When Johnny Smith (Christopher Walken) awakens from a coma caused by a car accident, he finds that years have passed, and he now has psychic abilities. Heartbroken that his girlfriend (Brooke Adams) has moved on with her life, Johnny also must contend with his unsettling powers, which allow him to see a person’s future with a mere touch. After shaking the hand of aspiring politician Greg Stillson (Martin Sheen), Johnny sees the danger presented by the candidate’s rise and resolves to kill him.
For in-depth thoughts on The Dead Zone, please see my review of the film from the Stephen King 5-Movie Collection.
Video Quality
This new Blu-Ray from Scream Factory rescues The Dead Zone from a pretty flawed HD transfer that Paramount released last year with a stunning new 4K scan of the original camera negative in an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Folks, this is a night and day difference. The film has a very pleasing grain structure that preserves the filmic look of the picture, showcasing subtle details in the thoughtful production design from the interiors of the classroom to the burning room filled with toys. The practical effects of the various visions hold up well under the scrutiny of high definition. Skin tones look natural and consistent throughout the runtime. Colors pop off the screen with immense vibrancy, especially with Sarah’s red sweater and the fiery orange of the bedroom fire and other explosions. Black levels hold up really well with some admirable depth to the image. The white levels are extremely solid with no instances of blooming against the bright, snowy landscape. The print damage has all but been eradicated with this new transfer. Scream Factory has done a great service for fans of the film with this impressive new master.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with both a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio track that represents this world perfectly. The activity during the visions employs distinct sounds that creep through the surrounds to provide some excellent ambient details. All of the various sounds in the mix seem accurately placed so that nothing ever feels off. Dialogue sounds perfectly clear without sound effects or the score trouncing on important information. The explosions, screams, crashes and other sounds stemming from kinetic sequences are given the appropriate weight within the mix. The subwoofer is given a fairly involved workout with various lively scenes. The iconic score from Michael Kamen comes through beautifully without trodding over the other more subtle elements. These are well-done, balanced mixes that should please all segments of fans.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary #1: Host Michael Felsher from Red Shirt Pictures conducts an interview with Director of Photography Mark Irwin in which he discusses the fortuitous way he became associated with Cronenberg, the “Norman Rockwell” aesthetic they were striving for to capture the Americana, how this film differs visually from prior collaborations, secrets behind the initial crash, the practical locations in Niagara, the specific choices in color and lighting, how they pulled off the drowning scene and much more. This is a good marriage of host and subject as countless fascinating anecdotes are shared.
- Audio Commentary #2: Film Historian/Author Dr. Steve Haberman And Filmmaker/Film Historian Constantine Nasr drill down more into the historical and trivial details of the film including story behind the title sequence, meanings behind the literature being taught, how this film fits into the Cronenberg filmography, disagreements with Dino de Laurentiis, deeper exploration of the story, how the adaptation compares to the novel and more.
- Audio Commentary #3: Film Historian Michael Gingold likewise delves deeply into the differences between the film and the source material, characters omitted from the film, how the film is structured differently, the story behind the construction of different settings and more. Over the course of these three commentary tracks there is the expected overlap, but each one offers up plenty of unique content that is worthwhile for hardcore fans.
- Isolated Score with Introduction By Film Music Critic Daniel Schweiger: Film Music Critic Schweigher offers praise for the Michael Kamen score before launching into a history of the composer that is quite interesting. There is about twenty minutes of commentary before going strictly to the isolated score.
- Sarah’s Story – Interview with Actress Brooke Adams: A new 11-minute interview with Brooke Adams in which she discusses her background, her relationship with the source material, how Christopher Walken requested her for the part, the power of Martin Sheen, working with David Cronenberg and more. This is a lovely addition to the package.
- Cold Visions – Producing The Dead Zone: A 21-minute interview with Production Manager John M. Eckert and Associate Producer Jeffrey Chernov in which they discuss getting connected with Producer Debra Hill, finding the right town to shoot the movie, the reverence Cronenberg had for the script, the directorial style of Cronenberg, the process of Christopher Walken, a fiery mishap and more fun tales.
- Trailers From Hell – The Dead Zone: A two-minute piece in which filmmaker Mick Garris takes you through the story of The Dead Zone.
- Memories From The Dead Zone: A 12-minute vintage featurette in which the cast and creative figures discuss the creation of the project, the source material, the different ways of approaching the story in each medium, the relationship between the cast members and more.
- The Look Of The Dead Zone: A 9-minute vintage featurette in which the subjects discuss finding “Castle Rock”, the intentional way in which they tried to stay away from a bleak aesthetic, how snow was used to enhance the story, the “haunted” nature of certain locations and more.
- Visions From The Dead Zone: A 10-minute vintage featurette in which the subjects discuss bringing the visions to life, the meaning behind them, reshoots that were undertaken, the visual effects employed, the scissor scene and more.
- The Politics of The Dead Zone: A 12-minute vintage featurette in which the subjects discuss how the film integrates politics into the story, how Cronenberg wanted to play with the audience’s emotions, why Martin Sheen was perfect for the film, an abandoned coda to the story and more.
- Theatrical Trailer: The two-minute theatrical trailer is provided for the film.
- TV Spots: A minute-long collection of creepy television spots are included here.
- Behind-The-Scenes Gallery: A collection of behind-the-scenes images from the film are included here.
Final Thoughts
The Dead Zone is one of the strongest Stephen King adaptations to ever make it to screen. The marriage of source material with the directorial vision of David Cronenberg results in some thrilling and haunting moments that stick with you long after the credits have stopped rolling. The performance from Christopher Walken is also among the best he has ever delivered. Scream Factory has given this film the treatment it deserves with an excellent new Collector’s Edition Blu-Ray sporting a top-tier A/V presentation and a slew of interesting special features. Even if you already purchased the old Paramount disc, this is a must-buy for any fan of the film. Highly Recommended
The Dead Zone (Collector’s Edition) will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray on July 27, 2021.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Scream Factory has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
