of those times when the thought of putting food on the table took precedent over artistic integrity. This was also before Cronenberg was a wise and grizzled industry veteran and had lawyers and agents to advise him against such crazy things. So in 1991 the world saw the first in a series of  four low-budget sequels to the only Cronenberg film to be sequelized. Some can mount a case about how this is a terrible thing, but honestly I feel this is far less of a crime than many other higer-profile and more successful sequels such as FREDDY’S DEAD: THE FINAL NIGHTMARE (1991), FRIDAY THE 13th PART 8 (1989) or how about THE BIRDS II (1994)? Of course the SCANNERS sequels are not on the level of Cronenberg’s original, and I don't think anyone should expect them to be, but the original was an exploitation film and set-up a concept that would easily translate into a cheap sequel that could be entertaining without totally stomping all over the original (that is for the upcoming 2011 remake to do). For an example of a sequel totally raping the original, while watching the dark and visceral A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984) back in the day, did I ever once think to myself, “you know what this movie needs? A funny cameo by Tom Arnold and Rosanne Barr!” I don't fucking think so.

Set about 25 years after the original, the scanners project has continued with an amoral scientist, Dr. Morse (Tom Butler), creating a new version of ephemerol, called EPH-2. Because this is a sequel, the new drug comes in a spiffy little bottle complete with logo. The drug is not so much a scanner suppressant as in the original, but this time out is a hyper-addictive mind-control drug that causes user’s hair to fall out, skin to get blotchy and to mentally check out. Running the show is police commander Forrester (Yvan Ponton) with his sights, figuratively and literally, set on a seat of power. Enter David Kellum (David Hewlett), a rural farm boy who has come to the big city (unnamed, but obviously Canadian) to go to med school. Too bad he’s got some weird mental powers that cause him to freak out when listening to live music through headphones in industrial, underground diners! After getting involved with a rather aggressive co-ed, Kellum is nabbed by the baddies who want him to be their uber-soldier to help “fight crime” and bring about a “new order”. In fact he’s just being manipulated into helping Forrester achieve his bloody ambitions to rule the city with an army of scanners.

While the movie starts with a bang and the final 45 minutes are fun, the final scenes are really anti-climactic and it sorely lacks in the middle. In the opening scenes of the project’s first success case, Peter Drak (Raoul Trujillo), going berserk in an arcade (scanners apparently suck at Operation Wolf), causing the senseless slaughter of dozens of innocent games, and making me wonder if I didn't miss the scene where he cut off someone's head, because obviously he must be experiencing the quickening (“der kin be onlee a couple”). I'm guessing this is actually supposed to be echoing the end of the first film where Vale gets inside the computers with his mind... but in the way a true cheeseball sequel would do it. After his microchip massacre, Drak then flees the scene, hiding out in a mannequin warehouse where he freaks the hell out because he thinks the stiffs are talking to him; to a mannequin head with a wig on it (shades of Lustig’s MANIAC [1980]) he shouts “You aren't allowed to talk to me!” At the same time he is being hunted down by scanners with tranquilizer guns who are going to capture him for Dr. Morse's experiments. This whole sequence is really damned entertaining and well shot with lots of light and shadow and does a nice job of setting the tone for a cheesy sequel. At this point the movie is a great exploitation flcik… then the plot kicks in.

While Cronenberg always had a focused, high-brow thought process behind his films mixed with a delight in exploitation trappings, he was never really much for getting the best performances out of his cast. Sometimes it seems he gets lucky (James Woods and Patrick Magoohan are two examples of actors who need no hand-holding), but other times not so much.

