Not just a cornerstone of 80s horror/scifi but also a foundation block for my own love of movies and the first David Cronenberg film that I ever saw. 1981’s Scanners is set for a feature filled Second Sight Films edition this March. Scanners was a film that as a kid growing up in the 70s and 80s, I knew nothing about other than the still image of a mans head blowing up which I saw in magazines such as Starburst or perhaps it was Fangoria but it was definately something I became aware of by flicking through a movie magazine before the films release.. Being too young to see the film, I was fascinated by that image- not in a creepy way- more a ‘what the heck would make a mans head EXPLODE!’  When the film arrived in my local video store, I was once again fascinated by the box art which gave the tag line ” There are 4 billion people on Earth, 237 of of them are Scanners. They have the most terrifying powers ever created, their thoughts can kill. 10 Seconds The Pain Begins, 15 Seconds You Cant Breathe, 20 Seconds You Explode’   Scanners sounded like the most insane film ever! and its a film I had to see.

I did see the film on VHS rental and its a film that I have adored ever since. It also ignited my Michael Ironside fandom which I still have to this day, Ill watch anything that he is in (and I think I have seen them all so far). Over the years I have seen Scanners a bunch of times, and it is a film that sits in my Favourite 100 films of all time list and always hoped that a feature packed edition of the film would arrive. Second Sight Films have answered my wishes and this March, the Limited Edition set will be released. (Scanners Limited Edition 4K/UHD and Blu-ray Box set is set for release on 31 March 2024 and will also be available in Standard Edition 4K and Blu-ray.)

As with all the Limited Edition Second Sight Film releases the set is presented in a stunning rigid slipcase complete with new artwork (for Scanners the art is by Krishna Shenoi) and comes packed with a slew of brilliant special features including commentaries, interviews with cast and crew, including Michael Ironside. There’s also a 120-page book filled with essays and more. The full list of features are as follows and whilst I love the movie, the special features are what truly got me excited for this release- and this release does not disappoint,

Having seen the film over the years on VHS, TV broadcasts and DVD, how the film looked on those formats is very clear in my mind, the Second Sight Films 4K restoration looks fantastic! Easily the best I have ever seen the film and the sound is also top notch. Ive upgraded my Scanners over the years and the Second Sight Films release is the best ever Im always stunned as to how a film that looked so grainy on my old VHS can look so amazing on a disc- yes I know that I could find out how its done etc etc- but I kinda like keeping that naive part of me that has his socks blown off when I see a new transfer of an older film.

Right, lets talk Special Features. For fans of audio commentaries we get 2 on the disc The first by Caelum Vatnsdal and the second by William Beard. I havent yet checked out those commentaries but they are on my list to listen to. Theres a multitude of featurettes on the disc also and they start with My Art Keeps Me Sane: an interview with actor Stephen Lack who plays Cameron Vale in the film, it runs for 24 minutes and is pretty interesting, giving an insight into how Stephen became involved in the film and what his viewpoint on the films production was. However my favourite featurette is Method in his Madness: an interview with actor Michael Ironside ( 30 minutes)

As id mentioned earlier, Michael Ironside is an actor whos work I really like and that stemmed from Scanners and so with this featurette it was the first one I clicked on when I popped the disc into my player. I could easily have watched and listened to him talking for hours. Michael has a way of relating stories in a super engaging way and there are some gems he shares in this chat- the story of the exploding head is pure gold! (and also pretty scary too) I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Michael Ironside but if there’s a list of people id love to sit down and chat with- Hes top of the list!

Also on the disc we are treated to more (and they are treats) glimpses into the making of the movie with Bad Guy Dane: an interview with actor Lawrence Dane (5 minutes), The Eye of Scanners: an interview with cinematographer Mark Irwin ( 15 minutes) Mind Fragments: an interview with composer Howard Shore (19 minutes) The Chaos of Scanners: an interview with executive producer Pierre David (14 minutes) Exploding Brains & Popping Veins: Interview with makeup effects artist Stephan Dupuis ( 9 minutes) and Monster Kid: an interview with makeup effects artist Chris Walas (22 minutes) Most of those are short running times but overall give a great inside to an 80s Canadian classic that has long begged for indepth looks in a feature packed edition like this one. For fans of video essays, there is Cronenberg’s Tech Babies: a video essay by Tim Coleman( 14 minutes)

Just to save you all reaching for your calculators, the list of featurettes adds up to over 2 and a half hours worth and that doesnt include the commentaries on this Second Sight Films release. I love it when a film I adore is released with a ton of interviews, commentaries and more. I have been wishing for a decent release of Scanners for years and Second Sight Films have made my wish come true.

Whilst all the features etc are on the standard bluray there are some additions that you only get in the Limited Edition and they are the Rigid slipcase, the 120-page book with new essays by Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes, Eugenio Ercolani and Gian Giacomo Petrone, Kurt Halfyard, Craig Ian Mann, Francesco Massaccesi, Jessica Scott, Emma Westwood and Heather Wixson and the Six collectors’ art cards. So you do have a choice which edition you think will look better in your collection. I personally will always go for the Limited Edition sets, I love the art cards, the book and the packaging So its a no brainer for ! Which version will you pick up?