There are plenty of movies on the market that deal with the ability to see into the future. Psychic-related films usually dig deep into the physical, mental, and spiritual connection between a protagonist and those he or she comes in contact with. In this article, you will explore “The Dead Zone” , a movie that deals with the gift of seeing the past, present, and future.
The Plot
With everything set right out in front for the taking, Johnny Smith enjoys his life as a schoolteacher and soon to be married man. However, upon leaving the home of his fiancée, he is part of an accident with a tractor-trailer that delivers him into a come for five years. When he awakes from his slumber, he finds that he possesses the ability to see into other people’s lives , including their past, present, and future. All of this is triggered when he comes in contact with a person , physically. What plagues him is the fact that what he sees is often pretty scary”¦
“The Dead Zone” Trivia and Facts
The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films awarded a Saturn Award to “The Dead Zone” as the best Horror Film. Christopher Walken was also nominated for Best Actor at the time. Other nominations include David Cronenberg for Best Director and Jeffrey Boam for Best Writing.
At the Fantafestival, David Cronenberg won both the Audience Award and Best Film categories.
Filming locations for the movie included various sites about Ontario, Canada , Niagara-on-the-Lake, Orono, Stouffville, and Whitevale.
David Cronenberg (the director of “The Dead Zone”) was forced to re-shoot the scene where John Smith experiences his first premonition. The scene involved the burning of a small girl’s room, where a small ET doll was seen on one of the shelves. However, when Universal got wind of this part of production, they threatened to take the issue to court and the scene had to be re-shot.
Christopher Walken came up with the bright idea for Cronenberg to shoot off a .357 Magnum filled with blanks at a location situated just off camera so that when the Smith character required to involuntarily flinch , he had good reason to.
Ironically, the character of Johnny tells his class to read “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” just before he encounters his accident. In later years, Christopher Walken (who played Johnny) would take on the role of Headless Horseman in the production of Sleepy Hollow by Tim Burton in 1999. In another future twist, the character played by Martin Sheen exclaims that he has experienced a vision that sets him as President of the United States. This would come true for the actor in real life, as in 1983 , he played the President in a mini series centered on John F Kennedy. He also played the President of the United States in “The West Wing TV series, which started in 1999.