Stephen King's The Mist

[Zygar]

There's a new trailer out for it.

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809834165/video/3906309/

[Canelek]

Absolutely loved the novella. After years of trying, I am glad they finally got this one going for film. With the director's pedigree, he should be able to pull it off. I can't wait!

[Taison Earbiter]

I'm a big fan of Frank Darabont, but that trailer just looks horrible. It looks like a cheesy made-for-TV movie. Based on the trailer I'm not going to see it on opening night but if the reviews are half decent I may check it out.

Edit: He's also writing/directing the adaptation of Farenheit 451, which is looking to have a ton of potential.

[Hesten]

The novella was decent, the trailer sucked monkey balls. I didnt even finish it, had to stop halfway through to stop my brain from shutting down in self defence.

[Siji]

The book was one of my favorites, but wasn't this already made into a movie? Or at least a TV movie? (Not that I remember it being very good)

[Aslanna]

The book was one of my favorites, but wasn't this already made into a movie? Or at least a TV movie? (Not that I remember it being very good)

Not that I could find. But not being a Stephen King fan I didn't spend a lot of time looking.

[Canelek]

No, it was never adapted to the screen (big or otherwise)--it had just been held up in pre-production for a long time.

And yes, the trailor does look rather TV-like, and cheesy, but wth, I loved the story.

[Funkmasterr]

I will see it.

I love almost all of King's books, but the one big gripe I have had about most of the film adaptions is that they were made for tv. His books are just too violent and so on, and they end up making them very sub-par next to the books because of this.

I have heard that he has given the rights to a couple of people to make a movie out of the Talisman - and I hope if that one happens it doesn't get bastardized because it could be an awesome movie.

He also said he gave a few people the rights to make films out of the Dark Tower books, which I have mixed feelings about. The reason being, these are my favorite books of all time, and in my opinion to do them right, you would have to put the kind of money in to each one that they put into the LOTR movies, and make them about as long.. And I really don't think that anyone will do that, which is too bad because done the right way, those could very well make for the best series of films ever IMO.

[Drinsic Darkwood]

I really enjoyed it... one hell of a fucked up ending.

[Fairweather Pure]

I was able to watch this over the weekend.

First off, I really enjoyed it. It had some minor horror movie cliche's littered throughout, but the whole was greater than the sum of it's parts.

For those that are unaware, the director Frank Darabont has already done 2 King film adaptations. The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile were not only faithful to the book versions, but they also included some fantastic acting and directing. While The Mist may not sport the star power of the previous films, but all the other staples remain in spades. The cinematography is fantastic. You can almost feel the love the director feels for the source material.

Like pretty much any movie, it's not without it's flaws. For example, I really didn't care for a 20 second explaination for everything that's been happening during the prior hour and 30 minutes It seemed rushed and sloppy. Overall though, the movie had a good flow from start to finish which is something I appreciate. It also wasn't too long, clocking in at 126 minutes, but using every minute wisely. When I say "too long", I refer to movies that when they are over you think "That could've been 30 minutes shorter". The Mist does not overstay it's welcome.

The film looks fan-fucking-tastic. It's a beautiful transfer. If you are a horror fan, or just a movie fan in general, you owe it to yourself to get the 2 disc SE of this movie. The second disc has the entire movie in black and white. It's amazing. Darabont actually wanted it released in B&W but the studio wouldn't even consider it. The B&W version is superior to the color version in almost every possible way IMO. The movie is so full of darks and lights, that they pop out in this version.

So, The Mist has some scares, some monsters, some gore, and a good amount of social commentary. The only thing missing was some titty shots. I give it a 8/10. The B&W gets a 9/10 for making a good movie better.

The ending:

[Show]

I saw this as a very brave direction to take the movie. It really seperates it from the book. Yeah, it's sad and tragic... almost cruel for the viewer to have to go through for no real good reason. I will take and actual ending, no matter how tragic, over an ambigious ending like the book had.

[Mak]

My issue re: the ending, keeping in mind I have not read the story this movie is based on:

[Show]

I just find it hard to believe that the guy at the end would run out of gas and just give up and cap everyone. I mean, there are piled up cars all around- wouldn't you at least ~try~ to siphon of more fuel first? Yeah, there were things out in the mist, but wouldn't you give it a shot (npi) first?.

