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04/20/2008: There's something in the mist ahhhhh!

With a rare weekend work project taking place early this morning, I stayed at a hotel in the city last night to avoid being late and/or needing to get up three hours earlier just to make it there in time from my humble abode. A cumbersome opening sentence for sure; I'm not too tired to notice it, but I'm definitely too tired to fix it.

Around 11 PM, I checked into the Millennium Hotel, which was adequate but totally not worth the 400 bucks that I've now gotta weasel my way into T&E'ing. Though the room featured a mini-bar, I kind of assumed that 400 bucks would merit a mini-bar stuffed with peanut M&M's and those oh-so-glorious hermetically sealed jars of fashionably shaped pretzels. But there weren't any. I was sad.

I was also sad because the room lacked Internet access, meaning that all of my last minute work preparations had to transpire over my cell phone's poor excuse for a web browser. How could a $400 hotel room not come equipped with that stupid Ethernet cable thing? I started feeling plenty stupid over spending so much money, especially after glancing out the window and spotting the same office I go to multiple times a week not more than two blocks away. Surely it wouldn't have been that hard to make it in on time on a Sunday morning.

Defeated, I perused the hotel's collection of overpriced pay-per-view movies, and after deducing that I didn't want to watch Cloverfield while sitting inside a building that was probably destroyed during the course of it, I settled on The Mist.

And HOLY FUCK, where the hell have I been? I absolutely LOVED this movie. LOVED it! Still…before I continue gushing, I need to come clean and admit that I always love movies when I watch them on pay-per-view from inside hotel rooms. It's one the quirks that makes me me.

For whatever reason, I wrote The Mist off as just another in the long, long line of recent horror movies that carefully treaded the fine line between PG-13 and R, putting mood and music before visceral awesomeness in the name of a suspected broader audience. Or something. I didn't say that too well, but I think you know what I mean. Course, had I bothered to spend more than three seconds drawing that conclusion, I would've realized that The Mist was rated R.

I was under the impression that the movie's titular gimmick would've provided the filmmakers an excuse to avoid showing a lot; instead, it was creature after creature after creature, and every single one of 'em was creepy as shit. I'm tempted to toss in the "literally" descriptor, but then I'd have to justify it with a scary looking photo of a pile of horse mud, and that isn't the kind of Google Image Search that I want to end the weekend with.

The creatures were fashioned without any set pattern or "laws" — some looked like exaggerated critters of our world, while others were so beyond comprehension that I'm still digging up YouTube videos to figure out what the heck I was watching.

While I'll give most films a passing grade just for the inclusion of weird and wacky monsters, I loved the story, the characters, the pacing, the acting….basically, I loved everything that all of the "External Link" reviewers on IMDB complained about. Maybe that's the aforementioned "pay-per-view in hotel room" nuance acting up, but even as someone who so often utilizes his online voice for nonpartisan opinions that take half-stances at best, I feel perfectly comfortable giving The Mist a solid recommendation.

Oh, and if I was at all on the fence about that, something that happened in the movie's last scene pushed it over the edge. Spoilers ahead…

After Thomas Jane and his ragtag bunch of survivors successfully leave the trappings of the supermarket and drive away with the hopes of escaping the horrible fog and all of its horrible monsters, they run out of gas and determine that there's no avoiding their awful fate.

Just when things couldn't seem more grim, a series of earthquakes sends all eyes about a mile ahead, and then, waaay up to the sky:

After facing a horde of giant spiders, crabs, pterodactyls and locusts, the heroes (or whatever you'd call them in this case) lose whatever small bits of hope they had left as that thing stumbles across the horizon. The six-legged "Impossibly Tall Creature" doesn't attack or anything, but he (she?) seemed to indicate that there would be no happy ending in their immediate future. (No need for me to spoil what happened after this, but I think the scene helped justify it.)

Honestly, that's what I wanted the Cloverfield monster to look like. Something wholly indecipherable, and something that was so beyond being simply "big." In fact, the Impossibly Tall Creature almost looked like an uber version of the Cloverfield monster. It's practically a throwaway scene, too, but it's the kind of visual that sticks with you and takes The Mist from being a worthy watch to something you can't get out of your head for days.

That's the long, messy way of saying: Good movie…go watch it.

I'm glad you liked this one Matt, I was a huge fan of the short story from way back when and thought they did a great job of adapting it to a movie. And yeah the ending just blew me away as well.

Also a fan of the story, read it prolly a dozen times. When I saw it was going to be a movie,I knew they would have to change the ending, cuz in the book they just kind of drive off into the mist. Most depressing end ot a movie I have ever seen.

I've grown kinda cynical about Kings movie adaptations (not counting any of the Dollar Baby ones that I've not seen either) but I've been itching to see that. Matt - how was it in relation to Cloverfield? Because they're both on my TO SEE list and I don't know which one to start with.

Yeah, definently one of the best Stephen King adaptations to emerge in recent years. One of the things I found most impressive is how closely they matched King's descriptions of the monsters. The dialoge was also nearly verbatim. They omited severel scenes from the novella, probably to streamline, and tweaked the ending, but overall remained faithful to the story.

