The Dead Zone

Year:

1983

Duration:

103 min

Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

IMDB rate:

7.3

Director:

David Cronenberg

Awards:

7 wins & 4 nominations

Details

Country: USA

Release Date: 1983-10-21

Filming Locations: Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada

Earnings

Budget: $10,000,000

Opening Weekend: $4,556,083 (USA) (23 October 1983)

Gross: $20,766,000 (USA)SEK 6,933,078 (Sweden)

Cast

Actor

Character

Christopher Walken

Johnny Smith

Brooke Adams

Sarah Bracknell

Tom Skerritt

Sheriff Bannerman

Herbert Lom

Dr. Sam Weizak

Anthony Zerbe

Roger Stuart

Colleen Dewhurst

Henrietta Dodd

Martin Sheen

Greg Stillson

Nicholas Campbell

Frank Dodd

Sean Sullivan

Herb Smith

Jackie Burroughs

Vera Smith

Géza Kovács

Sonny Elliman

Roberta Weiss

Alma Frechette

Simon Craig

Chris Stuart

Peter Dvorsky

Dardis

Julie-Ann Heathwood

Amy

Barry Flatman

Walt

Raffi Tchalikian

Denny #1

Ken Pogue

Vice President

Gordon Jocelyn

Five-Star General

Bill Copeland

Secretary of State

Jack Messinger

Therapist

Chapelle Jaffe

Nurse

Cindy Hinds

Natalie

Helene Udy

Weizak's Mother

Ramon Estevez

Teenage Boy with Camera

Joseph Domenchini

Young Weizak

Roger Dunn

Reporters

Wally Bondarenko

Reporters

Claude Rae

Reporters

John Koensgen

T.V. Anchorman

Leslie Carlson

Brenner

James Bearden

Deputy #1 (as Jim Bearden)

Hardee T. Lineham

Deputy #2 (as Hardee Lineham)

William B. Davis

Ambulance Driver

Seirge LeBlanc

Denny #2

Vera Winiauski

Polish Peasants

Joe Kapnaiko

Polish Peasants

David Rigby

Truck Driver

Did you know?

Trivia

In the WWII scene, civilians in the burning city are speaking Polish.

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The gazebo where the murder took place was built for the film, and was later donated to the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, where it was filmed and is now a favourite spot for wedding photographs.

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Three people were involved in the James Bond franchise. Anthony Zerbe (Roger Stuart) would later appear in Licence to Kill (1989), while Christopher Walken (Johnny Smith) would later appear in A View to a Kill (1985). Michael Kamen, who did the music for this film, would later do the music for Licence to Kill (1989).

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Goofs

After seeing Johnny in the clinic, Sarah drives away and stops to cry. Lights and at least one person are reflected in the car door.

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Shape of a blood bag clearly visible under Henrietta Dodd's sweater when she is shot by the sheriff.

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In the fire scene, right after Johnny Smith tells the nurse her daughter is trapped but alive, the camera crane is visible in the window of the Fire Fighter truck that is parked in the driveway.

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Quotes

Greg Stillson: My God! What a glorious day!

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Sonny Elliman: Complete the sequence, Mr. President.

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Johnny Smith: It reminds me of a line from "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" the last story I read to my class before... the accident. Ichabod Crane disappears... the line goes: "As he was a bachelor, and in nobody's debt, nobody troubled their head about him anymore."

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Faq

Q

What does the title mean?

A

The 'dead zone' refers to a blank spot during his visions into which Johnny cannot see. When he describes this dead zone to Dr Weizak (Herbert Lom), the doctor concludes that it is an indication of Johnny's ability to not only see into the future but to change it, to alter the outcome of his premonitions.

Q

Is 'The Dead Zone' based on a book?

A

Yes. The Dead Zone is based on the 1979 novel of the same name, written by American horror writer Stephen King. The novel was adapted for the movie by American screenwriter Jeffrey Boam. The book was also made into a television series, 'The Dead Zone', that ran from 2002-2007. It's said that the story might be based on the case of Peter Hurkos [1911-1988], a self-proclaimed psychic who, following a head injury, claimed to know things about people simply by touching them or objects belonging to them, an ability known as psychometry.

Q

A Note Regarding Spoilers

A

The following FAQ entries may contain spoilers. Only the biggest ones (if any) will be covered with spoiler tags. Spoiler tags have been used sparingly in order to make the page more readable.

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