The Dead Zone Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
In his mind, he has the power to see the future. In his hands, he has the power to change it.
Teacher Johnny Smith gets in a horrible accident which forces him into a coma for five years. Once Johnny wakes up, he discovers he has the ability to read a person's life just by making physical contact with them. When the local police find out about Johnny's "powers", they bring him in on a murder case. Soon Johnny's abilities gets him into more trouble then he may be able to handle.
| Christopher Walken | Johnny Smith |
| Brooke Adams | Sarah Bracknell |
| Tom Skerritt | Sheriff George Bannerman |
| Herbert Lom | Dr. Sam Weizak |
| Anthony Zerbe | Roger Stuart |
| Colleen Dewhurst | Henrietta Dodd |
| Martin Sheen | Greg Stillson |
| Nicholas Campbell | Deputy Frank Dodd |
| Sean Sullivan | Herb Smith |
| Jackie Burroughs | Vera Smith |
| Géza Kovács | Sonny Elliman |
| Roberta Weiss | Alma Frechette |
| Simon Craig | Chris Stuart |
| Peter Dvorsky | Dardis |
| Julie-Ann Heathwood | Amy |
| David Cronenberg |
7.30 out of 10 (14729 votes)
Visitor Reviews
Cronenberg's adaptation of King results in the most understated film of his career
posted on 04 Jun 2009There is nothing in David Cronenberg's pre-1983 filmography to suggest the remarkable understatement and restraint shown in THE DEAD ZONE. His previous works (SHIVERS, 1975, RABID, 1977, THE BROOD, 1979, SCANNERS, 1981, VIDEODROME, 1983) were marked by the unusual combination of stomach-churning gore and genuine intelligence. His films were monuments to ingenious screenplay construction and bizarre, mindblowing (sometimes literally) special effects set pieces. THE DEAD ZONE gave Cronenberg a chance to adapt someone else's work for the first time, and the change of pace serves him well. Working from a screenplay by Jeffrey Boam (based, in turn, on Stephen King's 1979 bestseller), THE DEAD ZONE is the first (as thus far only) film Cronenberg has directed without having written it himself. A young New England schoolteacher (Christopher Walken) awakens from a lengthy coma only to discover he has been blessed (or cursed) with the gift of second sight. His powers bring him into contact with an elusive serial killer, a withdrawn young child and, ultimately, a megalomaniacal grass-roots politician (Martin Sheen, in a riveting performance) bent on absolute power. Walken gives a wonderful performance as the tormented Johnny, a man who wakes up five years out of step with the world he knew. He allows Johnny to be frightened, lonely, and even selfish. The scenes where Johnny revisits his lost love Sarah (Brooke Adams) are heartbreaking. Cronenberg skillfully builds suspense, and the film has almost none of his trademark gore (one suicide scene excepted). He concentrates on atmosphere and characterization instead, bringing the wintery New England landscape and small town ethos of King's novel vividly to life. Cinematographer Mark Irwin captures King's New England better, perhaps, than anyone since, and Michael Kamen contributes a piercing, haunting original score, leagues better than his recent, non-descript work in big-budget action films. Rather than serving up a shocking, roller-coaster King blockbuster in the vein of Brian De Palma's CARRIE (1976), Cronenberg crafts an eerie, highly effective thriller light years removed from his own, more self-indulgent projects. If this is what "selling out" does to low-budget horror talent, then I'll take it.
If only Cronenburg were King's editor...
posted on 05 May 2009A simple but superb film - it has no pretentions, clever camera angles or smart scripting. Adapted from the ponderous King novel, Cronenburg manages to filter out the superfluous waffle (too often present in Mr King's work) and give us a straight-down-the-line story with a couple of great twists and a satisfyingly intelligent ending.Christopher Walken is perfect as the cursed/gifted Johnny Smith. He cuts such a sad and lonely figure throughout the film that it is difficult not to sympathise with him. And Martin Sheen throws in an excellently OTT performance as Stillson. Sorry America, but he is eerily convincing when on the campaign trail. It couldn't happen, could it? A man with an itchy trigger finger in the White House - surely not...