Here, the plot really isn’t so bad, but keeping in Cronenberg tradition Hewlett is no great sweeps as an actor. Granted he is leagues ahead of the appropriately named Steven Lack (Cameron Vale in part one), who Cronenberg admits he cast solely because of his ice-blue eyes. Even so, his rather bland, adenoidal performance makes for some tedious scenes of character development (and a rather hilarious scene in which the exotic, stylish Trujillo calls Hewlett, who looks like Quentin Tarantino's long lost and less annoying brother, a “pretty boy”). The scenes between Kellum and love-interest Alice (Isabelle Mejias) are mercifully free of the ravages of chemistry and charisma. Some of the scenes are simply laughable, such as the scenes in which Alice is, in true soap-opera fashion, hospitalized for a couple of days for a concussion that she received from being bitch-slapped by a villain during a convenience store robbery (that Kellum foils in a satisfyingly messy way)! The weepy drama that ensues when Kellum visits her in the hospital is hilariously inane. Even worse are the fumbling attempts at social commentary in a few subplots, one involving the poisoning of milk, causing numerous infant deaths and scenes where Kellum and Alice are working for a lab that does animal experiments on cute, fluffy puppies – oh noeeesss!

While Cronenberg himself may not sport the greatest acting, he always makes up for it in other ways and in SCANNERS, he never makes the cardinal sin of bookending the drama with action. SCANNERS has a very organic rhythm, plot/character development, action, plot/character development, action, plot/character development, action; like a beating pulse. Screenwriter B.J. Nelson (of LONE WOLF MCQUIAD [1983] fame) would have done better to emulate this in addition to the psychic concept.

Once the plot proper starts rolling again, we find out what exactly Forrester’s machinations are, things start kicking into gear and we get back into the groove. Political assassination, scanner drug dealers, guys with shotguns, countless bloody noses, the discovery of Kellum’s scanner sister (Deborah Raffin) and a revolt against the “New Order” complete with creatively violent demises make this movie a lot of fun. Even Tom Harvey (the inspector from STRANGE BREW [1983]), shows up as the police cheif, one of Forrester’s road-blocks that must be disposed of. If the middle of the film didn’t drag so much and the leads had some sort of personality, this would be a great little piece of schlock.



While this movie definitely had its high points and it's low points, apparently it was such a huge hit in Sweden, that the distributors contacted Pierre David  and demanded another sequel, this time would they get a blockbuster or a franchise killer? SCANNERS III... NEXT!

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The "Never Got Made" File #15: PARASITE II

As you can tell from our previous post, Charles Band's PARASITE (1982) is a film that gets our juices flowing here at VJ. So imagine our infinite sadness when Band announced a sequel to be shot for his newly founded Empire Pictures in 1983/84 that never materialized.

"The Terror Continues..." promises the tagline and the credits on the poster definitely seem to indicate that. Robert Glaudini was listed as returning as parasitic researcher Dr. Paul Dean. Chances are Demi Moore wouldn't be back as she was beginning her Hollywood climb in flicks like BLAME IT ON RIO (1984) and NO SMALL AFFAIR (1984). The same three scripters who wrote the original film were listed as providing this screenplay. The artwork and tiny plot-pitch line ("27 floors of living, creeping, shocking 3-D") seem to indicate that Dean would return to the fabled futuristic cities of the original and most likely confront the parasite in a high-rise. It is like "DIE HARD with parasites" years before DIE HARD. Parasites loose in a high-rise. Ah, what could have been. Hey, wait a second, that is David Cronenberg's SHIVERS (1977; aka THE PARASITE MURDERS)!

Sadly, this never made it to the proposed shooting date of August. Too bad as I'm sure it would have been at least entertaining and feature gooey monster effects. Band instead gave us sci-fi/horror omnibus THE DUNGEONMASTER (1984; aka RAGEWAR). It was all too common for announced Band projects to never materialize. For more in-depth info on other unfilmed Band productions (both Empire and Full Moon), check out The Tomb, a fantastic resource of all things unmade Band (warning: lots of flicks about tiny monsters/aliens).

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Things we learned from watching PARASITE (1982)

In the future…

…1992 looks a lot like 1982, if the entirety of 1982 took place in the California desert.

…we still have gas pumps but they will have cool acrylic pyramids on them!

