Comments on: The Dead Zone (1983) http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/03/22/the-dead-zone-1983/ Film reviews and commentary tonight, before I forget tomorrow Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:21:30 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Dave Priestley http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/03/22/the-dead-zone-1983/comment-page-1/#comment-4517 Dave Priestley Wed, 09 Apr 2008 05:26:43 +0000 http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/03/22/the-dead-zone-1983/#comment-4517 I haven't been able to find the real name of the actor playing the butler "Bryan" in the 1983 version. No credits anywhere have it listed. I haven’t been able to find the real name of the actor playing the butler “Bryan” in the 1983 version. No credits anywhere have it listed.

]]> By: Joe Valdez http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/03/22/the-dead-zone-1983/comment-page-1/#comment-4400 Joe Valdez Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:04:34 +0000 http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/03/22/the-dead-zone-1983/#comment-4400 Dad: Michael Piller - the executive producer of <em>The Dead Zone</em> TV series - has stated that he didn't think the movie was great and that they wanted to make the story more accessible for television. He also admitted "casting has not been one of my specialties." I think that sums up the show. For me, the whole point of King's story was to imagine a political assassin as a hero. The approach of the TV show makes as much sense to me as doing <em>Cujo</em> where the dog is more friendly. AR: It seems like David Cronenberg has inspired more intellectuals to critical analysis than any director in existence. I feel like I should be smoking a pipe just sitting here thinking about the man. Yet the fact that he's directed 16 feature films and counting, and found a way to stay relevant into his fourth decade as a director is probably worthy of an academic study or two. Chuck: As both you and AR point out, this was vintage Christopher Walken, a real character piece before every producer wanted to hire him just to "do" Walken. His appearances on <em>Saturday Night Live</em> always cracked me up though. I like "The Continental" bit he did, as well as the parody of <em>The Dead Zone</em> where he touched someone and told them that they were going to eat too much ice cream and get an ice cream headache. Dad: Michael Piller – the executive producer of The Dead Zone TV series – has stated that he didn’t think the movie was great and that they wanted to make the story more accessible for television. He also admitted “casting has not been one of my specialties.” I think that sums up the show. For me, the whole point of King’s story was to imagine a political assassin as a hero. The approach of the TV show makes as much sense to me as doing Cujo where the dog is more friendly.

AR: It seems like David Cronenberg has inspired more intellectuals to critical analysis than any director in existence. I feel like I should be smoking a pipe just sitting here thinking about the man. Yet the fact that he’s directed 16 feature films and counting, and found a way to stay relevant into his fourth decade as a director is probably worthy of an academic study or two.

Chuck: As both you and AR point out, this was vintage Christopher Walken, a real character piece before every producer wanted to hire him just to “do” Walken. His appearances on Saturday Night Live always cracked me up though. I like “The Continental” bit he did, as well as the parody of The Dead Zone where he touched someone and told them that they were going to eat too much ice cream and get an ice cream headache.

]]> By: Chuck http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/03/22/the-dead-zone-1983/comment-page-1/#comment-4399 Chuck Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:28:34 +0000 http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/03/22/the-dead-zone-1983/#comment-4399 I love The Dead Zone, and you can certainly see the emotional approchability of this film as a warm up for the director's masterpiece The Fly. I also love the novel, particularly some of the messier extra stuff with the killer, but agree that it doesn't HAVE to be in there. This is also one of Walken's least showy, most organic pieces of work. I love The Dead Zone, and you can certainly see the emotional approchability of this film as a warm up for the director’s masterpiece The Fly. I also love the novel, particularly some of the messier extra stuff with the killer, but agree that it doesn’t HAVE to be in there. This is also one of Walken’s least showy, most organic pieces of work.

]]> By: AR http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/03/22/the-dead-zone-1983/comment-page-1/#comment-4389 AR Mon, 24 Mar 2008 04:52:36 +0000 http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/03/22/the-dead-zone-1983/#comment-4389 I wrote a bit about this film back in '06: http://lunar-circuitry.net/wordpress/?p=16 My Stephen King phase ended around the age of 14, and I haven't read him since. Dead Zone was not one I got around to, but I liked the premise. Cronenberg's film is not bad, but I probably tend to compare it too much to his other, weirder films. Walken, I think, is awfully good in this, especially when you consider that so many of his more recent roles border on self-caricature. I wrote a bit about this film back in ‘06: http://lunar-circuitry.net/wordpress/?p=16
My Stephen King phase ended around the age of 14, and I haven’t read him since. Dead Zone was not one I got around to, but I liked the premise.
Cronenberg’s film is not bad, but I probably tend to compare it too much to his other, weirder films. Walken, I think, is awfully good in this, especially when you consider that so many of his more recent roles border on self-caricature.

]]> By: Joseph R. Valdez http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/03/22/the-dead-zone-1983/comment-page-1/#comment-4380 Joseph R. Valdez Sun, 23 Mar 2008 16:17:37 +0000 http://thisdistractedglobe.com/2008/03/22/the-dead-zone-1983/#comment-4380 The " Dead Zone", twenty -five years later and the story is still resononating with the viewing public as a series offered up to television viewing audiences. In the television series, no substitute for Christopher Walken, Anthony Michael Hall attempts to assume the leading role in a story flatly told when compared with its original creator Stephen King those many years ago. It's a testament to the craft and skill of Stephen King, the true visionary in this timeless, fascinating tale of the dangers that come with knowing an unknowable future, political or otherwise. - Excellent review. The ” Dead Zone”, twenty -five years later and the story is still resononating with the viewing public as a series offered up to television viewing audiences. In the television series, no substitute for Christopher Walken, Anthony Michael Hall attempts to assume the leading role in a story flatly told when compared with its original creator Stephen King those many years ago. It’s a testament to the craft and skill of Stephen King, the true visionary in this timeless, fascinating tale of the dangers that come with knowing an unknowable future, political or otherwise. – Excellent review.

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