DVD Review: The Mist

It's not a usual occurance that a Stephen King story is well represented on the screen. I mean, come on, Maximum Overdrive anyone? But, then again, some turn out pretty good, like Storm of the Century and The Shining. But perhaps none have been as eagerly anticipated as The Mist. I remember having a 3-D dramatization of the novella on audio cassette when I was younger and I was utterly enthralled with it, so I was excited to finally get to watch the film version, especially when it was directed by Frank Darabont, a King disciple to say the least.

I was pretty happy with how this film was made. The mist itself was ominous, the beasties were nasty and I really liked how the massive monsters were kept just out of sight in the dense mist. Once again, King allows us to realize just how fragile the human psyche is and how religious fervor can quickly get out of control in a tense situation. I thought the acting was pretty good, the cinematography well done and the effects effective. The scene with the small group making their way to the pharmacy was great!

While a horror movie at heart, the morale of The Mist makes it much larger in scope. The ending, as the cover says, is shocking and will probably leave many people upset, but hey, that's life. I give The Mist a clear **** out of *****.