Stephen Kings The Mist

[shardian]

Anyone else going to see this? Anyone else read the story?

I read the story about 12 years ago and as soon as I finished it, I told my self that it would make a sweet movie. Here, 12 years later they actually made it and so far the reviews are mostly positive.
I re-read the story and it still had me on the edge of my seat even though I knew what was coming.

Be warned, almost all of the bad reviews cite the "ending" as why the movie wasn't as good as it could have been. This makes me even more excited to see the movie! Why you ask? Well because that means the book ending was left in tact.

[rovingmind]

I read that story a few times.  I probably wont go see it  in the theatre but will rent it as soon as it comes out on DVD.

[Paladin]

It's also available in a dramatized audio version recorded in "3D" sound.  I've had it for years, but it's been a while since I last listened to it.  I highly reccomend it.

http://www.zbs.org/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=mist

[SavannahLion]

The Mist is a great story. Probably one of the very few stories that I continue to like even though I no longer like SK as much anymore. 

Here's a point of interest. Half-Life was inspired by The Mist. There are a number of book elements that exist in one fashion or another in the game.

[SirPeale]

I, too, have always thought this would make an awesome movie.  I had no idea this was even being done.  Just caught the trailer!

http://www.apple.com/trailers/weinstein/themist/

[koolmoecraig]

Saw it.

It's so-so. The ending was horrible.

Just reminded me of his Maximum Overdrive movie where everyone is stuck in a gas station rest stop avoiding all of the 18 wheelers.

Rental only.

Go see No Country For Old Men!!!!! Great movie!

[boykster]

Darn, too bad it's not that good.  I too read this as a kid and thought it was a great story that would make a great movie.  I'm curious about what's so bad with the ending that's horrible, but please don't spoil it here.  I'll definately rent it as it has to be something pretty special for me to go see it in the theater. 

I went to a movie in a theater for the first time this year just last week, and that was to watch Blade Runner: The Final Cut at the Cinerama in Seattle.  I've now seen every version of Blade Runner (original, Directors cut, and Final cut) on the big screen.  I have a very nice home theater at home that is more comfortable, has better video and audio qualty, and serves better refreshments (cocktail or beer anyone?) than any commercial theater    so I prefer to watch movies at home.

[shardian]

Darn, too bad it's not that good.  I too read this as a kid and thought it was a great story that would make a great movie.  I'm curious about what's so bad with the ending that's horrible, but please don't spoil it here.  I'll definately rent it as it has to be something pretty special for me to go see it in the theater. 

Hint, the ending is "bad" because it is EXACTLY the same as the ending in the book. I loved the ending of the book. It really stuck with me the first time I read it.

If you want a ---smurfy--- happy ending, go watch War of the Worlds. When that ending popped up, I wanted to chuck my drink at the screen.

[shardian]

Hint, the ending is "bad" because it is EXACTLY the same as the ending in the book (re War of the Worlds)

Touche'. I forgot the water thing was the original ending.
The whole ending of that movie pissed me off though - the boy living with no explanation and beating the dad back, New York decimated, and Boston suburb perfectly fine even though the robots are like 2 blocks away.

[shardian]

Has a 75% on the tomato-meter (12 reviews so far).

[boykster]

I honestly don't remember the ending 

Oh well, I can wait for the dvd...it'll probably be out by new years 

[boykster]

ah, the struggle to escape/end what's happening, only to find that what you thought was an exit strategy, isn't.  Nice....

[RTSDaddy2]

Sharidan - have you seen the movie yet?  I don't recall the novella ending the way the movie did quite frankly (and I hope I didn't misread your post on that).

I saw it today and thought they had NAILED it - TOTALLY - and then came this ridiculous fabricated ending that  went - by my recollection - in a 180 from the novella. Truly, truly disturbing ending.  It just didn't work for me, thought the director was trying to make his own personal statement regarding politics, religion, or both. 

Would have been a great film with the original ending left in tact - why do others think they know better how it should end?

[shardian]

Sharidan - have you seen the movie yet?  I don't recall the novella ending the way the movie did quite frankly (and I hope I didn't misread your post on that).

