The Dead Zone (1983)

A man awakens from a coma to discover he has a psychic ability.

Director:

David Cronenberg

Writers:

Jeffrey Boam (screenplay), Stephen King (novel)

Stars:

Christopher Walken, Brooke Adams, Tom Skerritt

7 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Christopher Walken	...	Johnny Smith
Brooke Adams	...	Sarah Bracknell
Tom Skerritt	...	Sheriff Bannerman
Herbert Lom	...	Dr. Sam Weizak
Anthony Zerbe	...	Roger Stuart
Colleen Dewhurst	...	Henrietta Dodd
Martin Sheen	...	Greg Stillson
Nicholas Campbell	...	Frank Dodd
Sean Sullivan	...	Herb Smith
Jackie Burroughs	...	Vera Smith
Géza Kovács	...	Sonny Elliman (as Geza Kovacs)
Roberta Weiss	...	Alma Frechette
Simon Craig	...	Chris Stuart
Peter Dvorsky	...	Dardis
Julie-Ann Heathwood	...	Amy

Storyline

Johnny Smith wakes from a coma due to a car accident, only to find he has lost five years of his life, and yet gained psychic powers. Foreseeing the future appears to be a 'gift' at first, but ends up causing problems...

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Plot Keywords:

coma | car accident | vision | evil politician | stormy night | 

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Taglines:

He can see the future. But can he escape it?

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

21 October 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

Stephen King's The Dead Zone

Filming Locations:

Canada's Wonderland, Vaughan, Ontario, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,556,083, 23 October 1983, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$20,766,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dino De Laurentiis Company, Lorimar Film Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The gazebo where the murder took place was built for the film, and was later donated to the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, where it was filmed and is now a favourite spot for wedding photographs.

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Goofs

When Henrietta Dodd is shot, she grabs the banister for a few seconds. At that time, there is no blood on her hands or the banister. A split second later, she falls to the floor and there is blood on her left hand and the banister.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Johnny Smith: [Johnny is reading "The Raven" to his class] And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting, on the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door, and his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming, and the lamp light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor, and my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor, shall be lifted... nevermore.

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Crazy Credits

As the opening titles roll, certain parts (or "dead zones") of the screen become blocked out, until the part of the screen you can see spell out the title "The Dead Zone."

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Connections

Spoofed in Cheers: Woody Gets an Election (1993)

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Soundtracks

Camptown Races
(uncredited)
Written by Stephen Foster
Performed by Traditional

User Reviews

Brilliant thriller with a superb performance from Christopher Walken. One of the very best Steven King adaptations.

I'm a great admirer of David Cronenberg, and "The Dead Zone' could well be his most underrated movie. The problem is that it's just not very Cronenbergesque, and being "Deprave" Cronenberg's first mainstream Hollywood movie, and coming hot off his provocative and mind blowing 'Videodrome', many people regard it as some kind of sell out. I really cannot agree. If you forget your preconceived idea of what Cronenberg movies SHOULD be (and let's not forget his other career oddities 'Fast Company' or 'M. Butterfly'), and just accept it for what it is, you'll see that it is a very well made and well acted thriller, and is almost impossible to fault. In my opinion it joins Kubrick's 'The Shining' and De Palma's 'Carrie' as the most effective Steven King adaptations to date. Christopher Walken is on top form here, and I think gives one of his very best performances. The supporting cast are also excellent, the lovely Brooke Adams ('Invasion Of The Body Snatchers'), horror veteran Herbert Lom ('Mark Of The Devil'), Martin Sheen ('Badlands'), Tom Skerritt ('Alien'), Anthony Zerbe ('The Omega Man'), and Cronenberg regular Nicholas Campbell, who is involved in the movies most unforgettable sequence. I've lost track of how many times I've watched 'The Dead Zone' over the years, but it never fails to hook me in, and I always get something more out of Walken's performance every time I view it. This movie may not be typical fare from David Cronenberg, but it is one of his most straightforward and entertaining films. Highly recommended.