The Dead Zone • The Next Reel

Back in the 70s and 80s, Stephen King's stories generally had a lot more scares in them, as did their cinematic equivalents. Perhaps that's why David Cronenberg's adaptation of "The Dead Zone" feels a bit out of place — it comes off as much more of a dramatic thriller than a horror film. It certainly garnered critical praise and found its audience, but 31 years later, it comes across a bit dated. Join us — Pete Wright and Andy Nelson — as we continue our Stephen King series with 1983's "The Dead Zone." We talk about our feelings of the movie when we first saw it and where we stand on the film now, finding the film to not hold up that well. We chat about the performances and how they work but don't grab us -- even Christopher Walken who seems to be just developing his strange mannerisms here. We discuss the problematic flow of the story and how its episodic nature really leaves the film forgettable, but perhaps is why the story worked so well in the land of episodic television when the USA Network put it out in 2002. And we touch on the cinematography, the production design and the score, looking at what works and what doesn't. It's still a decent film but oddly forgettable upon revisiting it. But that doesn't stop us from having a great conversation about it. Tune in! Hey! You know what would be awesome? If you would drop us a positive rating on iTunes! If you like what we’re doing here on TNR, it really is the best way to make sure that this show appears when others search for it, plus, it’s just a nice thing to do. Thanks!! The Next Reel on iTunesThe Next Reel on FacebookThe Next Reel on TwitterThe Next Reel on FlickchartThe Next Reel on LetterboxdGuess the Movie with The Next Reel on InstagramCheck out the Posters with The Next Reel on Pinterest And for anyone interested in our fine bouquet of show hosts: Follow Andy Nelson on TwitterFollow Pete Wright on TwitterFollow Steve Sarmento on TwitterCheck out Tom Metz on IMDBFollow Mike Evans on TwitterFollow Chadd Stoops on TwitterFollow Steven Smart on LetterboxdSupport The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Become a member for just $5/month or $55/yearJoin our Discord community of movie loversThe Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and MovementsThe Film BoardMovies We LikeThe Next Reel Film PodcastSitting in the DarkConnect With Us:Main Site: WebMovie Platforms: Letterboxd | FlickchartSocial Media: Facebook | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky | YouTube | PinterestYour Hosts: Andy | PeteShop & Stream:Merch Store: Apparel, stickers, mugs & moreWatch Page: Buy/rent films we've discussedOriginals: Source material from our episodesSpecial offers: Letterboxd Pro/Patron discount | Audible