Just watched Stephen King's The Mist....

[Gep Malakai]

Not the movie to treat myself to just before bed time.

Dear God. That may have been the darkest, most nihilistic thing I've ever watched in my life. Don't get me wrong, I thought the whole film was pitch perfect, and I'd heard something about the controversial ending, so I was sort of prepared, but at the same time...

I feel sort of....drained. Like, and I'm only sort of kidding, I'd have to watch some of the darkest episodes of nuBSG just to cheer myself up.

Somehow I'd been under the impression that the main character killed himself, but to have him have to kill four other people, including his son and then live to be rescued...

Please tell me I'm not a freak for feeling like human life hes no value after watching this.

[Harvey]

Gep Malakai wrote:

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Dear God. That may have been the darkest, most nihilistic thing I've ever watched in my life.

Have you seen Funny Games by any chance (either the original or the U.S. remake will do)?

I've been meaning to see this, but as of yet, have not gotten around to it.

[Gep Malakai]

Hirogen Alpha wrote:

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Have you seen Funny Games by any chance (either the original or the U.S. remake will do)?

Is that the one where some psycho holds a family hostage and does brutal things to them just because? I've heard of it, but never seen it.

[Harvey]

Gep Malakai wrote:

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Is that the one where some psycho holds a family hostage and does brutal things to them just because? I've heard of it, but never seen it.

Two psychos, but yes, that about sums it up.

[Trent Roman]

I really wish they had opted for a more ambiguous ending. Up until then, I thought it was a great movie that I would get on DVD and pop in on evenings when I want some good survival horror. After finishing the film, I think it's a great movie I could never stand to watch again. Speaking only for myself, I would have been willing to trade some of the shock value and thematic unity for re-watchability. Them driving off into the mists, as the original story ended, would have been sufficiently bleak that it wouldn't have broken with the film's mood. Not enough resolution, perhaps...

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

[mr.peany]

I just watched the Mist myself. Suprisingly, I loved it more than what I thought I would, even with the tragic ending that left my jaw on the floor. If only he had waited just a couple more minutes...


Tom Jane is the man!!!!

[blaXXer]

Yep, I felt drained, too, when I left the cinema. Most depressing and nihilistic, but a great movie nonetheless.

[Skywalker]

King himself has said that he wished he'd thought of that ending when he first wrote the story.

It is pretty damn depressing, though.

[RJDiogenes]

Ah, "The Mist" is one of my all-time favorite King stories. I still remember bringing the Dark Forces anthology home from Harvard Square and reading it in one sitting. Sigh. Those were the days.

The movie was easily the best adaptation of a King story ever (which, granted, isn't difficult) and I love that they included a black-and-white version on the DVD. I remember a long-ago King interview where he said that he envisioned it as a grainy B&W monster movie while writing, and it really fits.

I'm not sure why they decided to change the ending when the rest of the movie was so faithful, and I would have preferred the original, which left the characters with a little hope. That said, it's not really inappropriate for that kind of movie; and I wouldn't really describe it as nihilistic, since the horrific irony of the personal tragedy is balanced by the optimism of the apparent end to the overall peril. Though this group of characters have met with disaster and despair, mankind has been saved.

[Ward Fowler]

It was a fantastic novella and a fantastic movie.

[Tulin]

I love that for once, pussy Hollywood actually went for a darker ending than the book. Usually a book will have an extremely dark and nihilistic ending and Hollywood will, after countless demographic tests, pussify the ending and make everything sweet and rosy.

It blew me AWAY when I found out that this time, the BOOK had the happy ending and it was changed to be all dark and depressing for the film.


AWESOME!!!!!

[Alpha_Geek]

You really should modify the topic to WARN OF SPOILERS.

Now spoiled,

AG

[Gep Malakai]

Alpha_Geek wrote:

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You really should modify the topic to WARN OF SPOILERS.

Now spoiled,

AG

The film has been out for more than a year, which is the cutoff time for spoilers on this board, is it not?

Still, if a mod feels like editing the title, be my guest...

[dragunzng]

Depressing yes, but I really like the fact that the studio didn't have the ending changed.

We've had arguments about whether or not Jane's character had to kill the four people he did, but regardless of his logic, it sure makes for an ending you're not likely to forget anytime soon.

[Gep Malakai]

dragunzng wrote:

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We've had arguments about whether or not Jane's character had to kill the four people he did, but regardless of his logic, it sure makes for an ending you're not likely to forget anytime soon.

I think it made sense given the situation they were in. Analyzing it logically after the shock had worn off, I realized the sensible thing to do would have been to hold off on the murder/suicide-minus-suicide until there was an immediate threat (there's a monster right there about to kill them, say), and otherwise sit and wait just in case some kind of rescue comes. That way, they'd maximize their (admittedly slim) chances.

But given what they'd been through and what they'd seen, I can see how they would think immediate death would be the reasonable response. After watching dozens of people die in the most horrible of ways, I can't imagine many in their position would want to take the chance. So I guess what Jane did was not logical, but it was humane, if you catch my meaning.