Watched this film again last night. Still a friggin masterpiece. Score is perfect. Don't like the CD sequencing. I had to rearrange it, into film order, when transferring it to my play list. It sounded wrong any other way.
I always had a hard time getting into this score. Felt cold and detached; and with some textures that just went on my nerves. So I sold my CD at some point. Might be due for another evaluation now, though.
Hey FB, it's not 100% successful, due to blended tracks (I think), but it goes something like this...
Opening Titles Coma Hospital Visit 1st Vision... Lost Love Realisation... Alone School Days Drowning Vision.. In The Snow.. Political Death Rally...Meet Your.. The Dead Zone Civic Duty &.. Coda To A Coma/Balcony Death Of A Visionary
I'd love one of our labels to have another go at this score. Apart from the improvements that could be made to the sonics (which admittedly ain't terrible on this Milan release, but could deffo be cleaned up), the sequencing could be amended to flow like the film. And I don't know why they thought that ruining the opening cue, by adding a horrible, piercing sound effect at the beginning, was a good idea, but that could be fixed too. I would assume the Main Title and End Title are the same cue, with the extended end/timpani dialled out for the Main Title, when the school bell rings.
Such a brilliant score. Funny you brought this up Kev as I’ve been listening to a lot of Michael Kamen scores recently and just had this on last night. Always loved the film and it still holds up well. Hearing that music in the cinema when it first came out, I was instantly hooked and of course there was no release of the score initially...I was gutted. This started my love of Michael’s music which was quickly cemented when I later heard Mona Lisa and Highlander. That main title in the Dead Zone is something else and still gives me goosebumps when I hear it. One of my mates always liked to tell me how score ‘x’ is a rip off of classical piece ‘y’ and I can’t remember what this one was but admittedly the theme was close. Didn’t matter a bit to me and for my money Michael if he used any of the theme, vastly improved it. I too wish the cd was better. I find the recording very ‘muddy’ and one of the latter tracks sounded almost as if from a different (and worse) source. Probably still my favourite Michael score with Highlander of course running a close second and the main title tying for best track with Mona Lisa’s ‘Kings Cross/ Follow Anderson’
Hey FB, it's not 100% successful, due to blended tracks (I think), but it goes something like this...
Opening Titles Coma Hospital Visit 1st Vision... Lost Love Realisation... Alone School Days Drowning Vision.. In The Snow.. Political Death Rally...Meet Your.. The Dead Zone Civic Duty &.. Coda To A Coma/Balcony Death Of A Visionary
Re-looking at my rearranged track list, Political Death (which is the cue where Johnny tells Sherbet Bomb that his mother is still alive) should come after Alone (where Johnny and the sheriff track down creepy deputy serial killer). And you need to repeat the Opening Titles at the end, to give the album the same closure as the film.
This is more than likely my most played score by Michael Kamen. This, Naked Lunch and Silence of the Lambs were always on heavy rotation in college when I had to do some writing. Bleak, bleak and bleak. Perfect January to March music before Spring comes. RIP sir, you are still missed.
Re-looking at my rearranged track list, Political Death (which is the cue where Johnny tells Sherbet Bomb that his mother is still alive) should come after Alone (where Johnny and the sheriff track down creepy deputy serial killer). And you need to repeat the Opening Titles at the end, to give the album the same closure as the film.
So this?
Opening Titles Coma Hospital Visit 1st Vision... Lost Love Realisation... Alone Political Death School Days Drowning Vision.. In The Snow.. Rally...Meet Your.. The Dead Zone Civic Duty &.. Coda To A Coma/Balcony Death Of A Visionary Opening Titles
Yes Onya, that's as close as I can get it. I'm not 100% sure about the tracks 'In The Snow-Hope' & 'Civic Duty & Sacrifice' as to their correct placement. I'm open to correcting offers.
I like the score and film. Creepy and moody without being a gore fest.
And that is kind of shocking, given this was a Cronenberg film. In fact, the movie is quite tame and straight forward in its approach. It is one of better 80's King adaptations that I think gets overlooked quite often. It's really more of a tragedy than horror. I think I need to see it again soon and with the series notwithstanding, I'd not mind a modern retelling of this.
I like the score and film. Creepy and moody without being a gore fest.
And that is kind of shocking, given this was a Cronenberg film. In fact, the movie is quite tame and straight forward in its approach. It is one of better 80's King adaptations that I think gets overlooked quite often. It's really more of a tragedy than horror. I think I need to see it again soon and with the series notwithstanding, I'd not mind a modern retelling of this.
Too late for a modern retelling. That would have had to have been made in the 1940s or 1950s.
Too late for a modern retelling. That would have had to have been made in the 1940s or 1950s.
Trying to tread very carefully here, but given the contemporary political climate in the US, and this story's thematic underpinnings, I'd say it's more relevant today than ever; a modern retelling would have been absolutely spot on.
Beyond that, I also like the more sober approach that Cronenberg took in this instance. I enjoy his body horror, but am often more attracted to his less visceral films. I was just never able to get into the scores for his movies (for the most part), whether it's this or most of Shore's work. MAPS TO THE STARS, however, is an exception. Really like that score.
Yeah, I never really think of DEAD ZONE as an out and out horror film. To me, it's a thriller, with supernatural overtones. But like CARRIE, it's written, acted and directed so that you really invest in the characters and care about them. And both films have perfect scores that act as the icing on the cake. It's easily Top 5 in the Stephen King film adaptations for me.
That's what we used to call a "horror" film, before the meaning changed.
For sure. I'm not a traditional horror fan where blood and gore are the main attraction. I enjoy "horror" films like The Shinning and The Lady in White.
Too late for a modern retelling. That would have had to have been made in the 1940s or 1950s.
Trying to tread very carefully here, but given the contemporary political climate in the US, and this story's thematic underpinnings, I'd say it's more relevant today than ever; a modern retelling would have been absolutely spot on.
Beyond that, I also like the more sober approach that Cronenberg took in this instance. I enjoy his body horror, but am often more attracted to his less visceral films. I was just never able to get into the scores for his movies (for the most part), whether it's this or most of Shore's work. MAPS TO THE STARS, however, is an exception. Really like that score.
I am talking about abuse of the word "modern." "Contemporary" is a much better word in this context.