I’m pretty sure I saw this once in the late ’90s. I remember the SNL skit parodying the film, and that was delightful. It’s on the Best of Christopher Walken on SNL DVD that I own. The Dead Zone is one of the early Stephen King film adaptations. They even did a TV series that last 4 seasons or so.
The cast of the Dead Zone isn’t super loaded, but when you have Walken as your lead, you don’t need much else. Walken plays the role of Johnny Smith. The other 2 names and faces that I instantly recognize is Tom Skerritt (Alien, Top Gun, and Stephen King’s Desperation) as Sheriff Bannerman and Martins Sheen (Firestarter, The Departed, and Apocalypse Now) as Greg Stillson. That’s all I needed to know.
Nope, I was wrong. I forgot that David Cronenberg directed this. That special feeling in your pants should be accredited to Cronenberg.
Start Film
Shit, Dino De Laurentis presents this too!! I’ve got my cornbread (ain’t nothin’ wrong with that) with me. I’m excited. I’m actually annoyed because I can’t find my copy of Rose Red, actually, I had 2. That brought me to this film. But now I am excited again.
Walken’s hair game is interesting. Also, hearing him reciting The Raven is good. He would have been a good narrator for Extraordinary Tales. Walken is a teacher and dating another teacher named Sarah Bracknell. After school one day, they go to ride on a roller coaster. It fucks up Johnny’s head. He brings her home. She invites him in, but he declines. She is offering up some ass and it is raining, and he still declines. Come on Johnny, why would you walk away from that? Who wants to drive at night when it’s pouring?
He’s driving home and there’s a tractor-trailer driver falling asleep at the wheel. Well, he had a tanker of milk, but that still counts. Anyway, he wakes up, veers to the side, the tanker comes unattached and skids along the road and Johnny hits it. We all saw that coming, right?
Sarah comes right away to visit Johnny. Does Stephen King have a thing for truck drivers? She talks to him but he is out.
At the Weizak Clinic, wait let me check something. In The Stand 2020, Teddy’s last name is Weizak and Stephen King played Teddy in The Stand 1994. It’s fun to notice these random things. Johnny wakes up and there’s Dr. Sam Weizak, the director of this clinic. John is very thirsty. John notices that there are no bandages. John’s parents are there to visit. John’s mom accidentally reveals that he has been in a coma. It’s been 5 years. His father was also in 2001 A Space Odyssey.
John asks about Sarah, but his mom tells him to forget about her as she has moved on and married another man. John is obviously upset. Maybe this is why the mom should have followed the doctor’s advice.
By the way, Walken’s hair is back to what we’re used to. A nurse comes in and sees that John is sweating. So she tries to pat his head with a washcloth. He suddenly grabs her by the hand. He sees a fire and a little girl named Amy. The nurse says her daughter’s name is Amy and it’s not too late. I love how they are showing Walken in a fiery bed like he is actually there. The nurse makes it there and Amy is saved.
John needs to do some therapy so that he can walk again. Being in a coma so long, well shit, you’ve seen Kill Bill, right? You know the deal. He grabs Weizak’s hand and has another vision. It’s a war zone. He says “The Wolf is loose.” There are a lot of horses, soldiers, tanks, and buildings on fire. But where is there? It is Poland. Maybe Weizak’s past as a child. This mom puts him on a wagon. He keeps saying that the boy is safe. He tells Weizak that his mom is still alive and survived. John knows her name and where she lives.
Dr. Sam calls a number to speak to Johanna. It is true. John was right. But Sam didn’t talk to her. John asks why and Sam says because it wasn’t meant to be.
Sarah shows up to visit. I don’t like her new hair as much as before. She tells him that she is married and says one of those dumb things that always fucking irks me. “I think that you’d like him.” No lady. Most guys aren’t interested in meeting that guy. She’s also a mom of a boy named Denny who is 10 months old. John says that he’s glad for her. That’s a shit situation. Apparently, the town is buzzing about his new powers. John doesn’t want to be bothered by this bullshit, he wants to be a bachelor. She leaves crying up a storm.