Psychic Zone
posted on 12 Mar 2009This is without a question the most "normal" of all the films director Cronenberg has made in his long career. It is also one of his best films, where plot holes are kept to the minimum, a rare thing for a Cronenberg movie. It is an elegant, deeply emotional movie with Cronenberg rearranging writer Stephen King's sensibilities so they can fit into his own personal vision. It's a great marriage of ideas and styles, that seem to work surprisingly well. Christopher Walken's moving, truly wonderful performance is the icing of the cake, and that music score! At first, the film doesn't look like your typical Cronenberg movie, but sharp viewers familiar with the director's work will notice many elements that are pure Cronenberg. Also, it is one of the best films based on a King novel.
Great start, great end, worthless middle
posted on 03 Mar 2009A good adaptation of Stephen King's novel that sees Walken as a teacher who develops the ability to see future events via touch as a result of a car crash resulting in a coma.The film starts well with interest easily being held by the discovery and consequences of the gift, however the middle section of the film is very slow and loses sight of the story - almost no mention is made of the gift and the focus is on Walken's relationship and withdrawal from others, this is a big change from the first half of solved crimes etc.Once this is past we have the ice-skating incident and the introduction of the "main" storyline of Martin Sheen's nasty politician. This leads to a breath-taking sudden ending which contains a good twist within the final scene that leaves you with a little smile of logic.Walken is excellent as the haunted teacher forced to cut himself off from people to protect himself from unwanted while Martin Sheen is hammy in his role as President-elect (more interesting when viewed beside his very liberal president in The West Wing). An interesting thing to note is Walken quoting the book "Sleepy Hollow", interesting as he later played the headless horseman in Burton's film.A good adaptation (although I don't know how it compares to the book) but you do get the feeling that the film is just hanging around for the middle section until the Martin Sheen storyline is brought in. Worth watching just for the final 20 minutes.
You knew and you did nothing
posted on 27 Nov 2008Johnny Smith was an influential teacher of classic literature with a wonderfully caring girlfriend, until an accidental collision with a truck changed his life. After awaking from a five year coma, he finds everything he once had he has now lost- including the love of his life. But, he has gained something. The power to see into the future by making physical contact with another person. Once he gets a good idea of just how powerful this new capability is, he makes an honest effort never to use it. And then, he runs into an old flame, which really turns up the heat.Disturbing, well executed, and almost touching adaptation of the novel by Stephen King. Christopher Walken's humanity is at times ominous. Brooke Adams (the Lace mini-series), having most of her experience in made for television movies, makes big waves. And who knew that Martin Sheen looked so young once?? He's one of those men who is more attractive with age. His performance is certainly an energetic one, not that I'm so sure that's what best suits the film. Nicholas Campbell is one of the best surprises here as an actor of stupendous facial expressions; this man's one to watch.Great winter locations. But, this dramatic vehicle is a little too pitiable for our own good. **1/2 out of ****
Cronenberg and King Hybridize a Nightmare
posted on 21 Nov 2008Fresh out of the bizarre, surreal, horror-worlds of Scanners and the excellent Videodrome, David Cronenberg took on one of Stephen King's more challenging works - The Dead Zone - a psychological horror story lacking all of the gore and shock which so often killed film adaptations of King novels. Add Chris Walken near the top of his game, and the results should be fairly predictable - either an esoteric morasse of horror-poetry illustrated by Walken's incredible physical expressiveness, or powerful, disturbing and smart film. Fortunately, the Dead Zone is the latter.Johnny Smith (Walken) lives in Castle Rock Maine where he teaches school and is engaged to a nice local girl (Sarah - Brooke Adams). On his way home one night his Volkswagen is flattened by a jack-knifed truck. Smith experiences a severe brain trauma and slips into a coma which lasts several years. WHen he wakes up, it doesn't take long for him to slip into a deep depression because of all that has happened since his accident, nor does it take long for him to realize that physical contact with others often allows him to see their future.As with many of King's 1970s and early 1980s stories, halfway through the story, it is not clear whether the protagonist is to become a hero or a very very bad guy. Cronenberg uses this ambiguity perfectly and Walken (greatly aided by the script) makes his character both edgy and sympathetic.Walken gives this film everything he's got, and his performance is spot-on. The supporting cast is also excellent - especially Herbert Lom and Anthony Zerbe. Cronenberg, to his credit, sticks to the story this time around - apparently King gave him more than enough to work with and the uncontrollably creative director reigned himself in so that he could give the story the treatment it deserved. This film fits better among Cronenberg's later works such as A History of Violence and Eastern Promises than among Naked Lunch, ExistenZ or Videodrome. Even the cinematographic technique is unusually straightforward.The Dead Zone's script was written by the very talented Jeff Boam, who unfortunately succumbed to a rare disease at the age of 53 in 2000, after achieving a nearly unbroken nine-year streak of hit screenplays from the Dead Zone (1983) to Lethal Weapon 3 (1992).
