Review of The Dead Zone (1983) by Rob N — 18 Nov 2007

Johnny Smith: "Bless me"? Do you know what God did for me? He threw an 18-wheeled truck at me and bounced me into nowhere for five years! When I woke up, my girl was gone, my job was gone, my legs are just about useless... Blessed me? God's been a real sport to me!

Now here's a good combination, sci-fi/horror maestro David Cronenberg, Christopher Walken, and a good Stephen King premise with an ending that doesn't suck.

Walken stars as Johnny Smith, easily one of his best roles. He starts off as a teacher, in love with one of his fellow colleagues, but all of that changes after he goes through a terrible car accident resulting in a five-year coma, a permanent limp...oh and he has mental powers allowing him to change the future.

Johnny Smith: Your house is burning! There's still time!

After awakening, Johnny views what he has gained as a curse, but still makes some good use out of it, in an effort to save lives. He becomes involved in a murder case with town sheriff, played by Tom Skerrit, but later moves on to another town to avoid using the power he has.

Johnny Smith: It reminds me of a line from "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" the last story I read to my class before... the accident. Ichabod Crane disappears... the line goes: "As he was a bachelor, and in nobody's debt, nobody troubled their head about him anymore.".

Sarah Bracknell: Is that what you feel?

Johnny Smith: Is what I want... what I want.

Eventually Martin Sheen comes into the fold as a seedy politician with his own predictions and aspirations, and Johnny becomes involved.

This movie works because like most Cronenberg films, the movies are about the characters that must deal with the extraordinary situations. Walken is great in this role, combining his sadness, his intensity, and his Walkenness to Johnny Smith, making it work all the better.

This is also just a well made movie at that. It takes a high concept and moves with it, but doesn't dumb things down to standard thriller cliches. It also has a good musical score, a few thrilling scenes, neat premonition stuff, some good supporting characters, and a little humor to brighten things up.

This is a well made movie, with a great performance from my man Walken, and one of the best Stephen King adaptations I have seen.

Johnny Smith: The ice is going to break!