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Montgomery 
"F**k!"
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 Posted - 03/31/2008 : 18:42:15
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Okay -- don't rent The Mist.
Usually, I love Stephen King. But this movie had the worst ending I have seen in a movie for a long time.
I wanted to strangle SK when I was done watching it.
I was all ready for some great sci-fi and gore.
It was very dark at the end.
I do not recommend it.
EM :) |
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turrell 
"Ohhhh Ohhhh Ohhhh Ohhhh "
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Posted - 03/31/2008 : 22:06:02
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Emily, we discussed this here:
http://www.fwfr.com/fourum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5821
I wholeheartedly agree with you - some disagreed on the grounds that the ending was unexepected - I thought it was just idiotic and disgusting. |
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Ali
"Those aren't pillows."
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Montgomery
"F**k!"
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Posted - 04/01/2008 : 19:04:17
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quote:
Originally posted by Ali
My review is here.
Very well-written review.
I cannot understand anyone liking this movie. I'm sorry, but that is a sacred law of movie making NOT to do what this movie did. And, although I am all for not having the Hollywood ending. That ending was so dark and disturbing, on a movie, I agree, didn't seem like it knew what it wanted to be.
I want my two hours back. And my rental fee. And I want Stephen King to come and help wash my memory of it.
Not what I expected from the director who did Shawshank or Green Mile. Both better films.
I could not find that thread before. Sorry for starting another one. I really did search for it. But it must have been so far back, that I didn't get to it.
EM :) |
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MisterBadIdea 
"PLZ GET MILK, KTHXBYE"
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Posted - 04/02/2008 : 14:27:07
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I am torn on this one. Times, I think the ending is cheap nihilism; others, that it is awesome and completely justified nihilism.
Even if I go with the ending as cheap, I still think this is a brilliant horror movie. Everything before the end is some powerful, powerful stuff. I was really surprised Darabont had the cojones. I think what it's about is that, when you have no information, anything can be the right or wrong answer and every choice is equally bad. Harden's character turns out to be right about everything (the military's blame, kill the kid and everything will go away), and that's not because she knows more or has more insight into anything -- it's because, well, geez, what's to prevent her from being right? It's a coincidence, of course, but those happen.
Oh, and I hated The Green Mile.
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Edited by - MisterBadIdea on 04/02/2008 14:27:26 |
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Montgomery
"F**k!"
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Posted - 04/02/2008 : 15:05:12
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quote:
Originally posted by MisterBadIdea
I am torn on this one. Times, I think the ending is cheap nihilism; others, that it is awesome and completely justified nihilism.
Even if I go with the ending as cheap, I still think this is a brilliant horror movie. Everything before the end is some powerful, powerful stuff. I was really surprised Darabont had the cojones. I think what it's about is that, when you have no information, anything can be the right or wrong answer and every choice is equally bad. Harden's character turns out to be right about everything (the military's blame, kill the kid and everything will go away), and that's not because she knows more or has more insight into anything -- it's because, well, geez, what's to prevent her from being right? It's a coincidence, of course, but those happen.
Oh, and I hated The Green Mile.
OKAY -- SPOILERS GALORE, DON'T READ, IF YOU PLAN ON SEEING THIS MESS.
I disagree even that everything up to that horrible, horrible ending was "powerful". I thought the CGI stuff was cartoony in parts. (The spiders, and the large tentacled thing). And several times I was yelling at the screen, because the characters did the opposite of what most thinking people would do. And the point Ali made in his review is true. The neighbor wouldn't even go back to the loading dock to see the tentacle that was cut off of the creature? I mean, come on, even if you thought it was a hoax, you'd go to see.
And the Elizabeth Gay Harden character I thought was interesting. But, why would she suddenly ask for "The boy!"? Just for horrific effect. There was no prior conflict between her and the man or his son.
The one part I liked was seeing the woman and her two kids. The one from the beginning, who couldn't get anyone to accompany her home to fetch her kids. She was alive (with her two kids) at the end in one of the army trucks. I liked that part.
But, the ending was just dark for no reason. I understand, you don't know what you'd do in desperate times, etc. And he had no other information. But, it was just a bad, dark ending to a not so great movie leading up to it. And, I was very disappointed overall.
Green Mile wasn't great. I thought it better than this movie, though.
I've liked of Stephen King made for screen -- Shawshank, Stand By Me, Misery, The Shining and as a horror movie -- Carrie.
Am I forgetting any other good ones?
EM :) |
Edited by - Montgomery on 04/03/2008 16:33:58 |
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MisterBadIdea
"PLZ GET MILK, KTHXBYE"
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Posted - 04/03/2008 : 16:19:08
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I'll admit that the tentacles were a bit cartoony, but other than that, I thought the film set up well Tom Jane's descent into despair. There is some dark, dark stuff in this -- the shot of the girl swelling up from that giant bug bite while her potential boyfriend watches helplessly haunts my dreams, even more than the ending. There's also the soldiers hanging themselves, the one soldier being crucified by the mob, and -- for some reason this really sticks with me -- the scene of Tom Jane trying to console his crying little boy.