I saw it today and thought they had NAILED it - TOTALLY - and then came this ridiculous fabricated ending that  went - by my recollection - in a 180 from the novella. Truly, truly disturbing ending.  It just didn't work for me, thought the director was trying to make his own personal statement regarding politics, religion, or both. 

Would have been a great film with the original ending left in tact - why do others think they know better how it should end?

I haven't had an opportunity to go see it yet. The little one has decided that she can't be without mommy and daddy. Hopefully this weekend we can go see it... if it is still in the theater.

[SavannahLion]

Just reminded me of his Maximum Overdrive movie where everyone is stuck in a gas station rest stop avoiding all of the 18 wheelers.

Rental only.

Maximum Overdrive is actually pretty good for a movie at the time. It wasn't a low budget film like some of the other popular cult films from that era.

Wanna see how to really ---fudgesicle--- up that story? See if you can find a copy of Trucks. Apparently it's a remake of Maximum Overdrive.

Trucks should only be used as a fire starter under the director and producer.

[shardian]

Maximum Overdrive scared the ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- out of me when I was  a little kid. (Yes, my parents didn't give a ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- if I watched rated R movies, even when I was 6 or 7.)

[Ed_McCarron]

Is this anything like the 80's movie "The Fog?"

[shardian]

Is this anything like the 80's movie "The Fog?"

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO. That movie sucked balls big time.

[shardian]

Interesting - I was under the impression that the movie ended the same as the book. Apparently it is even more depressing huh?

[RTSDaddy2]

Interesting - I was under the impression that the movie ended the same as the book. Apparently it is even more depressing huh?

It is EXTREMELY depressing.  The story, I felt, always gave a little glimmer of hope at the end, but this one - well, without giving anything away, there is a scene in this movie - that mercifully takes place off screen (so to speak -they're in a car) that I could have gone the whole holiday season WITHOUT seeing. 

It doesn't work for a lot of reasons.  Number one, it totally destroys the end of the original novella, which was very good on its own (edit) - I always felt the original left a little hope at the end, even though you knew there might not be any (end edit).   Secondly, the male lead actor just doesn't have the chops to carry this film, in my opinion.  When the script requires him to carry a huge emotional load (the ending), he just can't get the job done and it feels forced.  Thirdly, the director obviously was trying to take this opportunity to make some sort of point about politics, religion, politics & religion, or something, and FAILED miserably....because by the time the scene above has played out, you just want to run out of the theater.  At least I did.

Those of you who have read about it on Wikipedia, or have actually seen the movie KNOW what I'm talking about.  It's not even horror at that point - it's just some hack director trying to disturb his audience as much as possible....and in that they got the job done, no doubt about it.

[AllisterFiend]

It's also available in a dramatized audio version recorded in "3D" sound.  I've had it for years, but it's been a while since I last listened to it.  I highly reccomend it.

http://www.zbs.org/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=mist

I've heard this version (back when it first came out), it was very good.  It was my first and last audio book.  Not that anything was wrong with the audio book (I thought it was great), I just like to read instead of listening.

Allister Fiend


P.S.  I read somewhere that Stephen King really liked the new ending.  Guess I'll wait for the DVD.

[boykster]

If the ending on the wiki site for the film is true, then I greatly prefer the real ending from the novella (uncertain, driving off into the mist hoping to find safety).

 

[shardian]

Looks like I'm gonna have to read about the ending before seeing it. Don't think the wife could handle what has been alluded to.

EDIT: Yep, that's what I thought. Definitely won't be taking the wife to see this. I'll watch it myself on dvd. That is one crazy ass ending for sure.

I prefer the book ending. It ended in a way that really allowed your imagination to take flight. I thought about those characters for quite some time after reading the book.

[rlemmon]

I just saw the mist last week and i really liked it.

I liked the movie's ending if i were in there spot i might do the same.  In there minds they were screwed, they were probably thinking that if they tried to get gas they would have been monster food.  It's just to bad this movie didn't make any money. 

The thing that really scared me was the religon nut lady, I have seen people like that and there terrifying.

