» » The Dark Half (1993)

The Dark Half (1993) Online

The Dark Half (1993) Online
Original Title :
The Dark Half
Genre :
Movie / Horror / Mystery / Thriller
Year :
1993
Directror :
George A. Romero
Cast :
Timothy Hutton,Amy Madigan,Michael Rooker
Writer :
Stephen King,George A. Romero
Budget :
$15,000,000
Type :
Movie
Time :
2h 2min
Rating :
5.9/10

A writer's fictional alter ego wants to take over his life...at any price.

The Dark Half (1993) Online

When Thad Beaumont was a child, he had an operation to remove a tumour from his brain. during the operation, it was discovered that far from being a tumor, the growth was a twin brother of Thad's that never developed. Years later, Thad is a successful author, writing his serious books under his own name, and his pulp money-makers under the pseudonum "George Stark". When blackmailed by someone who has discovered his secret, Thad publically "buries" George Stark. From that point on, Thad increasingly becomes the prime suspect in a series of gruesome murders.
Cast overview, first billed only:
Timothy Hutton Timothy Hutton - Thad Beaumont / George Stark
Amy Madigan Amy Madigan - Liz Beaumont
Michael Rooker Michael Rooker - Sheriff Alan Pangborn
Julie Harris Julie Harris - Reggie Delesseps
Robert Joy Robert Joy - Fred Clawson
Kent Broadhurst Kent Broadhurst - Mike Donaldson
Beth Grant Beth Grant - Shayla Beaumont
Rutanya Alda Rutanya Alda - Miriam Cowley
Tom Mardirosian Tom Mardirosian - Rick Cowley
Larry John Meyers Larry John Meyers - Dr. Pritchard
Patrick Brannan Patrick Brannan - Young Thad Beaumont
Royal Dano Royal Dano - Digger Holt
Glenn Colerider Glenn Colerider - Homer Gamache
Sarah Parker Sarah Parker - Wendy Beaumont / William Beaumont
Elizabeth Parker Elizabeth Parker - Wendy Beaumont / William Beaumont

According to Stephen King, the story of this film was part autobiographical, as it was inspired by the events that led to him revealing his own writing pseudonym of "Richard Bachman".

The Dark Half was the last novel Stephen King wrote before becoming completely sober. His addiction, and his desire to go sober, are reflected in the book's themes of dual personalities.

In the prologue of this Stephen King adaptation, Thad Beaumont (Timothy Hutton) wants to become a writer, and is shown writing stories. The title of his first typewritten story is "Here There Be Tygers", which is also the real title of the first short story King wrote in his career. The story can be found in King's "Skeleton Crew" anthology.

According to Writer and Director George A. Romero, Timothy Hutton was quite difficult to work with at times. Hutton even quit the film for a few days during the production.

All of the shooting locations for the film were around the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. They were chosen for their close location to George A. Romero's house in Pittsburgh.

Shot in 1991, but not released until 1993, due to Orion Pictures' financial problems.

Final film of Royal Dano.

The characters of Sheriff Alan Pangborn and Deputy Norris Ridgewick appeared later the same year in Needful Things (1993), played by Ed Harris and Ray McKinnon, respectively. Harris is also Amy Madigan's husband in real-life.

In total, four thousand five hundred Cut Throat Finches were used for the sparrows in the film. The birds would consume one hundred pounds of birdseed, and fifteen gallons of water on a daily basis during the production.

The car George Stark is driving, is a 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado.

The film's release was delayed for two years by bankruptcy problems with Orion Pictures.

George Stark is named for Richard Stark, the pseudonym of Donald E. Westlake. He was also the source of the first name Richard in Stephen King's pseudonym, Richard Bachman.

Different artwork was created for the Australian print ads. The image featured an illustration of Thad Beaumont. One half of his face was that of Timothy Hutton, while the other half was a heavily-stylized version of evil alter ego George Stark. A shiny straight razor was in the center, splitting the image.

The original novel mentions a character, who's never seen, by the name of Wilma, whose catchphrase is "Just call me Billy". This is a reference to the character of Wilma in "The Crate", a short story by Stephen King, that was adapted by King as a segment of Creepshow (1982), also directed by George A. Romero.

Movie tie-in adventure game, also called The Dark Half, was released for MS-DOS in 1992. It loosely follows the plot of the movie, and resembles Lucas Arts and Sierra's early adventure games. The game immediately fell into obscurity, and is now a collector's item among King's and adventure games fans.

