Stephen King and George A. Romero Collab That Fans Forgot Is Streaming Free: “Cold visuals conjure enjoyable nasty atmosphere”
Stephen King and George A. Romero famously collaborated on the 1982 horror anthology Creepshow. The team-up proved a resounding success, and the film remains a beloved cult classic to this day. The pair re-teamed for Creepshow 2, with both creators scaling back their involvement somewhat from the first. Romero turned over the directorial reins to Michael Gornick, with King creating the outline and Romero taking a writing credit. Not long after that, they re-teamed once again for yet another anthology, Tales from the Darkside: The Movie.
All three of these King/Romero collabs have a loyal following among dedicated horror fans, but they do not represent the only times these creative powerhouses worked together. The pair eventually reunited for an adaptation of one of King’s novels. Despite the involvement of two talented creatives with an impressive shared history, the adaptation I speak of has long since been forgotten by most.
If you’re among those who have forgotten (or never heard of) The Dark Half, there’s no time like the present to remedy that. The film is now available to stream on both Pluto and Tubi.
What is The Dark Half about?
Thad Beaumont (Timothy Hutton) has had success writing novels under both his real name and his pseudonym, George Stark, which he uses to publish base thrillers. When word gets out that they are one and the same, the author holds a mock funeral for Stark. But after a rash of murders eerily similar to those in the Stark books, Thad and his wife, Liz (Amy Madigan), realize that Stark is real and responsible, and must work with local Sheriff Pangborn (Michael Rooker) to stop him.
Romero adapted The Dark Half from King’s novel of the same name and took the sole writing and directing credits on the project. Of those who are familiar with the film, most seem to remember it fondly.
You can see what I mean by perusing some of the social media reactions below:
Many fans have taken care to praise Timothy Hutton’s performance as the mild-mannered lead character and his nefarious alter ego. Others still appreciate the way the picture remains relatively faithful to the source material.
My best guess is that this one has been lost to time thanks to a lackluster box office showing. When it bowed in 1993, The Dark Half only returned $10.6 million against a budget of $15 million. Films that fail to make their mark in cinemas often fade from memory in record time. The Dark Half stands as such a film, but many will tell you that this one is well worth rediscovering.
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