[shardian]

The movie was definitely good, and was more than worthy of the book. I still did not like the military part of the ending. I would have preferred him walking into the mist, and the screen going dark. The military thing was stupid and tacked on.

[patrickl]

The ending was interesting. A bit out of character with how the characters are portrayed throughout the rest of the movie, but still.

[shmokes]

Saw it.

It's so-so. The ending was horrible.

This says all that needs to be said.  There were obnoxiously stupid things throughout the show, like people standing around gawking rather than running (Pharmacy).  The ending was ---smurfing--- retarded, and it had as much to do with the melodramatic opera lady screaming at the top of her lungs for like fifteen minutes than anything else.

[Ginsu Victim]

I still did not like the military part of the ending. I would have preferred him walking into the mist, and the screen going dark. The military thing was stupid and tacked on.

But the military showing up right at that moment is what made it so ---smurfin---' tragic! Here he thought all hope was lost. Out of gas, seemingly no end to the mist in sight, and he lives up to the promise he made to his son ("Don't let the monsters get me").

The fact that moments after he kills everyone but himself, the military shows up, just makes it such a "I can't ---smurfing--- believe he just did that...for nothing!" moment. Two more minutes and they would've been rescued.

Or would they....?

Was Ms. Carmondy right all along? Would the mist have cleared if he hadn't have killed everyone? Was it God's revenge?

We'll never know.

BTW, I emailed Drew Struzan about whether or not prints would be made available of his Dark Tower poster shown in the opening of the film and he said it would not. He said it was out of his hands.

[patrickl]

There were obnoxiously stupid things throughout the show, like people standing around gawking rather than running (Pharmacy).

Yeah that really annoyed the hell out of me too.

The ending was horrible as endings go, but I thought it was a nice joke. The movie (book?) seemed to be taking itself waaaay to serious throughout the whole story. I felt the ending made up for that a bit. At least it lifted my spirits. I was pretty upset with the whole unbelievable movie and the fun at the end sure helped me forget that --smurf excrement-- that I just wasted my time on.

[AtomSmasher]

Saw it.

It's so-so. The ending was horrible.

This says all that needs to be said.  There were obnoxiously stupid things throughout the show, like people standing around gawking rather than running (Pharmacy).  The ending was ---smurfing--- retarded, and it had as much to do with the melodramatic opera lady screaming at the top of her lungs for like fifteen minutes than anything else.

Well I just watched this on DVD and after the horrible ending I was reminded of this thread.  shmokes sums up my thoughts on it pretty much.  The people investigating the sound, then standing around and fighting in the pharmacy was just so amazingly stupid.  The ending was just too out of character for them and of course they throw in a lame twist ending that I could see coming a mile away.  All I was picturing when the credits rolled is M. Night Shyamalan jumping out and saying "What a twist!" (robot chicken anyone?)

I hate it when a movie has such potential to be great, but fails simply because they wanted to add more action scenes by making the characters temporarily morons and a lame twist ending.

[hypernova]

I saw this movie a few months ago, and thought it was halfway decent until the ending.  Just what I need.  Can an ending be more depressing?  What's the guy's only option after that?  Suicide.  I don't think anyone could live with themselves after doing that.

he lives up to the promise he made to his son ("Don't let the monsters get me").

No he didn't.  Indirectly, the monsters still got him.  It was only alleviated that he was sleeping at the time.

Could the father have done it while he was awake?

[Ginsu Victim]

Better to do it himself rather than seeing his kid torn to shreds by one of those things.

"Don't let the monsters get me" was also referring to Mrs. Carmody and her followers.

[erictrumpet]

I thought this movie was great and the ending was terrificly tragic.
I do wish the military had NOT shown up, though. Why don't any movies ever go to the extreme conclusion: EVERYONE IN THE WORLD DIES.
For example: Signs. I liked this movie a lot. But, why did it have to have a happy ending? When they were trapped in the dark cellar and the aliens broke in the house, we had a feeling that these were the LAST survivors on earth. Man, they were so ALONE! It was awesome! The screen should have stayed black... then silence... then the credits roll. THE END! That would have been so awesome!
And here's an example of a GOOD ending: The 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead. They escape to the guy's boat, they make it to the island (or wherever), and SURPRISE! Zombies there too! They all die! EVERYONE IS DEAD! End of the world!
The Mist could have ended that way too, and it would have been great.
But, the ending as they made it was okay. It was a happy ending, but not happy... because of the murder thing

Eric.