Timothy Hutton's first role in a Stephen King adaptation. He would later co-star in Secret Window (2004) alongside Johnny Depp.

Until the Stephen King-based film "1922" came out in 2017, The Dark Half was the most faithful adaptation of a Stephen King work to ever be filmed. This was possibly because writer-director George Romero and King were good friends.

For its release in Germany, the film was re-titled "Stark".

The Australian theatrical release was over a year after the U.S. release, due to the film's poor performance in that country.

John Hurt and Michael Gough were considered for major cameos.

The Beaumont's lake house is located in the fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine - the same town in which Cujo (1983), Stand By Me (1986), and Needful Things (1993) takes place. All films are from the works of author Stephen King.

Approximately two thousand finches were released into the sets of the Beaumont house, for the shooting of the film's finale.

An intense scene of George Stark forcing his way into the Beaumont home and taking Liz and the twins hostage was shot. The scene was later cut from the film in favor of a more chilling revelation of Stark taking Thad's family hostage.

Thad Beaumont is right-handed, whereas George Stark is left-handed. Stark is a terratoma which started growing in Beaumont's brain when Beaumont absorbed him in the womb, meaning they're technically twin brothers. The frequency of pairs of MZ twins in which only one twin is left-handed is about 21%. Left-handedness is more common among groups of twins than any other group of relatives.

Because of the inherent dangerous working conditions of actors and crew trying to perform their duties in a house full of swarming birds, the vast majority of birds in the climax of the film were a digital composite added in post production. In only a few shots of this scene are there physical birds on set.


User reviews

Sharpbinder

Sharpbinder

Somewhere in the dark recesses of over-fluffed and processed Stephen King movie adaptations, there lies this jewel of a film: "The Dark Half."

After having it watched it about three times, I'm still quite at a loss as to why this movie has been, more or less, forgotten or simply passed over by the horror movie community. Not only is it a fairly neat adaptation of a great King novel, but it's also directed and written by a true horror movie icon: the one and only George Romero. Isn't this the kind of "team-up" that fans would, under normal circumstances, go absolutely bananas over? I know that I did.

Anyway ... the movie is about a writer, Thad Beaumont (Timothy Hutton), whose past - quite literally - comes back to haunt him. As a young man, he wrote pulpy crime novels (that I can only imagine were directly inspired by Richard Stark's hardboiled, master thief, Parker) that sold well ... though his literary yearnings tended to veer toward a much less marketable direction. We learn that when he was writing those pulps, his personality suffered. He drank, yelled at his wife, probably slept around, too. Having successfully exorcised that particular demon, when we meet him, Beaumont has a couple kids and an office at some New England university, teaching - you guessed it - creative writing. But when the bodies of folks close to him (i.e.: his agent, biographer) begin cropping up, the small-town police fun finger is pointed at Beaumont. But ... there's a much more sinister twist in this jet-black yarn. We learn that Beaumont indeed has a "dark half."

The direction is perfect, the writing is perfect, the acting is perfect. What more do you want in a film? I'm not exactly certain what King's response was to this film ... I've heard rumors that if he's not directly involved in the production process, he generally scoffs at the final film product. (For example ... he's all but urinated on all the goodness that was Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of "The Shining," which not only marked a substantial turning point in horror cinema, but it's also one of my personal favorites.) Then again ... from what I understand to be true of King and Romero both ... they're friends. Hell, they made "Creepshow" together ... which is another favorite of mine, though I'm more than just a little bit guilty about it.

"The Dark Half" also does one hell of a job at creating a genuinely creepy atmosphere. And who could listen to "Are You Lonesome Tonight" again the same way ... after hearing its soft melodies during a particularly uncomfortable dream sequence?

All of this, compounded with the fact that Timothy Hutton is a damned fine actor (albeit sinfully unknown by most these days) ... makes "The Dark Half" an explosively well made horror/thriller. The proverbial mind meld of King and Romero made "Creepshow" an instant cult classic. So, I ask again ... why was "The Dark Half" a blink-or-you'll-miss-it flop? Maybe these horror titans just can't share the same marquee, anymore.

I dunno.
Tori Texer

Tori Texer

The Dark Half is a very good horror movie which is not surprising considering the novel was written by Stephen King. George Romero a man who has done a wonderful job with horror movies is the man in charge of taking this from a novel to a movie and he delivers.

