The Dead Zone

Did you miss me? For a while, I wasn't sure whether or not to continue writing this blog. Turns out, I have to record my thoughts on films somewhere. So I am back, if only for my own amusement.

I return with The Dead Zone, a David Cronenberg film based on the book of the same name by Stephen King, which I recently re-read. And I have to say, as films based on King's books go, this is actually pretty good. There have, of course, been some disastrous results (Dreamcatcher comes to mind, also The Shining for reasons that would have to be explained in a separate blog entry and probably will be in the future.

Here we have Johnny Smith (played by Christopher Walken, includes no dancing), who develops psychic abilities. How he comes by this new gift remains a mystery. In the book, there was a childhood incident that started it all and the car accident coma that shook everything loose. In the film, we go straight from a headache on the roller coaster to a bad car accident to a five-year coma.

Apart from the jump right into adulthood, the changes made to the source material are not significant. There are two omissions I do miss, however. Firstly, the Wheel of Fortune episode, that gives a glimpse of Johnny's abilities does not happen in the book. It was exciting to read but not essential for the story line, I guess. Secondly, I would have wanted to see so much more of Johnny's mother. In the book, she is this really interesting Christian nut that makes life very trying for the elder Mr. Smith and Johnny himself, presenting ready explanations for Johnny's waking up from the coma and his new prophetic second sight to pretty much everything else. Alas, here we only meet her for a very short time.

After the two big revelations Johnny has and shares (among several minor ones) - the accident that is to befall his pupil Chris (also adapted from the book story and the book version of Chris) and the unmasking of the serial killer (as dramatic in film as is in book) - we come to the major event that is Greg Stillson, played by the always wonderful Martin Sheen. I will go as far as calling him the best actor of his generation.

To think that this Stillson will go on to become Jed Bartlett, a very different kind of politician altogether!

The question on whether or not one should take action to change a future outcome has been addressed repeatedly (more then once by Stephen King himself) and always seems to boil down to one of two questions.

1. If you could go back in time to kill Hitler, would you do it?
2. If you could go back in time to prevent Kennedy's assassination, would you do it?

Here, Johnny's attempt to kill the potentially evil Stillson does sort of fail but not really. Even though Johnny does not manage to shoot Stillson and dies while trying to, the incident reveals that Stillson is really just a petty coward, using a small child to shield himself from a would-be assassin.

Mission complete.

7/10

A View to a Kill

What starts out on an estate dedicated to breeding horses takes us to Sillicon Valley, that obviously needs to be wiped out. All this courtesy of one Mr. Zorin, formally part of a Soviet (of course it's the Soviets) experiment on children. They were treated with steroid to make them stronger and smarter.

Bond is undercover as a potential buyer of horses. He gets found out, knocked unconscious and pushed into a lake by Zorin's sidekick May Day (yes, May Day). Do you know how in films car doors never open underwater? James Bond does not have that problem at all. The door pops right open.

This is not the only occasion he spends under water in this film, he ends up there much later again - this time with May Day, whom he has previously bedded (obviously) and who is at this point pissed off at Zorin because she thought 'that creep loved me'! Zorin is willing to sacrifice everyone from his posse for his ultimate goal, which has to do with microchips (not that anyone cares). May Day and Bond team up to get out of their shared conundrum with May Day sacrificing herself to get back at Zorin.

There is a zeppelin and a blond woman stumbling through scenery, also one overly long unnecessary car chase with San Francisco law enforcement.

4/10

Seven Psychopaths

This is possibly the most ridiculous film I have seen this year.

It is the story of screen writer Marty (Colin Farrell), who is stuck in writing his latest screen play and also has a serious alcohol problem. His best friend is Billy (Sam Rockwell), an all-out weirdo who makes a living kidnapping dogs and having the more trustworthy looking Hans (Christopher Walken) return them for "lost dog" rewards.

One day they acquire little Shih Tzu Bunny. Bunny turns out to be owned by gangster Charlie, who loves and misses his little doggy so vewy, vewy much.

And then...all hell breaks loose.

Scenes from a screen play in progress, gun violence, incompetent criminals, weird rabbit stroking psychopaths (Tom! Waits!), former Viet Cong posing as murderous priests, imaginary shoot-outs, actual shoot-outs and - most hilariously - a man refusing to put up his hands when faced with a machine gun wielding henchman.

6/10