The Mist

[Mystic]

I saw this movie called 'The Mist.' It was based on a Stephen King story. Usually they mess up movies based on King's stories but I really liked this movie. Actually had something to say about people messing around with stuff they should leave alone.

I like a lot of King's stories but not many of the movies they made using his stories. 'Misery' was a pretty good one. My favorite King book was a collection of short stories. I think it was called 'Graveyard Shift.'

 

[MarkC]

Graveyard Shift is a great collection.

 

[97tbird]

and so is the Gunslinger series.

 

[Benzadmiral]

What has happened more often than not is that the filmmakers seize on the creepy/scary/gross elements of King's work, and focus on that, leaving all the human qualities out. You know, the stuff that makes you care about the characters, makes you fear for them, etc.

Best example: Kubrick's "The Shining," with Jack Nicholson. Instead of an understandable guy who loves his wife and kid and whose alcoholism allows the demons in the hotel to turn him into a monster, we get a sort of hairless werewolf ("Here's Johnny!") and other stick figures we don't even like. Compare it to the 1997 miniseries version with Steven Weber and Rebecca DeMornay, and you'll see.

A lot of the other trashy movies attributed to King ("Children of the Corn," for one example) took the easy-scare way out.

Want to see what can really come out if he has a director and producer who understands his work? "The Shawshank Redemption," "Stand By Me," and earlier, "The Dead Zone." And his own adaptation for TV of "The Stand" is darn good too.

The "Graveyard Shift" collection is great. Read the original story, "Trucks," that gave rise to that "Maximum Overdrive" mess, and try to block the movie from your mind.

 

[wantin150]

I want to see "From a Buick 8" on film.