I haven't seen the movie in a long time but I watched the hell out of the show. The concept was well suited to the procedural format and I really dug it.12th of September:
The Dead Zone (1983)
I've made a habit of reading Stephen King's novels and short stories before I touch the adaptations. That has worked for me as an incentive to read more King, but it also makes me nitpicky, since I do enjoy his writing. I read The Dead Zone back in 2020, which gives me a little bit of distance to enjoy this movie adaptation on its own merit. That being said, the most effective and horrifying part of the book, the villain's POV, has been entirely scrapped, and that changes the story drastically.
At a point in time, King himself had written a script treatment, but in an uncharacteristic move, director David Cronenberg considered it “needlessly brutal.” The brutality is missed. The cast does help; Christopher Walken is appropriately tortured as the lead, Johnny, who gains psychic abilities after a freak accident and subsequent coma. One of my favorites, Herbert Lom plays the doctor looking after him, who becomes more of a friend and confidant. He's underutilized but a welcome presence.
The Dead Zone is a condensed and a bit busy adaptation of the novel, but it's well-directed and worth a watch. Still, it joins the pile of Stephen King novels I'd like to see remade with a bit more reverence for the source material and more guts — literally and figuratively.
Night 11
31. The Birds (1963) dir. Alfred Hitchcock
Bite-Sized Review: There's a really good 90 min movie hiding in there.
***1/2
It's WILD to me that there's 6 seasons, and 80 episodes of that show. Apparently, it's even less of an adaptation of the novel than the movie, but I'll give it a shot.
It was my introduction to Anthony Michael Hall.
It's 80 episodes and ends on a massive cliffhanger because they were sure they'd get a 7th season.
I like that there are showings with treadmills. Good time to get your steps in.
We know what happened:It's 80 episodes and ends on a massive cliffhanger because they were sure they'd get a 7th season.
No Sixteen Candles or Weird Science, Lily?
Yes, thank God.
Monk is the GOAT. Even his movie rocked.
They were all over cable for me growing up.
Using science to make a sex slave and making out with a girl unconscious don't sound like a good time.
You're too woke for entertainment, girl.
I did catch the TV series of Weird Science. Little me didn't understand why he wanted to have make out (have sex) with his car.You're too woke for entertainment, girl.
Does adult you understand?
