Rating: 
Summary: NO MATTER EVERYONE SAYS, IT WAS GREAT
Review: MOVIES ARE NEVER LIKE THE BOOKS, SO I THINK EVERYONE THAT'S COMPLAINING SHOULD GIVE IT A BREAK IT WAS GREAT, T. HUTTON WAS EXCELLENT. I RENT THE MOVIE ALL THE TIME, AND I'M CURRENTLY TRYING TO FIND A COPY TO BUY.
Rating: 
Summary: Like Kubrick before him, Romero outshines his source.
Review: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes crime stories, was a frustrated highbrow writer who resented his most famous creation, because popular demand diverted him from his more 'serious' work. When he famously killed the sleuth off, however, such was the public outcry (including protests from the future King), that he was forced to resurrect him.A similar premise underlines George A. Romero's film, which collides 'Jekyll and Hyde' and 'The Shining' with 'The Birds'. Thaddeus Beaumont is a professor and writer whose critically acclaimed highbrow novels sell zilch, but whose violent trash penned under the pseudonym George Stark have millions of readers...The film itself is playfully schizophrenic - the generally sombre narrative is tweaked by the appearances of Stark, whose homicidal tableaux have an odd black comedy. Timothy Hutton clearly relishes the duality, with his earnest main role as Thaddeus undercut by his louche, Elvis-humming altar ego, in a horror twist on the Jerry Lewis classic 'The Nutty Professor'. In a dream sequence and an imaginatively lit hallway murder scene, the director seems to borrow David Lynch's aesthetic, but mostly, 'Half' is a fine Romero film, full of his characteristically flat, static, wide-angle compositions. Romero is the most intellectual and political of horror directors, but usually he manages to filter his ideas through action - here, too much exposition can clog the film's momentum. The film also bears close relation to THE great cinematic Stephen King adaptation, 'The Shining', as it links creative and psychic disorder threatening the family. But Romero has different priorities to Kubrick's epic metaphysics, and certainly doesn't intend to be limited by the tired Jekyll and Hyde concept. The film's prologue shows the young Thaddeus suffering his first attack at the moment of writing a story. The subsequent operation reveals that within his brains rest the dead embryo of a twin. This might seem like an over-literal visualisation of the double. The operation is followed by a cloudburst of violent sparrows. The date is 1968. This was the year Romero made his breakthrough film, 'Night Of The Living Dead', a zombie movie that was an allegory for racism, Vietnam and other national crises. 1968 was America's annus horribilis, with chaotic domestic unrest, political assassinations and an unpopular war abroad. Something tells me 'The Dark Half' is about a different kind of internal sickness.
Rating: 
Summary: The divided man.
Review: Thad Beaumont is a writer who goes public about the novels he wrote under an assumed name. Now his fictious counter part, George Stark (his Dark Half) has become a real physical person, and Stark is rather upset that he's been killed off. And now a battle to become the dominate personality has begun. I thought this was a terrific movie. George Romero and Stephen King have been friends a long time, and Romero's care really comes through in the material. Timothy Hutton plays a double role as both the clumsy Thad and the ruthless Stark, and he dose a wonderful job, he was very underrated by the critics. Michael Rooker's Sheriff Pangborn was a nice touch, a good, smart cop who's sympathetic to Thad's problem, at least as much as his rational mind will let him be. All the other characters and actors do a good job. The best is Thad's fellow professor, the least being Thad's wife. The action is rough and mean spirited, I loved it. The gore is actually pretty mnimal, but what's there is impressive. I recoment it whole heartedly.
Rating:
Summary: The divided man.
Review: Thad Beaumont is a writer who goes public about the novels he wrote under an assumed name. Now his fictious counter part, George Stark (his Dark Half) has become a real physical person, and Stark is rather upset that he's been killed off. And now a battle to become the dominate personality has begun. I thought this was a terrific movie. George Romero and Stephen King have been friends a long time, and Romero's care really comes through in the material. Timothy Hutton plays a double role as both the clumsy Thad and the ruthless Stark, and he dose a wonderful job, he was very underrated by the critics. Michael Rooker's Sheriff Pangborn was a nice touch, a good, smart cop who's sympathetic to Thad's problem, at least as much as his rational mind will let him be. All the other characters and actors do a good job. The best is Thad's fellow professor, the least being Thad's wife. The action is rough and mean spirited, I loved it. The gore is actually pretty mnimal, but what's there is impressive. I recoment it whole heartedly.
