ROTTEN TOMATOES: "Scanners" Remake Explodes...with Politics

"Scanners" Remake Explodes...with Politics

by Fred Topel | April 21, 2007

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It's easy to remake old horror movies with newfangled CGI effects. Recapturing their spirit is another story. That's what David Goyer hopes to do with his script for "Scanners," originally David Cronenberg's telepathic exploding head movie from the '80s.

"'Scanners' is a great movie but it's also very dated to a certain extent," said Goyer. "Largely in socio-political terms it's very dated. Cronenberg's movies are always very political and very specific. That original film had a lot to do with corporate America and the Reagan years and all of that stuff and that's not what's happening now. So my whole thing was, and I love that movie and I don't want to ruin that movie, so it's not a slavish remake. It's kind of taking the best stuff from that and trying to apply the same sociopolitical template."

One need only turn on the news to find material for telepathic warriors. "Read about all the stuff that's going on in Iraq, or the stuff that's going on in the Justice department or Guantanamo Bay and all the rights that are being trampled on. That's what I'm trying to deal with in the remake of that."

And exploding heads, of course. "Of course we're going to blow up a head but we have to go further than blow up a head because we're 20 years down the line. With 'Scanners,' it's just fun to know I can just go for it and I don't have to do the toned down version of it."

As a fan of the original, Goyer does hope Cronenberg approves. "I figured the best way to do it would be finish it and send it to him and either get his blessing or take my lashings."

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(1-20 of 34 posts) | Reply

Admiral_N8 writes:
on Apr 21 2007 02:09 PM

[b].[/b]
Thats just what we need, more liberal movies from liberal hollywood telling us how to think and that we have no more rights in America. Seriously, sometimes Hollywood needs to just get over itself.

(Reply to this)

jjwade writes:
on Apr 21 2007 02:41 PM

Your mom is a liberal.

(Reply to this)

The Iron Invader writes:
on Apr 21 2007 03:03 PM

Haha, Hollywood is NOT liberal. Not by a long shot.

(Reply to this)

bigbrother writes:
on Apr 21 2007 04:44 PM

In reply to this comment (#862281)
Yeah, and Bill O'Reilly's not a conservative either. Seriously did you write this before or after Al Gore was given an Oscar for standing at a podium and reading his book report on Global Warming? Not saying it's a good or bad thing, but I think it's pretty obvious that most of Hollywood is pretty liberal.

(Reply to this)

needles writes:
on Apr 21 2007 04:50 PM

In reply to this comment (#862282)
but I think it's pretty obvious that most of Hollywood is pretty liberal
And these days that's a good thing.

(Reply to this)

Zen Bullet writes:
on Apr 21 2007 05:54 PM

Hollywood Is Liberal and Conservative Christian, hates gun control in their movies, and still prefers to be Jewish.

(Reply to this)

Read-A-Book writes:
on Apr 21 2007 09:30 PM

I don't care if the movie is liberal, conservative, or independent. We don't need a yet another remake. Mark my words, if they go ahead with a remake it will fail miserably.

(Reply to this)

JMA writes:
on Apr 21 2007 10:23 PM

[b]Political Movies[/b]
People only hate "political movies" when their political beliefs aren't represented in a positive light. Frankly, I don't give a damn if people think movies are trying to push agendas on people: If you don't like it, you don't have to watch. Saying that the movies shouldn't be made--just because someone disagrees with the film's message--is idiotic.

There are plenty of movies that represent the political beliefs of individual Americans; it doesn't matter if you're liberal, conservative, right-libertarian, left-libertarian, communist, anarchist, feminist, or whatever. Chances are there's a movie that's right for you.

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GreenBastard writes:
on Apr 21 2007 11:35 PM

Your absoulutly right! Well put.
"People don't like it when their political beliefs aren't represented in a positive light".
I do think we also need to embrace those movies that shed a realistic view of America's right, there's been some great one's.
Deliverence was a good one.
In fact lets all go shoot sum sumbitch then fuck our sisters?pets, go to a rodeo, beat the shitter out of some gay dude, masturbate, then kick back and watch Fox.

(Reply to this)

jeremyd4 writes:
on Apr 22 2007 12:28 AM

I still think the "d**ks, p**sies, and a**holes" speech from 'Team America' sums up the left vs right situation better than anyone can, and ever will.

(Reply to this)

Mr. Diamond writes:
on Apr 22 2007 01:52 AM

In reply to this comment (#862288)
I think you're an idiot.

(Reply to this)

pinkincide writes:
on Apr 22 2007 04:03 AM

Oh please. There are whole subjects that are off the table because they aren't politically correct to the gatekeepers in Hollywood. UN soldiers regularly commit crimes worse than anything that went on in Abu Ghraib, much less Gitmo, but you won't see that story. There are devastating counterpoints to both Fahrenheit 911, and An Inconvenient Truth which few people will ever see because they won't get any kind of backing.

Even if you agree with the agenda it should bother you that there is no balance and no challenge to your beliefs--which isn't healthy. It leads to thinking like GreenBastard's--a complete demonization of contrary views which functions more as an allergic reaction that conscious thought.

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drbanality writes:
on Apr 22 2007 06:11 AM

Horror films once upon a time represented these socio-political problems. We have long since diminished the meaning of the medium. I think it's neat that somebody is willing to remake a film in a way that says remakes can be good, provided there's something we can inject into it to make it more modern.

(Reply to this)

jeremyd4 writes:
on Apr 22 2007 06:12 AM

In reply to this comment (#862289)
good point you make. really insightful.

(Reply to this)

bigbrother writes:
on Apr 22 2007 07:23 AM

In reply to this comment (#862291)
Good Point!!!

(Reply to this)

tycox writes:
on Apr 22 2007 07:40 AM

[b]I HOPE CRONENBERG SLAPS THAT DUDE WITH A TURD!!![/b]
AND LET HIM KNOW ALL THESE REMAKES ARE A REALLY CRAPPY IDEA!!! I think he would get the point if you slap him in the face with a turd in your hand!

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IMAmoose24 writes:
on Apr 22 2007 08:20 AM

That's exactly right. I hate political movies only if they do not agree with how I feel. That's why I'm sad that hollywood IS liberal. The media is even worse. I was watching MSNBC when the whole VT explosion happened about a week ago. They're painting the killer as a troubled young man who was so troubled that HE was the victim. In truth, yes, he is a troubled young man, but he's definately not the victim here. The family's of the innocent who were killed are the true victims. It's sick how the media can actually believe that and try to make other people believe it too.

Be done with the liberal hollywood and media!

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otter68 writes:
on Apr 22 2007 09:09 AM

[b]politics and horror?[/b]
I don't remember The Shining, Psycho, Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, or any of the great crop of recent Asian ghost movies slapping us in the face with political manifestos.

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hotbox2001 writes:
on Apr 22 2007 10:22 AM

[b]politics[/b]
I did not realise that global warming was a liberal issue.I was under the impression that it is fact,and only dumb hillbilly midwestern southern ju-hee-sus swallowing monkeys thought otherwise,what would your saviour think then,millions dead from stavation and famine,all because you thought it was too gay to watch the science channel because football is on another channel...... its not liberal or conservative,its right or wrong....

(Reply to this)

cabezone writes:
on Apr 22 2007 10:35 AM

In reply to this comment (#862298)
There's no such thing as fact in science you knuckle dragger. While most scientists agree there is probably some form of global warming going on, the cause is very much in the air. Contrary to what your messiah Gore may have lied to you about.

I'll also add that a shitpile of the crap in the air comes from coal burning plants, because the environment nuts do everything they can to keep people from building clean nuclear power plants.

(Reply to this)