With October 1st a distant 270 days away, what better way to end the sappy barrage of Christmas movies than with a classic horror style thriller like 1983’s “The Dead Zone.” Horror director David Cronenberg takes a tale created via the twisted mind and pen of Stephen King and couples it with the acting talents of one of Hollywood’s best men when it comes to portraying disturbed characters.
The written word of King has been transferred to cinema countless time before with mixed results. “The Dead Zone” illustrates the success that can be when King’s story is teamed with superior star power, as it was with 1980’s “The Shining.”
The Academy Award winning Christopher Walken has made a career playing unorthodox and slightly psychotic characters. In “The Dead Zone,” Walken takes the lead role in a way that only his quirky demeanor could master.
Set in King’s often used fictional creation of Castle Rock, Maine, we begin with the introduction of English teacher Johnny Smith (Walken) as he finishes reading his class the classic Edgar Allen Poe poem “The Raven.”
After a date with fellow teacher Sarah (Brooke Adams) Smith’s benign life is changed when his car is involved in a terrible accident. Smith awakens from a coma to find that five years have passed. He also discovers he now possesses the burdensome power of psychic visions.
There’s just something about the films from the early 80’s that comes across as creepy. Whether its the lack of digitalization on the film used or simply the demeanor of the cold-war era folk involved, movies from this time period have an additional chill factor and “The Dead Zone” is no exception.
Blending two elements of terror is what makes the story work. The frightening visions incurred by Smith would be enough to carry a horror story along. Through simple hand to hand contact, Smith is able to see things like a little girl trapped in a burning house fire, or several children drowning in an icy pond. The addition of the main character emerging from a coma without bandages after half a decade is flat out brilliant.
While clinging to life in the immediate wake of the accident, Sarah holds his hand in distraught fashion crying “We’re gonna get married Johnny, don’t leave me.” When Johnny eventualy wakes up, Sarah has remarried and has a young child. Johnny finds out in a horrifying way that life has gone by without him. “For you, five years has come and gone. For me its the next day.” He laments.
In King fashion, “The Dead Zone” is divided into two distinct parts, each with their own sub-plot. The first involves Smith in his emergence from the trance and the discovery of his powers. As he makes headlines, the town sheriff (Tom Skerritt) enlists his help in tracking down a serial killer. The second part of the movie features Smith’s attempt to stop a politician (Martin Sheen) after he envisions him taking power and starting a nuclear war.
Christopher Walken is exceptional in the lead role. His bizarre delivery and overall abilities keep you fixated on his every moves. The rest of the cast is serviceable, with no real standouts in the lot. The film would have been better had there been more of a backstory given to the senatorial candidate Greg Stillson, though I suspect the novel would comply with this demand.
“The Dead Zone” is a successful blend of science fiction and horror. The story is intriguing, though the scares aren’t overly plentiful. Walken is great, but the pace is a little slow.
by – Matt Christopher
