10 Sci-Fi Movies Everyone Remembers For One Scene

While many of the other entries on this list are hugely recognisable sci-fi titles with one particularly memorable or notable scene, this list's top spot goes to a movie that is known for one scene alone. Many haven't ever seen it, and aren't likely to.

A 1981 Canadian sci-fi horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg, Scanners was the movie that catapaulted the director into the public eye for his unique approach to body horror.

The reason that this particular movie can claim that honour is all down to its opening scene.

The titular scanners are psychokinetic telepaths, and shortly after the movie opens, we see one such scanner fully explode a man's head during a marketing event.

It's every bit as messy and (ahem) mindblowing as it sounds, created by literally filling a dummy's head with latex scraps, wax and leftover burgers, and then shooting it with a shotgun.

The shocking and sudden nature of the scene caused it to become a pop culture sensation, and for a while, it was a common reference on TV shows, movies and even in general conversation.

Scanners is, and always will be, that movie where the guy's head blows up.