The Mist

[CyberGhostface]

Easily one of the best King movies ever. If King had given more of his stuff to Frank Darabont instead of Mick Garris, the world would be a better a place.

But I just wanted to start this topic so I could share with you one of the most moronic Amazon customer reviews I have ever seen.

"I received the wrong product. I wantd to buy the mist remake on blu ray, what I got was the original black and white version. I sent an email to the vendor. It has been nearly 1 month and know reply."

:panic:

[Woofer]

Woah.

[mia/susannah]

Hopefully it will get worked out soon

[ola]

I sadly shake my head at people that complain about shipping, etc in a customer review. I feel like those should get deleted from Amazon automatically, but they seem to stick around.

The Mist: I haven't read the novella yet...but the ending chosen for the movie is beyond bad. The three of us watching it were all like "REALLY?!? WTF!" for hours afterward.

I really, really hope that King wrote a better ending than that.

[Woofer]

I sadly shake my head at people that complain about shipping, etc in a customer review. I feel like those should get deleted from Amazon automatically, but they seem to stick around.

The Mist: I haven't read the novella yet...but the ending chosen for the movie is beyond bad. The three of us watching it were all like "REALLY?!? WTF!" for hours afterward.

I really, really hope that King wrote a better ending than that.

Oh, I liked the movie's ending. That was hardcore.

[ola]

Oh, I liked the movie's ending. That was hardcore.

OK, hardcore, I'll give you that. Hardcore for what purpose? I want some kind of meaning in my dismal, depressing endings. I couldn't find any. What I learned:Don't shoot your kid, even if there's monsters somewhere that might kill him. The End.

I didn't hate the rest of it. I just think that it was 100% unrealistic that someone would do that thing in that situation.

[Woofer]

Oh, I liked the movie's ending. That was hardcore.

OK, hardcore, I'll give you that. Hardcore for what purpose? I want some kind of meaning in my dismal, depressing endings. I couldn't find any. What I learned:Don't shoot your kid, even if there's monsters somewhere that might kill him. The End.

I didn't hate the rest of it. I just think that it was 100% unrealistic that someone would do that thing in that situation.

I respectfully disagree. It was the stark realism of saving those you care about from a much worse death. I have no problem seeing someone - by no means everyone - making that pact in a similar situation. If I may make an analogy: I do not want to live as a vegetable and have taken measures to ensure I will not. One of my biggest fears is to have a fully functioning mind in a body that cannot communicate that fact. I could come of it. These things happen. Some folks even live normal lives. If I am one of those who would've come out of it, then I would be DNR for no reason. But we have no way of knowing.

This is the same situation at the end of The Mist. Sure, they might've made it, but all signs indicated otherwise. Shall we sit here in this car slowly dying of thirst and hunger until something senses us and rips us apart or dissolves our innards or sucks our brains out of our eyes? Or shall we do the one thing we can do: spare ourselves the horror with a quick, clean shot? I would not have expected any military to charge in and save the day without massive, physically destructive explosives of some type.

So, while I don't expect everyone to have the same feelings, I can certainly see that end happening. Many times over.

[ola]

I respectfully disagree. It was the stark realism of...So, while I don't expect everyone to have the same feelings, I can certainly see that end happening. Many times over.

OK, so I understand the analogy. (To the extent that I don't have much experience with it in life.)

I think if someone you love is already in immediate danger or suffering, that is a possible conclusion. But someone acting upon the probable possibility of suffering?

The first story that comes to mind in comparison is "The Road." They suffer quite a bit in that book, and the probability of a happy ending is low. But still there's a drive for survival and protection against all odds.

I guess you can't make a global judgment on how a person would react in an extreme situation. I'm trying to imagine what I would do, and that is the last thing I can imagine doing.

[Woofer]

I respectfully disagree. It was the stark realism of...So, while I don't expect everyone to have the same feelings, I can certainly see that end happening. Many times over.

OK, so I understand the analogy. (To the extent that I don't have much experience with it in life.)

I think if someone you love is already in immediate danger or suffering, that is a possible conclusion. But someone acting upon the probable possibility of suffering?