Rating:
Summary: Great, spooky entertainment!
Review: THE DARK HALF continues to be the most underrated of the King films. It is complete, intelligent, and quite scary. Timothy Hutton gives a tour de force (dual) performance as Thad Beaumont/George Stark that should have been nominated for an Oscar. Many say his performance is over the top. I find it to be, on one side, subtle and effective, the other side, fun and fiendish. Amy Madigan and Mickey Rooker add great support to this clever tale. I can't wait to read the book! This film is great, delicious, diabolical fun and startlingly satisfying.
Rating:
Summary: It's Only Half Good.
Review: THE DARK HALF is about a famous writer, Thad Beaumont (Timothy Hutton), who has been writing very successful thrillers under a different name, George Stark. When a little weasle from out of town threatens to blackmail Beaumont and blow his cover, he decides to let the world know that there is no George Stark and that he has been writing the best-selling books all along. But, what if there really is a George Stark? And what if George Stark wasn't totally real, but a part of Thad that was cut away a long time ago? And what if that George Stark came to life and starting killing people like the characters in his books do? That pretty much sums up the plot of THE DARK HALF. The movie ends in a climatic battle of the wills between Thad and George. The film contains some pretty decent acting, especially by Timothy Hutton who plays both Beumont and Stark. The directing is done by horror master George Romero and is almost faultless. Nevertheless, more so because of a lackluster script than anything else, the movie never reaches it's full potential. The movie has a great premise, an interesting plot, and begins as an enthralling thriller. However, about a third of the way through, things start to loosen up and fall apart. The mood changes and instead of an enthralling thriller, the movie feels more like a semi-suspenseful dark comedy. In the last act, the movie picks up steam again, but not enough to overcome the shortcomings of the second act. It's not a film I would recommend to buy, but it's a great movie to rent.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not Great Adaptation
Review: The Dark Half is my favorite Stephen King book and so naturally I wanted the movie to be just as good. Unfortunately I can't say that it is, although the film is somewhat true to the book. However, what comes across as eerie, creepy, or cool in the book comes across as silly and corny for much of the movie. The surgery scene, for example, where "George" is incised from Thad's head is hilarious if you haven't read the book, what with the eyeball staring out, almost as if it's saying "Feed Me"! In the book it was pretty darn scary. Performance wise, Timothy Hutton is right on, either as Thad Beaumont or George Stark. and the story is, like I said, pretty true to the book. But even the presence of the sparrows is laughable, again, if you haven't read the book. Now when I saw this I did have flashbacks to the actual reading of the book, and there were some genuine chills. But the book slays the movie any old day. Bottom line, if you're a serious Stephen King fan and you have to have everything with his name on it, go ahead and buy this movie. Or if you loved the book and want the film adaptation buy it as well. But if you're an occasional Stephen King fan or if you haven't read the book first, stay the hell away from this movie. I have to give George Romero credit for sticking with key elements of the book in his script, and some pretty good direction. But what scares in a book, in the mind's eye, doesn't necessarily translate to the silver screen!
Rating:
Summary: Um......
Review: This film had a pretty good idea behind it, but should've been better planned. Basically, you can't anylize this movie or you'll end up frustrated. Tim Hutton does a great job, and he's pretty darn cute, so he makes up for the poor plot.
Rating: 
Summary: To Drawn Out
Review: This movie is just simply drawn out and boring. This would make a great short story or a really good tales from the dark side episode. So, just cut out 45 minutes of the film and you would have a great short horror story. The acting and direction of the film are great, but this movie goes nowhere.
Rating:
Summary: Totally awesome movie!!!!
Review: This movie rocks! It is well acted, written, directed and played. The music is great, and the suspense building is almost perfect throughout the film. The killer is well acted, and the end just totally blew me away!!!! Contrary to what other people say, this is a truly GREAT movie and it deserves more respect than what it's getting right know. All I can say is four words: SCREW THE SCREAM SERIES!!!!! This movie is much, much better. Just do what you can to see it- you won't be sorry!
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