That just seems so unfamiliar in movies -- a kid crying. Most kids in movies are Haley Joel Osment/Dakota Fanning blank-eyed moppets. In this one, it's just a normal kid, and he's crying because it's scary and he's frightened. You don't see kids crying like that in movies. You just don't. |
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Montgomery
"F**k!"
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Posted - 04/03/2008 : 16:39:47
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quote:
Originally posted by MisterBadIdea
I'll admit that the tentacles were a bit cartoony, but other than that, I thought the film set up well Tom Jane's descent into despair. There is some dark, dark stuff in this -- the shot of the girl swelling up from that giant bug bite while her potential boyfriend watches helplessly haunts my dreams, even more than the ending. There's also the soldiers hanging themselves, the one soldier being crucified by the mob, and -- for some reason this really sticks with me -- the scene of Tom Jane trying to console his crying little boy.
That just seems so unfamiliar in movies -- a kid crying. Most kids in movies are Haley Joel Osment/Dakota Fanning blank-eyed moppets. In this one, it's just a normal kid, and he's crying because it's scary and he's frightened. You don't see kids crying like that in movies. You just don't.
Because it's not enjoyable to see kids cry. Do you have kids? It's the worst thing in the world to see a child in pain. I'm not saying you can't ever have a plot that includes something happening to a child (Imagine all the great movies that would be gone, if that were the case). But, when it is blantant manipulation, I HATE it. Like the scene in Titanic where the mom in third class (where they are locked below deck and can't get out) puts her kids to bed. I didn't want to see that. And the person who thought it up is an evil person who just wanted to play that little violin a little louder.
What happens at the end of that movie is inexcusable. It's not like it happened. Someone thought it up and someone else thought, yeh, that would be a good ending. Well, it wasn't.
The girl bloating up, I'll admit, was good scene. But, even that looked a tad fake.
EM :) |
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Yukon
"Co-editor of FWFR book"
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Posted - 04/07/2008 : 02:44:43
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SPOLIERS
Said it before in another thread and I'll say it again. The ending was amazing. Completely shocking. Kudos to the film makers for having the guts to go with a completely non-Hollywood ending.
I'm so tired of predictable endings that I love anything with a twist and this movie floored me. I just kept thinking "I can't believe they chose to end the movie that way!"
I think I would have hated the movie if the army came in and saved everybody. Too predictable. |
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MisterBadIdea
"PLZ GET MILK, KTHXBYE"
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Posted - 04/07/2008 : 05:09:54
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I think the fact is that the film crossed Montgomery's pain threshhold.
I try not to have limits on my pain threshhold. I love horror movies of all kinds, including a bunch derided as "torture porn." I think "Hostel" is a bad bad movie, but not because it's sadistic -- more because it's depressing and then finally boring. "The Mist" is not boring, it is excruciatingly painful, but I applaud that. It got the reaction it wanted. It's called a horror movie for a reason.
I dislike pain when pain is not what the director intends for me to feel. "You, Me and Dupree," a film about emotional torture more than anything, was maybe the most painful film I've ever seen, but it was meant to be light and funny. I was in agony. |
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turrell
"Ohhhh Ohhhh Ohhhh Ohhhh "
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Posted - 04/07/2008 : 06:25:12
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It wasn't at all about pain threshold it was just a schlocky ending - one I'd equate to Basic Instinct - let's throw in a twist essentially for shock value - I love a good twist that is supported by the plot, but this ending simply didn't. The film didn't take seriously the spiralling into despair of the main character - take the ending off and that's not really what this film is about (of course it was about 5 unrealted topics so who knopws what it was about).
If one character took that upon themself I can see that being an interesting contrast, but they entered into the final pact too easily and when you have a child involved that is utterly unbelievable (and not in the way that goofy aliens come down to eat earthlings unbelievable - but in a way that defies the human condition).
I agree with Yukon that twist endings are welcome, but not when they come out of left field - thats just lazy writing - why not have a giant snake swallow Indiana Jones at the end of any of the movies? Why not have the Ewoks eat Princess Leia alive? You wouldn't have seen that coming - it doesn't necessarily make it good. End of Rocky a nuclear bomb hits. End of Schindler's list a gay disco scene - sure - completely unpredicatble. |
Edited by - turrell on 04/07/2008 06:27:48 |
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Montgomery
"F**k!"
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Posted - 04/07/2008 : 15:17:18
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quote:
Originally posted by turrell
It wasn't at all about pain threshold it was just a schlocky ending - one I'd equate to Basic Instinct - let's throw in a twist essentially for shock value - I love a good twist that is supported by the plot, but this ending simply didn't. The film didn't take seriously the spiralling into despair of the main character - take the ending off and that's not really what this film is about (of course it was about 5 unrealted topics so who knopws what it was about).
