The Dead Zone (film)

The Dead Zone is a 1983 film about a man who awakens from a coma to discover he has psychic abilities.
 * Directed by David Cronenberg. Written by Jeffrey Boam, based on the novel by Stephen King.

He can see the future. But can he escape it? (taglines)

Johnny Smith

 * "Bless me"? Do you know what God did for me? He threw an 18-wheeled truck at me and bounced me into nowhere for five years! When I woke up, my girl was gone, my job was gone, my legs are just about useless... Blessed me? God's been a real sport to me!

Greg Stillson

 * I need your support, I need your expertise, I need your input, and most importantly, I need your money. [laughter]
 * I have had a vision that I am going to be President of the United States someday. And nobody, and I mean nobody is going to stop me!
 * Let's send Greg Stillson to the United States Senate - and mediocrity to hell!
 * The missiles are flying. Hallelujah, hallelujah.

Dialogue

 * Sarah Bracknell: You're looking good.
 * Johnny Smith: Yeah, it's called the coma diet - lose weight while you sleep.


 * Johnny Smith: I keep thinking about a line from a book. It's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"; the last thing I gave my class to read 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."
 * Sarah Bracknell: Is that what you feel?
 * Johnny Smith: That's what I want. It's what I want.


 * Sarah Bracknell: Please don't look at me like that.
 * Johnny Smith: What am I gonna do? For you, five years have come and gone. For me, it's just about the next day. My feelings haven't changed yet.
 * Sarah Bracknell: Oh, Johnny. Why did it have to happen like this?
 * Johnny Smith: Bad luck.


 * Sheriff Bannerman: I guess I've come to you with what you could call a proposal, John. Uh, it has to do with these murders we've been having. The Castle Rock Killer. I'm sure you've heard of him.
 * Johnny Smith: Sure.
 * Sheriff Bannerman: I don't know whether it's true or not, uh, John, about these... psychic powers of yours. But if it is true, John, I could use your help.
 * Herb Smith: John, maybe you should give him, uh... [he trails off seeing Johnny's look]
 * Sheriff Bannerman: Take a minute to think about it. But bear in mind some decent young women from homes just like this met with terrible, terrible deaths. Now, I'm at my wits' end. I've exhausted about every conventional method of approach to this situation. I've come up with nothing. I feel you can help me, John.
 * Johnny Smith: You made a mistake.
 * Sheriff Bannerman: Mmm. I was sorry to hear about your mother's death, John, Mr. Smith. I understand she was a good woman. Christian woman. I'm not a religious man myself, I'm sorry to say. But I will say this. If God has seen fit to bless you with this gift, you should use it.


 * Johnny Smith: [touching the mother of a serial killer] You knew? Didn't you?
 * Henrietta Dodd: You... you're a devil, sent from Hell!


 * Johnny Smith: How'd you find me? My father?
 * Dr. Sam Weizak: I stopped off to see him, and he told me you moved to a new town. He's worried about you. And so am I.
 * Johnny Smith: There's nothing to worry about. I'm taking care of myself. It's about time I started doing that.
 * Dr. Sam Weizak: I'm still your doctor, John. You're still under my care. We have to stay in touch.
 * Johnny Smith: Well...
 * Dr. Sam Weizak: [indicating his gunshot wound] How's the, uh...? All healed up now?
 * Johnny Smith: The bullet went right through me. It's nothing.
 * Dr. Sam Weizak: Good. [He looks around] Nice place you have here.
 * Johnny Smith: It's home... Let me show you something, Sam. [He displays a closet filled with letters and packages] My father passes these on to me. They're from people with lost family members, lost pets, lost friends, lost possessions... and lost lives.
 * Dr. Sam Weizak: You haven't opened any of them.
 * Johnny Smith: I don't need to. They all want the same things: reassurance, comfort, guidance, encouragement... things which aren't mine to give them.


 * Johnny Smith: Your father says there's something wrong with you, he wants me to bring you out of your shell. I don't know what to do.
 * Chris Stuart: You don't have to do anything. It's my dad that lives in a shell, not me.


