The Sparrows Are Flying Again

The great George A. Romero’s 1993 adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Half is a flawed film, but it’s also a very enjoyable one. Timothy Hutton plays Thad Beaumont, a writer who decides to ‘kill-off’ his publishing pseudonym, George Stark. However, Beaumont’s plan goes awry when a physical incarnation of Stark begins killing people – putting Beaumont in the frame for the crimes. Amy Madigan plays Hutton’s wife, Liz and Michael Rooker is the Sheriff of Castle Rock. 

Romero manages to deliver some surprises, even though you know what you’re getting from a Stephen King adaptation. The Dark Half also features some curious special effects and a good performance from Timothy Hutton playing the dual roles of Beaumont and Stark. 

Romero’s film had something of a troubled production and Hutton was apparently a huge pain on set. The Dark Half completed production in 1991 but it didn’t get released until 1993 because Orion Pictures was undergoing bankrupt proceedings. The film grossed just $10.6 million at the US box office when it was finally released.