The Dark Half (1993)

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

Director:

George A. Romero

Writers:

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

Stars:

Timothy Hutton, Amy Madigan, Michael Rooker

3 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

alter ego | murder | book | surgery | author | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and language

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 April 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

La mitad siniestra

Filming Locations:

Corner of Tyler and 1000-1015 Jefferson Ave, Washington, Pennsylvania, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$15,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$9,579,068

Company Credits

Production Co:

Orion Pictures,George A. Romero Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

122 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

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.

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Goofs

In the scene where Thad is writing in his office with the sparrows on the window, the sharpness of the pencil he uses changes back and forth from very sharp to very dull. This is the scene where Thad stabs himself in the hand.

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Quotes

[last lines]
Sheriff Alan Pangborn: Wait! Wait here!
Liz Beaumont: Ah! Ah! Aargh! Aargh!
Sheriff Alan Pangborn: Liz!

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Connections

Featured in The Dark Half: The Sparrows Are Flying Again! - The Making of the Dark Half (2014)

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Soundtracks

Are You Lonesome To-night?
By Roy Turk & Lou Handman
Performed by Elvis Presley
Courtesy of the RCA Records Label of BMG Music

User Reviews

Fairly good for coming out in the early 90's.

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.