Frank Darabont must be thrilled every time Stephen King releases a new novel. Darabont's most successful directorial (and writing) efforts (The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile) both originated from the fertile mind of Stephen King. With The Mist, Darabont goes back to the well, adapting a King story for the screen.
The Mist concerns a town in, naturally, Maine, which is laid waste by a violent storm, only to have a cloud of mist cover the entire area the next day. This mysterious mist traps David Drayton (played by Thomas Jane) in a grocery store with his young son and an assorted group of people. The film also stars Marcia Gay Harden and Andre Braugher, so it is possible they have been taken hostage by said mist.
Since this is a Stephen King story (and it may come from the heavy cocaine and alcohol section of his career), this is no ordinary mist. This mist contains creatures from other dimensions and may have originated at a local military base. The mist is turning their utopian town in Maine into hell on earth. That's right: hell. on. earth.
While the cast is not particularly inspiring (though it is nice to see Braugher getting work), Darabont has done both great (Shawshank) and decent (Green Mile) work with Stephen King's stories before. Expect an enjoyable time at the theater…well, as enjoyable as HELL ON EARTH can be. (Les Winan/BOP)
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