[Siji]

That's a fucked up twist to the ending. No sir, don't like it at all.

[Canelek]

I ordered the special edition as I am a sucker for SK stuff.

[Daboohk]

Guess I'm in the minority...

[Show]

Did not enjoy the movie at all for a number of reasons. I understand the viewer is not supposed to like Mrs. Carmody's character, but I felt it was so overdone that it actually affected my overall enjoyment of the movie. She seemed more like a caricature rather than a thought out character.

Another thing that irritated me was the whole "supar sekrit militury baze." At this point, I felt like I was watching Black Sheep, only this movie wasn't trying to be funny. I would have rather had this much more ambiguous. Interestingly enough, I had bought the Iron Giant for my wife's viewing pleasure on the same night, and thoroughly enjoyed how they left many aspects of the Giant to the audience's imagination.

I don't know how I feel about the ending. It's always interesting for Hollywood to try something a little different, but I'm going to have to agree with Mak. I did not buy it. There was no attempt to siphon gas or see if another vehicle had any fuel left it. Not to mention that the military somehow cleared out all the bugs/monsters within a few minutes of the car stalling? You would have figured someone would have heard tanks firing. I felt like the director set out to shock the audience, and didn't fully think things through. It seemed almost out of character for David, who would risk his life for medication for a stranger, but to give up so easily to save his own son?

[Canelek]

I can understand how the film seemed 'hokie' to some. I felt it was very loyal to the source, which was a brilliant fucking novella. I bought the SE version per Fair's recommendation. I have not yet watched the black & white transfer, but look forward to it.

as to the ending, I kinda liked the book ending better, but was shocked nonetheless at the departure from what one normally sees towards the end of flicks these days.

Good direction, sorta ok acting (Mrs Carmichael's character was supposed to be over the top so GJ!) and notsogood cgi.... looking forward to the B&W as it just makes sense for the film.

8/10

[Kwonryu DragonFist]

I loved it!

Loved the nyarlathotep-attack on the flank (sacrificing the young) as well as the Ravagers from Hellfire Pen that roamed the parking-lot.

Wasn't expecting the ending though!

[Fairweather Pure]

I can understand how the film seemed 'hokie' to some. I felt it was very loyal to the source, which was a brilliant fucking novella. I bought the SE version per Fair's recommendation. I have not yet watched the black & white transfer, but look forward to it.

as to the ending, I kinda liked the book ending better, but was shocked nonetheless at the departure from what one normally sees towards the end of flicks these days.

Good direction, sorta ok acting (Mrs Carmichael's character was supposed to be over the top so GJ!) and notsogood cgi.... looking forward to the B&W as it just makes sense for the film.

8/10

Be sure to post your thoughts on the B&W!

[Bubba Grizz]

I finally watched this and what started out as a kick ass movie for me was totally destroyed for me with the ending. So much so that I feel some what disgusted.

[Siji]

Disclaimer - I'm a big Stephen King fan.

This movie sucked balls, completely. The effects looked like 1970's Godzilla monsters, the acting was amazingly bad and the deviation from the book at the end was not only a stupid change that made no sense, but was also completely unbelievable. People just wouldn't have done that, not that quickly.

2/10 - and only because preacher lady did a good job of making you hate her as in the book.

PS: 1/10 - point lost for making a feature movie have TV commercial break spots throughout the whole thing.

[Fairweather Pure]

The ending was not too far out at all IMO. During my second viewing, I think I picked up on some things that skipped by me during the first viewing. The biggest thing that stuck out is when his son made him promise never to let the monsters get him, no matter what. The second was when the group decided they would drive as far as a tank of gas would get them. That was probably a pretty good distance they covered that we did not get to observe. I'll take the leap of faith and assume that the end of thier journey was discussed in detail and they all agreed on the final option if they did't get out of the mist.

The movie was really about how soon things would go completely to shit in the event of something this large. In the end, the most significant change in our group of good guys was the loss of hope. In a tragedy, or any life or death situation, hope is the driving factor that influences the will to survive, despite all odds. Without hope, the only option is to take the easiest way out.

The Shawshank Redemption rewards it's main character for the hope he held all those years in prison, despite numerous setbacks and having the odds stacked against him. In The Mist, the antogonist is punished for giving up all hope.

I'll take an actual ending (even one that is a downer) over an ambigous one, like what was in the novella.

Just my 2 cents.