[patrickl]

I forgot the name of the movie, but I kinda liked it's ending. The movie is about London being infected with a virus. Only a kid is invulnerable to the disease. A group of people tries to smuggle the kid out so it can be analysed for an antidote. The people all die, but the do manage to get the kid on a chopper to France. The movie ends with infected people roaming around the Eiffel Tower. I liked that a lot better than the usual sad Star Trek type ending: "doctor creates antidote in 5 minutes and everybody is miraculously cured"

[erictrumpet]

Yes -- 28 Weeks Later baby, that is a great movie!
(Better than 28 Days later, to which Weeks is the sequel)

Eric.

[Ginsu Victim]

I thought this movie was great and the ending was terrificly tragic.
I do wish the military had NOT shown up, though. Why don't any movies ever go to the extreme conclusion: EVERYONE IN THE WORLD DIES.
For example: Signs. I liked this movie a lot. But, why did it have to have a happy ending? When they were trapped in the dark cellar and the aliens broke in the house, we had a feeling that these were the LAST survivors on earth. Man, they were so ALONE! It was awesome! The screen should have stayed black... then silence... then the credits roll. THE END! That would have been so awesome!
And here's an example of a GOOD ending: The 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead. They escape to the guy's boat, they make it to the island (or wherever), and SURPRISE! Zombies there too! They all die! EVERYONE IS DEAD! End of the world!
The Mist could have ended that way too, and it would have been great.
But, the ending as they made it was okay. It was a happy ending, but not happy... because of the murder thing

Eric.

The Mist had no happy ending. The military arriving makes it a happy one? I think you're alone in this view.

Also, see my earlier point about whether the military would've arrived or not.

I blame ka.

[AtomSmasher]

Better to do it himself rather than seeing his kid torn to shreds by one of those things.

"Don't let the monsters get me" was also referring to Mrs. Carmody and her followers.

Between certain death and almost certain death I would choose almost certain death every time, which is what the characters in the movie did up until the very end when they just gave up.  It also stands to reason the further away that they got from the military base (the place where the creatures came through to their world), the less creatures there would be running around, so they would have a much higher chance of surviving on foot.

Another thing that pissed me off is that the guy didn't reload his gun before they went next door to the pharmacy.  Why would he possibly not reload his gun so that it had 6 shots again instead of only leaving 4 shots in it.  At the end of the movie I just assumed he did reload, so I figured the guy would only count 2 bullets, but when he counted four, I was just thinking WTF kind of moron doesn't reload before entering a dangerous situation.

[shmokes]

The same kind who stands around gaping at horrible spider monsters who can fire white-hot burning-magnesium web at their enemies . . . rather than, say, running.

[Ginsu Victim]

It also stands to reason the further away that they got from the military base (the place where the creatures came through to their world), the less creatures there would be running around, so they would have a much higher chance of surviving on foot.

Though it's not conveyed well in the movie, it was supposed to give the impression that they had driven for hours and still saw no end to the mist. Once they saw the giant creature, they had lost all hope. They knew going on foot would not bring about a pleasant death.

[AtomSmasher]

It also stands to reason the further away that they got from the military base (the place where the creatures came through to their world), the less creatures there would be running around, so they would have a much higher chance of surviving on foot.

Though it's not conveyed well in the movie, it was supposed to give the impression that they had driven for hours and still saw no end to the mist. Once they saw the giant creature, they had lost all hope. They knew going on foot would not bring about a pleasant death.

Obviously they were saying they had lost all hope as that's the only explanation for the ending, but it still goes against the actions their characters made earlier in the movie.  Leaving the store at all was considered certain death by the others, but they tried anyways and prevailed, only to give up at the next obstacle.  Regardless, the sudden stupidity of the characters at certain times and the moronic twist ending with the military were more then enough to ruin an almost great movie.