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1%%Do NOT add Complete Monster entries without going to the cleanup thread first.
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3* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: [[spoiler:Dr. Paul Ruth. While the revelation near the end indicates he's clearly a MadScientist and AbusiveParent who was willing to [[GuineaPigFamily experiment on his own family]], it's not really clear what became of his wife. Maybe she died in childbirth or maybe they just divorced, but it's not inconceivable that either of his psychic sons might have something to do with her absence. This would lend a lot more weight to Ruth's apparent resentment of Revok and Vale.]]
4* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: Courtesy of regular Cronenberg collaborator Music/HowardShore. For a sample, here's the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXru9QocTDY main theme]].
5* CompleteMonster: [[LesCollaborateurs Braedon Keller]] is [=ConSec=]'s [[CorruptCorporateExecutive treacherous head of security]], [[TheMole secretly allied]] with rogue [[PsychicPowers scanner]] Darryl Revok. Keller manipulates his position to gain security clearance for Revok, allowing him to commit devastating terrorist attacks, while weeding out anyone who might get in their way. When [[spoiler:Revok's father]], Dr. Paul Ruth, clues into their plot to drug pregnant women to create a scanner army, Keller gleefully takes permission from a reluctant Revok to kill Ruth and later goes against Revok's orders to attempt to kill [[spoiler:Revok's brother]] Cameron Vale. With no regard for the lives he wastes, and [[MoreDespicableMinion none of Revok's regrets or redeeming qualities]], Keller is prepared to help plunge the world into psychic bloodshed at the hands of Revok's scanner army to enjoy power and prestige in the new world order.
6* EvilIsCool: Darryl Revok is a powerful psychic with a dream and plan to build an empire. He's also not hesitant to get into the fray, performing a daring infiltration of [=ConSec=] in order to embarrass them and assassinate the only scanner they have.
7* FirstInstallmentWins: Did you know there's four more Scanners films? No? Not surprising, considering the {{sequelitis}}.
8* HilariousInHindsight:
9** "Nobody's ever 'switched off' a scanner before."
10** Arguably also the name of Dr. Ruth, considering this was just before ''that'' [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Ruth_Westheimer Dr. Ruth]] started becoming more well-known. Cronenberg possibly knew about her, as the Dr. Ruth in ''Scanners'' was once [[spoiler:a biochemist researching drugs for pregnant women]].
11* MagnificentBastard: [[VisionaryVillain Darryl Revok]] is a powerful and dangerous [[{{Telepathy}} scanner]] who seeks revenge on the society that created him, in particular [[spoiler:[[ArchnemesisDad his creator and father]]]], [[MadScientist Dr. Paul Ruth]]. Revok infiltrates a meeting at the weapons company [=ConSec=] to embarrass them publicly and eliminate the only other scanner still working for them, using his psychic powers to wipe out the security detail detaining him and escape. Together with his ally, [=ConSec=] security head Braedon Keller, Revok usurps control over the company's subsidiary Biocarbon Amalgamate to have them produce Ephemerol in huge quantities. Revok plans to create a whole new generation of scanners by prescribing the mutative drug to pregnant women and recruit them as his foot soldiers. Meanwhile, Revok actively seeks out [[spoiler:his long-lost brother,]] Cameron Vale, so [[WeCanRuleTogether they can rule their new scanner empire together]].
12* MemeticMutation: The infamous YourHeadASplode scene is frequently used as a reaction image, especially on Website/{{Cracked}} and the late Blog/ToplessRobot.
13* {{Narm}}: The sequels increasingly narm things up in general. Scanner duels also seem to gradually devolve into "whoever makes the weirdest face wins".
14* {{Sequelitis}}: The sequels did not involve any of the original cast or crew, and rapidly decrease in quality.
15* SignatureScene: Most people nowadays have heard of this movie because it's "that movie with the exploding head", and if they're watching it, it's [[JustHereForGodzilla so they can see the part]] with the [[YourHeadASplode exploding head]].
16* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome:
17** Dick Smith's makeup effects are still very impressive over thirty years after the film's release.
18** And, of course, the exploding head by Chris Walas, fresh off of doing similar effects for ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk''.
19* WatchItForTheMeme: Many have sat down to watch the film purely for the head explosion scene.

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