This is one of the movies on my very long list of movies I want to see, Think I'll go rent it.

"I need to come clean and admit that I always love movies when I watch them on pay-per-view from inside hotel rooms. "

I think we're all kind of the same way, no one wants to hate something they pay for. Financial commitment means emotional attachment

The Mist was fantastic. I haven't gotten the chance to review it myself yet, but I hope to get around to it sooner rather than later.

Haven't seen the movie or read the book, but thanks to Matt's review, it now goes on my "Must See Movie" list as well as Cloverfield. I claim to be a fan of Stephen King even though I've read so little of his work (only the novella "The Body" which is what inspired the movie "Stand By Me" and Carrie"). I don't know when or if I will ever read "The Mist" but I will probably see the movie before I read the book, which I tend to do anyway. Of course, if I can get a book like "It" so many years ago and have not read it by now, I know I probably will never get to something like, "The Mist." Sure, the book's over 1,000 pages, but after purchasing it over five years ago, I should at least be halfway through by now (I did see the movie a few years ago when I rented it on DVD, but I wasn't scared by it mainly because I don't really have a fear of clowns, and it was Made For TV so you know the horror was very watered down).

Actually, that's what I wanted to ask on this thread at one time. I was interested to know if anyone on here has coulrophobia. That's what is known as the fear of clowns (it's an actual word because I looked it on Wikipedia). Why was I interested in asking? Perhaps as a child you didn't want to go to McDonalds because the sight of seeing Ronald McDonald plastered all over the restaurant gave you the willies. Even if you went to a McD's where a live Ronald McDonald never appeared, somewhere in the restaurant would be some image of the clown either as a cardboard cutout advertising the latest line of Happy Meal toys, as a lifelike statue sitting on a bench outside a local McD's, or even as a painting on a window of the Drive Thru waving at you as the car you were in was rounding the corner. I may have had a slight fear of clowns in my youth, but it was always the silent type such as mimes and the ones you see at the circus that scared me (even though the ones that perform at Ringling Bros. these days are very tamed compared to the ones in my youth, I mean, you think Bello looks threatening to anyone). Talking clowns such as Ronald or Bozo never scared me, and I actually met Bozo (Chicago's version played by Joey D'Auria (I was too young when Bob Bell played him during his last few years)). I've seen Ronald McDonald in person but I never went up and shook his hand. It's not that I'm afraid of him, I just always picture him being in commercials and not someone I would want to meet in person.

So, have I unearthed some horrible haunting memories you may have had as a child? I figure since this is more of a horror themed thread it seemed appropriate to ask this.

Nigel: I'd probably say to start with Cloverfield as it's a much bigger "experience" movie and really quite good. The Mist is more one of those "wow, can't believe it's actually GOOD" movies, if that makes sense.

Glad you like it Matt. =) I'm a huge fan of this movie too. I know what you mean about the ending , it blew me away too. I thought you've got to be KIDDING ME ! I LOVED the creatures that came from the Myst because they looked so bizzare and flat out WIERD ! They all definately looked like something out of Lovecraft.

BJ - You could try reading version of The Mist in "Skeleton Crew". That's where I know it from. It's a really great story and a pretty short read. "Skeleton Crew" also has a few other great stories. Word Processor of The Gods and Survivor Type are great. Although, neither one of those is a "traditional" horror story, Survivor Type gave me the creeps.

Also, the only thing I'm really afraid of is heights.. but I start shaking something terrible.

Matt - I was just wondering if you've considered putting together like an X-E primer with some of the best articles.. or best voted ones? Just a thought.. I'd vote for "cartoon all-stars to the rescue". Your description of Barbara Bush still cracks me up..

Add - I thought of that because people are always mentioning "I just read this article" .. so I thought it might be cool to give new people a starting place.. Aside from the PHOTOG thread.

Matt: I agree, that scene was pretty disturbing. Of course, at first I thought you were refering to the part when he comes back from the bike shop to see his bike stolen and the mechanical clown he chained the bike to had the nasty grin on his face. Then I remembered the dream scene where the doctors are operating on Pee Wees's bike and the chief surgeon pulls his mask to reveal an evil clown face! Both scenes to me are pretty disturbing. Actually, Pee Wee himself is pretty disturbing to me nowadays. Okay, maybe not disturbing, more annoying.

Of course, if you want to mention scary clown scenes, let's not forget about the stuffed clown that came to life and choking the little boy in Poltergeist. I'm sure you all know that the movie is supposedly "cursed" and actor Oliver Robbins was really choking in that scene. Anyway, back to normal talk, if there is such a thing on this site.

Now I regret not buying it when it was on sale that first week at Target for 16.99.

I read this story way back, and I totally loved it.

When I was a kid I ABSOLUTELY HATED clowns ! Seriously I was TERRIFIED of them. I eventually just got over it but I still think they'r creepy.

