Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Brief Thoughts -SCANNERS II: THE NEW ORDER (1991)


I watched SCANNERS II: THE NEW ORDER (1991) last night on the new streaming Shout! Factory channel on my Roku. First, let me recommend this option for viewing some obscure films from the Shout Factory collection as well as quite a number of Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes. The channel allows free viewing with occasional commercial interruptions or you can pay 99 cents and watch the show with no breaks. I choose the free way because I am cheap!

Any way, I had never seen SCANNERS II before but have been curious about it for years. The original film is a longtime favorite of mine which may be why I had shied away from the sequels. Cronenberg had nothing to do with them so I feared the worst. Much to my shock I am pleased to say I enjoyed it. I'm kind of surprised that it was as well done as it turned out as I had pictured a massive mess masquerading as a film. Instead I got a petty well thought out story that - while it does copy the plot of the first film a little too closely - is well crafted and well acted. It even has that strange otherworldly/different dimension feel that I have always associated with Canadian productions that makes them seem to be taking place in a slightly cleaner, calmer and more ordered place. Could that just be Canada?   I'll have to watch the third one soon.


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