‘Serious writer or serial killer. Thad Beaumont is in two minds.’
The Dark Half is a 1993 American horror film adaptation of the Stephen King novel of the same name. The film was directed by George A. Romero and stars Timothy Hutton as Thad Beaumont and George Stark, Amy Madigan as Liz Beaumont, Michael Rooker (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer; The Walking Dead) as Sheriff Alan Pangborn and Royal Dano in his final film.
Plot teaser:
Novelist Thad Beaumont (Timothy Hutton) makes a healthy living writing pulp thrillers under the pseudonym George Stark, but is frustrated that his more literary endeavours continue to go unnoticed. Eventually he decides to dump Stark for good, but as soon as he does so, his friends and colleagues start to get picked off in grisly murder scenarios. Then, when the police discover Thad’s fingerprints all over the crime scenes, the novelist realises that he has a dark side to his personality which is not going to be laid to rest easily…
The film was shot from October 1990 until March 1991 and was in release limbo for two years due to Orion Pictures’ bleak financial situation. It eventually saw release in April 1993, taking in just over $10 million domestically.
Buy The Dark Half on Blu-ray from Amazon.com
Reviews:
“While there’s little doubt that most Stephen King fans will enjoy this film, it’s unclear whether there’s enough in The Dark Half to attract a wider audience. An effort has been made to keep the picture from collapsing into a grade-B slasher flick, but there are still copious quantities of blood and gore. While this isn’t a complete comeback for screen adaptations of King’s work, it’s a worthwhile step.” Reel Views
“At first glance it would seem an unlikely turn for Romero, given its lack of any social commentary. Much like he did in Martin, Romero instead delivers a commentary on the human condition, and the piece fits him like a glove.” Death Ensemble
“The Dark Half is certainly not a bad film but much of the exposition seems directed by Romero in a plain and visually uninteresting manner. The story needs more obsessiveness – it never fully gets inside Timothy Hutton’s boyish looks to show him being haunted by his doppelganger. Although, once the George Stark character emerges on screen in the latter part of the film, things pick up and Romero builds to an impressive climax.” Moria
Buy Creepshows: The Illustrated Stephen King Movie Guide at Amazon.co.uk
WH
