Product: The Dead Zone [VHS] (1983)
Rating: 5.0
Review of The Dead Zone 1983
I had seen the movie when I was a teenager in the 80's with my family, but for some reason, had a strong craving to see the movie again, present day.I guess I had an interest in seeing this again because I have a renewed interest in psychic phenomena. I have had some experiences lately, that have been brought to me by someone close to me, and so I believe that these sorts of things can indeed happen.But getting back to the movie. This movie is absolutely amazing, and is a great performance by Christopher Walken, Brooke Adams (who plays Walken's love interest in the film), and Tom Skeritt, just to name a few of the major characters in the film.In case some of you aren't familiar with the story, Christopher Walken's character -- Johnny Smith, is a schoolteacher in a tiny town in New England. One rainy Friday night, he is driving home from his friend, and fellow schoolteacher's house (Sarah Bracknell, played by Brooke Adams) He is involved in a terrible car accident with an 18-wheeler truck, and the accident puts him into a coma for "5 long years", to use his mother's words.When he awakens from the coma, he is shortly startled to find out that he has the amazing ability to know what is going on in a person's life just by having physical contact with the person (holding their hand, hugging them, etc.)He can tell the past, present, and the future of the person -- just by doing that.The first time he does this, he reaches up and touches the hand of a nurse tending to him in the hospital (the one he was in during, and after awakening from the coma). He has a very like-like vision of her daughter being in trouble because there is a fire in the nurse's home.Johnny tells the nurse to run and take care of her daughter, that there is still time to save her from the fire. The nurse runs home and finds that Johnny's vision was spot-on accurate.His psychic abilities continue and intensify as the story develops. While he was in the coma, a serial killer in Johnny's town is murdering numerous women, in very grisly sorts of ways. The town sheriff (played by Tom Skeritt) is frustrated and baffled by these occurrences, especially since he doesn't have a clue as to who is doing the murders.The sheriff eventually pays a visit to Johnny's home, to try to use his psychic ability to help him solve the murders. Johnny is very reluctant to help him at first, thinking his power is more of a "curse" than a blessing, but eventually decides to help him.Johnny is eventually taken to one of the scenes where a woman was recently murdered, and he holds a piece of her clothing or something and can visualize exactly what happened during the crime, as well as who murdered her!Turns out it is the sheriff's deputy that had been committing the murders, all along!Anyway, I guess I won't continue to spoil it for those that maybe haven't seen it.But I thought it was an excellent, excellent film, and I would pay again to see it, I liked it so much.My favorite line in the whole movie (which I still remember clearly from nearly 30 years ago) is when Christopher Walken says, "The ICE is gonna BREAK!"You'll have to see the film if you haven't already, to know what I'm talking about there! Extremely powerful scene!Great, great film, and had I given any thought to rating it when I was a kid, I would have given it 5 stars, and I will do the same for today, as well.As far as the technical aspects go of viewing it through Amazon's "instant video" program, it was just fine. Picture came through my computer clearly, and the volume was just fine. You can also rewind to a certain scene, or fast forward to it, as well. That takes a little bit of time. But it still works.Thanks for reading, folks. I have bought quite a few things from Amazon.com over the years, but I don't always get around to reviewing them.Watch the film. I'm sure you'll like it. :-)