The Dark Half Blu-ray Review | MGM Release of the Stephen King Adaptation

There are few writers as prolific as Stephen King. His novels and short stories have been adapted into movies time and again. Then there is the father of the zombie film, George A. Romero. He directed some of the great horror films over his career.

In 1993 George A. Romero took King's novel and adapted it into a screenplay and then directed it as well! Now, 33 years after its theatrical release MGM Home Entertainment has released this horror film on Blu-ray.

Synopsis: Horror writer Thad Beaumont (Timothy Hutton) hopes to distance himself from his murder novels and from George Stark, the name he has used to anonymously author them. To achieve this, he cooks up a murder of his own: a publicity stunt that should lay Stark to rest forever. But when the people around him are found gruesomely slain and his own fingerprints dot the crime scenes, Beaumont is dumbfounded until he learns that Stark has taken on a life of his own and begun a gruesome quest for vengeance!

When you think of Stephen King films, several films come to mind. The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile, Carrie, Pet Semetary, Misery, The Shining and Stand by Me. But usually when peiople talk about their favorite Stephen King films, for the most part The Dark Half will not be spoken. That is a shame.

The Dark Half has a pretty faithful script adaption. The lead preformance of Timothy Hutton is chilling to say the least. The Dark Half is a highly underrated film. Even though this film is over 3 decades old, it holds up well, even in this generation.

MGM has transferred The Dark Half to Blu-ray in 1080p and is presented in 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The audio track is an English Dolby Digital 2.0. There is also the option for English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing.

This Blu-ray transfer is a good one. The film looks crisp and clean, with no signs of digital artifacts. The audio is clear with no audio anomolies. As for bonus features MGM disappoints here. All we see is a Theatrical Trailer and a Behind the Scenes gallery. Other releases of The Dark Half had many bonus features. Yet here there is very little. 

Yes, The Dark Half is not the greatest Stephen King film ever. Yes this Blu-ray could have been a whole lot better. But this Blu-ray is still a nice way to add this film to your home video library, if you don;t mind the lack of bonus features.

If you would like to purchase a copy of The Dark Half on Bu-ray you can head over to MovieZyng or Amazon and order your copy of this underrated horror film today. 


Out of 4 film reels (4 being the best) The Blu-ray of The Dark Half receives.....