The Dark Half (1993)

Director:

George A. Romero

Writers (WGA):

Stephen King (novel)
George A. Romero (screenplay)

Release Date:

23 April 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery

Tagline:

Serious writer or serial killer? George is in two minds.

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Alter Ego | Murder | Sparrow | Surgery | Book

Awards:

3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Timothy Hutton	...	Thad Beaumont / George Stark
Amy Madigan	...	Liz Beaumont
Michael Rooker	...	Sheriff Alan Pangborn
Julie Harris	...	Reggie Delesseps
Robert Joy	...	Fred Clawson
Kent Broadhurst	...	Mike Donaldson
Beth Grant	...	Shayla Beaumont
Rutanya Alda	...	Miriam Cowley
Tom Mardirosian	...	Rick Cowley
Larry John Meyers	...	Dr. Pritchard
Patrick Brannan	...	Young Thad Beaumont
Royal Dano	...	Digger Holt
Glenn Colerider	...	Homer Gamache
Sarah Parker	...	Wendy Beaumont / William Beaumont
Elizabeth Parker	...	Wendy Beaumont / William Beaumont
John Ponzio	...	Todd Pangborn
Chelsea Field	...	Annie Pangborn
William Cameron	...	Officer Hamilton
Rohn Thomas	...	Dr. Albertson
Molly Renfroe	...	Hilary
Judy Grafe	...	Head Nurse
John Machione	...	Male Nurse
Erik Jensen	...	Male Student
Christine Forrest	...	Trudy Wiggins
Nardi Novak	...	Pangborn's Receptionist
Zachary Mott	...	Norris Ridgewick
David W. Butler	...	Trooper #1
Curt DeBor	...	Trooper #2
Drinda Lalumia	...	Dodie
Lamont Arnold	...	NYC Cop #1
Lee Hayes	...	NYC Cop #2
Jack Skelly	...	Man in the Hallway
Marc Field	...	Donaldson Cop #1
Rik Billock	...	Donaldson Cop #2
Bruce Kirkpatrick	...	Officer #1
David Early	...	Officer #2
Jeff Monahan	...	Wes
Jeff Howell	...	Dave
Melissa Papp	...	Rosalie
J. Michael Hunter	...	Garrison
Therese Courtney	...	Receptionist
Marty Roppelt	...	Young Officer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Donna Lynne Champlin	...	Babysitter (uncredited)
G. Cameron Romero	...	Customer (uncredited)

Directed by
George A. Romero

Writing credits (WGA)
Stephen King		(novel "The Dark Half")
George A. Romero		(screenplay)

Produced by
Declan Baldwin	....	producer
Christine Forrest	....	associate producer (as Christine Romero)
George A. Romero	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Christopher Young

Cinematography by
Tony Pierce-Roberts

Film Editing by
Pasquale Buba

Casting by
Terry Liebling

Production Design by
Cletus Anderson

Art Direction by
James C. Feng

Set Decoration by
Brian J. Stonestreet

Costume Design by
Barbara Anderson

Makeup Department
Everett Burrell	....	special makeup effects supervisor
Jeannee Josefczyk	....	makeup artist
Louis Kiss	....	special makeup effects artist
Christopher P. Martin	....	animatronics
Larry Odien	....	special makeup effects artist
Carol Paulick	....	makeup artist
Jeffrey A. Rubis	....	assistant hair stylist (as Jeff Rubis)
Jeffrey A. Rubis	....	assistant makeup artist (as Jeff Rubis)
John Vulich	....	special makeup effects supervisor

Production Management
Declan Baldwin	....	unit production manager
C. Cory M. McCrum-Abdo	....	post-production supervisor
Janice F. Sperling	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Tom Dubensky	....	second unit director
Nicholas Mastandrea	....	first assistant director (as Nicholas C. Mastandrea)
Lorin Prince	....	dga trainee
Drew Ann Rosenberg	....	second assistant director (as Drew Rosenberg)