A very well-made suspence thriller
posted on 22 Sep 2008with the mixture of Christopher Walken's acting ability and being based on a Stephen King novel, this movie is pulls itself off as a good thriller. This is more like a phenomenal touching story then it is chilling horror tale, but it's still very well-structured and they make Walken's psychic seem very cool and realistic. The Ending is very important too, because it's a universal message.
David Cronenberg's Finest Film
posted on 22 Sep 2008This is such a wonderful [horror] film. And coming from David Cronenberg no less! Anyone familiar with Mr. Cronenberg's works will be surprised at how understated this movie is, and the gore is kept to a bare and necessary minimum. I thought many of Cronenberg's early works, while promoting interesting notions were simply too gory and in a way too emotionally and/or sexually repressed to garner serious comment. Many of Cronenberg's later works, particularly Dead Ringers and Naked Lunch are excellent as well. But Dead Zone is special. Of course you have Christopher Walked who adds an 'edge' lacking in the original character portrayed in the Stephen King novel. And then there is the supporting cast: Colleen Dewhurst, Herbert Lom, etc. Tom Skerritt, who I had never thought of as a particularly great actor, truly steals the scenes that he is in. And of course Martin Sheen. Long before West Wing we had this wonderfully acted demagogue running for Senate with Presidential ambitions who our 'gifted' hero manages to foil. I would not restrict this film to the horror genre - if you are looking to rent a great movie - rent The Dead Zone.
More An Off-the-Wall Love Story Than a Horror Film
posted on 19 Sep 2008The only Stephen King story I like better than this one is THE STAND. This movie did the story justice pretty well. It moved at a fairly brisk pace, and things were explained thoroughly using as few words as possible. Nice, steady pace, but you still knew what was going on. That the kid in the movie held up by Stillson as a shield against Johnny's bullets was Sarah's in the movie was quite a twist, as was the fact that she worked on his campaign. And no, I don't think Stillson was either Nixon or Reagan, so I'm not going there. Nixon and Reagan weren't wackos like this guy was.My only complaint about the movie was they didn't play up his mother's religion very much, but then, they probably thought she would have looked too much like the mother in CARRIE if they had done that. A very impressive adaptation to Stephen King's second greatest story, very tightly constructed and Kaman's music...WHOOH! When the timpani has those triplet figures, it's like death is standing in front of you, pointing a finger at you, and saying, "YOU! COME WITH ME!" Very chilling. You really learn to care about Johnny and his predicament. One thing I always liked about Stephen King's stories is he made you care about his characters. And the script writers and director did the same here. 7 out of 10. Well done.