The first story that comes to mind in comparison is "The Road." They suffer quite a bit in that book, and the probability of a happy ending is low. But still there's a drive for survival and protection against all odds.

I guess you can't make a global judgment on how a person would react in an extreme situation. I'm trying to imagine what I would do, and that is the last thing I can imagine doing.

Absolutely. That's what's so fascinating about apocalyptic end-of-the-world scenarios: the differences in how people act. I believe they were at that point in The Mist. I don't think any of them thought it was probable, I think they saw it as inevitable. It had been many days with no sign of help from any quarter. I think I would've given it a bit longer, personally, but I do think that the ending was extremely intense for exactly that reason. Essentially, they see the situation as being trapped in much the same way as Gorman and Vasquez are in Aliens, only they do not have a grenade to take a few of the mist creatures with them.

:couple:

[pathoftheturtle]

We talked some about the issues you're discussing, over on this thread: The Mist DT Connections (http://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/showthread.php?t=7061). It has some unmarked spoilers for the film ending, but the novella's ending is boxed. Hope you'll all check it out, and that you'll return to it, ola, once you read "The Mist."

When it comes to SK books, though, Woofer's dilemma more reminds me of a different one: Pet Semetary.

[special k]

yea the end of the movie made me mad. when he did what he did and you know who showed up i just threw my hands up in the air and just yelled out "you dumb monkey! you know what, just bludgeon yourself with your gun since youre out of bullets jackass!"

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

I liked the ending of the movie better than the ending in the story. The Mist is one of the few movies that I walked out of the theater feeling a little nauseated. Any movie that can have that powerful of an effect on me gets an A+ in my book.

[pathoftheturtle]

Pretty subjective, though, BC. Me, I just rolled my eyes.

Still, while the emotional effect was lost on me, I did appreciate the film-making. In my book, it gets a B.

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

I think B movie was what Frank was trying for, so I guess thats a win.

[CyberGhostface]

Guys--regarding the Amazon review I mentioned. Here's what's so ridicilous about it.

The disc is double-sided. Frank Darabont included his "Director's Cut" as he intended on one side--its the film shot in black and white, a homage to the B/W monster films of the 50s. That's what the reviewer was complaining about. He thought it was an actual old 50s film when he had what he wanted all along--all he had to do was flip the disc over. That's what I found funny about his review.

[Tvmorbid]

That is pretty hilarious Cyber, I would weep for humanity if I had tear-ducts...

With regards to the films ending, I personally loved it and hated it at the same time. I loved it for how daring and hard-hitting it was, and hated it because

I had spent the last 2 hours becoming emotionally involved with these characters and they all (except for one obviously) end up dying for nothing!

This ending is still lingering with me to this day and its been well over a year since I saw the film. It's definitely one of the best endings I've seen for a long time.

[JameseyLefebure]

I actually love the ending of the movie.
I got totally drawn into the raw emotions that everyone was feeling and when they did what they did at the end i completely understood and felt that it was a really good way to end the film......then there was the twist which absolutely killed me!! :)
I still rave about this film as one of my all-time to most people who will listen :)

[Darkthoughts]

I thought the ending sucked. I'm all for having a hard hitting end, or even no end at all - I don't mind if, like the book's version, it's left ambiguous. But it was soooo cliched, when the woman who left the store at the beginning rode past on the army truck i just facepalmed, it was so tacky! And seriously, if the army came along that quickly they'd have run into them or heard them, it wasn't at all believeable even within the confines of the film's reality.

[Mattrick]

Oh, I liked the movie's ending. That was hardcore.

OK, hardcore, I'll give you that. Hardcore for what purpose? I want some kind of meaning in my dismal, depressing endings. I couldn't find any. What I learned:Don't shoot your kid, even if there's monsters somewhere that might kill him. The End.

I didn't hate the rest of it. I just think that it was 100% unrealistic that someone would do that thing in that situation.

Mist Ending:

They drove (if I'm not mistaken) from Maine to what was it...Boston? To them there was no end in sight to the Mist. They ran out of gas. They assumed it was all over. They were already dead. Earlier in the movie his son said "Whatever you do, don't let the monsters get me. Promise me" and he fulfilled his promise.

