Gruesome and Gory

Rating: 1/10 (8 December 2007)

A little background here. I first became an avid film fan nigh on to 70 years ago and it is perhaps due to the changes between generations that there appears to be a wide gap between what I perceive to be a good film and what today's viewers accept as such, this at least shown by the glowing praise from viewers here (I have not read all the comments, however). After the 1930's/1940's my attendance began to decrease to the point that in 2007 I have seen only two films. The second was "The Mist", and the reason I wanted to see it is that I read Stephen King's story a number of years ago and believed it to be then, as I do now, one of his best efforts. As I remember the storyline, this film generally follows it, if my memory serves me correctly. However, I was repelled by the filthy cursing throughout, by the extreme violence, and the fact that it is nothing but a bloody butcher's pen to boot. Undoubtedly, the main purpose of this film is to shock the audience, and although it may not have as much effect on today's "conditioned" moviegoers, it certainly was successful in my case -- I was disturbed by it for some time afterward. Certainly horror writer Stephen King is by no means a stranger to blood and violence but I can't recall reading any of his writings as manifestly gruesome as this film.
Also, the Christian religious fanatic, reading passages from her bible and inducing her adherents to kill, could very well be construed by some as an anti-religious/anti-Christian message aimed at the audience.
In conclusion I would like to have something positive to say about this film, and in this regard I would mention only the special effects, gruesome as they were. However, it is my earnest hope that there may be some rating attached to "The Mist" that will at least prevent children from viewing this extremely disturbing film with no redeeming qualities.