Product: The Dead Zone [VHS] (1983)
Rating: 4.0
Some interesting casting decisions for this King novel
The 1983 theatrical version of "The Dead Zone" directed by David Cronenberg is probably the most disappointing film adaptation of a Stephen King novel that I have seen, mainly because I had such heightened expectations. The novel was one of my favorite King novels and the only one that I have taught in class a couple of times (for quite different reasons) and when I first saw this film I knew exactly what went wrong. This will surprise a lot of you, but I thought casting Christopher Walken as Johnny Smith was a big mistake. I seem to remember somebody calling Walken the King of Weird (or maybe it was Prince) and when you take a weird guy like Walken and give him a weird power, such as psychic ability, it is just too weird. One of the reasons the character has the name that he has is because it was important to the story that the person that this happens to is basically an ordinary guy. Casting Walken, who is a remarkable actor, simply throws this idea away.Beyond the lead we are talking about a pretty good supporting cast, with Martin Sheen doing dark side political candidate Greg Stillson, and "Ice Castle" stars Tom Skerritt and Colleen Dewhurst reunited as Sheriff Bannerman and Henrietta Dodd. But I think a lot of the other casting is a bit off too, with Herbert Lom as Sam Weizak and Anthony Zerbe as Roger Stuart, so I get the feeling Cronenberg was trying to do something on purpose here. Certainly you can argue it provides a sense of uneasy because so many people are trying to play against type.Believe me, I know this is the minority opinion on this film, but this film just falls short for me. Jeffrey Boam's script comes up with some cinematic ways of presenting Johnny's visions that works well (and which has been exploited to great visual effects in the USA television series version of "The Dead Zone"). The film does not emphasize the logic of the string of situations that convince Johnny that he can change the future and do something about Stilson the way the novel does, but again that might just be my heightened sensitivity to what I consider the strength of King's novel.The best part of the film is the entire Castle Rock episode, with Johnny helping the skeptical but desperate Bannerman to end the killings in his town. Of course, this episode is helped by this being the one with Skerritt and Dewhurst. The weakest part is the bit with saving young Chris Stuart, because it jettisons the great bit in the book in favor of going back and replacing it with a variation on Johnny's childhood accident. That alteration seemed hardly worth the effort. However, read the book, watch the movie, and check out the television series so you can make up your own mind. Certainly you should find a couple of these versions of the story to your liking.