George A. Romero is my #1 favorite genre director, so I was very happy to see that Lance Vlcek has chosen to use the latest entry in his The F*cking Black Sheep video series to give some positive attention to one of Romero's less appreciated films. One of the "black sheep" on his filmography. In anticipation of the doppelgänger shenanigans we'll be seeing in Jordan Peele's US when it's released this weekend, Lance has taken a look back at the doppelgänger shenanigans of Romero's Stephen King adaptation THE DARK HALF.
It seems fitting to refer to THE DARK HALF as a black sheep, because it's a Romero movie that even I had to come around to gradually. I never disliked it, but it took me a while (a couple decades, actually) to realize just how good it actually is.
Starring Timothy Hutton in a dual role as hero and villain, THE DARK HALF is about
Thad Beaumont, a college professor who moonlights as a writer of pop thrillers under the pseudonym George Stark. When Thad finally writes a serious novel, he decides it's time to stop writing shockers. But not everyone is pleased. George Stark has come to life in a deadly way. He doesn't want to die, so he turns to violent and desperate acts to prove his point. Thad is suddenly forced to battle his own creation for the control of the mind which both must share. As Thad and his wife get pulled deeper into this harrowing nightmare, they learn about secrets in Thad's past which have led to the fear that now engulfs them. Thad must fight an enemy who knows his every thought and move as he races to end the bloody reign of terror.
In the video below, Lance digs into why he thinks THE DARK HALF deserves more recognition. If you consider the film to be one of Romero's lesser works, like I did for so long, check this out and see if it inspires you to re-evaluate this King and Romero collaboration: