Scanners II: The New Order
Encyclopedia
Scanners II: The New Order is the 1991 sequel to the 1981 feature film Scanners
. The sequel was written by B.J. Nelson and directed by Christian Duguay
. The plot involves a crooked politician who schemes to gain control of a major city by manipulating Scanners (persons born with telepathic
and telekinetic
abilities) to do his bidding.
intern
named David Kellum discovers he has mental abilities allowing him to read and control the minds of others. When he moves from his country home to the city to continue his studies he discovers he has difficulty controlling this ability because of the congestion of so many minds.
He stumbles across someone robbing a store and mentally kills the gunman. Police Commander John Forrester watches the store's security tape and plans to secretly enlist David to work for him. He tells David that he knows what he is, a Scanner, and that there are others like him around the world. He asks for David's help tracking down elusive criminals and David agrees.
After capturing of a man who put strychnine
in milk containers across the city, Forrester introduces David to another Scanner named Peter Drak, who also works for him. Drak proves to be more aggressive when using of his powers. Forrester teaches David some techniques using Drak as a test subject. Drak considers Kellum an enemy but is injected with the drug Eph2, a variant of Ephemerol, which calms him before he could harm David.
The drug Ephemerol was what originally created the Scanners. It was given to ease the discomfort of expecting mothers to in the 1950s. A side effect caused the babies to develop into Scanners. Forrester tells David that although Eph2 manages to calm a Scanner's mind, the drug is addictive and that he should never use it. Forrester encourages him to develop and control his mental abilities on his own, free from the drug.
David feels he is accomplishing something helping law enforcement. This changes when Forrester wants him to control the mayor
and have her announce Forrester as Chief of Police
. Forrester reassures him that it is the best for everyone and that together they can stop the crime. David, feeling guilty, disagrees and questions Forrester's agenda. He explains to the mayor how he forced her to appoint Forrester and apologizes. They then plan a way to remove Forrester from office. David tells Forrester that he is quitting, so Forrester has Drak attack David and kill the mayor before she can react. The mayor is killed but David escapes and hides at his parents home.
He asks his parents about his abilities, and they tell him he was adopted
. They explain that his birth parents were Cameron Vale and Kim Obrist (from the film Scanners
). Vale and Obrist told them about his abilities and that he was in danger. They took David in as their own. David needs to go for a walk but while he is gone, Drak and his accomplices kill David's mother and leave David's father for dead. When David returns, his father tells about his older sister, Julie Vale. He leaves his father with the paramedics to search for his sister.
He finds Julie in a secluded cabin. She confirms who she is and explains that their parents were killed by Forrester for resisting him. She also states that her former boyfriend Walter agreed to test the earlier version 1 Ephemerol and was one of the first Scanners to use the drug, a more unstable version. Walter was kidnapped by Forrester and never seen again. Julie agrees to help David.
Together they go to Forrester's secret compound and discover that Walter is alive and one of the test subjects addicted to Eph2. Julie and David disable the perimeter guards but inside the compound Julie is tranqilized by a dart
. David leaves her behind so he can destroy the research and free the test subject Scanners.
Drak attacks David in the test subject quarters and tries to kill him. Drak almost succeeds, but is stopped by a combined attack by all the test subjects, which psychically drains Drak's life force. The process reverses the physical damage the addicted Scanners were suffering from, as well as David's injuries from Drak's attack.
Forrester arrives on the scene, in response to David and Julie's assault. At the same time television news reporters and camera crews also show up. He denies the existence of Scanners and any ties to the mayor's death. David mentally forces Forrester to admit his involvement and motivation in front of the cameras. Afterward, Forrester grabs a gun and tries to shoot David, but David and Julie physically deform Forrester using telekinesis, all while cameras continue to record. David announces that Scanners mean no harm and only want to live in peace.
and Media Home Entertainment
in the U.S. and in Canada by Malofilm Home Video
. A DVD version of the film is included in the Scanners Trilogy box set released only in Europe
by Starz Home Entertainment. As of December 31, 2009, no plans have been announced for a region 1 DVD release.