John is going to give a press conference. This one reporter is a bit pushy, asking for a demonstration. Dude, come on. This guy wants a prediction on the election of 2 people that John doesn’t even know. The guy asks about the nurse, but it was different because John actually touched her. So this guy wants to be a show-off. He gets up in front of the audience. So John grabs him by the hand asks him about his sister killing herself. Haha. The guy’s name is Dardis and now he doesn’t want to talk about it. John’s mom sees this on TV and has a heart attack.
John and Sam come to visit mom in the hospital. She is a bit delusional. She wants to hold his hand. And, I think that she just died.
Ohh, there’s Sheriff Bannerman and Frank Dodd, both from, you’ll never believe this, Castle Rock. Bannerman has a nice head of hair. There’s a Castle Rock killer, and he is there to ask for help with his psychic power. Bannerman says that John was blessed with this power. John flips out with a woe is me type of speech. John’s dad tries to talk some sense into Johnny. John describes these spells like he’s dying on the inside.
Sarah, why are you back to bother John, with your son? Wait, now she is referencing the night she offered sex and says maybe the time for waiting is over. Her son is asleep. Well alright. I’m happy for Walken. But is she single? She made them dinner at least. John seems so happy, as does his dad. Sarah gets ready to leave. He asks if they will see each other again and she said not again like today. So she came for a pity fuck? Now he is hurting again. I’m not sure that was worth it.
John watches the TV and there is more about the Castle Rock killer. The most recent was a 15-year old girl. Bannerman is asking for any assistance. John tells his dad that he’s gonna help Bannerman.
Bannerman shows John this tunnel where the girl was killed. The killer likes Marlboro Reds. John holds the cigarette package and he’s got nothing. Oh boy, another body. Walken really uses a cane and does the walking with a limp thing quite well. The dude can be such a great actor.
The dead lady is Alma Frechette. Sheriff asks John to try with the victim’s body still here. He actually sees a vision this time. She knows the killer. He lures her up to the gazebo. The killer gets her up there and then shows her these scissors in his coat. She tries to leave but he punches her. Then he rips open her top. She looks young, in her 20’s. That bra is very see-through. And that bra is down. And then the man stabs her with the scissors. He says that it was Dodd. Dodd just took off in the Sheriff’s car. That’s not suspicious at all.
They arrive at Dodd’s house and Sheriff tells John to stay put, but he doesn’t listen well. Mrs. Dodd (Dodd’s mom) claims that Dodd isn’t there, but John already as him in the window. The mom is mad at John, and John holds her hand only to discover that the mom knew. Dodd is upstairs and Sheriff is going upstairs. Mom calls John the devil. Dodd puts on his killer jacket and is in the bathtub. He has the scissors propped up. He leans forward with his mouth open. The fuck? The sheriff breaks into the bathroom to find Frank dead. I’m struggling with the mechanics of this suicide. Did the scissors pierce the roof of his mouth? Also, Mom now has Dodd’s gun. She shoots John. Then she fires and misses Sheriff. Sheriff shoots her dead.
Dr. Sam visits John. John lives in a new town now. John is trying to live life on his own, but Sam still wants to stay in touch. John’s headaches are getting worse, 3-4 times a day. Hmmm, am I a psychic? Sam wants to give him new medication but John doesn’t want any. John asks Sam if he’s actually getting worse. Sam has researched other psychics, they all have similar patterns. The body weakens as the spells and visions get more powerful. Sam thinks that they can reverse the process.
Sam wants John to go back to the clinic, but John doesn’t want that. He then shows Same a closet full of mail from strangers asking him for help finding people and pets.
John appears to be doing private tutoring. Roger Stuart visits John and wants to have a chat. Stuart’s son Chris isn’t doing well in school. So he insists John come there to get to know Chris and then Chris would be more likely to leave the house for tutoring. I don’t trust it. Stuart is obviously wealthy. He has his own driver.
John arrives at this beautiful home. Greg Stillson, the politician is visiting Stuart. Oh, I really enjoy Martin Sheen. Greg is accompanied by Sonny Elliman. Greg was smart enough to not shake John’s hand, but rather hand him a political pin. John meets Chris. Chris doesn’t seem interested. His bedroom may be bigger than my apartment. Chris suggests his dad is the one who lives in a shell and not him.
Stuart is impressed with John’s ability to get along with Chris. Afterward, Stu and John sit down and have a drink and watch TV. Greg is on there and he is running for Senate. Stu tells John to vote against Greg. Stu is playing it safe just in case Greg wins the election.