Nice find Matt. I still need to watch Cloverfield but I was just watching TV and the A-holes showed the monster in the DVD commercial. I guess it's partially my fault for not getting to it sooner, but seriously? Wasn't that sort of the point of the movie?

Crap, I just rented three movies from Blockbuster today and I saw this movie there but I decided to pass it up because I assumed and have assumed since I first saw ads for it, that it was a pile of poo. Now I want to see it.

I watched The Mist last week and it didn't completely work for me. I haven't read King's book, but it seemed clear that some of the characters weren't really given the screen time to justify their actions. I would bet in the novel they are fully fleshed out and would be a little more believable. I guess I just couldn't help rolling my eyes at some of the one-dimensional characters in the film. But hey, to each their own. I thought it was definitely still worth watching though.

OK, below is a link (to Amazon.com) for a book that I picked up last week. Like I said before, this could have already been mentioned here on X-E, but if so, I missed it. The book is called "Just Can't Get Enough: Toys, Games, and other stuff from the '80s that rocked". (Yeah, long title). It has short chapters dedicated to all sorts of cool things - He-Man, G.I. Joe, Thundercats, Madballs, Lite Brite. Choose Your Own Adventure books, M.U.S.C.L.E., Garbage Pail Kids, etc. It even has some other stuff you wouldn't expect like Scary Stories you Tell in the Dark, Alf toys, and Hit Stix.

Anyway, you should check it out Matt. It isn't going to be anything new to you, but it still is a cool little book. It even resembles a Trapper Keeper w/ the velcro tab that holds it closed.

Considering the greatest adaptation of King's work as The Shawshank Redemption, or Rita Haworth and the Shawshank Redemption from the novella, I've been pretty disappointed in just about every other one of his book turned movies.

Pet Semetary was pretty poorly handled, Cujo was a little better but there have been some outright stinkers.

… and for whatever reason that tinyurl link I posted is messing up. Just go to Amazon and search for "Just Can't Get Enough" if interested.

Magic Toy: That's funny, I just clicked on your link and it worked fine for me. I saved the book in my cart, having it lined as one of the MANY things I want to order from Amazon in the future (near or far, not really sure). Ones that I can't get from Borders, Best Buy/Wal-Mart or any other place I can't seem to find it

Sorry for the double post but the interesting part about Shawshank is that it's in the same collection of stories that "The Body" was in (which is what became "Stand By Me). I forget the title of the book, but I have it in my storage area somewhere. I definetly want to read that one as well as see the movie since it's been so long since I last watched it. I believe another story from that series also was made into a movie but I forget which one.

Cursed double post.. but for those interested.. the book was called Different Seasons

Matt - if you liked the mIST, you will love the DVD…It has 2 versions of the film, the original and a version in BLACK AND WHITE!! It just adds creepiness to the film, and it is much more enjoyable than the color version.

On another note, if you ever trek to the giant Toys R Us in Jersey off exit 13a (next to IKEA), they have all the toys you are looking for (MadBalls, the snot/finger thingy…) and they also have tons of clearence items. You probably know about that store, but just in case you didnt…it blows all other Toys R Us stores out of the water!!!!

Mike, I actually bought the two-disc set late this afternoon! Looks like it's got a good run of stuff. I'm really curious to see the b/w version. Part of me thinks it will seem a bit gimmicky, but my favorite parts of the film will probably benefit from it since the CG monsters were a little shaky at times.

I've only been to that TRU once, but I loved it. It definitely feels "apart" from the rest of the chain. Probably should hit it up again, so thanks for reminding me.

i absolutely heart King. One of my favorite movies ever is IT, it's one of those movies that you dont think scares you until 5 hours later when you close your eyes and can't get his face out of your head. With that said, i thought The Mist looked terrible and the sage advice of Matt hath saved me from missing out. thankee!!

I really need to see "The Mist" if it's as good as you claim. Actually, I've been spoiled, since I've owned the cassette dramatization for over a decade. Cassette? Surely I jest!
No. This thing was recorded in Kunzkopf Binaural sound, which creates a 3-D soundscape that must be listened to with headphones to be fully appreciated. Awesome!

Nice! That's also one that I was like "eh" about when it was in theaters, but have since become interested in. I didn't rent it because the cg looked pretty crap, but if you give it a thumbs up I might still check it out.

The Green Mile is one of my favorite movies. I think it was brilliantly directed and adapted for the screen. Apparently, the same guy worked on The Mist, which makes me want to see it in spite of the fact that I'm usually not a fan of horror or Stephen King.

I'll probably see the Mist when it pops up on cable. King is definately hit or miss when it comes to movies. I've actually never read one of his books, though.

MUST See:
IT
His two episodes of Tales from the Darkside "Word Processor of the Gods" was one of them.
Shawshank Redemption
The Golden Years- I'm probably the only one who remembers this CBS mini. Haven't seen this in years. I'm not even sure it's on DVD, but it is on VHS.
The old Shining, even if King hates it. Never seen the tv remake, though.

Watchable, but nothing special.
Pet Semetary
Thinner
Silver Bullet
Nightmares and Dreamscapes- Since this is an anthology, some tales were GREAT, others were blech.