Scanners
Scanners is a 1981 science-fiction horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg and starring Jennifer O'Neill, Stephen Lack, Michael Ironside, and Patrick McGoohan...
. The sequel was written by B.J. Nelson and directed by Christian Duguay
Christian Duguay (director)
Christian Duguay is a Canadian director. He directed the Emmy nominated miniseries Hitler: The Rise of Evil, which aired on the CBC in May 2003. He is best known for directing the action films Screamers starring Peter Weller and Roy Dupuis and The Art of War starring Wesley Snipes and Michael...
. The plot involves a crooked politician who schemes to gain control of a major city by manipulating Scanners (persons born with telepathic
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
and telekinetic
Psychokinesis
The term psychokinesis , also referred to as telekinesis with respect to strictly describing movement of matter, sometimes abbreviated PK and TK respectively, is a term...
abilities) to do his bidding.
Plot
A young veterinarianVeterinarian
A veterinary physician, colloquially called a vet, shortened from veterinarian or veterinary surgeon , is a professional who treats disease, disorder and injury in animals....
intern
Fellowship (medicine)
A fellowship is the period of medical training in the United States and Canada that a physician may undertake after completing a specialty training program . During this time , the physician is known as a fellow...
named David Kellum discovers he has mental abilities allowing him to read and control the minds of others. When he moves from his country home to the city to continue his studies he discovers he has difficulty controlling this ability because of the congestion of so many minds.
He stumbles across someone robbing a store and mentally kills the gunman. Police Commander John Forrester watches the store's security tape and plans to secretly enlist David to work for him. He tells David that he knows what he is, a Scanner, and that there are others like him around the world. He asks for David's help tracking down elusive criminals and David agrees.
After capturing of a man who put strychnine
Strychnine
Strychnine is a highly toxic , colorless crystalline alkaloid used as a pesticide, particularly for killing small vertebrates such as birds and rodents. Strychnine causes muscular convulsions and eventually death through asphyxia or sheer exhaustion...
in milk containers across the city, Forrester introduces David to another Scanner named Peter Drak, who also works for him. Drak proves to be more aggressive when using of his powers. Forrester teaches David some techniques using Drak as a test subject. Drak considers Kellum an enemy but is injected with the drug Eph2, a variant of Ephemerol, which calms him before he could harm David.
The drug Ephemerol was what originally created the Scanners. It was given to ease the discomfort of expecting mothers to in the 1950s. A side effect caused the babies to develop into Scanners. Forrester tells David that although Eph2 manages to calm a Scanner's mind, the drug is addictive and that he should never use it. Forrester encourages him to develop and control his mental abilities on his own, free from the drug.
David feels he is accomplishing something helping law enforcement. This changes when Forrester wants him to control the mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
and have her announce Forrester as Chief of Police
Chief of police
A Chief of Police is the title typically given to the top official in the chain of command of a police department, particularly in North America. Alternate titles for this position include Commissioner, Superintendent, and Chief constable...
. Forrester reassures him that it is the best for everyone and that together they can stop the crime. David, feeling guilty, disagrees and questions Forrester's agenda. He explains to the mayor how he forced her to appoint Forrester and apologizes. They then plan a way to remove Forrester from office. David tells Forrester that he is quitting, so Forrester has Drak attack David and kill the mayor before she can react. The mayor is killed but David escapes and hides at his parents home.
He asks his parents about his abilities, and they tell him he was adopted
Adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
. They explain that his birth parents were Cameron Vale and Kim Obrist (from the film Scanners
Scanners
Scanners is a 1981 science-fiction horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg and starring Jennifer O'Neill, Stephen Lack, Michael Ironside, and Patrick McGoohan...
