Dorkgasm Gonzo Is God

The Mist

A review by Kenneth Holm
Dorkgasm Senior Staff Writer
(Note the placement. It’s not the size of the staff, Aaron. It’s how it’s used in context)

            So, I ventured into The Mist only knowing a few basics. Firstly, the ending has so affected people that their entire liking or disliking of the movie hinged on it. Stephen King himself said he loved the “new ending” and that he wished that he had thought of it. Secondly, the advance word on the movie has been extremely polarizing. People either fanatically loved it or loathed it with every fiber of their being. I still have yet to find a review with a middle ground. If you have ventured into this review thinking you would find this, you are unfortunately sadly mistaken.

            For those of you not in the know, The Mist is based on the Stephen King short story from the collection of shorts entitled Skeleton Crew. It involves an artist, his son, and the dastardly denizens of a different, demonic dimension. Ah, alliteration is fun, is it not? Thomas Jane plays the artist, one David Drayton, with coolness and thoughtfulness. I swear that everything I see him it is better than the one before it. He and his adorable son Billy (a scene stealing Nathan Gamble, who will be playing James Gordon Jr. in The Dark Knight) have to take a ride into town to get some emergency supplies after a storm plays holy hell with their property. Tagging along for the ride is foul-mouthed neighbor and lawyer Brent Norton (Andre Braugher). Drayton leaves his wife at home and hops into the Range Rover. While heading into town, he takes the time to notice some power company trucks are out and about to fix the damages. Also worthy of notice is the inordinate number of military vehicles heading back up the road. That might be important later, so make a note of it.

            Once our group gets into town, they hit the local Food Mart, which is managed by Bud Brown (Robert C. Treveiler) and Ollie Weeks (Toby Jones). All of the locals are buying the store down to bare shelves, as no one was remotely prepared for this storm to hit. The trip is going just hunky-dory until Dan Miller bursts in, his face bloodied by something “in the mist”. While the store occupants process this information, the nefarious mist hits the store. It doesn’t just flow like a casual fog. Oh, no, this mist is not fucking around. It rolls in like a predatory beast, and soon the store is bathed in a milky white glow. While everyone around slowly breaks down, one mother is going out. She has to get home to her children, damn it. Unfortunately, no one wants to chance being outside at this particular moment. Undaunted, she heads to the door, and is never heard from again. From here on out, things go from bad to worse. Factions begin to spring up within the store, and there are a few encounters with the beasties from the mist who just happen to get inside. Once their lives start to get really hectic, some folks decide it would be better to venture out into the fog and take their chances with the otherworldly monsters rather than the all-too-worldly ones inside the store.

            There are a lot of exceptional performances in this movie. Toby Jones is one of the standout performers in this film. While mostly known on American shores for his portrayal of Truman Capote in Infamous, his Ollie Weeks is a joy to watch come alive. He begins as the typical middle-aged grocery bagman, but evolves into a dynamic force capable of making some tough decisions and taking action when it needs to be taken. Marcia Gay Harden’s rendition of Mrs. Carmody is just bone chilling. I have met people like this, and their zealotry never fails to set my teeth on edge. Thomas Jane portrays Drayton with a coolness that the role needs, but with enough fear to make it a wonderful time for everyone. I could go on and on about the good performances, but I will not. I could also go on about the differences between the movie and the story, but every change, I feel, was made for the better. Both the script and the shooting played everything tightly with little room for error. This movie showcases what many King works aspire to do. It deals with the supernatural baddies, but also the darkness lurking within all the people that dwell within its universe. Frank Darabont, the man who has helmed most of the really good King adaptations (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile), turns in what I believe to be the best King movie ever. Period. He wrote the script and used the film crew from TV’s The Shield to shoot in the “shake ‘em until you break ‘em” style made recently popular by Paul Greengrass’s Jason Bourne movies. This does not hurt the movie experience, though. It is as if you are really there, watching as the world goes to Hell in a hand basket. Additionally, the effects work by KNB, in the form of Greg Nicotero, is absolutely wonderful. A lot of the creature effects are surprisingly low-key, and when the CGI hits the fan, it looks incredible.

            The ending, which I mentioned earlier, will definitely affect you. Either it will make you love the movie or hate it implicitly. The choice that the main characters have to make is a tough one, and you will feel all the worse for having to sit through it. I have referred to bad endings and good endings before, but this one is a cinematic kick to the balls in the absolute best way possible. Truly an excellent movie with an excellent ending. This is one of the darkest films put to film in recent years. I would have to recommend this movie to each and every single one of you, Stephen King fan or not.

            You know, for once words have failed me. I cannot tell you anything more about this movie. I urge you with the most power I can muster to go see this. Now! If you miss it, buy the DVD immediately. Like United 93 before it, this is a powerful example of the emotional gravity that film can convey. This film is worthwhile on every front. Just go see it already.