The Dark Half (1993)

An above-average adaptation of the Stephen King novel, this is a gory, disturbing little movie which sticks closely to its source. The story is an intelligent, unpredictable one which remains one of King's most genuinely horrific tales, and director George Romero makes a good job of the film version. The gore and violence is used in a shocking, unpleasant way instead of being there just for the sake of it, and the spot-on acting elevates the film above being just another schlocky horror tale.Timothy Hutton in particular is very good both as innocent writer Thad Beaumont, plagued by visions, sounds, headaches, and nightmares, and also as his demonic alter-ego George Stark, who is something like an evil version of Elvis Presley. Stark is a totally ruthless and villainous character, one of the most despicable I've seen (he reminds me somewhat of David Hess) and spends the film either slashing people up with a straight-razor or simply bullying them. Amy Madigan lends solid support as Hutton's endangered wife, while Michael Rooker also puts in a strong turn as Sheriff Alan Pangbourne, who investigates the crimes.The film gets off to a good start with an unforgettable horror special effect of a milky-white human eyeball blinking inside somebody's brain; a simple enough effect to create, but one which stayed with me afterwards. From then on, things get relentlessly darker; this film has a real hard edge to it which makes for uncomfortable viewing at times. Another horrific highlight includes a dream sequence in which a doll's face shatters to reveal a human skull underneath - very unsettling. The special effects are used well, from some realistic wound-makeups which look very painful, to the masses of sparrows which fill the sky on occasion and play a crucial part in the suspenseful finale. Incidentally, the ending (which will have you cheering) is also very horrific: good special effects make this a conclusion worth waiting for. CGI is occasionally used to animate the sparrows but doesn't intrude too much.In conclusion, I would call THE DARK HALF a true "horror film" and miles away from the cheap gorefests and unscary slashers which populate the rest of the '90s, in that it actually manages to be frightening and disturbing at times. It also serves as proof that George Romero still has the power to make good movies on occasion, which makes it seem odd that he has so much trouble attempting to do so. Highly recommended for King fans as one of the better adaptations of his work.

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")

This film is about a writer whose alter ego starts a killing spree, implicating him in the murders."The Dark Half" tells a spooky story about a writer, and an evil alter ego that rises from thin air. I find the plot engaging and captivating. Initially there is suspense as to what really happens; and there are many clues in the film that leads us to figure out what happens. After we know who commits the serial murders, the suspense comes from the cat and mouse chase between Thad and George. Most of the film is not too graphically scary, except the ending which is visually quite disturbing. I guess having visually disturbing scenes is the trademark of George A. Romero. Overall, "The Dark Half" is a good horror thriller.

This was a decent adaptation of the Stephen King novel-another case, like Misery, where it was a horror story without the use of monsters or demons. Well, it did use a monster, but it was a human monster, the monster within. The best part of the movie was the use of the birds. It was reminiscent of the Hitchcock classic The Birds. Those scenes were very well done and scary. The story involves a writer who "kills off" his pseudonym in order to be rid of it and get on with his life. Unfortunately, the alter ego is not dead and wants to infiltrate the writer's life and aims to get to him and goes on a murderous rampage. The writer has no alibi or escape because the other guy is him and everything points to him. Stephen King novels tend to be difficult to translate to the screen, but this one holds its own due the the direction and performances, especially in the duel lead by Timothy Hutton. The ending is not to be missed.** 1/2 out of ****