The plot revolves around author Thad Beaumont. Beaumont had written several best selling novels under the pseudonym George Stark. However a law student makes the connection and threatens to reveal it to everyone. Before this can happen Beaumont goes public and tells everyone he is Stark, essentially killing off his pseudonym. Stark isn't content with being dispatched and he comes to life determined to stick around. Stark then goes around killing those responsible for his demise. Beaumont must fight Stark because only one of them can survive.

Timothy Hutton does a spectacular job as both Beaumont and Stark. He really makes you believe the two are separate people but are tied together. The plot is suspenseful and full of unexpected twists. There are also supernatural elements such as the sparrows or bringers of the living dead.

So to sum it up The Dark Half is one of the better adoptions to Stephen King's works. It follows the story accurately and succeeds in scaring the audience which is the aim for horror movies.
Kamick

Kamick

The Dark Half is one of the finest Stephen King adaptations. It's also one of George Romero's most under-appreciated works. The two of them have collaborated on many occasions to produce nothing but good things, but this takes it to a new level. Romero is known for casting unknowns for his leads. This time he went against the grain. He used the amazing Timothy Hutton. Hutton, in a dual role, plays both mild-mannered Thad Beaumont and mean b*stard George Stark. But when he's Stark, he really comes to life. He's both cool and creepy. The sparrows are also a crucial part of the overall eeriness of the movie. Although he will always be known for the unforgettable Dead trilogy, this may be Romero's finest, most high-brow picture to date. The production values are the cleanest I've seen in any Romero flick, the acting is top-notch, and story is solid. Getting a scare at the theater is fairly easily achieved. Getting me to jump in the privacy of my own home in another thing altogether. Romero made me jump while watching the movie on a crappy 19 inch television.and I've seen the movie before. That's saying something. Royal Dano and Michael Rooker co-star.
Vudojar

Vudojar

The Dark Half is great. Put two of the masters of horror together in a box, shake ‘em up, and you get this very entertaining and darkly humorous story. Can you believe this is the latest film from George Romero? 1993? It's a crime that this man isn't doing movies on a regular basis anymore. I hear he has a couple of projects on the horizon, but seven years is just too long, George! Stephen King movie adaptions can be pretty damn good, or really, really awful depending on who's behind the camera. Well, no worries here, King and Romero have had a great working relationship in the past (and I expect good things in the future).

But give credit where credit is due, it's Timothy Hutton's outstanding performance that really makes this film special for me. He's good enough as ordinary Thad Beaumont, with just a hint of evil underneath his nice husband and father persona, holding back the nasty as best he can. Then Hutton is George Stark, and he doesn't even look like the same person. That's why Hutton is so damn good. With just a few minor changes, slicked-back hair and some facial stubble, he's a completely different person. You have to see it to believe it, he's that good. And he delivers the films darkly humorous lines perfectly ("What's going on out here?", "Murder. Want some?"). I know, the murderous joker has been done to death, but Hutton's good enough that we can forgive it. I love, love, love horror movies and this is one of the reasons why. 8/10 stars. G'night!
Hellblade

Hellblade

Sadly a rather bland version of King's sadly rather bland novel. Romero had apparently been slated to direct Pet Semetary before commitments (Monkey Shines) pulled him off - now that would have been worth watching. This on the other hand is a rather tepid slasher flick punctuated with a few inspired moments (the dream sequences and the whole sparrow things in particular). It's hard to know who is a fault here - certainly Dark Half - despite its intriguing premise - is one of King's weaker novels - but Romero's screenplay is little more than a rather one dimensional collection of deaths. There is some suspense and some good effects but overall a rather dull affair.
Phobism

Phobism

In Castle Rock, Maine, the respectable writer and professor Thad Beaumont (Timothy Hutton) lives a comfortable life with his wife Liz Beaumont (Amy Madigan) and his two babies. Out of the blue, he is blackmailed by a punk from New York that has discovered a hidden secret about Thad: before writing serious novels, he had written cheap literature using the pseudonym of George Stark and has become a successful writer of the genre and made enough money to raise his family.