Anyway, I went on a sorta movie spree this weekend. I saw "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" in the theater, and "Ladder 49" and "Number 23" on cable. Ladder 49 and Number 23 RULED, but I think I'm the only one who didn't fall in the love Sarah Marshall (my parents outright hated it, but they both loved 40-Year Old Virgin).

I didn't hate it. I softly chuckled a few times. But I definately think it's the weakest of the four Apatow movies. It was also too long.

I've seen the remake of the Shining , and let me tell ya , I have NEVER in my life HATED a remake, like I do that one. Give me "Here's Johnny" any day over that remake thing. I always give remakes a fair chance, but in this case I fall SQAURELY into the the original is infinetly superior crowd. lol

Since I have no real background with King (that's more of my grandma's territory), and I'm not a horror fan, I'm not going to really add anything except Shawshank Redemption is the only movie adaptation of any of his works I've ever seen.

As for Cloverfield…it's a movie that's better off seen in a group and not alone. Like Matt and others said, it's more of an "experience" movie.

And I belive that the movie might be 10x better than it already was if the Monster looked like the Huge Thing from the Mist. When they actually show it, you're not like "HOLY SHIT, IT'S THE MONSTER!" It's more like "Oh…it's the monster." Definitely anticlimatic.

And for those of you who also say the pic of the toy version…I'll say that I had the exact same reaction to it when I saw it in the movie. I would totally love a F'ing Huge Mist Monster Toy much more than the Cloverfield one.

Matt, I can't believe you've been missing out on the awesomeness of this movie until now! Some of us were raving about it back when it came out

I bought the collector's edition a couple of weeks ago and it came with a copy of the novella. I've decided it's one of my top favorite adaptations ever. They took all the best stuff, like the descriptions of the monsters, and tweaked what they needed to for the best effect, like taking the ending up a notch. I have been looking forward to watching the b&w version but I've been waiting for the right spooky night.
I actually have some fondness for The Shining miniseries, just because it's got some cool stuff from the book that didn't make it into the Kubrick version. Of course, Steven Weber is no Jack Nicholson, but he does an admirable job. Then again Tom Jane isn't exactly what you think of as an Oscar-caliber actor and he totally kills it in The Mist.

Never seen that movie, never even heard of it. I should watch TV more.
And 400 for a hotel for three hours more sleep. Wow. Once I spent about 250 for a hotel that was supposed to be one of the nicest on the west coast. Thing is, if you don't spring for a suite, and then just get the normal room, the only thing special is the thread count of the sheets. that kinda rhymes and I am trying to figure out a way to phrase it so it does not, but I am too tired.

I loved The Mist's story, and I thought the acting was great. It followed the book really closely and I was quite happy with that.

My only gripe? The CG is absolutely, positively, horrible. The scene with the tentacles in particular is almost laughable. That kinda sucked the wind out of my sails. Still, great flick.

I thought the CGI was really great in Mist. I personally don't see what's wrong it. What is it about CGI that makes some people so critical of it ? I know everybody has their own tastes but it justs seems like some people hate the idea of computer effects as a whole. I mean if the graphics looked like they came from a nintendo 64 game , then yeah I could see people havin a problem with them. But complaining about effects just because they came from a computer, that I just don't understand . Oh well, to each their own I guess. =)

Yeah, I just saw this movie today and I actually did like it. I seriously yelled "JESUS FUCK, ABOUT TIME" when a, *ahem* certain character met her end. The ending was wrist-slittingly depressing, though; I think if I were in that guy's shoes I'd have tried to get myself shot. (Did I avoid any major spoilers? Hope so)

@ULTRAMAN: I think the problem is that CGI is overused nowadays by bad directors who don't know when leaving something to the imagination is scarier than showing the creature. The Mist actually worked just fine, but I think CGI has a time and a place in films, and some movies would be better served without it. Those of us that complain about too much CGI aren't mad that it's CGI, we're mad because there's too much being revealed… or something. I'm unbelievably tired, so if that didn't make any sense whatsoever, that's why.

I could see that MagicFlyinLemur.=) I personally need to see something of a creature or the creatures in horror movie because I just feel cheated if I don't see anything at all. But that's me. I have a very creative imagination actually I just like actually seein the monster/s better. Overall I think CGI can be really cool , if used in the right places and in the right amounts. It can also be used to make other effects like puppetts and suits look even better. But I think that it's not needed ALL the time, just some times. =) I think everyone can agree on that.

It's just that bad CGI doesn't really "blend" with the rest of the scene. At least that's what usually bothers me about it. For example,Ewan McGregor isn't even looking at Jar Jar's face in episode 1,he's just kind of gesturing in his general direction.
CGI is great when it works,but if it's off a little,it blows the whole scene,IMO.
Never saw "The Mist",this is just my general opinion on CGI in movies.

Yeah, the CGI wasnt great, which is why the s disc super duper edition is awesome. Has a directors cut which is entirly in black and white, there is something about good, creepy, horror movies in black and white. It's so much more…. Something.

