The Dead Zone (film)

The Dead Zone
Theatrical poster
Directed by	David Cronenberg
Written by	Novel: Stephen King Screenplay: Jeffrey Boam
Produced by	Debra Hill Dino De Laurentiis (uncredited)
Starring	Christopher Walken Brooke Adams Tom Skerritt Martin Sheen
Cinematography	Mark Irwin
Edited by	Ronald Sanders
Music by	Michael Kamen
Production companies	Lorimar Productions Dino De Laurentiis Company
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures (USA) Dino De Laurentiis Productions (non-USA)
Release date	October 21, 1983
Running time	103 minutes
Country	United States
Languages	English Polish
Budget	$10,000,000 (estimated)
Box office	$20,766,616 (Domestic)

The Dead Zone is a 1983 horror-thriller film based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. Directed by David Cronenberg, the film stars Christopher Walken, Tom Skerritt, Martin Sheen, Herbert Lom, Brooke Adams, Anthony Zerbe, Ken Pogue, and Colleen Dewhurst. The plot revolves around a schoolteacher, Johnny Smith (Walken), who awakens from a coma to find he has psychic powers.

Plot

Johnny Smith (Christopher Walken) is a young New England schoolteacher in love with his colleague Sarah Bracknell (Brooke Adams) when he is involved in a serious car accident that sends him into a coma. He awakes under the care of neurologist Dr. Sam Weizak (Herbert Lom) and counts himself fortunate when he notes no casts, bandages or visible signs of injuries on his body. However, the awakening turns rude when he is told that five years have passed since he last knew consciousness: his girlfriend has long since married and had a child. Johnny's transition back to life is made rougher when he discovers that he has the ability to learn a person's secrets (past, present, future) through making physical contact with the person. However, this ability leaves him an outcast in his hometown despite helping the citizens.

Later, Johnny discovers through a handshake that US Senatorial Candidate, Greg Stillson (Martin Sheen) will later become President of the United States, and through the handshake sees Stillson ordering a nuclear strike against Russia, thus presumably bringing on a nuclear holocaust. Johnny feels it to be his duty to assassinate Stillson and attempts to do so at a rally in a church. Johnny attempts to shoot Stillson, but misses and is soon shot by Stillson's security detail. However, after Johnny's first shot, Stillson grabs Sarah's baby and holds him up in the air as a human shield. This act is photographed and becomes instant political suicide. As Johnny is shot and falls from the balcony, he is confronted by an angered Stillson. Johnny grabs him and foresees Stillson committing suicide due to the destruction of his reputation. Johnny then says to Stillson "It's over. You're finished." A satisfied Johnny then dies with Sarah by his side.

Background and history

The film was shot in the Greater Toronto Area and Regional Municipality of Niagara of Cronenberg's native Ontario, Canada where some temporary props and structures built for the film are still in place, such as the gazebo which still stands in the small town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, where most of the in-town shots were filmed. The so called Screaming Tunnel, located in nearby Niagara Falls, Ontario, was also used as the backdrop for one scene. The school where Johnny teaches at in the beginning of the film is Summitview P.S., located in Stouffville, Ontario. According to a David Cronenberg interview on the DVD, The Dead Zone was filmed during a relentless deep freeze in Southern Ontario which lasted for weeks, creating an authentic atmosphere of subzero temperatures and icy snow-packed terrain, which made for great natural shooting locations in spite of its being almost too cold for cast and crew to tolerate at times. Canada's Wonderland (Canada's premier amusement park, formerly owned by Taft Broadcasting, and Dead Zone film distributor Paramount), which is 30 km north of Toronto's city limits, was also used as a filming location. In an interview on the Dirty Harry DVD set, director John Badham said that he was attached to direct the film at one stage, but pulled out as he felt the subject matter was irresponsible to show on screen.

The music soundtrack, composed by Michael Kamen, was recorded by The National Philharmonic Orchestra, London at the famous EMI Abbey Road Studios. Michael Kamen conducted the recording sessions; the orchestra was contracted and led by Sidney Sax. This is the only Cronenberg film since The Brood (1979) for which Howard Shore did not serve as composer.

Reception

Critical response

The Dead Zone was granted generally favorable reviews, holding an 89% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

See also

• List of American films of 1983
• The Dead Zone (TV series), a television series also based on the novel.

External links

• The Dead Zone at IMDb
• The Dead Zone at AllMovie
• The Dead Zone at the TCM Movie Database
• The Dead Zone at Rotten Tomatoes