Thad and Liz discuss the situation and Thad calls his editors telling that he would tell the truth about George Stark to the press. The editors like the idea and prepare a promotional event, with That Beaumont burying George Stark in the cemetery. When the photographer is murdered, Sheriff Alan Pangborn (Michael Rooker) comes to Thad's home and tells that he is the prime suspect of the crime. Thad believes that the blackmailer is the responsible for the death but soon he finds that the man was murdered. Soon there are a crime spree incriminating Thad and he claims that George Stark is the responsible for the bloodshed. How can his violent alter ego be responsible for the homicides?

"The Dark Half" is a horror movie with a promising story by Stephen King but unfortunately with a disappointing conclusion with the sparrows destroying George Stark and leaving Thad Beaumont without any evidence to prove his innocence. The explanation of Reggie that George Stark is a conjuration, an entity created by dark half of Thad that brought his alter ego to life, is weak. I saw this movie for the first time in the 90's on VHS and I have just watched again on DVD. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "A Metade Negra" ("The Dark Half")
Warianys

Warianys

I saw this movie after i read the book and i have to say pretty much of the book was also in the film, although not all. Some parts with the sparrows for instance weren't in the film, probably because the budget wouldn't allow special effects that elaborate. And the murders, although violent enough in the movie, were particularly more gruesome in the book.

Ultimate conclusion: great acting from top notch actors/actresses who usually are nowhere to be found in horror (if you discount Michael Rooker's performance in "Henry"), pretty good special f/x and direction from a director who has made his mark in horror.
Sinredeemer

Sinredeemer

Thad Beaumont (Timothy Hutton) had a brain tumor as a child that was an undeveloped twin. Now, as an adult, the twin returns, fully formed and violent. The source is a bit supernatural, but real enough to kill.

The story goes over ground that should be familiar to Stephen King fans. The idea of a child growing up to confront something from his childhood. The theme of a writer, explored numerous times ("Misery", "The Shining") but most closely to this in "Secret Window". Howard Maxford calls it a cross between "Misery" and "The Birds", which I do not fully accept but see his point.

Interestingly, Stephen King is not known for good movie adaptations, and George Romero has had his slew of below average films (though, if you stray from his zombie films, you will find an assortment of goodies). But together, they seem to have made a decent movie here. I really enjoyed it. I also enjoyed "Creepshow" -- maybe these guys bring out the best in each other? Michael Rooker is here (with hair) playing the role played by Ed Harris in "Needful Things". I would have liked to see some consistency in casting, but how do you choose between Rooker and Harris? Both top notch. Another Harris, Julie Harris, does appear, though... And the music is from Christopher Young, perhaps best known for his "Hellraiser" score.

Some of the factual information I found to be a bit questionable. Does a military service record really go into an FBI fingerprint database? I suppose it might, but the idea struck me as odd. And the idea that one in ten people start off as twins seemed too exaggerated (and then they said that was at the very least). I would like to know the truth on that.

Overall, though, a really decent film. It is not Oscar or Golden Globe material by any means, but a horror fan should enjoy the mix of gore and dark humor. Rue Morgue has called it "a middling Romero film based on a middling King novel", which really sells it short.

Unfortunately, the film did not get the proper respect in 1993, because its distributor (Orion) was fighting a bankruptcy battle and promoted it poorly. But now (2015), it has a second chance thanks to the fine folks at Scream Factory who have loaded up the Blu-ray with everything possible, including the kitchen sink.
SkroN

SkroN

This is one of the few horror movies in which I was truly frightened. Unlike most horror movies these days, this one was serious from beginning to end. I saw this movie before I read the book and knew very little about it. I was on the edge of my seat all night. Timothy Hutton is wonderful as the evil George Stark and the good Thad Beaumont. Amy Madigan was good as his confused wife, too. This movie is a wonderful adaptation of the Stephen King book. Very little is left out. If you haven't seen this movie, which many people have not, you should rent it. I give it a ten out of ten.
Yahm

Yahm

George Romero didn't translate King's book to the letter when he made this screenplay; perhaps for the better because his version is an equally interesting take.

Starring Timothy Hutton as a famous pulp novelist writing under the name of George Stark, the main character works; Thad Beaumont is clumsy, intelligent and quite the family man. Married to Amy Madigan and a father of twins.

When someone threatens to expose Thad for the pulp writer he is, Beaumont decides to let the world know he is George Stark. Good call you'd think, but George disagrees.

Thad's friends and family become the target of a guy going by the name of "George Stark". Like the characters in the books he has a taste for underground killings and a flair for rock 'n' roll one liners.

