A man awakens from a coma to discover he has a psychic ability.A man awakens from a coma to discover he has a psychic ability.A man awakens from a coma to discover he has a psychic ability.
- Director
- Writers
- Stephen King(based on the novel by)
- Jeffrey Boam(screenplay by)
- Stars
Top credits
- Director
- Writers
- Stephen King(based on the novel by)
- Jeffrey Boam(screenplay by)
- Stars
- Awards
- 7 wins & 4 nominations
Videos2
Géza Kovács
- Sonny Elliman
- (as Geza Kovacs)
- Director
- Writers
- Stephen King(based on the novel by)
- Jeffrey Boam(screenplay by)
- All cast & crew
- See more cast details at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDirector David Cronenberg had to re-shoot the scene in which John Smith has his first premonition. It showed a little girl's room burning and a small E.T. doll could be seen on one of the shelves. The scene had to be re-shot when Universal Pictures threatened to file a lawsuit against them.
- GoofsAll the lights on the tanker stay lit even though it completely detaches from the rig.
- Quotes
Johnny Smith: The ICE... is gonna BREAK!
- Crazy creditsAs 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."
- Alternate versionsAlthough the UK cinema version was 18-rated and intact in 1986 Thorn-EMI released a British home video version with 13 seconds cut to obtain a 15 certificate rating from the BBFC. A scissor suicide sequence was re-edited to remove shots of the preparation and aftermath, and shots of topless nudity and the descending scissors were removed from the gazebo murder. Later 18-rated releases feature the full uncut print.
- SoundtracksThe Yankee Doodle Boy
(a.k.a., "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy") (uncredited)
Written by George M. Cohan
(Cohan included a snippet of "Yankee Doodle" (traditional) in his own composition)
Performed by Traditional
Top review
one of the most human--and humane--King adaptations
I keep having to remind myself that David Cronenberg directed this, as it is so unlike his previous and subsequent work--more mainstream, less cold, and far less fixated on gooey special effects. What is going on here? One of the most stunning adaptations of a Stephen King novel with Christopher Walken absolutely brilliant as tortured coma victim Johnny Smith, that's what. An elementary-school teacher preparing to marry Sarah (Brooke Adams), Johnny has a run-in with fate that throws him into a coma for 5 years; when he awakens, he is plagued by psychic visions, including a chilling apocalypse that frames the film's final act. While the horror elements (including a suicide via scissors) carry an appropriate impact, the core of "The Dead Zone" is Walken's performance--he portrays Johnny as a recluse who regards his visions as a curse, and taps into a sensitivity and vulnerability that is rarely seen in male film characters; his interactions with others carry a down-home, plausible feel that gives the film a strong emotional resonance. Cronenberg directs Jeffrey Boam's script almost as a series of vignettes, but maintains a flowing pace and trusts Walken to deliver the film to a heartfelt, tragic conclusion.
helpful•251
- Jonny_Numb
- Sep 29, 2005
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Stephen King's The Dead Zone
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $10,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $20,766,616
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $4,556,083
- Oct 23, 1983
- Gross worldwide
- $20,766,616
- Runtime1 hour 43 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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