OK, this is odd that anyone is even talking about Stephen King. Because last night, I had a very vivid dream that King met me after work and we had a drink in a midtown bar at 3:00 A.M. I asked him why he stopped trying, and what was up with that girl who loved Tom Gordon book, and he acknowledged that he was very fortunate to have such a loyal fan base who would stand by him through the ups and downs of his literary career.

This is not the kind of dream I normally have - there were no supernatural elements or anything out of place except Stephen King drinking tequila with me in the middle of the night. I can only assume this is a message from beyond. What can it mean!

I am a huge, HUGE King fan, and I have been waiting to see this one. Ironically, it was only Yesterday when I tried to rent it at a place near my new apartment…only to be told that renting required a $25 deposit….and I only had ten bucks. Damn. The Mist went back on the shelf.

Yes, The Mist was awesome! I actually went to see it in a theater (not really into the whole "going to the movies" thing—too expensive, don't like dealing with people, etc.) and I'm glad I did.

Well, the movie is probably one of the best King adaptations I've seen, and I am not one to gush about movies. To those who haven't done either the novella or the film, the real story is about the people, not the dimensional breach and its' denizens. Some folk will just snap without real reason, especially if it seems that Reason left without no forwarding address. The ending blew a lot of people away, no pun intended. King's stories are usually about what goes on in characters heads or hearts during more-than-extraordinary circumstances. See that pic up there? That hammer don't help.

MEANWHILE…. Clowns are everywhere, just waiting for that discordant calliope call to don the paint and patchwork and fool their way into your homes. Listen, is that "Entrance Of The Gladiators" sounding over the horizon?

Muppet Baby– a 25 dollar deposit to rent movies?! I thought we did away with that shit years ago. What a gyp joint. Get Netflix instead. o_o It's awesome– if you watch a lot of movies. We don't have cable, so we make great use of our subscription.

DarkSide, I haven't been to a theatre since last July. Went to see Transformers. I'd like to catch Indy 4 on the big screen next month, though.

Oh yeah….KingKlashthat song scares the piss out of me….I DO NOT like clowns at all…or the music that represents them…I am even a little afraid of the really old carousel they have at Seaside Heights, Matt might know what I mean…its the old one that is literally like a hundred years old, and plays real organ music.

As far as Steven king goes…I still have to read that cell phone one, where the signal makes everyone go crazy….I loved Misery and IT…my husband and I have a special fondness for the movie Cats Eye. I loved Shawshank and Green Mile, stand by me, carrie, IT…speaking of IT…I once watched it in a hospital lounge in the cardiac intensive care, waiting to see me grandma, and also outside on this summer day a tornado watch was in effect, and special emergency broadcast system alerts kept interrupting the movie…and then the power went out, and all these buzzers went off…..oh MY GOD scariest shit EVER.

Thinner was cute, i liked it. Also, my english teacher from sphmore year in Highschool, her college literature proffessor was Stephen King. Imagine having to do a paper and have it graded by one of the genius authors of our time? EEEEK talk about pressure!! Anyone ever watch Kigndom Hospital? That was a pretty sweet mini series.

Oddly enough I just watched this yesterday. I thought it was pretty good. And considering the source material was Stephen King (I hate him), I liked it more than I thought I would. I almost kind of want to read the book now. I have to say I wasn't really impressed with the CGI, though, like Steve said. It just felt like they didn't blend into the "real" stuff. I don't know how to explain it. I know most people disagree with me on that. And I agree that the final monster was pretty awesome. It was more the stuff in the grocery store looked kind of pasted on.

I've got nothing against CGI in general, but sometimes I think it just looks wrong and fake, and this was one of those times.

My mother's coworkers mentioned that they "didn't get it," which is a bit bewildering to me. I'm not sure what wasn't to get. Seemed pretty straightforward to me.

Loved the Mist! There is a black and white version on DVD that is actually the Directors Cut. I want to see that.
The Impossibly Tall creature is also known as the "Walking Cliff" in the book. I loved Cloverfield, but I agree the monster should have been more huge like this.
Great movie-

btw - the mist is a great film.. i entirely agree with Matt .. i too pushed it to the side and wrote it off as something stupid…

Speaking of bad usage of CGI I can't stand the look of the upcoming Speed Racer film. It looks too fake and like it would leave me covered in pool of my own vomit from the fast moving,shiny, and brightly colored nature of the movie. If you ask me i think they should leave most cartoons as cartoons. Live action versions of cartoons usually leave me with a bad taste in my mouth because it just looks too fake. There are some exceptions but I wish they would just make suped-up versions of the animation. And as for the overuse of CGI in films…I long for another movie to exclusively use stop motion models and miniatures and whatnot…please hollywood? Pleeeeeaase?

Don't barf on yourself in a movie theater! When I saw the Big Lebowski, the man sitting in front of me shifted and squirmed through the first half hour. It became apparent at that point that he was POOPING IN HIS PANTS. He just couldn't tear himself away from the Dude and who could blame him, but honestly.

