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Even the extras were unique. Stilson's
(Martin Sheen) major outdoor political rally was filmed on the town
common. Six hundred people lined up at 7:00 a.m. before Christmas to
apply to be extras. (Unemployment in the area is 21%.) A lucky 250
were chosen, either to freeze over two nights for the gazebo shoot
or to cheer Martin Sheen for a couple of days in support of his
campaign. The extras maintained constant enthusiasm throughout, with
nary a complaint. When the snow virtually disappeared, the solution was bales of "snow bunting" (resembling large rolls of cotton batting), each 40-foot-long and 48-inches-wide. Irregular pieces were laid at the base of trees in low-lying areas were snow would naturally remain the longest. The snow segments were pinned to the earth by three-inch nails. Martin Sheen soon became the most popular man in town, getting to know the shopkeepers and even the postman. The townspeople watched with polite Canadian reticence at two disparate figures seen jogging at odd hours of the day -- one lanky six-foot male with one just-over-five-feet blonde lady. Christopher Walken and producer Debra Hill presented this intriguing sight as they jogged together through the snow. The company moved on to various other locations situated within an 80-mile radius of Toronto for the rest of the shoot, very sorry to leave a town which by then had become so pleasantly familiar. As David Cronenberg put it, "We could walk to work." The Dead Zone wrapped on schedule after a 10-week shoot, not without a few other amusing stories. Herbert Lom and Chris Walken gave an impromptu show one day for a visiting photographer who arrived at lunchtime. Lom, ever-charming and cooperative, snatched a carrot disc from the food tray and popped it in his eye -- instant orange monacle. Not to be outdone, Walken merely placed a grape in his ear, to chortles from the crowd. David Cronenberg then joined the group and tried to place a champagne cork somewhere near his nostril. Fortunately, it didn't fit. This seeming daftness was partly motivated by champagne being served to the crew in honor of Herbert Lom's last day on the set. Many a sad face watched him depart. Cathy Scorcese, daughter of Martin who is a personal friend of David Cronenberg's, came to visit and work with the special effects department of The Dead Zone, an avid interest of hers since she was five years old. She learned her lessons well. Her first explosion -- a cake!
But, as is the way of human nature, she also got teased incessantly, albeit affectionately, by the special effects crew. Therefore, Cathy decided to play a joke on the crew on her last day. Special effects coordinator Jon Belyeu entered into the conspiracy and helped rig a large cake with squibs. Cathy then invited the production office to her goodbye party, where she served beer and pizza after work. She then asked the special effects group to stand around the cake so she could take their picture. (Note: camera held by a knowledgeable Jon Belyeu.) "Take the knife and when I count to three, cut the cake," instructed Belyeu. On "three," the cake blew up. The guys, after the initial surprise, laughed and turned the tables by dumping the rest of the cake on Cathy's head. No harm done. They helped her wash out her hair in good spirits and presented her with an engraved hammer as a souvenir of her visit. No small wonder then, when the crew celebrated David Cronenberg's 40th birthday and asked him to cut an even larger cake with a commando knife gift, he was slightly hesitant. The collector's item knife, given to him by the company, was engraved, "Beware the ides of March, from all of us on The Dead Zone." His birthdate? The 15th of March. No, the cake wasn't rigged.
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Seventeen-year-old
Cathy got a week off from school, where she is in the 12th grade,
came to Toronto and plunged in, starting at 8:00 a.m. and working a
full 12-hour day. She worked on the fire sequence, helped to make
grenades for the invasion-of-Poland sequence and learned how to make
blood bags.
