Scanner Cop II

Director - Steve Barnette (Mindwarp, Cop Files)

Starring - Daniel Quinn (Scanner Cop, The X-Files), Patrick Kilpatrick (The Stand, The Cellar), and Khrystyne Haje (Bates Motel, Raven)

Release Date - 1995

Genre - Horror/Sci-Fi

Tagline - "Nowhere to hide, not even in your mind"

Format - UHD (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     I was expecting the first Scanner Cop to be a cheesy cop flick based on the Croneneberg concept created in his Scanners film.  However, as cheesy as it was, I fucking loved it.  I'm kicking myself for not watching this one soon.  Hell, I didn't know about the film until Vin Syn announced it which is a fucking shame.  It's cheesy but a great mix of Cronenbergian and sci-fi inspired cop drama.  As soon as I finished the first Scanner Cop I was quick to toss in the sequel which was equally as entertaining.  

     The film once again follows officer Sam Staziak (Quinn) who has made a name for himself on the force with the help of his scanner ability.  When other scanners turn up dead and horribly mutilated he is asked to work the case.  He soon discovers that the murders are the work of another scanner her put away some years back for murder and he has learned how to steal the "essence" of other scanners to make himself stronger.  Now Sam is tasked with stopping him before other innocent scanners are murdered.

     Scanner Cop II was not what I was expecting at all but I did enjoy it just as much as the first film.  I had some issues with the story but the cheese and practical effects more than made up for the terrible choices with the story.  The acting in this one is more of the same from the first film.  We get solid performances from most of the cast but Quinn and Kilpatrick's scanner faces leaves me in stitches.  I struggle with the acting in these films because I'm too busy laughing at their strained shit faces.  They are completely ridiculous and takes the tension out of the scenes.  The acting in any other scene is great and enjoyable.  The story for this one builds up a character that has a past history with Sam but it's new to us.  Bring in an established character would have more of an impact that creating one and having him "return."  Aside from that we get a continuation of the original film with several new aspects introduced.  It's a shame this film never received a follow up film capitalizing on some of the new things introduced like the scanners stealing each other's essence and the new form of the drug that Sam takes.  Finally, the film once again delivers some fun practical and make-up effects that fit nicely in the Scanners universe.  I really enjoyed the way the corpses looked and how the scanners melted when their abilities were being drained from them.  Overall, Scanner Cop II is a fantastic follow up to the first film.  It continues the story while delivering something new while showcasing some great practical effects.  Sure, the actors do ham it up but that's just part of the charm.