i thought both salem’s lot series/film and the dead zone were both great films.
I read the book before I knew there was a film. In it, Johnny is a pathetic character in the literal sense; whilst he’s the main character in the book, he struggles to get ahead and he spends most of his time essentially being a victim. You can’t help but feel sorry for the poor sod that through no fault of his own the world seems to have it in for.
In the film, he’s played by Christopher Walken. Now, don’t get me wrong, I think Chris Walken is a superlative actor, but I can’t offhand think of a piece of cinematic casting quite so wildly, jarringly off the mark compared to the picture the novel had created in my head.