Art Department
Mia Boccella	....	set dresser
Vincent Borrelli	....	scenic artist
Paul Bucciarelli	....	scenic artist
Robert Buncher	....	carpenter
David Eckert	....	set designer
Daniel Fisher	....	set dresser
Eileen Garrigan	....	charge scenic
Marty Garrigan	....	assistant property master
Thomas J. Garrigan	....	scenic artist
Megan Graham	....	set dresser
Smith Harper Hutchings	....	set dresser
Jane Hyland	....	set dresser
Gregory Jones	....	lead set dresser
Kenneth J. Kellers	....	carpenter
Gary Levinson	....	property master
Mary O'Brien	....	scenic artist
Jan Pascale	....	buyer
Paula Payne	....	stand-by scenic
Brent Peelor	....	carpenter
Ralph Roger Pivirotto	....	set dresser
Gregory Puchalski	....	sign painter
Sonja Roth	....	set dresser
Beth A. Rubino	....	set dresser
Andrew Sands	....	art department coordinator
Maurin L. Scarlata	....	set dresser
Aaron Skalka	....	carpenter
Louis P. Taylor	....	construction coordinator
Barbara E. Thompson	....	set dresser
Pete von Sholly	....	storyboard artist

Sound Department
Gregg Barbanell	....	foley artist
Odin Benitez	....	sound effects coordinator
Bill W. Benton	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gaston Biraben	....	sound editor
Jim Bryan	....	sound effects editor
Carlos Delarios	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bill J. DiDonna	....	boom operator (as Bill DiDonna)
Michael Hilkene	....	supervising sound editor
Elliott Koretz	....	sound editor
Eric Lindemann	....	supervising sound editor (as Eric W. Lindemann)
Mark Rathaus	....	sound editor
Joan Rowe	....	foley artist
John Sutton	....	sound mixer
Gregory H. Watkins	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Soukup	....	sound transfer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Ed Fountain	....	special effects consultant
Nikolai Galitzine	....	special effects technician
Linda Harvey	....	special effects assistant
Linda Harvey	....	special effects carpenter
Carl Horner	....	special effects supervisor
Kristina M. Horner	....	special effects coordinator
Kevin McTurk	....	special effects makeup

Visual Effects by
David Emerson	....	optical supervisor: VCE
Paul Gentry	....	live action motion control operator
Brian Griffin	....	optical line-up
Rick Hannigan	....	optical camera
Peter Kuran	....	special visual effects producer
Al Magliochetti	....	visual effects
Pam Vick	....	rotoscope animation: VCE

Stunts
Don Hewitt	....	stunts (as Donald Hewitt)
Peter Hock	....	stunts
Cynthia Neilson	....	stunts
Phil Neilson	....	stunt coordinator
Michael Russo	....	stunts (as Michael C. Russo)
Gregg Smrz	....	stunts (as Greg Smrz)
James Thompson	....	stunts (as Jim Thompson)

Camera and Electrical Department
Savas Alatis	....	assistant camera: second unit
Stephen Brock	....	chief rigging electrician
Richard S. Crumrine Jr.	....	loader (as Rick Crumrine)
Bart Flaherty	....	grip
Scott Hillman	....	best boy grip
John Janusek	....	key grip
Luke Latino	....	first assistant camera
Michael Leonard	....	assistant Steadicam operator
Michael Levine	....	camera operator
Chris Lugar	....	electrician
Frank McGough	....	set lighting technician
John S. Moyer	....	grip (as John 'Buzz' Moyer)
Carol A. Ogihara	....	second assistant camera (as Carol Ogihara)
Ethan Phillips	....	electrician
Marc Rogers	....	gaffer
John Alan Roush	....	electric (as John Roush)
Kyle Rudolph	....	steadicam operator
Jon Sharpe	....	process photographer
Richard M. Sieg	....	dolly grip (as Richard Sieg)
Michael Spiller	....	additional camera operator
Michael Spiller	....	director of photography: second unit
Derrick Tseng	....	best boy
Jeffery J. Tufano	....	camera operator: second unit
Lynne Warberg	....	still photographer
Joey Wrubleski	....	grip