…the last person you want having your back in a brawl is Demi "Can't take a punch" Moore.

…"We got canned fruit, canned beer and canned soup", but at least it all costs the same.

…gangs called The Ray Guns will actually be taken seriously.

…if someone’s carrying around a thermos, there must be something extremely valuable in it!

…Jeff Goldbum and Ray Romano make sweet love and give birth to Robert Glaudini.

...Glaudini has only enough fight in him to take out two punks in the opening. After that, he is useless.

...Glaudini gets the girl despite showing he is filled with strawberry jam.

…don't go sticking your hand into a crazy, sick dude’s thermos!

...parasites can be killed with ultra-high frequency sound but you need the bigger parasite to identify the frequency of the smaller one inside you (do whaaaaat?).

…kids get sent to work camps run by corporations… Yeah, nothing has changed.

…gas prices have only gone up 2000%, but they don’t take cash, here in the wasteland they only accept Merchant Silver Cards. They’re everywhere, you don’t want to be.

…instant coffee will be referred to as “the real thing” and packets will fetch big money, at least $5 each!

…sickies get their kicks by pretending to rape their chicks and an abandoned kitchen is a perfect place for an S&M three-way!

…Demi Moore still can’t act.

…rattlesnakes are never up to any good. Ever.

…Lamborghini Countachs still look futuristic.

…you can stick a pole through someone and blood will still come out the end of it.

…corporate executives/assassins can appreciate good lemonade, but prefer not to drink it.

…laboratory-created parasites enjoy leaping down on their victims from the ceiling.

...if you're going to beat Demi Moore's ass, at least have the decency to take her outside and do it in the lemon garden.

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H.P. Lovecraft Week

Our (no-longer almost) complete guide to the cinematic adaptations of Howard Phillips Lovecraft!

The "Never Got Made" File #14 - SHADOW OVER INNSMOUTH

The Chill of Cool Air, Part 1: ROD SERLING'S NIGHT GALLERY: COOL AIR (1971), THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY (1981) & NECRONOMICON: THE COLD (1993)

The Chill of Cool Air, Part 2: COOL AIR (1998) & CHILL (2007)

THE UNNAMABLE films: THE UNNAMBALE (1988) & H.P. LOVECRAFT'S THE UNNAMABLE II: THE STATEMENT OF RANDOLPH CARTER (1993)

SHADOW OF THE UNNAMABLE (2011)

The Unwatchable: H.P. LOVECRAFT’S THE TOMB (2007) & CTHULHU MANSION (1990)

Mystery of the Nothingtodowithlovecrafticon: MYSTERY OF THE NECRONOMICON (1999)

The Horrors of Dunwich, Part 1: H.P. LOVECRAFT'S THE DUNWICH HORROR (2009)

The Horrors of Dunwich, Part 2: BEYOND THE DUNWICH HORROR (2007) 

The COLOUR of Lovecraft, Part 1: DIE, MONSTER, DIE! (1965) & CREEPSHOW (1982)

The COLOUR of Lovecraft, Part 2: THE CURSE (1987)

The COLOUR of Lovecraft, Part 3: THE COLOUR FROM THE DARK (2008)

The COLOUR of Lovecraft, Part 4: THE COLOR (2011) (aka DIE FARBE)

THE CALL OF CTHULHU (2005)

THE VALDEMAR INHERITANCE I & II (2010/2011)

The Best of the Rest: CAST A DEADLY SPELL (1991), THE DEVONSVILLE TERROR (1983), FOREVER EVIL (1987), IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS (1994) & UZUMAKI (2000)

THE WHISPERER IN DARKNESS (2011)

BEYOND THE WALL OF SLEEP (2006)

PICKMAN'S MUSE (2010)

DARK HERITAGE (1989)

RE-PENETRATOR (2004)

THE RESURRECTED (1991)

THE EVIL CLERGYMAN (1988)








Short Films and Videos

Claymation FROM BEYOND

THE TERRIBLE OLD MAN

RYLEH

Dark Adventure Radio Theatre: THE SHADOW OVER INNSMOUTH

THE BOOK

DAGON

Elder Sign

Legocraft!