The ending is so bittersweet and ironic that if they had of just stayed after Rudy killed Mrs. Carmody, they (like Marlon) would have been let back into the store and would have been rescued. Though this is speculation, as we do not see them on the trucks. But we do see the woman who left the store to get her kids. She and her kids survived. David said "Look lady, I've got my own kid." and he lost his wife and kid.

If he didnt run away (outrunning the mist clearing) they wouldn't have all died. David in his eyes sacrificed himself and gave his son et all a more peaceful death than being torn to pieces. A theme in the movie was taking lives and dying. Rudy killed Mrs. Carmody and soon after died. David however, killed out of mercy and instead of death, is forced to live alone with his decisions.

Darabont also had Ollie (kepy calling him Rudy above my bad...not fixing it) drop the gun when he died on the windshield. They all urged him to leave it but David grabbed it. If he never grabbed the gun, they all would have lived. On the theme of God and Judgement (which is HUGE in this movie) Darabont took the side that it all was, in a sense, divine. That gun was a test. To see if no murder would happen; it did and there was punishment. The gun was then a test to David and Co and they also failed.

I think it's a fantastic and realistic ending.


All in all, I consider The Mist to be the thickest and greatest horror movie I've ever seen.

btw; King wishes he wrote thst ending as the ending in King's novella is entirely open.

[Mattrick]

they'd have run into them or heard them, it wasn't at all believeable even within the confines of the film's reality.

Do you not recall the scene where they talk about how The Mist is a noise dampener? Everything is muffled. Don't they talk about the creatures hunting by pheremones? It makes perfect sense in the reality that the mist would be sealed from where it came out so they WOULD be behind them, cleaning the mess from the inside out.

[Mattrick]

The first story that comes to mind in comparison is "The Road." They suffer quite a bit in that book, and the probability of a happy ending is low. But still there's a drive for survival and protection against all odds.

You can't compare the two AT ALL. One is YEARS after the apocalypse. This is during. They were in a confined space with the ultimate version of cabin fever. Not to mention they ended up In a car with no food, no water and no means of safe escape. The Road has a similar ending really, though. [spoiler]The Man can't trust human nature because of protecting his son. In the end it costs him dearly. Both endings are equally subtle and ironic. It was The Mans drive for protection that caused him to run from Guy Pierce and his family AND the bomb shelter full of food and shelter. David made better decisions than The Man. But The Man had more time to insane than David did. Really, The Man put his own personal feelings of protecting his son ahead of his sons feelings.

[pathoftheturtle]

...King wishes he wrote thst ending...I believe 1.> you're right and 2.> he's wrong.

[Darkthoughts]

I'm with Path, Mattrick it sucked. It was a big fat cliche - even the "Noooooo!" style cry was just :rolleyes:

Seeing the woman with her kids on the truck was over the top CHEESE. It makes a mockery of the movie viewer as much as a mushy sugary sweet ending does.

[Mattrick]

I wasn't aware cliches were things that never happened in movies. I thought they were things that always happened. I know I've seen that ending a hundred times. Hell, Lost In Translation ended the same way!

How was it cheese? Because it brought the movie full circle? Because it showed choices have rewards and consequences? Because it supports the theme of divine influence? Jane's 'noooo style cry' as you put it was excellent. Especially when the primal scream stops and he's just saying OOWWWWW because it hurts so bad he can only express the anguish in the most basic and child like form possible. The fact that his character was reduced to such a halpless state where all he can do is scream...no words, just guttural sounds, is fantastic and merely adds to the power of the ending. Words couldn't express what he was feeling. How should they have handled it? Had David scream "OMG I AM IN SO MUCH MENTAL ANGUISH RIGHT NOW!" would that have helped.

As far as I'm concerned; the last 15 minutes of that movie had so much meaning. Maybe far too much meaning. Maybe the ending made a mockery of you, but to say the viewer is speaking for everyone. The only thing that the ending mocked was how poor King's ending was.

[Ricky]

How was it cheese? Because it brought the movie full circle? Because it showed choices have rewards and consequences? Because it supports the theme of divine influence? Jane's 'noooo style cry' as you put it was excellent. Especially when the primal scream stops and he's just saying OOWWWWW because it hurts so bad he can only express the anguish in the most basic and child like form possible. The fact that his character was reduced to such a halpless state where all he can do is scream...no words, just guttural sounds, is fantastic and merely adds to the power of the ending. Words couldn't express what he was feeling.

