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George Romero: Dark Half
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Disquieting lesser known gem by George Romero about a disturbed teenage boy who thinks he is a vampire (using razors to incise instead of teeth). His knowing uncle takes him under his wing but warns him about giving in to his evil nature. Vampiric dreamlike fantasies and blood galore fill this dark and chilling satire about teenage rebellion and fantasy, giving the vampire genre a unique twist.
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After "Living Dead", Romero made "The Crazies" (a.k.a."Code Name: Trixie" 1973), a dark film about the effects of chemical poisoning in a small Pennsylvania town. As in "Living Dead", a feverish claustrophobia leads to distrust of organized control systems (the armed forces in this case) and the terrors of social upheaval. Wishing to expand his repertoire, Romero moved on to the defiantly unusual "Martin" (1978). Starring John Amplas in the title role, Martin is an innovative take on the traditional vampire myth. Yes, Martin does drink blood, but it's unclear whether his thirst stems from supernatural craving or neurosis. Throughout Romero's films runs the theme of doubt in organized systems, whether they be mythic, supernatural, or social.
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For years after The Dark Half, Romero suffered through "development hell", stuck in filmmaking limbo after project upon project fell through. A script for a new Mummy film was rejected by Universal. He was hired to write and direct a film version of the popular video game Resident Evil, but his script met with studio disapproval and he was dismissed from the project.
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In subsequent films, Romero continued to turn convention upside-down and invest what might otherwise be stock horror situations with acute insight into the darker side of human nature. THE CRAZIES is not just about the military's attempts to contain a deadly virus, but ... the collapse of social order; MARTIN is not just an updating of the vampire myth but also a study of a dysfunctional young outsider in a recessed steel town.
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A disappointing Poe adaptation called Two Evil Eyes followed in 1990, with Romero helming one story and Italian horror master Dario Argento directing the other. Romero's half, a version of Poe's "The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar," looked cheap and indifferently directed. It remains the worst effort Romero has put on film.
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The most interesting - and distressing - moment in the program comes when Romero discusses his lost decade of the 1990s. He says he was a hot property after "The Dark Half," fielding offers from various suitors, only to see the momentum dissipate in the wake of the failed development deal with New Line and the other projects that never got off the ground.
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Dark Half