Greg and Sonny visit Mr. Brenner. Brenner writes for the newspaper and wrote an editorial against Greg. Greg wants to make a deal. Greg has pictures of Brenner with a mistress. Brenner asks what happens if he doesn’t make a deal and Stillson says that Sonny will take his head off. Fair deal.
As John is tutoring Chris at his home, a man is at the door and wants to campaign and talk about Stillson. John asks if they could talk another time and the guy wants to leave him with a pamphlet. He asks his wife to bring it, and boom, there’s Sarah. This guy is named Walt. Johnny is having a sad moment, obviously. Chris asks what’s wrong. He hugs Chris and sees kids in ice hockey uniforms falling water and drowning.
John talks to Stuart and finds out that Stu is coaching a hockey team for Chris. John tells him to call it off. Stu doesn’t want to listen. So John dramatically breaks a vase. Stu fires John for that. John tells Chris that he will be fine.
Chris is refusing to go to practice. Stuart is kind of a dick, but I get both sides of it. He spent money and is giving his time. Sure enough, 2 kids drown. John calls Stu but Chris answers. John says nothing, but Chris knows.
Today there is a rally for Greg and John looks out the window and sees Sarah. I think I’d rather be shot than attend a political rally. Well, maybe if I was off of the blood thinners. We have to be coming up on the final big death or vision. There it is. He shakes Greg’s hand. Stillson demands that this old guy, a General, put his hand on some scanning screen. In this vision, Stillson is president. And then Stillson scans his hand and pushes a button. This sends a lot of missiles flying. Really, what do you do with that info?
John talks to Sam about going back in time to ask if he would kill Hitler if he knew what Hitler would become. John then explains the vision of Chris and the 2 other boys drowning, but there was a blind spot, a Dead Zone. HOLLLY SHITBALLS! That only took them 89 minutes to finally say the name of the movie. They both come to the same conclusion that he can see the future but also alter the outcome. So once again, he asks the question about Hitler. Sam would absolutely kill Hitler.
You know, people always hypothesize, what if you kill this bad guy and the next guy in charge is somehow worse. How often has that scenario played out? More importantly, what percentage of time does the replacement person actually become worse? I would legitimately like to know that answer.
Johnny is getting his gun. John is taking the bus with the gun wrapped up in a blanket or sheets. He has written Sarah a letter. He tells her that his vision is a gift, not a curse. He tells her that she was the only one for him. He breaks into a basement at night so he can prepare for his task the next day. He slept in a balcony and is waiting for Stillson to arrive. John loads up the gun, even drops a bullet, but it got kicked under a chair.
As Stillson enters, he sees Sarah and Denny and tells her to bring Denny up on stage. Well, that complicates matters. John stands up, Sarah yells his name. John takes the shot and misses pretty badly. Still then grabs Denny and holds him in front of him as a human shield. Stillson just changed the game. Sonny shoots Johnny twice. Stillson approaches John and asks him who sent him. John touches Stillson’s hand and sees a Newsweek cover that shows a picture of Stillson holding up Denny and it reads “No Future For Stillson”. Stillson then kills himself. John just tells him that it’s over, he’s finished.
Sarah checks on John and asks him why. He tells her goodbye. She tells him that she loves him and then collapses and dies. Perfect.
End Film
I liked this far more than I remember. The cool thing about Stephen King film adaptations is that they were all good until the 1990s, in my opinion. But I also truly love Maximum Overdrive and Graveyard Shift and I know that those aren’t wildly popular. I’m not crazy about Cujo, but I still will watch it and understand why so many people like it.
It’s fun to see Christopher Walken when he gets to really act, be a little eccentric but also show his range. This was a fine example of his ability. I also like the feel of the film. The pacing was solid. I just really like Stephen King films from this era. Cronenberg seems to always entertain me too. I don’t have much to complain about here.
Final Rating – 7.4 – Yeah, I guess I really liked this film. Most importantly, there wasn’t much to dislike. The Dead Zone is something most horror fans should see at least once.
All the pictures used in this blog are for review purposes. They are the property of:
- Dino De Laurentiis Company (as Dino De Laurentiis Corporation)
- Lorimar Film Entertainment (uncredited)
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