The HorrorDads are back - this time taking on the controversial monster-mash The Mist (2007). I understand the hostility that The Mist's bleak conclusion provoked but I think it's a defendable, if difficult to digest, conclusion. But whether you think that writer/director Frank Darabont dropped the ball in The Mist's final moments or not, there's still much to admire in this Stephen King adaptation. See if your opinions agree with the combined musings of Richard Harland Smith, Dennis Cozzalio, Greg Ferrara, Paul Gaita, Nicholas McCarthy and yours truly over at TCM's Movie Morlocks.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Jumping The Gun
The HorrorDads are back - this time taking on the controversial monster-mash The Mist (2007). I understand the hostility that The Mist's bleak conclusion provoked but I think it's a defendable, if difficult to digest, conclusion. But whether you think that writer/director Frank Darabont dropped the ball in The Mist's final moments or not, there's still much to admire in this Stephen King adaptation. See if your opinions agree with the combined musings of Richard Harland Smith, Dennis Cozzalio, Greg Ferrara, Paul Gaita, Nicholas McCarthy and yours truly over at TCM's Movie Morlocks.
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6 comments:
You know what? The only problem I had with The Mist (it's a big one) was the believability of the crazy ol' lady, Marcia Gay Harden.
I was like: first everyone is ignoring her (as we all would) and then - what - like a day later she's got everyone on their side.
B.S.
The film never won me back after that, and when the kid got his, I laughed. Hahaha. Losers.
Can't wait for The Walking Dead, however.
Looking forward to Walking Dead. Not a fan of the comic but we'll see what Darabont can do with it.
As for The Mist, a common complaint is that Mrs. Carmody wouldn't be able to rally so many people to her cause and I have to say I disagree.
Civilization is always hanging by a thread - just think of some of the stories that came out of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. So to imagine being in a situation where real, honest-to-God monsters are yanking your friends and neighbors to their doom right in front of your eyes is to imagine a situation where no response would be too extreme to believe.
But if you've got giant spiders out your front door, are you really gonna find 'comfort' in the crazy lady's bible thumping?
I wasn't impressed with her over-acting. And I never believed in her supporting Oscar win wayback when.
The merits of Marcia Gay Harden's performance aside, I think it's entirely plausible that many people in that situation would cling to any hope of an answer. 'Bible thumping' doesn't appeal to me but I recognize that people have become religious zealots over a lot less than what transpires in The Mist.
It's true--THE MIST is a well-acted, well-made monster movie that works except for its badly mismanaged ending with its heavy-handed and unpleasant irony. The original Stephen King ending was clearly inspired by the ending to Hitchcock's THE BIRDS, and I think Darabont's movie would have been much better received with a more ambigious ending than the one he went with.
I agree. I still think THE MIST is a great movie but that ending is so hard to wrap your head around. It took guts to go that route but I think Darabont did a disservice to his own movie. Then again, years from now it might be perceived in a better light. Who knows?
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