There’s Nothing Out There. Nothing in the Mist: The Mist (2007)

David, there’s nothing out there. Nothing in the mist.

So The Mist was an okay movie. I thought it was doing really good and totally creepy until the end. The end was totally screwed up as the director had to go and change the story. What a loser!

So this is based on a story by Stephen King. And I know y’all know that a Horrorfest would not be complete without one. It is also not a complete rip-off of The Fog (the new or old film), as everyone thinks it is. There are quite a lot similarities, but they are extremely different in the motive and what the “monster” that is attacking is. In the different versions of The Fog, the creatures are it is supernatural, while in The Mist…well, you’ll see.

So the film starts the day after a huge thunderstorm has hit a little town (of course) in Maine (the usual). A thick, unnatural mist starts to descend on the town, and at first they don’t realize that something far more sinister is lurking within it.

So, that day David Drayton (Thomas Jane), a graphic artist, decides to go to the local grocery store to buy supplies, bringing his eight-year-old son, Billy (Nathan Gamble), and his neighbor, Brent Norton (Andre Braugher) along. You know, just a normal average day.

So while they are at the store, another storm comes and hits the the town. This time it severely engulfs the area in a thick mist. (Whenever I bike to work early in the morning I always think about this movie and The Fog.)

They do notice something very strange. It seems as if there is a plethora of military roaming about the area.

That’s strange

When they get to the supermarket, they find it packed with people stocking up. A military policeman, goes after the soldiers in the supermarket, telling them to pack it up as their leave is over and they need to head out. Everything is normal until a local townsperson runs into the store covered in blood.

He begins screaming that there is something out there in the mist, killing and attacking people. People go to look out the windows to see what is out there, but the mist is so thick that they are unable to spot anything.

Several people rush, out and everyone hears their screams…then nothing.

The decide to seal the doors in order to keep “everything” out. One woman is worried about her children and decides to risk trying to go home. She asks for someone to accompany her, but no one volunteers.

She leaves and we never see her again.

So as you can guess, just like Night of the Living Dead, this film becomes more of a survivor story/deconstruction of humanity than an actual monster movie. You have a group of people trying to survive in a confinied area and while some rise to the challenge, others do not. This film has all the usual Stephen King clichés, like an deeply religious psychotic person who wants to kill/punish all who tries to control every one.

Of course

It couldn’t be a Stephen King film without it.

At one point the group tries to go check on their clogged generator. A couple men go to open the loading dock door to see what the issue is when large tentacles come reaching out and kill them.

This is just the beginning in monster attacks, as they face giant insect, pterodactyl -like creatures, and many more.

In a raid for medicine vis-à-vis The Day After Tomorrow, they run into the military supervisor from earlier hanging from a gigantic spider web. He tells them to question the men in the store for the true backstory of the mist.

In the end it turns out that military are to blame as they opened a portal to another world.

Yes. In an ending as disappointing as Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull aliens just leaving. (Although the worse is yet to come.)

Eventually the section of the group that is run by the psychotic women, has increased that it outnumbers the other group lead by David. As she tries to get Billy to be a sacrificed, David’s team decides to leave, risking the unknown.

They are able to score a car and the group drive as far as the SUV will take them. They take stock of their options and decide it is better to end their lives, rather than be torn apart by whatever the things are. David shoots everybody in the car, including his son. Right before he turns the gun on himself, a military tank comes charging through proclaiming that they have defeated the monsters.

Yes. Yes. He has just killed his child and everyone when he didn’t need to.

Now I could forgive everything else. The stupid plotholes, the crazy clichés, the other dimension monsters, ANYTHING; but that ending? Really? Really? It’s just dumb.

Duh!

Did you guys have to that? It is so horrible! First of all as he murdered his child when he didn’t need to. And secondly, it is extremely anti-climatic! I mean come on, it would have been so much better if they just had them driving off, no one knowing what will happen to them or whether they will survive. You know, like how it ended in the book?!

Yep you guys really messed up there.

See Hook agrees with me.

