Sunday 25 September 2011

The Dark Half

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Year:1993
Country of origin:USA
Director:George A. Romero
Genre:Evil twin twist
Starring:Timothy Hutton, Amy Madigan, Michael Rooker
Rating:3/5
IMDB link:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106664/
Tagline:Serious writer or serial killer? George is in two minds.
Favourite line:"Don't fuck with me, cock-knocker."

Decidedly average Stephen King adaptation from no lesser horror luminary than George 'Zombies' Romero.

The plot:
Thad Beaumont is a literary writer with a dark secret. He has a pen name, George Stark, under which he writes pulpy trash, selling millions worldwide. When he was young, he had to undergo radical surgery to remove what was thought to be a tumour from his brain, but which was in fact his in-utero twin brother, who was absorbed into his own flesh early in his mothers pregnancy. When Beaumont is blackmailed by a slimebag who threatens to go public on his identity, he decides to go to the press himself, and kill off George Stark.
That's when people he knows begin to die.
Could it be that George is fighting back from beyond the grave?
And are George and his absorbed twin brother one and the same?
Well, as it's King I'm sure you can hazard a guess.

Cripplingly slow, this plods along, never really getting into gear.
Hutton's performance is a mixed bag, too. He's fine as Beaumont, but when portraying Stark, the character just falls flat. He's simply not 'evil' enough, and never convinces.
Considering the talent thrown behind this project, I have to say this disappointed.
Shame, as the book is a blinder.

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