Horror 2022 Countdown: The Dark Half (1993)

The Dark Half (1993), dir. George A. Romero, Dark Half Productions 

And thus another year of spooks and ghosts draws to a close. Before we slam shut the crypt door, one more yarn before the fire, and look at that, Stephan King and George Romero together again. 

Thad Beaumont (Timothy Hutton) is a writer. He always had a gift, ever since he was a boy. He also had a tumor in his brain that turned out to be an eyeball and some teeth. Absorbed twin, you know. He got the parts removed and that was it. He grew up, got published-sort of, even married to a great wife Liz (Amy Madigan) with some kids. 

The sort of? Well, as Thad Beaumont his career was strictly a wash. A couple of books and some poems with a lot of praise but little sales. George Stark's books, on the other hand, sell like gangbusters and do so enough to keep the Beaumont family in some level of luxury. 

George Stark must be a real nice guy to let Thad have all his money, right? No, and here's the twist-there is no George Stark. Thad just puts a different name on the books and somehow they sell. Stark's books are more low-brow though. 

Everything works until jackass yokel Fred Clawson (Robert Joy) shows up. Fred, who doesn't seem to understand the concept of a penname, threatens to expose that Stark and Beaumont are the same. Beaumont decides to cut out the middleman and reveals himself. He even gives Stark a little burial, just to make it official. 

This doesn't sit well with Stark (Hutton), who rises the grave and goes on a little killing spree, Clawson included.

Sherrif Pangborn (Michael Rooker) doesn't believe the whole 'dead twin coming back to life', plus Stark turns out to have Beaumont's fingerprints so Thad is going to have his work cut out for him. 

Stark doesn't care though. Nope, just wants to tidy up a few loose ends and go fishing. If Thad gets killed, well, them's the breaks.  

Overall fine. Hutton does a great job as the strait-laced Thad and the not very nice Stark. They don't really explain HOW George is Thad's dead brother, why sparrows factor into the plot so much, and why they have a hate on for George.