Just saw "The Mist" and HOLY SHIT

Jesus. That's all I can say. My jaw was on the floor for the last 5 minutes of the film. Not only that, but I have to say it was one of the most disturbing films I've ever seen. The ending just shocked me. Period.

I'm a huge King fan, I enjoy his books and the TV and movie adaptations of his work. The best ones are the ones that become a work of art in and of themselves: "Carrie," "Christine," "The Shining," you get the picture. I read "The Mist" maybe 20 years ago; then in college was fortunate enough to stumble across an Audio Play in my Radio Production course. So needless to say I was incredibly anxious to see this film.

Overall I liked the film, it had some great tense moments and some surprisingly good performances. Thomas Jane did an excellent job, especially with the tense scenes as they pertain to his son. His performance (in spots) was very reminiscent of Mel Gibson's particularly in Lethal Weapon (the suicide attempt scene) and Mad Max (the family murder scene)— which BTW was completely ripped off in "The Punisher" which also starred Thomas Jane. Just an interesting connection for you.

The standout, though, I have to say is Marcia Gay Harden. Holy shit was she good - the litmus test for me on a performance is that if the actress can make you stop seeing her and only see the character - you've got me. Her character Ms. Carmody is a religious zealot and you hate her. Flat out hate her. So much so that if you saw Marcia Gay Harden on line at the supermarket, you may stop and think twice about asking to be her friend (see the movie, you'll see what I mean).

All-n-all the movie stayed pretty true to the novella. There where many scenes that where direct pulls. Of course, they added several characters and removed some other non-relevant happenings as movies must do for pacing, etc. The big difference, though was the ending. I will not ruin it for anyone, because I want you to truly experience it full force. All I can say is that if you have kids, especially young ones, hug them tight when you get home. I have 2 boys myself and the first thing I did when I walked int he door was give them a kiss.

So you may hate the ending, you may love it. But one thing is for sure: this film NEVER once pulls a punch. If you are looking for a Hollywood ending you won't find it here.

In terms of the fun stuff, you'll see a lot of nods in the film. Thomas Jane's character, David Drayton, is an artist who paints movie posters. In his studio you'll "John Carpenter's The Thing" - which I suspect is a nod to "John Carpenter's The Fog" which shares a common foe with "The Mist." Also, King fans will cream over the current painting that David is completing: none other than Roland of Gilead, the Gunslinger. Is this hinting at a movie version of the Gunslinger? One can only hope. There 's a serious "Alien" and "Aliens" nod in the pharmacy scene as well.

So to summarize, "The Mist" is a solid tense film with an ending that will unsettle you. There are plenty of jumps and scares to go around and even a "cheer" - although on hind site, it's rather inappropriate.

OK, gotta go. Paintball tomorrow. :)