THE DARK HALF (1993)
Starring Timothy Hutton and Michael Rooker
Like John Carpenter's "Christine," this is a major studio Stephen King adaptation directed by a former indie horror filmmaker. And like "Christine," the flick doesn't carry the feel of the directors' earlier works. Romero had a definite style that shined through "Martin," "The Crazies," "Night of the Living Dead" and "Creepshow." But it doesn't translate in this major studio release.
Romero also wrote the screenplay. He isn't a good writer and there are some gaping plot holes in this. Still, there are enough kick-ass horrror elements here to make it worthwhile.
Hutton plays a writer who had a Siamese twin medically removed from his brain (!) as a boy. The twin had been growing inside his skull and it wasn't until doctors operated that they discovered it. Now, as a best-selling horror author, Hutton is faced with a series of murders that appear to have been committed by him. His prints appear at the scenes, but for every murder he has a perfect alibi.
The town sheriff (Rooker) for some crazy reason doesn't arrest him, giving Hutton the ability to investigate murders himself. Are they being committed by the Siamese twin removed from his brain all those years ago? I won't spoil it for you. Gory, fairly suspenseful and very well-acted, "The Dark Half" is a must-see for King fans. But it isn't as good as the other King-Romero film "Creepshow" and most of Romero's earlier works.