What would you do if you could change the future...A must see!
posted on 13 Sep 2008Stephen King again delivers, with excellent performances by Chris Walken, Anthony Zerbe, Tome Skerrit, Martin Sheen, Brooke Adams, Herbert Lom and Nicholas Campbell, with an intriguing cameo by Colleen Dewhurst.This film was a bit before King dominated the market, but the film still has the interesting character quirks, and pathologies.After Walken is in a horrible accident, he has the ability to foresee the future. This is well told in that, for those who like their horror/suspense realistic this is just the type of film you will appreciate. Haunting, like when Walken says to the psychiatrist Herbert Lom, that he should contact his mother, (who Lom assumed was killed in a Nazi concentration camp) He calls the number Walken tells him to, and she answers. The voice of the dead.Martin Sheen as sociopath and politician (sorry to be redundant) Greg Stillson is perfect. A power-hungry narcissist, he seems to be a "man of the people" but Walken's intuition tells him otherwise. Walken can solve murders, and change the direction the country is going in. Imagine if someone had that power today. 9/10.
Great supernatural thriller.
posted on 23 Aug 2008If there is a thing that can be said about movies adapted from novels written by Stephen King it is that they cam in three different waves. In the beginning from the 70s to mid 80s there were well made suspenseful thrillers/horrormovies like Carrie, Shining, Cujo, Salem's Lot and this one. Then there was a long wave of utter crap, like Cat's eye, Children of the corn (less so), Sometimes they come back, Graveyard shift, the Mangler,the disappointing made for tv miniseries The Stand and so on (Misery was a diamond in this mud). And finally we have very well made movies from the late 90s until now, that however can hardly be called horror anymore. The Shawshank redemption, although a fine film, was no horror, the same goes for Dolores Claiborne and now the Green mile.The Dead Zone is a perfect example of how a Stephen King adaptation should be: chilling, suspenseful, very well made and acted, and even emotional at times. This is only possible when dealing with three dimensional characters and in turn, they can only be played by actors ranging from good to wonderful. Any movie that manages to have three plots and one sub-plot and be this great is a major achievement. There's Johnny trying to keep a friend from sending his son to an ice-skating gang, because he has forseen that the ice will break and the kids will drown. Then his help is required to track down a serial killer, and finally we have Johnny trying to stop a presidency candidate from achieving his goal, because he had a vision of this megalomaniac destroying the world by starting a massive nuclear holocaust. In contrary to most Stephen King adaptations, it even has the guts to wipe the floor with Hollywood conventions and let the movie end the way it should.One of David Cronenberg's and Christopher Walken's best.
Best supernatural King adaptation
posted on 27 Jul 2008Spoiler alert.I believe it was Roger Ebert who suggested this contest: What is the greatest movie made from a mediocre novel? I think his answer was "Jaws." I do not mean to imply that "The Dead Zone" is a mediocre novel, but what David Cronenberg did with "The Dead Zone" is amazing. Of course, he had Christopher Walken as the star. What a brilliant choice.This movie requires a soulful loser at its center. Walken more than fulfills his duty. He's a down-on-his-luck, head-damaged school teacher with second sight. He shakes hands with ruthlessly ambitious politician Martin Sheen and ... whoa! ... this guy's dangerous!From then on, Walken's Johnny is on a mission. Sheen must be stopped. This brings up all the issues of "guy knows something important but nobody will believe him."The climax and denouement are fairly predictable. Sacrifices must be made in service of a greater good. But Walken brings it home in a wonderful way.For my money, best adaptation of King ever, in terms of the supernatural. "Stand By Me" is on another plain.
Note to film studios: This is how King movies should be made.
posted on 03 Jul 2008Definitely one of the best movie adaptations of a Stephen King novel, along with Kubrick's The Shining and DePalma's Carrie. King himself considers this one of the best, for the same reason I do...it uses cinematic conventions to actually improve aspects of the original story, a rarity when it comes to filming books. Canadian director David Cronenberg understates the story, and except for one spectacular suicide scene refrains from his usual visceral horror approach to storytelling. He captures the same small-town tone of King's writing, and the great Christopher Walken delivers an amazing acting job as the tortured John Smith, a school teacher who's aspirations are robbed from him in a car accident that sends him into a coma for five years. He awakes to find his legs crippled, his fiancé married to another man and his job long gone. But he has received something in return...a psychic bond with whoever he touches. Also notable is Martin Sheen, who's performance as lunatic politician Greg Stillson is one of the best of his career. Topping it all off is a fantastic climax that wraps up the entire story in even better fashion that the original novel. No matter if you're a fan of King or Cronenberg, check out this rare beast, a movie that almost outdoes its literary equivalent.