Dan O'Bannon on H.P. Lovecraft

BINDING SILENCE

THE PICTURE IN THE HOUSE

THE STATEMENT OF RANDOLPH CARTER

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H.P. Lovecraft Week: The Best of the Rest

Well, we are officially closing down our two week “A Week of Howard Phillips Lovecraft” theme. We hope you’ve enjoyed the reviews of the good, the bad and the unnamable. To end things I’ll be doing some quick reviews of flicks that aren’t Lovecraft adaptations but definitely carry that Lovecraft tone.

CAST A DEADLY SPELL (1991) - I remembered being entranced by this HBO Films production back in the day and found it to be even better upon review nearly 20 years later. Set in an alternate 1940s Los Angeles where magic is real, Detective H. Phillip Lovecraft (the amazing Fred Ward) is hired by a rich dude (David Warner) to track down his stolen copy of the Necronomicon. Along the way Lovecraft must deal with magic, a lolita, thugs (including Clancy Brown), demons, and old flames (pre-fame Julianne Moore).

This has really aged well, thanks mostly to the gritty detective portrayal by Ward. He is able to spit some of writer Joseph (thirtysomething, STEEL & LACE) Dougherty's sharp film noir-inspired dialog with such natural spin that you would think he was a relic from the era. Director Martin (CASINO ROYALE) Campbell keeps everything moving quickly and isn't afraid to embrace the horror elements, which include lots of Lovecraftian creatures. This might be one of the most under appreciated horror films of the 90s and could have made a great series. I don’t think they really knew what they had on their hands (the lame artwork being a great illustration: “The comedy detective thriller with very special effects” – oh boy!). HBO delivered the sequel WITCH HUNT (1994) a few years later but it isn’t nearly as good due to a campier tone and hammy Dennis Hopper replacing Ward in the Lovecraft role.

THE DEVONSVILLE TERROR (1983) - Not to be confused with THE DUNWICH HORROR, this is the DEVONSVILLE TERROR. DEVONSVILLE…DUNWICH…HORROR…TERROR. Oh, I see what you did there Lommell! 300 years after townies killed three witches, the citizens of Devonsville feels that crusading urge again when three new women (an environmentalist, a deejay, a schoolteacher) move into the community. Teacher Jenny (Suzanna Love) finds only local stud Matthew (Robert Walker Jr.) to be a willing dating prospect, which is bad because his ancestors were the ones who organized the witch killings. Meanwhile, Dr. Warley (Donald Pleasence) investigates the town's history to cure himself of the curse of having worms crawl out of his skin (really).

This was another childhood viewing that holds up as well as one would expect a 80s Ulli Lommel flick could. The Lovecraft influence can be felt with the small New England-esque setting, witches and worms, and odd town folks. This flick is just plain weird at points though and full of bizarre scenes like when Paul Willson shows up at Jenny's house and gives this long rant about love before playing his violin. Lead Love was married to Lommel at the time (and apparently writing the checks) with both players fresh off the success of THE BOOGEYMAN (1980). She is probably the main appeal here. The end is pretty amusing as Jenny is revealed to be a revenge-seeking witch with superpowers and she causes heads to roll, explode and melt. Then she splits town, with her relationship with Matthew left with no resolution and a guy trying to ape Pleasence's voice doing a voice over. Pretty sure Pleasence did one day of filming as all of his scenes are shot in the same room and he is wearing the same outfit.

