6WH: Sep 26

The Mist (2007) directed by Frank Darabont
A better Silent Hill movie than Silent Hill. There are some great, classic horror movie moments in this film. One of my favorites is early on when they decide to open the loading dock gate so that the kid can scamper out and unclog the generator exhaust. Tentacles poke in and grab the kid. People are freaking out. There's a really great couple of shots of Otis screaming. Right behind him, nicely outlined in a red case, is a fire ax. It's perfectly designed for that stereotypical horror movie audience reaction: the shout at the screen. "Get the ax! The ax, idiot!"

I'm not thrilled that they chose to explain the creatures in the mist as the result of a military experiment gone wrong. It's too much of a Half Life rip-off and these things are always scarier when left unexplained (as in the story). I have a feeling they decided on the new ending they wanted and that necessitated the military angle. I'm not sure what I think of the new ending. It is in the tradition of Stephen King -- like Thinner -- so it doesn't feel like too much of a cheat. Still, I prefer to think of the mist covering the country and a small group of survivors disappearing into the unknown. In the end, "The Mist" was always about how a group of random people stuck in a bad situation will react and interact. I think the film, including the tacked-on ending, shows that well. (8/10)