There are times when I hate writing about a film project based on a Stephen King novel. This because I have such a strong admiration for the author’s body of work, in which even the less than stellar books are often written much better than anyone else’s in the genre. Though he’s still amongst the best selling authors of all time, there are those who would disagree with me. But this is because King has a style of writing that is often too visually and psychologically stimulating for the average reader whose favorite books tend to be in the “See Spot Run…” category. (Just come to Texas, you’ll see what I mean.) The problem is that the very items I mentioned that make King’s books such a great read for those of us in the higher intellectual tax bracket are the very things that make translating his books to film so difficult. His words are meticulously crafted in order to create strong images within the imagination of the reader, so when a filmmaker attempts to put that image on screen, it often falls far short of what the human mind can conjure up.

But this is not the only problem King’s adaptations are wont to suffer from. Often there is simply the problem of budget. Some producer grabs the rights to a novel or short story for no other reason than to grab the title and put author's name in the credits. He (or she) then re-writes the story to fit whatever budget is available or in some case see if they can write it better (good luck…).

Probably the most famous of these travesties is in the (oddly enough) well received Stanley Kubrick version of “The Shining.” This was a big budget film from a famous director, so unfortunately audiences were tricked into thinking it would be a masterpiece. Kubrick admitted to not being very fond of the book, but thought the concept was good. He then opted to re-write a lot of the story to fit his vision. What his vision if “The Shining” turned into was frightening indeed, but more so because of the horror experienced by fans of the original book, wondering what the hell happened. If you really want to see “The Shining”, I highly recommend the TV mini-series version starring Steven Weber. Though it has a few minute flaws of its own, it is far superior. But I digress.

The good thing about there being so many adaptations of King’s works is that there are quite a few diamonds to be found in the coal bin. If you have the opportunity to see “Stand by Me”, “Misery”, “The Dead Zone”, “Dolores Claiborne”, “The Shawshank Redemption” or “The Green Mile’ you will be in for a treat. These are all terrific movies that should not be missed. And speaking of those last two, both are important to this review because they were adapted and directed by Frank Darabont… who has now given us a third Stephen King based movie. Though already underrated by critics and audiences alike, “The Mist” stands as yet another diamond amongst the aforementioned coal.

“The Mist” is based on a novella that originally appeared in Kirby McCauley’s horror anthology,”Dark Forces.” Shortly after its release, an audiotape was released that featured a live ‘radio play’ of the story, recorded in what was then a new system that allowed for a 3-Dimensional effect when listing in headphones. I not only bought the tape… I actually still own it. I loved the story, which followed a group of people trapped in a grocery store after a strange mist rolls into their town. Normally a little mist isn’t enough to keep people from going home… but this mist is different. There are… things… in it. Things that drag people away. Things with tentacles. Things that kill.

The story, whether I was reading it late at night or opting to throw on some headphones, did its job. It scared me. My imagination ran wild as King would describe the shapes and horrors that moved through the mist. I often though it would make a great movie, but knew that no special effects artist could possibly crate a creature that would live up to my expectations. But these horrors were not the only reason I was scared by the story, it was the people trapped inside. King created a story that was every bit a psychological horror as it was physical. He threw a group of diverse people into an unfathomable situation and one by one they began to turn on each other. They formed groups and castes within their ranks that fought against each other. That scared me more than the monsters. To understand how people can turn so blindly against one another or follow those whose level of insanity would be apparent to any right thinking person. There isn’t just evil outside the giant glass windows of the supermarket… there’s also evil inside.

Last year I caught a news item that Frank Darabont was planning on adapting “The Mist”, and I about jumped for joy. His previous King films were two of the absolute best and I knew that he would be able to deliver another outstanding film. I wasn’t even as worried about the look of the creatures because I knew under his direction KNB Effects would do everything in their power to match the description from King’s mind. I followed the production on the internet and waited for it to come out. Initially I planned to catch it when it opened in theatres, but it was released at a time that getting out just wasn’t an option. I knew I was going to have to wait for DVD. But let me tell you, it was well worth the wait.

Darabont delivered a version of “The Mist” that is compelling, frightening, and faithful to the original novella, especially when it came to the psychological aspects of the story. All of the actors turned in natural and believable performances, including Thomas Jane as David Drayton. His concern for his son’s safety served as a powerful reminder of what a real parent should feel for their children, especially in terms of the film’s highly controversial ending. Nearly stealing the film however is Marcia Gay Harden as Mrs. Carmody, the town’s religious fanatic. Her presence is a powerful one, and though I would hope to never be gullible enough to follow someone in such an insane frame of mind, I could see how weaker people might follow her. Harden absolutely tears up the screen with her performances

Speaking of the film’s controversial ending; Darabont did have to do some elaborating on the original novella. He remained faithful in his adaptation but had to lengthen the story a bit and concoct and ending. In the novella, the ending was rather ambiguous and did not have a conclusion. Darabont’s closure was both welcome and unwelcome in that it gave the story an ending, but that ending might not fit how audiences might want the story to end. It is emotionally powerful, and unfortunately all too realistic of a possibility in such an unrealistic situation. While I would have personally rather had a different emotional feeling coming out of the film, I applaud his willingness to go to such and extreme.

“The Mist” is now available in a single disc and double disc DVD set, but everyone knows that the 2-disc is the one to get. And for more than just your normal slew of extra features. The first disc has a great commentary by Darabont, who proves to be just as good a speaker as he is a writer. He provides a lot of insight into his process of taking the story to screen and exudes a lot of energy in his love for the genre. There are also some deleted scenes, most of which are pretty interesting as well as some must-watch behind the scenes webisodes. You’ll also find a featurette on artist Drew Stuzan, whose posters have graced a ton of films, though it is interesting to note that his was not used for this film… and judging from the DVD cover art that was used, should have been.

There are also several special effects featurettes on the 2nd disc, along with a lengthy making of documentary. But the absolute best reason to grab the 2-disc version is that it includes a black & white version of the movie. This was how Darabont envisioned doing the film in the first place, but the powers that be in the studios wouldn’t have anything to do with it. They believed a black & white movie wouldn’t sell tickets, and sadly they are probably right. However for intelligent film lovers, watching “The Mist” in black & white is like a whole new experience. Devoid of color, the film has a different vibe and is some ways even more frightening than it was in its original format. I challenge those of you who don’t think you’d like it this way to give it a try late on a dark Saturday night… all alone… with the lights out.

“The Mist”, as envisioned by Frank Darabont is easily added to the top of the food chain when it comes to Stephen King movies, and I’m sorry to see it was so overlooked. I can only hope that it will receive a larger and more appreciative audience now that its on DVD.

Directed by: Frank Darabont
Starring: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden, Andre Braugher, Toby Jones
Extras: Feature Commentary by Writer/Director Frank Darabont, Deleted Scenes with Optional Commentary, Drew Struzan - An Appreciation of an Artist, Behind the Scenes Webisodes, Frank Darabont Introduces “The Mist” in Black & White, The Complete Feature Film in Black & White, The Making of the Mist, Taming the Beast, Monsters Among Us, The Horror of it All
Specifications: Widescreen, Dolby Digital 5.1
Studio: Dimension
Release Date: 3/25/2008
Region: 1
MPAA Rating: R
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We'll give The Mist an A+.