As far as I'm concerned; the last 15 minutes of that movie had so much meaning. Maybe far too much meaning. Maybe the ending made a mockery of you, but to say the viewer is speaking for everyone.

I agree with you 100% on everything above.

[pathoftheturtle]

Because it supports the theme of divine influence?Because the theme it supports is a form of divine influence not found in reality. Cheese.
... The only thing that the ending mocked was how poor King's ending was.Are you basing this on a recent re-read or distant memories?

[Mattrick]

Because it supports the theme of divine influence?

Because the theme it supports is a form of divine influence not found in reality. Cheese.

Well, our reality is nothing like the reality in The Mist, obviously. In that reality it seems almost certain there is a divine prescence at work. I don't believe any god or divinity at all, so to me the two realities differ greatly.

And what kind of divine influences are in reality? The virgin mary appearing in blueberry muffin? A light? Chimes? I wasn't aware of ANY divine influences in reality. Don't understand your point at all. Divine influence is entirely interpretable and has no factual barriers. They are only what the individuals make them out to be.



... The only thing that the ending mocked was how poor King's ending was.Are you basing this on a recent re-read or distant memories?

I read The Mist not long after seeing the movie. Steven King implemented many themes but never rounded them off. Darabonts ending brought all the themes and made them relevant in the final sequences.

[Darkthoughts]

Where you feel that things were brought full circle, I felt Darabont was stating the obvious. We don't need to be shown everything in that manner, it's like pointing out the fine details to a child, because they won't comprehend the subtleties - there was nothing subtle about that ending, but at the same time it was pretending it was subtle and profound.

And yes, not every movie avoids cliches, but just because lots of people use them doesn't automatically make them a good thing, that's silly logic.

[Jean]

there was nothing subtle about that ending, but at the same time it was pretending it was subtle and profound. This is my main complaint about most American films of the last three decades.

[Darkthoughts]

Ha, yes - very much so!

[Mattrick]

Where you feel that things were brought full circle, I felt Darabont was stating the obvious. We don't need to be shown everything in that manner, it's like pointing out the fine details to a child, because they won't comprehend the subtleties - there was nothing subtle about that ending, but at the same time it was pretending it was subtle and profound.

And yes, not every movie avoids cliches, but just because lots of people use them doesn't automatically make them a good thing, that's silly logic.

Personally, I think a main purpose of themes is to give the endings of the movie more revelence. You're looking at the end as just the end and not the product of what the movie built too. I've seen the movie a half dozen times and the movie is so dense. The ending makes perfect sense for the story presented. We're all open to our own interpretations of the movie and some interpretations leave a bad taste in peoples mouths. It's about my favourite horror movie now but I also understand it more now.

I would agree about the ending if it wasn't thematically founded in the events of the movie. But the seeds for that ending are planted throughout the movie.

[Darkthoughts]

I would agree about the ending if it wasn't thematically founded in the events of the movie. But the seeds for that ending are planted throughout the movie.

Yes, that's true - it's all foreshadowed and built upon. But my problem is not what the character did at the ending and how he reacted to what followed, but the way the director pointed it all out like "Oh, just incase you missed what I'm trying to say here, the theme is this and this and from that you should have concluded this." I didn't need him to say that, I got it.

[pathoftheturtle]

Because it supports the theme of divine influence?

Because the theme it supports is a form of divine influence not found in reality. Cheese.

Well, our reality is nothing like the reality in The Mist, obviously. In that reality it seems almost certain there is a divine prescence at work. I don't believe any god or divinity at all, so to me the two realities differ greatly.
...You asked (rhetorically) what makes this movie "cheesy." My point was that, even though all movies are contrivances by definition, my theory is that they feel more phony the less relevant they are to experience. You might still find it emotionally affecting on one level, but life has more to offer, IMHO. Do you think Darabont is sincere in what you say he's implying about God? If it's done just for fun, then I object; I don't enjoy being manipulated.