I'd hate to see your legacy go down like that, phunqsauce. Got to keep those fluids in check!

:) That was a lovely story…..and don't worry about me barfing because i most likely will not see that movie. I appreciate your concern… One movie that I really want to see is The Forbidden Kingdom with Jet Li and Jackie Chan. Looks totally kick ass! P.S. I hope I didn't sound like a grumpy old man in my last post….I'm about to turn 27 on May 3rd but i swear sometimes I'm closer to 77. WHERE'S MY OINTMENT!!!?????

$25 dollars to rent a movie? Seriously? You can get a free membership at Blockbuster, which I have but rarely use.

As for CGI, just as long as it looks good and the movie itself is also good, they can use all the CGI they want.

I'm lookin forward to the Speed Racer movie, mostly because I loved the cartoon and I just want to see a live action version. What can I say i'm easy to please. =) And as for the topic of CGI, eventually it'll become so advanced that'll look seamless where ever it's put in a movie.

I didn't see this one because I thought the chance that Stephen King would have two winners in a row after 1408 would be near impossible. Hrm, I guess I assume too much.
But seriously, 1408 was one of the bigger pleasant surprises I have had in the movies. Great flick.

I actually think of the CGI in The Mist as a benchmark, in that it's an example of great design but an imperfect (even mediocre?) execution. The creatures are scary and cool looking but just don't look as integrated with the real actors as even something like King Kong which is already a couple of years old. Contrast that with Cloverfield, where it really looked like Clovie was actually stomping around Manhattan (imo anyway) but where people had complaints about the actual design.
We had foggy weather around here after I first saw this movie…I can't tell you how many nights I sped home through spooky gloom thinking I was two seconds away from a giant bug splattering on my windshield. The visual that stuck with me the most, though? The shot of a certain someone waking up at a certain last second. Such a brutal little throwaway.

I was just thinking about 1408 this morning, Bill. And I had seen it by Pay-Per-View'ing it! Wow, cool, huh?!
Weeird.
I've been hearing the B&W mist is awesome, but haven't seen the flick yet. Maybe it will be good to see…. hm!?

Yo yo~ Is anybody getting The World Ends With You? I'm trying to pick between that or Taiko DS 2 ^^

King had a few comments about pat endings vs "time to leave the characters now" in "The Body." After he tells the story of Lardass Hogan, Teddy and Vern want more than just "I declare this contest a draw!" "Mist" ends with "Time to leave" in both book and film, but in decidedly different places.

I thought about watching 1408, but I was afraid it would suck so I skipped it. Maybe I'll check it out as well as The Mist.

Oddly enough, while I was at work today the lady that has the desk across from me (I'm not so much in a cube as I am in the corner of a large rectangle) said she just got The Mist on DVD and offered to let me borrow it.

Also, if I don't stop getting recorded political phone calls, I'm going to the polls tomorrow with a machete.

Just to deviate, but as Ultraman mentioned Speed Racer I thought I'd mention that I saw the 'figure and car' packs in one of the local stores.

The packs were hidden away behind Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars and weren't too bad, not exactly highly impressive, but looking online the LEGO Speed Racer stuff doesn't look anywhere near as good (especially given the nifty Batman stuff of late).

Hey everyone! I usually just read (been doing it for a few years now, ever since Matt went on a trip with his friends to some house for a sleepover. Not sure how long ago that was…seems like forever.)

In any case, I saw one of you mention the giant KidsWorld Toys R Us in Jersey next to the Ikea…

Just wanted to mention that it's not as huge as it once was. It used to be the size of a big box store; just wanted to share the sad news that a few months ago, about a third of it was being divided - it seems they're subdividing the store and opening a kids r us or something else.

To me the mist monster(the main one) looks like an enormous beetle with an octopuss for a head. Pretty cool design for a monster I think.

Teen Wolf is currently on AMC. Is it just me…or is this movie really, really lame? It's not even "cheesy enough to be cool" cheesy. It's just cheesy.

Has anybody else seen "The Langoliers" Made for TV movie? I liked that one. But Shawshank Redemption is still the best Stephen King adaptation, IMO.

What's "T&E?" Anyway, I read about the ending scene before I heard the movie was good. Before this article/review/what-have-you, I had the same "this movie is going to be okay at best" attitude.

Even though the ending has been spoiled for me, I really want to watch it now. Even if I think old people in horror movies should always be abandoned, regardless of familial ties.

I haven't read "The Langoliers" so maybe it sucks in book form too, but the made for TV movie is awful. Hasn't stopped me from watching it about 20 times, but it is.

We popped some popcorn, turned out all the lights and put on the black and white director's cut. It looks so good! Including the CGI. You guys all have a standing invitation to come over any time to watch

Come on now, Stand By Me is by far the best Stephen King screne adaptation. Also I think Dreamcatcher the movie was about a 1,000 times better than the book.

Dreamcatcher is great. YOU JUST CROSSED THE CURTIS LINE. But I liked the book better because I fell in love with Jonesy a little and the actor who played him just didn't do it for me.