As the killings continue, Thad becomes entangled in an investigation directed at him.

This material is at fist glance unknown territory for George Romero, having spend too much time writing dialogue for zombie victims. Sure, Martin and Monkey Shines were proof the man could write a good script, but "the dark half" is as clever in its writing as it is to the point.

Add to that a wonderful score by Christopher Young (you haven't lived until you've heard the main theme, reprized at full glory in the end credits) The American DVD is full screen, the European (UK) has the widescreen, so avoid that US edition.

Dark Half is an inventive thriller that relies very much on the steps of belief (it builds the fiction, which few horror films do).
Alien

Alien

The diabolical alliance of George A. Romero and Stephen King quietly delivered expectations but it's not certainly a great horror film.

"The Dark Half" is pretty interesting and well directed but it's something you've seen before. There's a decent amount of gore, suspense is well crafted, an effective score and regular acting. Maybe the fact that I grew with the 80's Slasher movies made me think every minute about "Basket Case" and compare it with "The Dark Half".

A decent horror movie with a thrilling ending. Deserves a watch.

6/10.
Thordigda

Thordigda

Not a bad thriller, but surely you expect more from a collaboration between Stephen King (the story is based on his novel) and George A. Romero (who wrote the screenplay and directed the film). "The Dark Half" at times is an intelligent and well-constructed thriller but eventually it raises more questions than the format can cope with. The concept isn't exactly new but it's creatively presented, with a good balance between visual shocks and atmospheric tension. Timothy Hutton plays one of the most prestigious roles in his career as the tormented author Thad Beaumont who's forced to kill off his successful alter-ego, when he's blackmailed with exposure. Right after the figurative burial of George Stark, people close to Thad die violent deaths, seemly caused by the fictional doppelganger that isn't supposed to exist… Especially the first hour of "The Dark Half" is excellent fright-material with an obscure sequence about Thad's childhood and a delightful supernatural element involving sparrows….millions and millions of sparrows!! The second half is a lot less appealing and I wish Romero cut a few tedious sequences. The story begins to show a few holes and Romero attempts to camouflage them by adding more action and gory footage. The climax in particular is quite gruesome and not really satisfying in case you were hoping for reason or logic. All this probably is the reason why this film isn't mentioned more often. It features big names and clever ideas, yet it's an overall shortcoming project. Too bad for George A. Romero who'll still always be one of the most important writers/directors of the horror genre.
Moonshaper

Moonshaper

There are only a small handful of films based on works by Stephen King that can without a doubt be classified as 'great movies.' They are 'Carrie,' 'The Shining,' 'Misery,' 'Dolores Claiborne,' 'The Dead Zone,' 'Stand By Me' and 'Cujo.' All the others range from 'flawed' to 'awful.' Despite it's decent cast, and respected horror director Romero at the helm, 'The Dark Half' lies more towards the awful end of the spectrum. The filmmakers gave it their best shot but things just didn't work out. It fails as a horror film in terms of suspense, plausibility, and narrative.

When Thad Beaumont (Hutton) was a child, he had an operation to remove a tumor from his brain. During the operation, it was discovered that far from being a tumor, the growth was a twin brother of Thad's that never developed. Years later, Thad is a successful author, writing his serious books under his own name, and his trashy money-makers under the pseudonym 'George Stark.' When blackmailed by someone who has discovered his secret, Thad publicly 'buries' George Stark. From that point on, Thad increasingly becomes the prime suspect in a series of gruesome murders.

Of all the King adaptations I've seen, this is one of the dullest. The main character is unsympathetic, his alter ego is two dimensional and totally hammy, you don't care about any of the victims (much less even know who they are at some points,) and there is hardly any horror and next to no tension.

However, there is some good production design and cinematography on display here, as well as some striking images. Huge flocks of sparrows gathering as an omen of doom is a haunting sight. But that alone can't save this film, which is just another King adaptation from a period where almost everything he'd write would end up being made into a movie.
Quemal

Quemal

Inspired by Stephen King's pseudonymous adventures as Richard Bachman, George Romero's adaptation of the bestseller stars Timothy Hutton as mild-mannered literary failure Thad Beaumont who is exposed as pseudonymous bestseller George Stark, author of nasty thrillers about razor-slashing mobsters. When Thad reacts by killing off his pseudonym and posing beside a gravestone with Stark's name on it, his alter ego manifests himself in the real world. Having crawled out of his grave and generated a body from the buried remains of an unborn twin once removed from Thad's brain, Stark goes on a rampage, slashing up all those involved in his murder and leaving Thad's fingerprints all over the shop. Sounds good, no? King's novel discusses fascinating personal material and questions the responsibilities of the popular artist, but it's also a bloated pretend-horror freak that fails to make any plot sense and goes on about 250 pages too long. Romero does his best to streamline the flabby storyline and gets some extraordinarily subtle performances from a great cast, but King's malformed original keeps hobbling the film.