Cronenberg and King; What a combo!
posted on 11 Mar 2008Not only is David Cronenberg's "The Dead Zone" the best film associated with a Stephen King novel, it's also one of the finest suspense/drama film of the 80's.Basically it's three little movies perfectly combined into one tight package. First off, Walken is involved in a horrible accident and is comatosed for five years. As he awakens he finds his life has slipped through his fingers, his job and love are gone and he'll have to adjust to a completely new life with one major difference; his psychic powers, mostly dormant before the accident, have reached full force and he can see past and future events.Then we're into serial killer territory ala Stephen King (in Castle Rock, no less). A vicious killer roams the streets and the local sheriff manages to convince Walken to use his powers to locate the fiend.After successfully helping out with the Castle Rock killer, Walken leads a reclusive life, keeping contact with people at a minimum. However, soon he's faced with a huge responsibility when he learns of a future disaster and he has to make a tough choice; Should he intervene or let things happen naturally.Cronenberg makes some big changes from the book and they're all good. Added weight is given to Walken's solitary existence and, if anything, the supernatural aspect is reduced. Less is made of The Castle Rock Killer and the final third gets more attention. All of this is good, making "The Dead Zone" an extremely appealing drama and suspense film. Walken's relationship with Brooke Adams is thoroughly involving and moving and the final minutes are extremely suspenseful.Performances are first rate as well. Walken is just perfect as Johnny Smith, a surely damned individual with the weight of the world on his shoulders (literally). Never before or after has Walken been this likable and moving. Brooke Adams, Herbert Lom, Martin Sheen and Anthony Zerbe provide solid support.As for Cronenberg, "The Dead Zone" is easily his most accessible film. His earlier efforts, while very interesting, are either acquired tastes or demand at least two viewings to fully appreciate. Here, everything is kept relatively low-key and the film is all the more powerful for that.Highly recommended.
Reminds me...
posted on 28 Feb 2008This movie reminds of the book "The witching hour" by anne rice. The fact that the guy can see the future is almost like Micheal in the witching hour, who can see the past of objects, or people he touches. I thought this movie was really good. It is a must for people to realize what is good in life. This movie did make me cry. I kind of feel stupid saying that, but it did. I hope you enjoy this movie as much as I did. I also recommend you read, "The witching hour". That is, if you have time. It's a pretty big book.Sincerely, kT
Cronenberg Anonymous
posted on 04 Feb 2008"The Dead Zone" is a bland adaptation of a Stephen King novel. One senses that director David Cronenberg had no desire to make this film. No desire to tell this tale or refine this script.The plot is simple: a man has an accident and wakes up from a five year coma to find that he has psychic powers. He uses these powers to solve a murder, save a boy and kill an evil politician.It's an interesting idea, but the screenplay was written by Jeffrey Boam, a talentless writer who gave us such horrible scripts as "Phantom" and "Tales from the Crypt". The only worthwhile script that Jeffrey Boam wrote was "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", and even that managed to severely dumb down what was already a pretty simple series.And so "The Dead Zone" plays out like a really bad TV movie. None of the characters are developed beyond the superficial, the plot is predictable, the direction ugly, and the acting, with the exception of Christopher Walken, pretty cringe worthy.Luckily David Cronenberg would use the success of "The Dead Zone" and "The Fly" to launch a series of far more personal and interesting films.6/10 – Television has effectively rendered this movie obsolete. TV shows like "The Medium", "X-Files", "The Mentalist", "Ghost Whisperer" and even "The Dead Zone TV Series", have explored all these paranormal tales from every possible angle. As a result, Cronenberg's film now seems bland and unimaginative. The film packs no surprises, and is at times laughably ridiculous. 80's audiences may have found this interesting, but we've now seen it all before and done better. Brian De Palma's "Sisters" faced a similar problem, it's tale of "evil twins" now a cliché absorbed by everything from "Sesame Street" to "Baywatch". The reason "Sisters" is still watchable is because De Palma relies on visuals and camera wizardry. Cronenberg, however, is a man of intellect and is largely uninterested in aesthetics. The result is a badly shot film which is unfortunately also very stupid.