[Mattrick]

I would agree about the ending if it wasn't thematically founded in the events of the movie. But the seeds for that ending are planted throughout the movie.

Yes, that's true - it's all foreshadowed and built upon. But my problem is not what the character did at the ending and how he reacted to what followed, but the way the director pointed it all out like "Oh, just incase you missed what I'm trying to say here, the theme is this and this and from that you should have concluded this." I didn't need him to say that, I got it.

Without the woman on the truck, the scene where she begs for help would have little emotional impact on a rewatch. I find it makes the ending far more bitter on rewatches. The Mist itself was a metaphor for how their judgement became clouded.


You asked (rhetorically) what makes this movie "cheesy." My point was that, even though all movies are contrivances by definition, my theory is that they feel more phony the less relevant they are to experience. You might still find it emotionally affecting on one level, but life has more to offer, IMHO. Do you think Darabont is sincere in what you say he's implying about God? If it's done just for fun, then I object; I don't enjoy being manipulated.

In the sense of the movie he most certainly is sincere. Mrs. Carmody even said (paraphrased) that "God is a vengeful God, that he demands sacrifice and expiation".

"Hey, crazy lady, I believe in God, too. I just don't think he's the bloodthirsty asshole you make him out to be. " said The Biker before being torn in half. Mrs. Carmody appeared to be spared from the bug when she said 'my life for you' to God. However, soon after her actions lead to the murder and sacrifice of Jessop...you can even see the look of shock on her face as he is stabbed, she couldn't believe her own power over the people. She then developed a God complex herself and was justly punished.

But in the end, David Drayton ends up like Job, where God takes everything away from to prove he would still maintain faith. Difference was David apparently didn't have faith, nor did the rest of those who went with him. Those who didn't believe were punished. Although David learned the value of sacrifice and thus, was spared. At the end, looking up, he was looking at God. In the sense of the story, God would rather people acknowledge that he exists and to hate him, then to disavow his existence.

At least this is what I got from the movie.

[Jean]

Of course, an analysis can discover anything in any movie, or any other source. My problem with the Mist was that the ending failed to impress me. I felt mildly annoyed at the authors who so obviously wanted to shock, inspire deep feelings and thoughts etc, but with me only managed to inspire a meh. The movie started as a moderately entertaining B-thing (intendedly so, as I've been told) and suddenly wanted to jump a couple of levels higher, to the rung of the ladder where authors speak in parables and deep philosophical/religious questions come to the minds of viewers; predictably, it dropped to the very bottom, the ending being so pathetically, clashingly far-fetched. Desperate desire to suddenly break through to the other level struck me as ridiculous, having been so obviously calculated, and undertaken with inadequate means.

[Mattrick]

I admire anyone who doesn't go for a safe hollywood ending and does what they want. King chose a safe ending, Darabont knew he could do more. And he did. Despite what people feel about this ending, I think it's the only ending the movie should have had.

[Brice]

It was an entertaining movie, much more so if one completely ignores the novella.

[Darkthoughts]

Yes, actually I find that's what you have to do any time you watch a movie of a book - temporarily forget you ever read the book!

Mattrick, I think Hollywood's downfall is not that it has to have safe endings, but that it has to have endings. Whether King prefers Darabont's ending or not, I prefer the book's non ending because it's far more daring to leave your reader hanging there in uncertainty than it is to provide an ending - be it happy or sad.

I disagree about the necessity of showing the lady at the end, but there you go.

[Odetta]

I just watched this movie for the first time and I must say I really liked it! I did enjoy the ending, because I like twisted endings that are not expected.
I have not read The Mist, so I don't know how the ending of the story goes there, but I did enjoy the movie!

[haunted.lunchbox]

The Mist is easily one of his best works. The movie was okay, the book is amazing. It really gives you the feel for what it would be like in their situation.

[Mattrick]

Mattrick, I think Hollywood's downfall is not that it has to have safe endings, but that it has to have endings. Whether King prefers Darabont's ending or not, I prefer the book's non ending because it's far more daring to leave your reader hanging there in uncertainty than it is to provide an ending - be it happy or sad.