This is too well-made and acted to be a total failure, and even the formulaic slasher scenes are handled with creepy aplomb(the first 40 mins or so are genuinely creepy). Hutton, in two complicated roles, digs deeper into the characters than duty calls for, and manages to make some of the quieter moments far more upsetting than the big shocks. You also get the excellent Madigan as Thad's devoted but apprehensive wife, Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer's Rooker as a bewildered Sheriff, and a genuinely haunting use of Elvis' Are You Lonesome Tonight? Certainly not one of the better King adaptations although i didn't think much of the book and it does do the book justice. If you are a fan of the book you might like this.
The Sphinx of Driz

The Sphinx of Driz

As a fan of Stephen King, and having read the novel many years ago, I was tempted to watch this film when I stumbled across it on pay per view films on cable.

At first I wondered why I had never heard of it, especially as it is directed by George A Romero, but it soon became clear.

This really is one of the dullest films I have ever watched. The main character is unsympathetic. His alter ego is two dimensional and totally hammy. You don't care about any of the victims. There is hardly any horror and next to no tension.

My husband fell asleep halfway through. I envy him.
Ahieones

Ahieones

Considering that this is based on a story by the man who is often labelled the king of modern horror and is directed by one of the so-called masters of the genre; The Dark Half is very disappointing indeed. As a thriller in it's own right, however; it's not all that bad. The story starts with a horrifying sequence that sees doctors open up a young boy's head, only to find an eye sticking out from between parts of the brain. A good start. We later find out that this was a twin that hasn't been fully absorbed into the boy's body. The boy grows up to be a writer, or rather; two writers, a serious one and an alter ego that writes trash novels. After someone comes knocking and threatens to expose him if he doesn't pay up, our hero decides to kill off his alter ego and just stick to the serious, but less profitable, novels that he likes to write. This would all be well and good, if it weren't for the fact that many of the people involved in this 'murder' weren't turning up dead with all the clues leading to the writer himself.

George Romero may have made the 'Dead' trilogy and the excellent Martin, but the rest of his director credits are lacking to say the least. This film is actually one of his better non-zombies, non-Martin films; maybe even the best one aside from those four (although I admit to not having seen all of his films). George Romero wrote the screenplay, and I think it's fair to say that he's not the most gifted writer in film-making. His screenplay is uneven, and although it features many good - and exciting moments, it also features many tedious ones and if he'd have streamlined it; the film would have been better on the whole. If you're expecting loads of gore, you'll be disappointed up until the end as even though the film features quite a few gory sequences, there aren't any that are hideously gory...which is a shame. Still, this is an inventive and largely interesting production that you can forgive for it's flaws thanks to a good base plot idea and the fact that it's a decent waste of time. Don't seek this one out, but if you find yourself with nothing better to do...this isn't one of Stephen King's worst adaptations.
Anazan

Anazan

In 1968, young Thad Beaumont has a brain tumor removed. It turns out to be an undeveloped twin. The sparrows swarm supernaturally. 23 years later, Thad (Timothy Hutton) is a college professor and a successful writer under the pen name George Stark. He's married to Liz (Amy Madigan) with young twins. Fred Clawson discovers that he's the secret pulp novel writer and blackmails him. His publishers accept killing off George Stark even with a fake tombstone. They try to publicize transitioning to the safer Thad Beaumont writing. Then the people involved start getting killed off by a mysterious figure and Thad is the prime suspect for Sheriff Alan Pangborn.

I like the basic idea and I think the movie is well made. However, a couple things keep bothering me. First, the whole idea of 'killing' off Stark doesn't make sense. Clawson's blackmail is based on the fact that it would hurt business. Yet they close up the Stark business themselves. A better reason has to be written to explain killing off Stark. It may be as simple as Thad being tired of the violent imagery.

