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*** 1/2 STARS

When I was 12 years old I was obsessed with Stephen King’s short story collections “Skeleton Crew” and “The Night Shift”. These two books have been able to spawn a few under performing movies (”Maximum Overdrive”, “Children of the Corn” and “The Mangler”) that missed the mark a bit. Don’t get me wrong, I like those movies, but I don’t love them. “The Mist” is more terrifying than all three of those films combined.

When I first read the short story “The Mist” I thought, “they could never make this into a film”. Man was I wrong! “The Mist” may be one of my favorite King adaptations ever. It was everything I could hope for, and more. This is a great adaptation done with care by a true fan. This film is definately going into my top ten list for one of the best films of 2007.

I am not going to get into the plot too much, because it isn’t the driving force behind this powerful, terrifying and grousome horror movie. The witty screenwriting and pitch perfect direction by Frank Darabont make this a tense and at times, gorgeous film to watch. “The Mist” is a great parable for the way this country is divided in the current “culture war” between religious fanatics and liberals.

“The Mist” revolves around the small town of Bridgton, Maine and the horrific mist that suddenly appears one day after a huge storm. A group of towns people hold themselves up in a grocery store when the town is suddenly enveloped in the unnatural mist that conceals otherworldly monsters. Right away we get the feeling that the humans inside the grocery store are worse than the evil blood thirsty monsters outside in the mist.

Local rumors point to an experiment called “The Arrowhead Projectâ€? conducted at a nearby top-secret military base as the cause for the mist, but questions as to the origins of the deadly vapor are secondary to the group’s overall chances for survival. Retreating to a local supermarket, the survivors must face-off against each other before taking a united stand against an enemy they cannot even see. As confusion sets in, the deeply religious town “nut job” Mrs. Carmody (Marcia Gay Harden) suspects the onset of Armageddon as others search for a different answer.

Marcia Gay Harden’s performance as “Carmody” is what Oscar nominations are made for. I was on the edge of my seat in every scene with her in it. Her moments of religious insanity are scary as hell because they are so true to real life and they touch upon the religious rights insane views on “the end of days”. The scenes with Harden are the most intense ones in this movie.

Thomas Jane does a terrific job as the hero and protective father who will do whatever it takes to save his son. All of the actors involved in this film give it their best jobs. The talent involved in this monster movie give it a sense of realism that will creep you out. This film could have been a disaster if the characters from the short story weren’t faithfully fleshed out like they are in Darabont’s screenplay.

“The Mist” is my favorite horror movie of 2007 and it has secured a spot in my top five favorite films this year. At points in this film I could hardly breathe the tension and suspense were so palpable. I found myself scared and completely enthralled with the characters and creatures that are in this film. The special effects work so well that you will be either scared shitless or grossed out at the creature effects.

I cannot reccommend this film any stronger to fans of Stephen King, Frank Darabont or of horror films in general. “The Mist” has an important message while being able to scare your socks off at the same time. Although the ending is different than it is in the book, I felt as if this theatrical ending was brilliant and real to life. Some people may find this film too gory and intense, but I for one think it is one of the most artistic horror films ever made. I cannot wait to own this film and watch it over and over, that is how much I enjoyed “The Mist”!