INTERZONE DISPATCHES: Report #4.2

Here's part 2 of a film-by-film exploration of some of the best art inspired by, promoting and celebrating the work of David Cronenberg. Last time we started off his filmography with Crimes of the Future, Shivers, Rabid and The Brood.

Now focus your thoughts and try not to lose your head, because this time we're concentrating on Scanners...

First off, a typically insightful alternative poster from Silver Ferox, featuring the striking work of scanner/artist Benjamin Pierce:

A graphic and lurid interpretation of Scanners' most iconic moment from Aaron Crawford:

Beautifully designed alt. poster for Fright Fest by Derek Gabryszak:

Sam Wolfe Connelly's luminous artwork for Mondo's vinyl soundtrack. The companion piece to last post's The Brood OST cover art. This is what you see right before your veins rupture, your eyes liquefy and your head explodes:

The pick of the bunch this time is Connor Willumsen's inspired work for Criterion's blu ray. The cover evokes the agonising madness of life as a scanner without the soothing blocking effects of Ephemerol:

ConSec scanner's gonna blow! I must remind you that the scanning experience is usually a painful one:

Kim Obrist. Her child. Her unborn child scanned me:

Cameron Vale defends himself:

...from Daryl Revok, psychic killer:

Dr. Paul Ruth. I will show you now that it can be a source of great power:

Murdered scanner Benjamin Pierce's artwork:

A vial of Ephemerol:

NEXT TIME: Videodrome!

INTERZONE DISPATCHES: Report #4.1

Mondo Cronenberg

I really like this artwork for the recently released Mondo/Death Waltz double album of Howard Shore's scores for The Brood and Scanners.

I rewatched Scanners a couple of nights ago for the first time in a few years. Still love it. Michael Ironside is just so good in it. Very few characters exude madness, barely controlled rage and sheer, seething menace in the way that Darryl Revok does. The laughable primitiveness of the computer tech (that comes into play near the climax) may be a turn-off for young viewers, but there's still more than enough meat on Scanners' bones to keep it relevant and interesting for newcomers who are willing to look past that. That said, I think Cronenberg's most commercially successful movie up until The Fly is now ripe for a good R-rated remake*, probably more so than any of his other films (and I'd like to see Videodrome left well alone thanks!).

*Directed by Rian Johnson maybe? Looper had the right tone, and I like the way he handled the telekinesis aspects of the story.

Dick Smith

Makeup fx legend Dick Smith has died.

He gave us one of our most terrifying and enduring monsters in Regan/Pazuzu, as well as his groundbreaking and shocking work in dozens of other movies including Scanners, Taxi Driver and Altered States.

Even though he lived to a very respectable 92 years, I'm still saddened by this news. A horror legend is gone.