Also, praise Phunqsauce for the use of the phrase "where's my ointment". Phunqsauce, you are my ShorDurPerSav for today! I love the idea of a 27 year old searching for his salve.

kingsklash: I've been to a few clown-themed haunted houses. One at Spooky World (back when it was in Foxboro and not up in Boston, which is way too far to travel for haunted houses) and one at Universal Studios in Florida. Both were kind of.. meh. I mean I'm not terribly afraid of clowns, Pennywise being the exception. The Spooky World house actually had the opening of it be a HUGE CLOWN'S MOUTH with pointy teeth, very much like our dancing villian in IT. Let me tell you I didn't want to go in that! (There's also another story about the Vampire Haunted House which featured a very very attractive Gary Oldman-esque Dracula at the beginning.. he can bite me anytime)

The thought in those haunted houses is there, but the execution kind of sucks. Though one time one of them followed behind my friends, my dad and I, and he heard our names.. so throughout the house he'd pop up in the darkness and whisper them. THAT was nuts.

This was a little longer than I meant to make it.. That said, Dad loved The Mist. He's the King fan, more than I. I like to read the books and then maybe watch the movies (I still haven't seen either Shining, and I won't watch or read Pet Sematary ever again thanks to my dog dying the last time).

Does anyone else think that monster screenshot up there looks like an AT-AT walker from Star Wars?

I've always liked the Langoliers movie since I was a kid. I think it's good. I've never read the book, so I don't know if they left anything out. To be honest I don't mind if they did.

I'm not one for absolutes, but I think it can safely be said that The Shawshank Redemption is clearly the best film adapted from any of King's work.

There are a few other fantastic films based on King's writing, and a few others that are beloved 'guilty pleasures', but Shawshank is not only King's best, it is also one of the greatest films ever made.

Rev. BackItOnUp: What exactly is the ShorDurPerSav? Seeing as I was bestowed the honor for a day my curiosity was naturally piqued.

I've been hearing about The Mist here and there since it came out and theaters, and this review sent me over the edge so I went out and rented it last night.
I must say, even though the ending and some other major parts had been spoiled for me, I still really liked it.
I think the CG was okay, and the tentacles were pretty damn scary considering that they were freakin' tentacles!
I mean, how scary are plain old tentacles? They need teeth! Yeah! And spikes.

ShorDurPerSav = Short Duration Personal Savior. This makes you a big time winner honey!!! Go celebrate!

A winner is me! I'm actually probably gonna knock back a few cold ones tonight seeing as I have a day off in the middle of the week. And also its Tuesday which is when my friends and I get together each week to be complete nerds and do nerdy stuff. Bitchin'!

to whoever was asking about The World Ends With you….its AWESOME so far! I downloaded it last night….

Shelby: The Langoliers actually follows the book fairly well. Still I liked it too.

I can't believe that everyone missed the Green Mile as a King movie. Great books and movie. I also have a fondness for Firestarter. Any six year old that can burn down a entire government installation including unbelievable mannequins is great in my book. Plus acted by a young Drew Barrymore.

I love the earlier Stephen King movies the best - Carrie, Christine, and Cujo - but what's the worst movie that King is associated with - Sleepwalkers (incestuous mother & son) or The Lawnmower Man (so bad King sued to have his name removed from the credits)?

*off topic*
Who's watching SNL Remembers Chris Farley on NBC? The way they were advertising, it was presented as though the special was going to be called "The Most Outrageous Moments." I guess they think all the most outrageous moments came from Chris Farley. Anyway, gotta go, the Chippendale sketch with Patrick Swayze is on. An all-time classic SNL sketch!

I watched Cloverfield just because of your review, loved it!!! I was not going to watch this one but I may have to see it now! Thanks for everything you do.

Who's watching SNL Remembers Chris Farley on NBC? The way they were advertising, it was presented as though the special was going to be called "The Most Outrageous Moments." I guess they think all the most outrageous moments came from Chris Farley. Anyway, gotta go, the Chippendale sketch with Patrick Swayze is on. An all-time classic SNL sketch!

I've seen that one a dozen times…but NBC ran it and I missed it due to work?! That sucks.

But Phil Hartman (another RIP) is just the God of SNL. Hell, he played Jesus at least twice, and that's what I'd imagine who I'd meet in heaven.

JoshC I'm with ya! Maximum Overdrive is an awesome movie!! It goes on my list of movies I can watch over and over again.

Has anyone heard about this new viral marketing campaign around "What Happened in Piedmont"?

Is it too much to hope that this might be as good as Cloverfield turned out to be?

Dan:
Thanks buddy, Glad to know im not the only one who can appreciate the awesomeness of homicidal appliances.

And where else are you gonna find killer soda machines, electric knives and an ATM that cusses you out?
And like Bill said you can't beat the soundtrack!

I believe you're both forgetting the most crucial part..
*ahem… Emilio Estevas!

