By Eric M. Harvey

RELEASE: November 21st, 2007 DIRECTOR: Frank Darabont, CAST: Thomas Jane, Andre Braugher, Laurie Holden, Amin Joseph, Frances Sternhagen, Alexa Davalos, Sam Witwer, Jeff DeMunn, Brian Libby, Marcia Gay Harden, Toby Jones STUDIO: Dimension Films

Every so often, I end up renting a movie that I wish I went and saw at the theater.

THE MIST would have been one of them.

If you watch the trailer, there’s nothing remotely special about the movie other than it’s directed by Frank Darabont, but then it’s really just another Stephen king adaptation by him. I think Darabont (SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION) is a good director. His movies have a little something more than the usual cut-my-teeth-making-music-videos director cluttering and destroying the movies nowadays. There’s an old school feel to his work, they’re entertaining and show some craft and thought that doesn’t pander the coveted 18-24 demographic Hollywood worships.

What really got me to go and see THE MIST was the talk of the ending. Oh, what a shocking ending. Stephen King’s gonna hang you if you tell someone the ending because it’s that good. That’s a challenge. Okay King, I accept your challenge.

You know what, King’s right.

It’s not just a shocker; it’s probably one of the best endings of all time.

I think a lot of people are going to disavow the ending as predictable and say they saw it coming just because they don’t want to admit that it is pretty shocking. We’re an unshockable lot nowadays but even if you want to play that role, you’ll still have to admit it’s a ballsy ending by Hollywood standards.

After an electrical storm hits Maine, a mist rolls in and engulfs a small town. It does sound like John Carpenter’s THE FOG (the publication date of Stephen King’s story is 1980, when THE MIST first appeared in the horror anthology DARK FORCES, and that’s the same year as Carpenter’s film).

Instead of Carpenter’s pirates, King has monsters and they ain’t friendly, kind of like the pirates. A large cast is assembled in the grocery store and barricade themselves in, trying to figure out what to do and ultimately choose sides based on religious beliefs or reason. All of this is instigated by a hammy but at times believable religious fanatic played by Marcia Gay Harden (POLLOCK, MYSTIC RIVER).

That’s about all I want to say of the plot since I’m a firm believer in less is more when explaining a film. You know all you need to know from the trailer, even though the trailer really isn’t that great.

I will say that there’s a lot of surface material here that manifests itself as comments on religion, atheism, racism, classism, monsterism… all sorts of isms. There’s also a lot of times where THE MIST veers off into an on-the-nose tirade against Christianity in general, the kind the religious right use as an example to their followers of Hollywood’s attack on them and their beliefs, but then there’s a monster or two and things settle down with less than subtle reminders of what happens, as hero Thomas Jane (THE PUNISHER, DEEP BLUE SEA) says in the film, to people’s mental capacities when the machines stop and fear of the unknown sinks in.

Throughout the film, were treated to some riffs straight from the pages of H.P. Lovecraft, some decent gore (although most of it is CGI), a sense of dread that is expertly stretched over its 127 minute running time (it could be a tad shorter, with some of the Harden rantings trimmed) and Jane does a decent job being the voice of reason and reluctant leader of the “unbelievers”, although when called upon for actual emotion, he shows the limitations of his acting abilities (sort of like Steve McQueen, which is a good thing in the right roles).

Another great thing about the cast: a lot of character actors. You have William Sadler (BORDELLO OF BLOOD, DIE HARD 2), Frances Sterhagen (THE HOSPITAL, DOC HOLLYWOOD), Andre Braugher (“Homicide: Life On The Streets”, PRIMAL FEAR), Jeffrey DeMunn (CHRISTMAS EVIL, THE BLOB ’88), and Toby Jones (NAKED) just to name a few familiar faces. This isn’t a cast made to draw the crowds in but one that shows an effort by the director to effectively bring the characters to life with the right actor for the part, bringing to THE MIST a legitimacy not found in many films of its ilk.

Halfway through, I found myself thinking how similar much of THE MIST is to the great Joe R. Lansdale’s THE DRIVE-IN. If you haven’t read that book I urge you to read it and I mention it not to take away from THE MIST (honestly, I can’t remember ever reading Stephen King’s story) but the similarities to Lansdale’s work had me thinking how great an adaptation of THE DRIVE-IN could be in the right hands.

There are problems with THE MIST but, eh, all in all, they’re minor quibbles. After that ending, all is forgiven. Get out and see THE MIST today, before some stupid fucker ruins it for you.

If more movies like this cluttered the megaplexes, I’d be at the theater all the time.

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