The second is that I don't understand why the sheriff doesn't arrest Thad on that first night. It seems like he has enough evidence. It would be more compelling if he had less evidence. It would be more tense if the killer's face isn't revealed so early. They should stretch out the questions until the third act. The overall work is good. Timothy Hutton is a compelling lead. If only the movie could fix my concerns, this could be great.
Dalallador

Dalallador

Deciding to move on in his career, a writer's decision to put an end to a vile alter-ego sets off a series of vicious deaths around him and must find out how to stop him before his family is targeted.

This is a pretty decent and overall exciting effort. One of the better elements in here is the rater ingenious way it builds up the alter-ego's identity and through this adds a rather haunting touch by keeping the mystery of it being alive rather well. The first half plays the murder mystery of it pretty well as they set up whether-or-not he's crazy or really did those murders before, and that leaves a pretty big impression here. His actions, from the stalking to the way he's committed to the idea of how he came to exist in reality all makes for quite an enthralling mystery. Once it's all revealed and the body count begins to grow this does kick into a higher gear as the race to stop the rampage as well as trying to clear his name amongst the slew of brilliantly-orchestrated scenes that really hold this one quite nicely into the finale. This is quite fun as there's a lot to like about the finale and how it goes about finding a resolution to their battle as it deals quite nicely with the gore brought in along with the action for the scene which really helps this quite well by providing an ecstatically fun ending. That does help to even out the few flaws here, from the fact that the killer here is a complete joke who's never in the slightest bit scary since he appears as a lame greaser-type with a straight-razor for a killing tool which is quite lame all around so it's really hard to get any fear from him. This really has a toll on the beginning as it wanders around in so many extraneous scenes of him ending the ruse that it loses all meaning and drags this out probably about ten minutes too long. It's got a few too many story lines than it needs to have, and it at times can be a little confusing. It also seems just a little bit repetitive in the middle, which is no doubt due to the too long length. The same three general sequences of events play out several times over, and it gets a little tiresome. It's not all bad but does make up for enough to be watchable.

Rated R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language and children-in-jeopardy.
Biaemi

Biaemi

I have not read the book - but the adaptation film is pretty darn good. It's a bizarre story, some great imagery, and good acting.

Thad Beaumont had twin brother that was never born, in fact the brother literally lived within his brain. As a child, the twin was developing inside his brain and Thad had to have brain surgery - the doctor calling it a brain tumor. Thad became a husband, father and a writer. As a writer, he created a pseudonym of George Stark to write under. Stark gave rise to a best selling pulp crime spree of novels but Thad decided to "kill off" Stark and write under his own name - a different set of novels. The problem is, Stark becomes real and murders as written in the George Stark novels. The police think that Thad is doing the killings but only one policeman helps to keep Thad out of jail... yet he wonders if Thad is doing the killings and not George Stark come to life.

Enjoyable watch, really gets interesting.

8/10
Nalme

Nalme

I Was Afraid This Was Going To Be Too Much Like "Secret Window" (Johnny Depp) And While It Is Easy To See How One May Have Drawn On The Other For Inspiration, These Two Movies Are As Different As Night And Day ... Timothy Hutton Is Excellent And Pulls It Off With No Issues At All ... Amy Madigan Gives An Excellent Performances As The "Stand By Her Man" Wife ... Michael Rooker Comes Together Well As The Sheriff Investigating A Series Of Horrific Murders ... Horror From Stephen King Means A Script That Works Well All The Way Around ... The Last Time I Saw Timothy In Something I Liked As Much As This Was The 1981 "Taps" ... The Dark Half Is An Excellent Ride Down Spooky Lane From Beginning To End ... My IMDb Rating 7 Out Of 10
Damdyagab

Damdyagab

THE DARK HALF opens with a scene worthy of David Cronenberg: during a brain operation, the doctor discovers an eye and some teeth growing inside writer Thad Beaumont's grey matter. Beaumont, like author Stephen King, has a pseudonym under which he writes horror novels and it's this alter ego who eventually manifests himself as a malevolent entity out to do his creator no good. Although I tend not to like doppelganger stories, director George Romero makes this one work by dint of some outstanding craftsmanship. Says Stark (the Evil Twin) to Beaumont: "You will die like no other man on Earth has ever died before." Later, when Beaumont and Stark square off in a story-writing contest and Stark falters uncertainly, Thad says: "You know the only way to do it is to do it." That could very well sum up this one: Romero gets the job done. It's not his best work- by a mile- but it showed at the time that he was more than capable of handling bigger budget films with big name stars.
Saintrius