). Vale and Obrist told them about his abilities and that he was in danger. They took David in as their own. David needs to go for a walk but while he is gone, Drak and his accomplices kill David's mother and leave David's father for dead. When David returns, his father tells about his older sister, Julie Vale. He leaves his father with the paramedics to search for his sister.
Together they go to Forrester's secret compound and discover that Walter is alive and one of the test subjects addicted to Eph2. Julie and David disable the perimeter guards but inside the compound Julie is tranqilized by a dart
Tranquilliser gun
A tranquilliser gun , capture gun, or dart gun, is a non-lethal gun used for capture via a special chemical. Tranquilliser guns shoot darts filled with tranquilliser that, when injected, temporarily sedate an animal or human, so that it may be handled safely...
. David leaves her behind so he can destroy the research and free the test subject Scanners.
Drak attacks David in the test subject quarters and tries to kill him. Drak almost succeeds, but is stopped by a combined attack by all the test subjects, which psychically drains Drak's life force. The process reverses the physical damage the addicted Scanners were suffering from, as well as David's injuries from Drak's attack.
Forrester arrives on the scene, in response to David and Julie's assault. At the same time television news reporters and camera crews also show up. He denies the existence of Scanners and any ties to the mayor's death. David mentally forces Forrester to admit his involvement and motivation in front of the cameras. Afterward, Forrester grabs a gun and tries to shoot David, but David and Julie physically deform Forrester using telekinesis, all while cameras continue to record. David announces that Scanners mean no harm and only want to live in peace.
Cast
- David HewlettDavid HewlettDavid Ian Hewlett is an English-born Canadian actor best known for his role as Dr. Meredith Rodney McKay on the science fiction television shows Stargate SG1 and Stargate Atlantis.-Early life:...
as David Kellum - Deborah RaffinDeborah RaffinDeborah Iona Raffin is an American film and television actress.Raffin was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Trudy Marshall, a Brooklyn-born former movie actress, and Phillip Jordan Raffin, a restaurateur and meat/brokerage executive.She appeared in several 1970s Hollywood films...
as Julie Vale - Yvan PontonYvan PontonYvan Ponton is a Quebec actor, commentator and television host. Ponton has had a lengthy acting career which included roles in major Quebec television series and movies as well as the 1977 film Slap Shot....
as Commander John Forrester - Isabelle Mejias as Alice Leonardo
- Raoul TrujilloRaoul TrujilloBorn Jose Raoul TrujilloAlso known as Raul Trujillo and Max Cheblon|parents= Luis and Lorraine TrujilloHis official website is raoultrujilloinfo.com, created by Charmaine deValois in London....
as Peter Drak - Tom Butler as Doctor Morse
- Dorothée BerrymanDorothée BerrymanDorothée Berryman is a noted Canadian actress and singer.- Biography :Born in Quebec City, Quebec, she has played roles in many stage productions, films, and television series including The Red Violin, Rivière-des-Jérémie, Le Déclin de l'empire américain, Les Invasions barbares, Scanners II: The...
as Mayor - Emily Eby as Reporter
Release
The film was released on VHS by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of the 20th Century Fox film studio. It was established in 1976 as Magnetic Video Corporation, and later as 20th Century Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video and FoxVideo, Inc....
and Media Home Entertainment
Media Home Entertainment
Media Home Entertainment Inc. was a home video company headquartered in Culver City, California, originally established in 1978 by filmmaker Charles Band....
in the U.S. and in Canada by Malofilm Home Video
Malofilm
Founded in 1987 by chairman and CEO René Malo in Montreal, Quebec, Malofilm was a film production company, a television and video production company and a distributor. First based on Saint-André boulevard, it moved in 1993 to Saint Laurent Boulevard. In 1995, it acquired Desclez Productions and...
. A DVD version of the film is included in the Scanners Trilogy box set released only in Europe
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
by Starz Home Entertainment. As of December 31, 2009, no plans have been announced for a region 1 DVD release.