The Dead Zone

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Year:	1983
Country of origin:	USA
Director:	David Cronenberg
Genre:	Spooky psyche thriller
Starring:	Christopher Walken, Brooke Adams, Tom Skerritt
Rating:	4/5
IMDB link:	http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085407/
Tagline:	In his mind, he has the power to see the future. In his hands, he has the power to change it.
Favourite line:	"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."

With the horror maestro combination of Stephen King and David Cronenberg, this had to be good, right?
And fortunately, it certainly is.

The always magnificent Christopher Walken plays Johnny Smith, a teacher with everything to live for.
One evening, after kissing goodbye to his wife-to-be, he has a car accident that leaves him in a coma for five years. When he comes round, he's lost his wife, his job, and any seeming purpose.
Oh shit.
But he has gained something: a strange form of second sight, whereby when he touches someone, he can see into their future.
But is it a gift or a curse?
And what of The Dead Zone, the curious part of the vision which he cannot decipher.

Creepy throughout, the direction and acting is top notch, as you would expect from the contributors.
The story is essentially told in three distinct phases: the crash, the immediate aftermath, and the realisation of what his powers can achieve.
Subtle, introspective and ambitious, the only reason this doesn't get top marks is that it does become a little confused at times, not seeming sure of the direction it is taking.
Still, a very effective, very enjoyable supernatural thriller from two of the masters of the genre.