Saintrius

This is one strange, surreal literate piece of psychological horror pulp in the tradition of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by film-maker George Romero who adapted it from novelist Stephen King. Thad Beaumont is a successful novelist who decides to literally bury his alter ego George Stark, who he used as a pseudonym for his overly violent pulp novels. This occurs because someone tries to blackmail him. But after putting an end to this alter ego, people are starting to be killed off and these are people who are somehow tied in to seeing George Stark finish up. However the evidence at every murder scene points to Thad and something is happening to him that he hasn't experience for almost twenty years. The sparrows are calling. Underrated work from Romero, which can be atmospheric in its vivid visuals, computer effects are ably done, the jolts are nastily macabre (the graphic climax of when sparrows attack) and the steadfast narrative gradually builds up its dread-filled suspense and stinging matter with precise control. Timothy Hutton plays the dual roles with outstanding ticker. Then there is solid support by Amy Madigan, Michael Rooker and a tiny part for Robert Joy.

"We shouldn't be writing trash."
Jieylau

Jieylau

This was a good movie. It is one of the better Stephen King adaptations in my opinion. It wasn't anything great, but it's enjoyable. I think it stayed pretty close to the book, but it's been awhile since I read it so I don't really remember. All the basic stuff from the book is there though. I think people who haven't read the book would like this movie more than people who have. Timothy Hutton was great in this. The ending was just like the ending to the book. This is a good movie, but it's no Green Mile.
Coiril

Coiril

Thad Beaumont is a very successful writer who had a twin removed from his brain, when he was a child. Now, he is going under an assumed name, "George Stark". Now Years later, Thad is the prime suspect in a series of murders that he suspects were committed by his alter ego. Dark, and edgy, with few (if any) jumps,The Dark Half is a perfect example of a good idea, gone wrong. Which is a shame because I so enjoyed the book, and I was very excited when I heard about the movie, but I was thoroghly disappointed with this dragging, and considerably boring, sequel. I am a general fan of Stephen King's work, (Kingdom Hospital, Night Flyer, IT!, ....)but unfortunately, this one didn't click. I give this one a 3 ~SonerBoy~
LONUDOG

LONUDOG

The Dark Half is a film I wouldn't go out of my way to show to my friends for the first time like other films by George A. Romero (Living-dead pictures, and some of the obscurities), or a few choice Stephen King adaptations (The Shining and Shawshank Redemption being tops). But if it shows up on TV I tend to take a gander for a few, and end up watching it till the unusual, nerve-chilling ending. There's some part of King's writing that at times goes too much for the cheap scares, or rather, doesn't do enough to earn them. This time, however, Romero does catch enough of the smoke in the fire of King's book here; I'd love to sit down and actually read the whole book myself, to see how much was incorporated from King's often brilliant, if perpetually odd, writing, into the final project. It's also territory for Romero that isn't very new, though isn't one of his worst pictures either.

Timothy Hutton, usually in lesser quality pictures, stars here as a writer who happens to have a certain 'alias' in his writing. Unfortunately, whenever he hears a certain calling card- being the sparrows- it sets him off into territory he's afraid to go into, especially with a wife and family. The divide between Thad Beaumont, the common garden-variety writer of Hutton's character, and George Stark, the madman writer of pulp fiction also played by Hutton, makes for the more intriguing parts to the film. Thankfully, unlike Secret Window, the sort of duality of man, or of the writer in this case, isn't saved up for some over-the-top climax. Here it's meant more as a psychological study, and it's here that Romero scores his best points in his adapting the material. Like his film Martin, he knows how to up the ante on the terror involved inside of the mind. In fact, it's scenes showing Beaumont/Stark writing ala the birds that end up becoming more chilling than those with the usual horror violence in them.

Thanks to Hutton, a solid supporting cast, and an ending that does keep one guessing more than could be expected of the material, Romero has a pretty decent work here, and a King adaptation that shouldn't be as much of an embarrassment as some of the others. Individual scenes end up even being mini-masterpieces, even amidst a script that loses its energy and goes into the mundane and usual. Besides, any film with a line like this: "You always were the clumsy one, old hoss", deserves a little recognition, however minor. Under-appreciated and very watchable, though nothing wildly spectacular. 7.5/10