GentleGenius from DooYoo here...sorry I'm not E-rating great articles as such but I keep running out...
GentleGenius from DooYoo here...sorry I'm not E-rating great articles as such but I keep running out of them. Nudge me if I've missed you as I'm finding it very hard to keep track of who's rated my reviews.
Member since:25.10.2009
Reviews:25
Members who trust:13
Main Cast:-
Christopher Walken (as Johnny Smith) Brooke Adams (as Sarah Bracknell, Johnny's girlfriend) Herbert Lom (as Dr Weizak, Johnny's doctor) Tom Skerritt (as the Castle Rock Sheriff) Martin Sheen (as Greg Stillson, political candidate)
Director: David Cronenberg
Producer: Debra Hill
Music: Michael Kamen
Screenplay: Jeffrey Boam (Adapted from Stephen King's novel, The Dead Zone)
Running time: 103 minutes
Released: 1983
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Some time during the 1970s (possibly the early 1980s), I read Stephen King's book "The Dead Zone", and although I rather like most of his books, this one didn't hit any spots in me other than make me laugh a little at the way some of the conversation was written (I believe Stephen King did intend those parts to be amusing). Overall, I didn't understand the book too well as I found it rather verbose in parts, and felt it kept drifting away from the plot to the point where I lost it altogether.
In the early to mid-1990s, I went through a phase of buying a lot of videos of feature films, and "The Dead Zone" was one of them. It was a second-hand video from a local shop, and only cost 50p, so I didn't feel I would have been too disappointed if the film were just as boring as the book for me had been.
I was very pleasantly surprised. The film is a seriously abridged version of the novel, but it would surely have run into several hours' worth of possibly unwatchable celluloid had the book been stuck to religiously and in great detail. From my very first viewing of this second-hand video, "The Dead Zone" took its
place in my top ten of all-time greatest films.
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BRIEF OUTLINE:
Johnny (Christopher Walken) is a teacher, and in a very happy relationship with his girlfriend Sarah Bracknell (Brooke Adams). One day whilst the couple were paying a visit to a funfair and riding on the roller-coaster, Johnny has a "funny turn". He recovers and takes Sarah home, and because she's worried about him, she offers to let him spend the night - he refuses, as both of them want to save sex for after they are married, and if he did stay, he didn't trust himself to keep that promise they'd made to one another - so, they kiss one another goodbye and Johnny drives away.
The weather is absolutely awful.....powerful winds with blinding, torrential rain, and Johnny finds it very difficult to concentrate on his driving, but he manages OK. Further down the road, a tanker skids and turns on its side. The driver manages to escape from his cab uninjured, but the tanker slides, gathering momentum, along the wet road.....and crashes straight into Johnny's car.
Johnny wakes up in hospital, and as he gradually recovers his awareness, realises where he is and has some memory of the accident. He then is gravely informed that he has just come out of a five-year-long coma. Bit by bit Johnny learns that his life has changed in a major way during that five years - the most painful thing for him to try and come to terms with is that Sarah found another man, and married him.
Distraught and feeling as though he has nothing left to live for, Johnny half-heartedly goes through his physiotherapy sessions, and is looked after and befriended by his personal doctor, Dr Weizak (Herbert Lom).
Angry and darkly depressed at the raw deal life has thrown at him, very quickly, Johnny realises he has another cross to bear, in that it emerges he has woken up from his coma with the gift of second sight. He is able to predict certain things about people’s short-term futures and ‘see’ things from their pasts, which he is able to do just by holding onto their hand. Instead of viewing this as a gift, for Johnny this is a curse - but he does reluctantly agree to help the local Sheriff track down a serial killer by using his new-found powers.
The publicity caused by Johnny accurately being able to pinpoint who the serial killer was, causes him to want to run and hide, so he moves to a different town, where he meets Greg Stillson, a very charismatic local political candidate who has a large following, and very soon hopes to be in the Senate.
I will say no more about the film, because if I do I shall give away too much of the story.
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"The Dead Zone" is shot in Canada during what looks like a pretty grim winter - there is snow on the ground, overcast leaden skies, and the atmosphere of the film is dark, depressing, intense, gritty and brooding. I can't say that it is in any way a pleasant film to watch, but it certainly is gripping, interesting and full of suspense.
There is such a very powerful feeling whilst watching this film of something almost tangible, lurking beneath the surface, that you can't quite put your finger on. It isn't that there are any hidden messages within the storyline - it's just I believe the combination of the intensity of the gritty atmosphere of the whole film and the depression emanating from Johnny, all set against a backdrop of grey skies and snowy weather.
Christopher Walken plays the part of the depressed Johnny marvellously - it has to be said that to me he comes across pretty similar in all the roles I have seen him play, but maybe his natural acting skills are perfect for parts such as Johnny in "The Dead Zone".
The film grips your attention from the first moment of Johnny's funny turn on the roller-coaster ride, which happens in the first few moments, and from then on you will be transfixed. Most people quite likely will find this a very uncomfortable film to watch simply because of the mood it projects, but you won't be able to tear your attention away as the storyline unfolds and builds up to a spectacular ending.
One wonderful thing (amongst many) about the film is that whilst watching it, there are no clues at all as to what the very powerful and surprising ending is going to be, and when it comes, it leaves you thinking....."What would have I done in the same situation?"
I'm not sure how this film would have affected me if I'd have seen it for the first time at the cinema - for me there is a greater (providing the other cinema-goers surrounding me are quiet) sense of absorption into a good film than there is lounging on my sofa at home watching it on a TV screen, plus I find the levels of intensity so much higher. I consider it possible a cinema viewing of the film may have left me in a state of depression myself, as I do seem to soak up moods and atmospheres which are around me very easily - so, in that sense I'm very glad that I have only ever seen "The Dead Zone" at home.....otherwise it may not have reached my all-time top ten films, and that would have been tragic as it certainly deserves to be there.
I personally find the film of "The Dead Zone" to be more watchable than Stephen King's original novel is readable - and that for me is unusual, as generally I prefer the books above the screenplays of the films of same.
I give a resounding ten out of ten for all who were involved in the making of "The Dead Zone" - particularly to Christopher Walken for his sensitive, yet dark and melancholic portrayal of Johnny - I also very highly commend Martin Sheen's performance as the effervescent, pushy and somewhat irritating character of Greg Stillson.
I dare you to watch "The Dead Zone" (if you haven't already done so) - it will darken your mood, but you will be transfixed throughout.
~~ this is a very slight adaptation of my original publication on DooYoo under my GentleGenius user name ~~
Production Year: 2004 - Horror - Director: Zack Snyder - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Jake Weber, Mekhi Phifer
I don't think I've even read the book for this one - and I thought I had read most of King's early stuff
LawrenceP 07.11.2009 01:15
I was convinced I'd never seen this movie, then I read your review and guess what?......I was right! Sounds like something I might like though, ta for the info.
manlybeach 06.11.2009 23:25
This one appeals to me and what a bargain you got at 50p! x
Nov 5th, 2009
exceptional by (7%):
very helpful by (93%):
