On D List of Movie Reviews

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The Dark Half (1993)

Rate: 8
Viewed: 11/16

DarkH
11/16: Mostly shot on location in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, The Dark Half is a nice little horror movie with an interesting story and great acting.

Timothy Hutton is the one who makes the premise work, and he does a great job of playing two different characters. I can't even recognize his doppelgänger. Amy Madigan is okay, but she's miscast for the most part and rarely blends in well on screen. Michael Rooker is excellent, giving a sound performance.

The special effects with the birds are better than The Birds. According to IMDb: "In total, 4,500 cut-throat finches were used for the sparrows in the film. The birds would consume 100 pounds of birdseed and 15 gallons of water on a daily basis during the production."

Although the story is absorbing, the ending is a disappointment. It feels like a lazy, cheap escape to wrap up the show. Made in 1991, The Dark Half wouldn't be released for two years due to Orion's bankruptcy problems. By the way, the car is a 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado.

All in all, The Dark Half is decent for a Stephen King picture.