- Actors: Christopher Walken, Brooke Adams, Tom Skerritt, Herbert Lom, Anthony Zerbe
- Directors: David Cronenberg
- Writers: Jeffrey Boam, Stephen King
- Producers: Debra Hill, Dino De Laurentiis, Jeffrey Chernov
- Language English, Russian
- Classification: 18
- Studio: Mia
- VHS Release Date: 9 Oct 2000
- Run Time: 103 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00004YA85
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 8,142 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
The Dead Zone is based on the novel by Stephen King, directed by David Cronenberg (Scanners, The Fly) and produced by Debra Hill (Halloween, The Fog). Such a trio of horror vets would be expected to come up with an evening of shocks and gore, but The Dead Zone is a surprise. While it has great atmospheric eeriness and undeniably scary moments, the movie is at heart a sensitive and thoughtful portrayal of main character's dilemma. Christopher Walken, king of the vaguely creepy, plays Johnny Smith, a man who awakens from a five-year coma with the very mixed blessing of second sight. At the mere touch of a hand, Smith is unwillingly launched into scenes of past and future terror. (Director Cronenberg is said to have fired blanks from a .357 Magnum just out of camera range to keep Walken's flinching spontaneous.) The Dead Zone wisely takes its time telling the story, and thus allows for some great performances. Walken gives a rich portrayal of the conflicted Smith, and Colleen Dewhurst and Tom Skerritt both do welcome turns in smaller roles. The most fun of all, though, is clearly had by Martin Sheen, who gives a spirited performance as a complete sleazebag. --Ali Davis, Amazon.com
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
It's been a while since I saw this last but I agree it is one of Kings best adaptations along with Misery - so often he gets a raw deal TV movie slant or a moment of fame in Hollywood only to return to being uncool again, for want of a better word.
Christopher Walken is a fine, solid actor and he really works in this film alongside Martin Sheen, giving it a kind of cult classic status. I feel this is even better than The Shinning in my personal opinion.
The story for those unaware is political, eerie, bit romantic as in love and loss. It's about sacrifice, greed, desire - really adult themes. Considering it's age it's still a great film and I'm just glad in a way nobody has remade it.
Christopher Walken is a fine, solid actor and he really works in this film alongside Martin Sheen, giving it a kind of cult classic status. I feel this is even better than The Shinning in my personal opinion.
The story for those unaware is political, eerie, bit romantic as in love and loss. It's about sacrifice, greed, desire - really adult themes. Considering it's age it's still a great film and I'm just glad in a way nobody has remade it.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
In my view, Stephen King's early works have always been his best.And yet, most of them have suffered from poor translations to film.This film bucks that trend thankfully.
The acting talent here is pretty good.Christopher Walken is always watchable in anything he is in (Deer Hunter and Sleepy Hollow to name just two!)and he does a fine job of making Johnny seem vulnerable, frustrated and ultimately driven to do what he knows he HAS to do.Martin Sheen is good as well.He plays the part of a fervent,and slightly crazed, power hungry politician.Herbert Lom is excellent as Johnny's doctor.Tom Skerritt gets a brief appearance too, and is also believable.
The plot is good too and the pacing of the film is spot on.There are definite chapters within the film and there is real development in all of these scenes.I won't spoil the plot, but i can say that all this is a 'horror film' it isn't overly gory or horrific.It is quite thoughtful and poses some interesting moral questions.
For those of you have read the book, this follows the plot pretty well, but doesn't go into the same amount of depth, and some reviewers have criticised this - i disagree with that view.To me, the film has been paced correctly and has edited out the things that are not vitally important.If you haven't read the book, i would really recommend it - it is one of Stephen King's best in my view, and doesn't always get the recognition it deserves.
This dvd is a brilliant buy in my opinion for a number of reasons - good acting talent, good plot and pacing AND the price is perfect too!
Treat yourself to this - fans of Stephen King will love it, and people who like something a bit different will enjoy it too!
The acting talent here is pretty good.Christopher Walken is always watchable in anything he is in (Deer Hunter and Sleepy Hollow to name just two!)and he does a fine job of making Johnny seem vulnerable, frustrated and ultimately driven to do what he knows he HAS to do.Martin Sheen is good as well.He plays the part of a fervent,and slightly crazed, power hungry politician.Herbert Lom is excellent as Johnny's doctor.Tom Skerritt gets a brief appearance too, and is also believable.