Casting Department
Donna M. Belajac	....	casting: Pittsburgh
Barbara Harris	....	voice casting
Nancy Mosser	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Melinda Eshelman	....	wardrobe assistant (as Mindy Eshelman)
Nancy A. Palmatier	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Nancy Palmatier)

Editorial Department
Ray Boniker	....	first assistant editor
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Marjorie Kaye	....	post-production assistant
Keith Parrish	....	color timer

Music Department
Jeff Atmajian	....	orchestrator
Peter Fuchs	....	score recordist
John La Salandra	....	music editor
Paul Talkington	....	orchestra manager
Eric Tomlinson	....	music recording engineer
E. Gedney Webb	....	assistant music editor
Allan Wilson	....	conductor
Christopher Young	....	orchestrator
Mark Zimoski	....	musician: synthesizers

Transportation Department
Tom Costello	....	picture car wrangler
Edward J. France	....	teamster captain (as Eddie France)
Marc Scott	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Jessica Abrams	....	assistant production coordinator
Ursula Brauner	....	animal trainer
Kelly Bromage	....	stand-in
Linda Carola	....	production assistant
Fernando Celis	....	bird trainer
Rick Clark	....	stand-in
Robin Cousart	....	production auditor
Fred 'Fredo' Donatelli	....	production assistant
James Ellis	....	script supervisor
Paul Giorgi	....	stage manager
Barry Gutterman	....	production attorney
Mark Harden	....	animal coordinator
Mark Harden	....	bird coordinator
Mark Harden	....	lead animal trainer
Brian Hartman	....	locations
Richard Hawley	....	production assistant
Andrew Herrle	....	stand-in
Nicholas Herrle	....	stand-in
Scott Hornbacher	....	location supervisor
Jessica Johnston	....	stand-in
Mitch Kreindel	....	unit publicist
Lisa Kruczek	....	assistant accountant
Solomon J. LeFlore	....	production financing
Mary Ann Marino	....	production coordinator: re-shoot
Bill McCue	....	stand-in
Corinna Ott	....	assistant location supervisor
Steve Parys	....	production assistant
Bob Pomeroy	....	production assistant
Dawn Murphy Riley	....	production assistant
Tom Rough	....	stand-in
Traci Rough	....	stand-in
Ann Ruark	....	production coordinator
David D. Scott	....	production assistant
Jon Sharpe	....	film projectionist
Scott Small	....	stand-in
Neal Thompson	....	main title design
Jesse Warnick	....	stand-in

Thanks
John Amplas	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• George A. Romero Productions
• Orion Pictures Corporation

Distributors

• Orion Pictures Corporation (1993) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Image Entertainment (1994) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Phonovision (1996) (UK) (video) (laserdisc)
• Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International (1994) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Filmayer (????) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Cecchi Gori Home Video (2003) (Italy) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Orion Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Munich Symphony Orchestra  music performed by
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language

Runtime:

122 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Singapore:M18 | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Sweden:15 | Ireland:18 | Italy:VM14 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | France:-16 | Germany:18 | Norway:18 | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

George A. Romero Productions

Trivia:

When he is confronted by a class member to sign the book written by his pen-name, he declines, and claims it's not his book. The photo on the back of the book is, in fact, Stephen King himself.

Goofs:

Continuity: Thad underlines the letter S twice on the chalkboard, but in subsequent shots there are more underlines.

Quotes:

George Stark:[after slitting the throat of his literary agent, Rick Cowley, with a cut-throat razor] I've decided to change agents. Sorry, Rick - it's a cut throat business.

Movie Connections:

References Misery (1990)

Soundtrack:

Are You Lonesome To-night?

just okay

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.