If one character took that upon themself I can see that being an interesting contrast, but they entered into the final pact too easily and when you have a child involved that is utterly unbelievable (and not in the way that goofy aliens come down to eat earthlings unbelievable - but in a way that defies the human condition).
I agree with Yukon that twist endings are welcome, but not when they come out of left field - thats just lazy writing - why not have a giant snake swallow Indiana Jones at the end of any of the movies? Why not have the Ewoks eat Princess Leia alive? You wouldn't have seen that coming - it doesn't necessarily make it good. End of Rocky a nuclear bomb hits. End of Schindler's list a gay disco scene - sure - completely unpredicatble.
SPOILERS AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you. Exactly my feelings. I didn't like knowing that the man had killed his own son, but if the movie had felt that way throughout, perhaps I would have felt it fit. It didn't.
SPOILER FOR ANOTHER FILM --
In "The Vanishing" -- the original, there is a twist ending where the guy wakes up buried alive. I thought that was brilliant. Not a cheery end to a movie either. But the whole movie leads up to that. That question -- what happened to his fiance? And the answer comes -- buried alive. And the only way the guy could find out was to allow the killer to do the same to him. Brilliant. I agree with Turrell. The Mist's movie ending was lazy. They thought, "Well, we've got nothing to lose." And they really didn't, because it wasn't that good of a movie leading up. But, honestly. It didn't save the movie. It made it worse. Way worse.
And, I don't think I really have that low of a pain threshold. I saw both Hostels. And, actually, I liked them. I like the twists in both of those. Because, actually, I like horror movies and am kinda tired of the answer as to why people are being killed being that there is a clan on inbred cannibalistic half-humans living out in the woods.
I agree with Bad, too, though. Dupree was painful to watch.
EM :)
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Edited by - Montgomery on 04/07/2008 15:18:29 |
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MisterBadIdea
"PLZ GET MILK, KTHXBYE"
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Posted - 04/07/2008 : 15:36:38
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quote:
Originally posted by turrell
It wasn't at all about pain threshold it was just a schlocky ending - one I'd equate to Basic Instinct - let's throw in a twist essentially for shock value - I love a good twist that is supported by the plot, but this ending simply didn't. The film didn't take seriously the spiralling into despair of the main character - take the ending off and that's not really what this film is about (of course it was about 5 unrealted topics so who knopws what it was about).
If one character took that upon themself I can see that being an interesting contrast, but they entered into the final pact too easily and when you have a child involved that is utterly unbelievable (and not in the way that goofy aliens come down to eat earthlings unbelievable - but in a way that defies the human condition).
That's a valid argument. Like I said, I go back and forth on this. I don't think it's as unjustified as either of you guys make it out to be, but it's certainly not set up as well as it could have been. Basically, I understand where you guys are coming from, and I kinda/kinda don't agree.
I quite liked the second Hostel movie. Way better than the first. |
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Montgomery
"F**k!"
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Posted - 04/07/2008 : 18:37:22
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quote:
Originally posted by MisterBadIdea
I quite liked the second Hostel movie. Way better than the first.
I liked them both. Like I said, I thought the twist in the first movie made sense and wasn't just the usual government testing causing killer, inbred mutants. Pleasantly surprised. The second movie, I thought, how is this going to work? I liked the twist there, too.
EM :) |
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Yukon
"Co-editor of FWFR book"
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Posted - 04/07/2008 : 20:32:46
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quote:
Originally posted by turrell
I agree with Yukon that twist endings are welcome, but not when they come out of left field - thats just lazy writing - why not have a giant snake swallow Indiana Jones at the end of any of the movies? Why not have the Ewoks eat Princess Leia alive? You wouldn't have seen that coming - it doesn't necessarily make it good. End of Rocky a nuclear bomb hits. End of Schindler's list a gay disco scene - sure - completely unpredicatble.
I don't think this came out of left field. Remember, he promised his son he wouldn't let the creatures get him. He kept his word. Instead of letting his son suffer and get torn apart and eaten by the creatures, he ended it quickly and as painlessly as possible. |
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Montgomery
"F**k!"
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Posted - 04/07/2008 : 20:59:34
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quote:
Originally posted by Yukon
quote:
Originally posted by turrell
I agree with Yukon that twist endings are welcome, but not when they come out of left field - thats just lazy writing - why not have a giant snake swallow Indiana Jones at the end of any of the movies? Why not have the Ewoks eat Princess Leia alive? You wouldn't have seen that coming - it doesn't necessarily make it good. End of Rocky a nuclear bomb hits. End of Schindler's list a gay disco scene - sure - completely unpredicatble.
I don't think this came out of left field. Remember, he promised his son he wouldn't let the creatures get him. He kept his word. Instead of letting his son suffer and get torn apart and eaten by the creatures, he ended it quickly and as painlessly as possible.
Yep. I remember that scene. Still didn't work for me.
EM :) |
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Topic |
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The Mist -- (Not sure if there will be spoilers)