The plot is good too and the pacing of the film is spot on.There are definite chapters within the film and there is real development in all of these scenes.I won't spoil the plot, but i can say that all this is a 'horror film' it isn't overly gory or horrific.It is quite thoughtful and poses some interesting moral questions.
For those of you have read the book, this follows the plot pretty well, but doesn't go into the same amount of depth, and some reviewers have criticised this - i disagree with that view.To me, the film has been paced correctly and has edited out the things that are not vitally important.If you haven't read the book, i would really recommend it - it is one of Stephen King's best in my view, and doesn't always get the recognition it deserves.
This dvd is a brilliant buy in my opinion for a number of reasons - good acting talent, good plot and pacing AND the price is perfect too!
Treat yourself to this - fans of Stephen King will love it, and people who like something a bit different will enjoy it too!
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
When it was released in 1983, many people thought 'The Dead Zone' was a sell-out for director David Cronenberg. Up until that point Cronenberg had stayed faithful to his auteur vision, writing and directing all his own films in Canada, each one with a strong concentration on original and spectacular special effects (usually based around the body). 'The Dead Zone' proved to be unusual for Cronenberg in that he didn't write the script, it was made in the U.S. with mostly American money and it doesn't feature his trademark gorey effects. In fact this film is the inverse of the usual Cronenbergian theme of the body rebelling against the mind. As Christopher Walken's visions become more and more intense, his body ages faster and he moves closer and closer to death.
Instead of spine-chilling special effects, most of the terror here is realized through the stength of the actors' performances. Compared to previous Cronenberg movies the acting here is more interior, more emotional and a deep sense of melancholia prevades throughout.
This may have been a conscious choice on behalf of the director whose previous movie 'Videodrome' wasn't such a success at the box office. He wanted to stay within the horror genre he knew but wished to reach a wider audience. What better way to do that than to adapt a story by the self-styled 'Big Mac of literature', Stephen King. Many regard 'The Dead Zone' as the finest cinematic adaption of a Stephen King story.
Oh and by the way, did anyone notice that at the beginning of the movie when Walken is teaching his English class he asks them to read 'The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow'? He would eventually play the headless horseman in Tim Burton's version of the tale.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
atmospheric and frightening it has an incredible cast
(THE FILM)Christopher Walken stars as high school teacher Johnny Smith, a car crash victim who emerges from a 5 year coma with the ability to see into people's future. Read more
Published 1 month ago by S. F. husseiny
Great film
Really enjoyed this film, worth watching if you like the horro/sci-fi crossover genre. The DVD also includes an interesting audio commentary.
Published 7 months ago by Mr. S. G. Hall
Classic masterpiece
This is Christopher Walken at his best. His unique quirkiness and acting is so suited to this film. The use of a chilling violin sound is perfect for giving a real shiver when he... Read more
Published 18 months ago by S. C. Johnson
A truly great movie
I'm usually very wary of over-recommending movies or anything for that matter, for fear that someone might buy it & be disappointed, but this is my favourite film of all time. Read more
Published 21 months ago by W. J. Rudge
Great moments but not quite a great film...
Although Stephen King is a truly great author, there are occasions when his stuff isn't magic. This film has two excellent bits, which raise it above other films, but is otherwise... Read more
Published 24 months ago by Magic Lemur
One of the Better Stephen King Screen Adaptations
David Cronenberg directs the Stephen King novel about a man who awakes from a coma with a life draining ability to see future tragedies when making contact with people. Read more
Published on 16 July 2007 by K. Driscoll
BAD
This is one of the poorest films I have EVER watched.
There's very limited story, and what little there is is highly rushed. So rushed to the point that it's insignificant. Read more
There's very limited story, and what little there is is highly rushed. So rushed to the point that it's insignificant. Read more
Published on 9 May 2007 by D. S. Sears
Atmospheric Psychological Thriller
I consider this to be the best of any Stephen King adaptation. The tale is most effectively set against a chilly, winter, almost monochrome backdrop, which cleverly matches the... Read more
Published on 14 Jan 2007 by Mike Mac
Dull, Boring, Dissapointing
Let me start by saying that im a huge Stephen King fan and am usual the first to praise the book to film transfers but i have to say this one was terrible! Read more
Published on 6 May 2006 by R. Wells
Umm...what's all the fuss about?
Ok, I bought this film a few days ago and was expecting a good film, since it's based on the Stephen King novel and never have I been disappointed with a King film in the past. Read more
Published on 28 Mar 2005 by RM
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