I loved Maxium Overdrive as a kid. Still do of course. =) I like the cover, with that pic of the rig with goblin face on it. And yes it's very cheesy. But in a very good way. =)

The first time I saw Maximum Overdrive it gave me nightmares. For some reason the scene where the electric knife saws partially through the waitresses arm freaked me out. I can watch that movie about twice a year (in a double-feature with Cat's Eye) and love every second of it.

It seems like of the 29 people in the entire world who actually like Maximum Overdrive, 15 of the post here regularly.

Hey Matt (among others) you need to pick up the NECA TMNT figures, as they are completely bad ass. The second I opened the box and pulled out Raph I thought, "Matt would so love these".

Well my celebration went ok but I spilled beer on my keyboard. Thankfully no children or animals were harmed. I can't wait for the day it starts reeking of moldy Heineken…

About the B&W version: It is not a gimmick. The movie was made to be in black and white but the studio would not release it that way. You'll definitely enjoy the b&w version more, it is the way the the movie was originally intended to be seen.

As a horror writer, I'm obviously a fan of King's. I can't think of any horror writers, unless they're elitist snobs, who can't at least appreciate what the man's done for the genre.

I thought The Mist adaption was excellent — close to the books in all aspects that mattered. It could have used a little bit of fleshing out in certain areas, and the CGI was a bit wonky at times (the tentacles didn't bug me — the bird-thing did), but overall, it worked. I thought the ending, which a lot of "purists" hated, was the right approach for the movie version, since the "Hartford/Hope" ending from the story wouldn't have worked too well in a visual medium.

The Mist
Shawshank Redemption (the obvious best interpretation of King's work)
Misery
The Green Mile (spot-on, the closest interpretation of King's work)
The Shining (Kubrick version)
Salem's Lot (original)
Salem's Lot (miniseries)
Carrie
The Stand (miniseries) (My favorite adaption of my favorite book)

Should-see:
1408
It (miniseries) (would be 'must-see', but the last 30% fell apart for me)
The Shining (miniseries)
The Raft from Creepshow 2 (the rest of the movie blows, but The Raft is great)
The Dead Zone
Cujo
Stand by Me
Needful Things

Mixed Bag:
Thinner
Maximum Overdrive
The Dark Half
Christine
Firestarter
The Running Man
Pet Sematary
The Langoliers
Nightmares and Dreamscapes (liked some, hated others)
Rose Red (should be lower, but the movie was well-done)

Avoid at all costs:
Kingdom Hospital
Tommyknockers
Golden Years
Sleepwalkers
Silver Bullet
Graveyard Shift
Dreamcatcher

On The Shining vs The Shining. The Kubrick version was much scarier, and altogether a better movie. The miniseries DRAGGED for far too long. There are only 2 places I feel that the latter beat the former: 1) It was much closer to the story, and 2) The Characters were closer to their counterparts in the book. Jack Torrance was supposed to be a normal (though flawed) guy driven insane by the house, which Weber pulled off well. His wife was supposed to be strong (which the mini again pulled off well).
Nicholson, from the start of the movie to the end, seemed nuts. I swear, if you see him in a phone service commercial, you're waiting for him to haul off and kill someone. Plus, Duvall was WAY too mousy for the role of Wendy.
Overall, though, the Kubrick film was superior.

Finally, on the two Salem Lots. It's strange to like 2 versions of the same story for totally different reasons. Hands-down, the first was scarier, so as a straight horror film, it was the best (especially that kid scratching the window which gave me nightmares for weeks, even though I was 4 at the time and had only seen the f'd up commercial). The 2004 version was closer to the story, and held up not because of horror, but because of the characters. It added some of the background stories missing from the original.

Oh, yeah, I'd like to add "Desperation" to the "Only watch if at gunpoint" list. How they could take such an interesting story and make it into such a crappy miniseries is beyond me.

The ONLY saving grace to it is that the scenes looked almost-verbatim how they had in my mind when I was reading it.

Now, I'm anxiously awaiting The Talisman, Cell, and, to a lesser extent, Bag of Bones to hit the screen. As for "From a Buick 8", I could care less. I didn't like the story too much to begin with.

Ah,i saw that movie the other day online,the ending was a bit "meh" but other than that,a great movie!Better than i expected!And that crazy bitch got what was coming to her!

Yes i have been watching Scrubs reruns(E4 and Comedy Central,since im from England)

Courtyard Time Square by Marriott. Nice place with breakfast in the morning. Way less than $400 a night.

1408 was a disappointment, since it was the only King story that's actually scared me. Stephen King is actually my favorite author, but his works usually leave me disturbed or awestruck rather than frightened. It would've been better as part of a miniseries or anthology movie; the extra stuff they added to make it into a full-length film turned it into more of a drama.

** little spoiler**The very ending was horrible and disturbing!! Maybe cause I am a parent? I would have been okay if they had all died but…Yeah they didn't

The ending made the movie for me. The ending also reeked of "the test audience really thought this movie was lame, what can we do with the ending to really fuck people?"

I was unimpressed with most of it. The special effects were pretty hokey on the big screen. But that "fuck you" ending won me over…

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