To start Horrorfest III from the beginning, go to Even a Man Pure of Heart

For the previous post, go to The Past of a Man

For more on Stephen King, go to He Who Walks Behind the Rows

For more films based on books, go to You’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat

For more quotes, go to Part X: The Movie List That Would Not Die

You May Screw Up, but You’re Not a Screw Up: Mystic Pizza (1988)

Romantic Moment #2

Mystic Pizza (1988)

Mystic Pizza is a coming of age film that tells the story of three girls, and coworkers at Mystic Pizza, as they set off on different paths. Jojo is supposed to be married, but at her wedding gets cold feet. She wants to stay with her boyfriend, but is afraid to lose herself. Her boyfriend, Bill, is understanding but at the same time doesn’t want to be strung around. He doesn’t just want sex, he wants more, he wants marriage. Beautuful Daisy, is always reckless and the life of the party. She clashes with her mother as she isn’t as sensible as her sister Kat. She gets involved with a rich guy, which her mom tells her won’t last. After he uses her to get back at his family, she breaks off the relationship. Kat was accepted to Yale and is eager to go and study astronomy. Although she is getting a scholarship, she is worried about finances and takes on a second job as a baby-sitter. The wife is out of town and the father starts giving Kat the attention she has never recieved, having been in the shadow of her sister. Kat eagerly spends a night with him only to have his wife return and him treat their “time together” as a buisness transaction, trying to pay her off to not say anything. In the end, Jojo and Bill get married; the only thing changing about her is her name. Daisy’s ex, Charles (the rich boy), listened to what she said about him and comes back to not only apologize but prove to her he’s changed and tries to win her heart back. Kat rejects the dad’s check and forms a better relationship with her sister. Leona, the owner of Mystic Pizza, gives her extra money as she is one of “her girls”.

Most Romantic Moment:

So the girls are going out to have a girl’s night. Kat has the night off, Jo is on the outs with Bill, and Charles has to visit his grandma. The girls get drunk (heavily, except Kat) and steal Bill’s truck that full of fish and fish guts. They decide to drive out to the country club as they like to watch the people dance. When they get there they are having fun, that is until they spot Charlie talking and dancing to a blond girl. It is clear to all that they know each other very well.

Uh. Oh not good, at all. Daisy gets so upset that she goes ballistic!

She gets in Bill’s truck and dumps all the fish and fish guts in Charlies new red porsche. (Best payback for a cheater ever)

Imagine this full of fish guts! Yuck!

Now I know you are all probably thinking, what’s romantic about this? This guy is a total skeez for cheating on her. Now just wait, I’m getting there.

So Charlie comes out and sees her doing this and freaks. I mean who wouldn’t? I know I’d be royally pissed! Now Daisy is yelling and cussing him out for lying and cheating on her.

Then Charlie tells her he didn’t lie. He was going to his Grandma’s, but she went out of town. He called her house but she was out and her mom had no idea where she was or when she would be back. So he decided to take his little sister out.

That’s right. His sister.

So Daisy feels super stupid. And you know what Charles does next? I’ll tell you, and let me say it is pretty romantic.

“Daisy: I f***** up. 

Charles Gordon Windsor, Jr.: Yeah… but you gave it a 100% effort!”

That’s right ladies and gentlemen, instead of being mad, yelling, screaming, or even lording over Daisy that she was wrong and did something stupid (a reaction that would have been understandable) he tries to make her feel better. His car has fish and fish guts everywhere, which you know will be an absolute PAIN to get clean and it will take forever to get rid of the smell, all he cares about in that moment is making Daisy feel better and make sure she knows that everything is ok. Now you might not agree with me, but I think that is a prime-A sighworthy moment.

So romantic

I mean you know how guys get about their cars. Cars are like an extension of themselves, it’s their personal/sacred space. It is their provate domain, their man cave on wheels. And this wasn’t a trashy car, this was a new porsche convertible. And to not say anything, wow this guy is great. I mean its true he does have a few kinks to workout, he is a fixer-upper (who isn’t?),  but he’s worth having.

Here’s the scene for you guys. It’s great!

“Daisy: [After Charles tries to make her feel better] You’re weird

Charles Gordon Windsor, Jr.: I’m weird? [Looks at car, then at Daisy] I’m weird? [takes Daisy’s hand]

So adorable!

Tune in tomorrow for another romantic post!

To check out another Julia Robert’s post go here.