The Dead Zone Description
Cronenberg's first foray into mainstream
filmmaking is also one of his most satisfying pictures. Adapted
from a Stephen King novel, it stars Walken as Johnny, a man who
has been in a coma for five years and wakes up to realize that he
can tell a person's fate just by touching them. Realizing that he
can change the future as well, Johnny soon gets intervenes in a
number of would-be tragedies. Consequently, he soon becomes famous
for his gift, but he longs for his former life, when he still had
his job, his fiancee, and a normal life. However, when he shakes
hands with a future president of the US (Sheen, in a wonderfully
hammy performance) who could end up being the biggest mass
murderer since Hitler, Johnny wrestles with what seems to be his
destiny. Walken's bravura performance forms the soul of this
excellent and touching thriller.
"...Cronenberg's most accomplished film so
far, created with flair, fluency and welcome
understatement..."
"...A sad, sympathetic and unsettling
movie, quietly forceful....Cronenberg's direction is vivid and
effective..."
"...An accomplished psychological
thriller....[Cronenberg] gets some appealing performances....Walken
links each episode together quite well, accurately conveying the
character's growing mental, physical and emotional
anguish..."
"...With its small-town milieu, lots of
snow and supernatural mayhem, THE DEAD ZONE is one of the better
Stephen King movie adaptations..."
"...[A] quietly effective Stephen King
thriller..."