One of the best Stephen King adaptations ever!
posted on 08 Jan 2008The Dead Zone is one of the best Stephen King adaptations ever!Writer Jeffrey Boam and director David Cronenberg are faithful to the book and actually improve upon it a little.Cronenberg shows admirable restraint in staying way from his usual bag of tricks,except for the suicide scene.The cast is phenomenal.Tom Skerritt,Brooke Adams,Colleen Dewhurst,Nicholas Campbell,Anthony Zerbe,Herbert Lom,all excellent.Martin Sheen turns in an excellent performamce as the psychotic politico Greg Stillson. The centerpiece of this picture,however,is Christopher Walkens moving portrayal of the tortured Johnny Smith. Walken is even better than in Deer Hunter!Why he didn't get at least an Oscar nomination I'll never understand.Michael Kamen's score is also excellent.9 out of 10.
Very good Stephen King adaption.
posted on 18 Dec 2007The Dead Zone is probably second to only the shining as my favorite Steohen King adaption to the screen. Even though the movie is billed as a thriller, it is more than that. Christopher Walken plays a school teacher that has a serious car accident and after waking from a coma after 5 years discovers that he has psychic powers. He can see the future as well as the past. The movie has the set up of a thriller, he is asked by the goal sheriff to assist in a murder investigation, he has visions that save lives. The movie focuses more on the effect that this has on Walken's character. Being Walken, he brings a creepiness to the role, but also a sadness and a 4realism that makes one care for him. His character is a victim of his gift, he tries to isolate himself from the world to avoid the pain of his visions. When he meets a politician eerily played by Martin Sheen, he has a vision that brings him to realize that he must act to change the future. All of this is done with skill by David Cronenberg, a solid director that showed he could make an effective thriller without much gore. As far fetched as the movie's plot seems it is all made compelling by Walken's fabulous performance.
David Cronenberg's "The Dead Zone"
posted on 24 Nov 2007The Dead Zone (1983) was somewhat based upon the Stephen King novel. Cronenberg plays "director-for-hire" as he adapts the novel with his own vision in mind. Even though he was only a hired gun, his trademark is everywhere. The movie has a cold and clinical feel to it. The book is the opposite of this movie, but it makes a interesting companion piece. Christopher Walken stars in the lead role as Johnny Smith. He's a school teacher who one day (after a terrible accident) is blessed (or cursed) with the ability to for see a certain future. Herbert Lom co-stars as his doctor and Brooke Adams co-stars as well as his former love interest. Martin Sheen plays in what's nothing more than an extended cameo appearance. He plays Greg Stiltson with restraint but with an underlining madness. Tom Skeritt co-stars as well as the constable who seeks out Johnny's help.The movie follows the book somewhat but there's something missing. Cronenberg takes the story and adds his own coldness to the overall film. The cinematography is very Norman Rockwell (in an interview he told his Director of Photography to accomplish this feat with his lens). The performance of Walken is also cold and clinical. I don't know if this was done on purpose or if that's just the way he acted during this time period.Despite the lack of involvement with writing the screenplay, this film has Cronenberg written all over it. But many of his fans (such as myself) will feel conflicted if they're fans of the book (such as myself). So it's up to you to decide how to feel about this movie. It's an interesting movie for horror fans in general but not necessarily for fans of Stephen King. All depends on one's taste I guess. I have to give this one a passing grade.B-
Great movie
posted on 16 Jun 2009I thought this was one of the best sci-fi movies ever made. To appreciate this movie even more you should read the book and watch it again. Walken's acting was very good and I really believed he was the Johnny Smith character from the book. An excellent actor playing a very astounding character.