I'm all for open endings but as far as I'm concerned they should leave something to ponder besides 'did they survive'. King's ending to me, felt as if he couldn't or wouldn't make up his mind so did the safe thing and left an open ending. Open endings are supposed to be up to the imagination but work best when you have to weigh the characters morals and convictions to make up your own ending. King's ending didn't really have much. They should represent something or at least push the audience in a certain direction.

[haunted.lunchbox]

I loved the open ending! I thought it showed how risky he is because these kind of endings tend to piss people off. If there had been something definite, I would have enjoyed the story and eventually forgotten about it, but instead it has become one of my favorites.

[pathoftheturtle]

It felt brave to me, too. I thought it was basically about as straight as "The Lady or the Tiger?" In the novella, the protagonist refuses to give up even though finding safety is highly improbable.... in the movie, he does give up and then the highly improbable find happens. Again, I hated the movie ending. Thought it was completely unsubtle and a total sell-out. Raping the muse. It seems that when King adapts his work to film, he usually thinks he has to go ahead and make Lardass join the Texas Rangers.

[Jean]

what Mike said

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

I loved the ending of the movie. It seemed to cap of the central theme in the story (for me) that among all of the horrific monsters in the movie, the humans were the worst.

[Jimimck]

The Mist is one of my all time favourite stories of King, and I've read it a number of times. As far as the ending goes in the story, I believe it created a sense of total loss and despair that was common throughout the story, and as such was the perfect ending.

I enjoyed the movie for what it was, and like some previous comments, I also enjoy endings outside the box. But to be fair, it isn't as good as the story. But then again, who expects any movie adaptation to be as good or better as a King story????

[pathoftheturtle]

This was the same director who gave us The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile and prior to the new ending, The Mist was very faithful and quite well made. I was enjoying it, and my expectations had gotten way above normal in viewing SK adaptations.

BC: Hm. How do you mean?

[BROWNINGS CHILDE]

Throughout the story, there were countless examples of how terrible the people were to each other. From the conflict between the main character and his next door neighbor over the tree, to the fight over going outside at the loading dock, to the refusal to help the other woman, to the religious fanatacism, to outright killing of one another. It seemed to me that the story was trying to show that even in the midst of all of these overthetop horrific monstors, the humans were the worst. The monsters just acted like monsters are supposed to act. It was the humans that were evil. (Coniving, selfish, shame, guilt, fear, hate) the monsters had none of these attributes. So I thought that it was the perfect ending, that they would be their own undoing and that all the characters at the end would die by human hand.

[jhanic]

I hated the ending of the movie. When I watch the DVD, I stop the movie as they are driving away from the store.

John

[haunted.lunchbox]

I hated the ending of the movie. When I watch the DVD, I stop the movie as they are driving away from the store.

John

As much as I LOVED the book ending infinitely better, movies almost never do well when there is an open ending. I can't think of one open ended movie that did well, but there probably is some. The biggest problem I have is that it really wasn't true to the book. At the end of the book I felt deep mystery, with a lot of hope. The movie ending killed hope (for the guy at least).

[Jimimck]

I hated the ending of the movie. When I watch the DVD, I stop the movie as they are driving away from the store.

John

Excellent idea. I'm going to try that next time I watch it...

[pathoftheturtle]

Throughout the story, there were countless examples of how terrible the people were to each other. From the conflict between the main character and his next door neighbor over the tree, to the fight over going outside at the loading dock, to the refusal to help the other woman, to the religious fanatacism, to outright killing of one another. It seemed to me that the story was trying to show that even in the midst of all of these overthetop horrific monstors, the humans were the worst. The monsters just acted like monsters are supposed to act. It was the humans that were evil. (Coniving, selfish, shame, guilt, fear, hate) the monsters had none of these attributes. So I thought that it was the perfect ending, that they would be their own undoing and that all the characters at the end would die by human hand.The phrase of how "monsters are supposed to act" made me laugh out loud, but I really do like your philosophy. Problem is that, while I can see this film showing human evil, I don't really believe that the ending says precisely what you say. Life returns to normal, doesn't it? I was disappointed by the implication that the disaster that the army caused turned out after all to not be more than they could handle.

[KindredAutmn]

I love this movie but the ending was quite stupid -.-'

[Jean]

Quite.