 * Johnny Smith: I've been tutoring this boy named Stuart. In the vision, I saw him drown. But that's not the point. In the vision, something was missing.
 * Dr. Sam Weizak: How - how do you mean?
 * Johnny Smith: It was like... a blank spot, a dead zone.
 * Dr. Sam Weizak: First of all, tell me, did the boy, in fact, drown?
 * Johnny Smith: His father wanted him to play hockey. I talked him out of it. The boy's alive.
 * Dr. Sam Weizak: Ah. Yes. Don't you see how clear it is? Not only can you see the future, you can...
 * Johnny Smith: I can change it.
 * Dr. Sam Weizak: You can change it, exactly. Here. Yes, John. That is your... your "dead zone." The possibility of... of altering the outcome of your premonitions. It's fascinating. Let me make a note.


 * Greg Stillson: Do it, General.
 * Five Star General: You're insane... I won't...
 * Greg Stillson: DO IT! Put your hand on the scanning screen, and you'll go down in history with me.
 * Five Star General: As what? The world's greatest mass murderers?
 * Greg Stillson: You cowardly bastard! You're not the voice of the people, I am the voice of the people! The people speak through me, not you! It came to me while I slept, Sonny... my destiny. In the middle of the night, it came to me - I must get up NOW, RIGHT NOW, and fulfill my destiny! Now you put your goddamn hand on that scanning screen, or I'll hack it off and put it on for you! DO IT!
 * Five Star General: [Reluctantly, slowly, puts his hand on the scanner] God forgive me.
 * Greg Stillson: [Shakes his hand] Congratulations, General.
 * Sonny Elliman: Complete the sequence, Mr. President.
 * [Stillson puts his hand on the scanner, then enters in the launch code]
 * Greg Stillson: My destiny. [Presses the launch button]


 * [John has "seen" Stillson become President and trigger WW III, and now is making up his mind how to prevent Stillson's holocaust]
 * Johnny Smith: If you could go back in time to Germany, before Hitler came to power, knowing what you know now, would you kill him?
 * Dr. Sam Weizak: Is that why you sent for me, to ask me this, uh... this question?


 * Johnny Smith: What about my question?
 * Dr. Sam Weizak: Huh? Huh? Oh, you mean the one about Hitler?
 * Johnny Smith: What would you do?
 * Dr. Sam Weizak: I don't like this, John. What are you getting at?
 * Johnny Smith: What would you do? Would you kill him?
 * Dr. Sam Weizak: All right. All right. I'll give you an answer. I'm a man of medicine. I'm expected to save lives and ease suffering. I love people. Therefore, I would have no choice but to kill the son of a bitch.
 * Johnny Smith: You'd never get away alive.
 * Dr. Sam Weizak: It doesn't matter. I would kill him. [lifting drink] Nasdrovia. Skol.


 * [Johnny has attempted to shoot Stillson. During this, Stillson holds Sarah's baby in front of him as a human shield, causing Johnny to pause. A photographer is able to take a couple of pictures of Stillson. When Sarah pulls her baby from Stillson's hands, Johnny raises his rifle again but is fatally shot by Sonny. After Johnny falls over, Stillson goes to him]
 * Greg Stillson: Who are you, you son of a bitch? Who sent you? HUH?!
 * [Johnny puts his hand on Stillson's arm, seeing a new future, where the picture of Stillson using the baby as a human shield is on the front cover of Newsweek, and a defeated Stillson committing suicide from the scandal.]
 * Johnny Smith: It's over...you're finished.
 * Greg Stillson: [Realizes what he means, angrily turns to Sonny] Where's that kid with the camera?! He was taking pictures!
 * Sonny Elliman: [disgusted at Stillson] I didn't see him.
 * Greg Stillson: YOU ASSHOLE!

Taglines

 * He can see the future. But can he escape it?
 * In his mind, he has the power to see the future. In his hands, he has the power to change it.

Cast

 * 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 - Deputy Frank Dodd
 * Simon Craig - Chris Stuart
 * Géza Kovács - Sonny