FOREVER EVIL (1987) - This Texas-produced flick is how I like my women – twentysomething years old and dumb as hell. Three couples head to a cabin for the weekend to bid the place farewell before Marc (Red Mitchell) sells it. What they don't know is that a pulsing stellar Quasar is happening when they get there and it unleashes some monsters that kill everyone except Marc. Still with me? Marc then teams up with Reggie (Tracey Huffman), a female survivor of a similar incident, and Leo (Charles Trotter), a cop who has seen this before, to figure out what is going on. Together, the trio finds out that an immortal being on Earth has been planning these attacks for over a century in an effort to bring back evil god Yog Kothag (someone has been reading Lovecraft) to end humanity as we know it.

This movie falls into the same category for me as late 80s flicks like THE VIDEO DEAD, DEMON WIND, THE DEAD PIT and DEMONWARP (all recommended). It might be a bit budget starved, but you can appreciate the amount of effort and imagination that went into making it. The first time I saw this back in 1990 or so, I was surprised how they pulled a PSYCHO on me and offed everyone about 20 minutes in and took it from there. Mitchell, looking like a cross between Jack Black and Jason Alexander, is an interesting choice for a lead and he is alright I guess. If you are looking for a few laughs, see the scene where Reggie declares her love to him. While the flick is overlong at 107 minutes, it has enough weirdness (demon babies, random zombies, a cute looking demon dog) for me to recommend seeing it at least once.

IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS (1994) – Insurance investigator John Trent (Sam Neill) is hired by a publishing firm to locate Sutter Cane (Jürgen Prochnow), the world’s best selling horror novelist who has disappeared on the eve of his latest release. Accompanied by Cane’s publicist Linda Styles (Julie Carmen), Trent travels to the town of Hobb’s End, New Hampshire and quickly finds out that Cane may have been dealing with the darker arts more in fact rather than in fiction.

John Carpenter is an admitted fan of H.P. Lovecraft’s writing and his own work from THE FOG to THE THING to PRINCE OF DARKNESS has always imbued a Lovecraftian tone. Well, if the man isn’t going to ever do a full-on Lovecraft adaptation, then this is as close as we will get from him. This has so many Lovecraft nods and themes in it. The title itself references Lovecraft’s “At the Mountains of Madness” story. You also have asylum sequences, tentacle menace and great old demon Gods summoned up by Cane (which Carpenter only shows in glimpses, another Lovecraftian ploy). Pretty much the entire thing lives and breathes a Lovecraft ethos but isn’t based on any of his works. It is also notable as it is the last great film of Carpenter’s career. At least he went out with a bang as, tragically, he was killed in a bus accident alongside Jackie Chan and Metallica shortly after this was released. That is the truth and I’m sticking to it. ;-)

UZUMAKI (2000) aka SPIRAL – Saving the weirdest for last! This focuses on Kirie (Eriko Hatsune) and potential boyfriend Shuichi (Fhi Fan), who live in a small Japanese town. Things get weird right away as Kirie spots Shuichi’s dad oddly videotaping a snail on a wall. Seems Mr. Saito has become obsessed with uzumaki (spirals) and begins seeing them everywhere. This obsession results in him filling his house with anything with a spiral on it before he commits the world’s first spiral suicide in a washing machine (!?!). After his death, the rest of the town starts to go uzumaki crazy.

Based on a manga by Junji Ito, this Japanese oddity (have I told you it’s weird enough?) came from single named director Higuchinsky and definitely has Lovecraftian overtones. The two stories it really reminds me of are “The Shadow over Innsmouth” and “The Colour Out of Space.” The seaside town threatened by a typhoon is very evocative of Arkham, Massachusetts. There are also never fully fleshed out references to giant sea snakes being responsible for this chaos. And how can you not see Lovecraft in people who slowly turn into snails? The deliberately odd and obsessive tone has caused many critics to liken in to Lovecraft’s work. And, naturally, it has caused many teens expecting another THE RING to virtually riot online and declare the movie trash. Don’t listen to them as this is a real treat with its deliberate strangeness, leisurely pace and clever editing.

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H.P. Lovecraft Week: THE STATEMENT OF RANDOLPH CARTER

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