The Mist (Blu-ray) Official AVSForum Review [Text View]

Ralph Potts

08-29-08, 01:11 PM

<img src="http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=117638&d=1219534903"hspace="12"align="left">
The Review at a Glance: (max score: 5 )

Film: <img src="http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=109944&d=1210373692">

Extras: <img src="http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=109947&d=1210373699">

 Audio/Video total rating:
 ( Max score: 100 )
<h2>82</h2>
 
Studio and Year: Weinstein Company - 2007
MPAA Rating: R
Feature running time: 126 Minutes
Genre: Horror

Disc Format: BD-50 (Color)~BD-25 (B/W)
Encoding: AVC (MPEG-4)
Video Aspect: 1.85:1
Resolution: 1080p/24
 
Audio Format(s): English Dolby TrueHD 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Starring: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden, Andre Braugher, Toby Jones
Written & Directed by: Frank Darabont
Music by: Mark Isham
Based on the Novella by: Stephen King
Region Code: A

Blu-ray Disc release Date: September 16, 2008

 
<center><h2>"Fear changes everything"</h2></center>

<h4>Film Synopsis:</h4>From legendary frightmaster Stephen King and Academy Award nominated director Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile) comes one of the most tense and terrifying films since The Shining. After a mysterious mist envelops a small New England town, a group of locals trapped in a supermarket must battle a siege of otherworldly creatures... and the fears that threaten to tear them apart.

<h4>My Take:</h4><img src="http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=118166&d=1220029378"hspace="6"align="right">The Mist wasn’t really what I expected going into this review. I had not seen it before but remembered hearing about it. I couldn’t recall what I had heard other than the fact that it had a memorable ending. After watching it I found that it felt like science fiction/horror and that is was very much about people as well as the creatures in the mist. The creatures were the catalyst that forced those people into the supermarket but their paranoia, fear, prejudice, love and stupidity are what motivated their decisions. Hands down my favorite character was Ollie (Jones). He was the central figure that provided an air of reasonableness, integrity and common sense amidst the myriad of base emotions that engulfed the crowd trapped by the forces outside. I Thomas Jane’s character Dave was a bit of a boob. After a catastrophic event he leaves his wife home and goes into town with his son Billy (Gamble). He does not get along with his neighbor Brent (who unsuccessfully sued Dave) but after a brief period of civility that morning takes him along as well. The first thing he does is to send Billy into the store alone with Brent, because he (Dave) needs to use a pay phone (huh?). That is the first in a series of poor decisions that make you question not only his paternal instincts but his common sense as well. The story progresses and characters are set up pretty well but it’s fairly obvious who the victims are going to be. It seemed as though all the ingredients (personalities) necessary to create anarchy among the people in the store were perfectly placed. Something that occurred early on that seemed inconsequential at the time struck me later in the film. Right after Dan (DeMunn) runs in and announces that there is something in the mist and its first killing is witnessed by the crowd there is a woman who makes it clear that no matter what she must get home to her children. She promised them she would be right back from the store and her eight year old is watching the others. She asked several of the men present if they would see her home safely and every turn was met with plaintive eyes and no answer. She turns to Dave last and he says “c’mon lady I have my own boy to look after”. She runs out of the door and disappears into the mist. Now there is someone with paternal instincts.It is clear early on that Mrs. Carmody is going to be the gasoline that is poured on the flame. Marcia Gay Harden plays the part to the hilt because every time she opened her mouth I wanted to stick my foot in it. She seizes the opportunity to turn a few of the weaker minded individuals in the crowd into her religious soldiers. She convinces them and subsequently a large portion of the group that what is happening is the will of god and that they are being punished for their wicked ways. Add this to the fear and desperation that everyone is feeling and she is seen by them as someone to be aligned with. As the situation escalates both outside and inside we are shown how fragile human nature can be when we are faced with our own mortality. Dave, Ollie and a select few of the group who have not been effected by Mrs. Carmody’s ranting decide the only way to survive is to get to a vehicle and make their way out of town. This is in the hope that the creature infestation has not made it beyond the town’s limits. There are a several noteworthy events (including the mention of where the creatures came from) that precede that but they are not crucial. At this point the film is moving toward its conclusion. The ending is interesting and somewhat thought provoking. I won’t go into any specifics here other than to ask yourself what you would have done in the same situation? I liked The Mist enough that I want to watch it again. It is not a cinematic masterpiece but I certainly found it not only entertaining but interesting as well.

<h4>Parental Guide:</h4>The rating is for violence, terror, gore, and language.

 AUDIO/VIDEO - By The Numbers:
REFERENCE = 92-100 / EXCELLENT = 83-91 / GOOD = 74-82 / AVERAGE = 65-73 / BELOW AVERAGE = under 65 

**My audio/video ratings are based upon a comparative made against other high definition media/blu-ray disc.**

(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)

<h4>Audio: 82</h4>
<ul>
<li>Dynamics: <img src="http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=109945&d=1210373692"></li>
<li>Low frequency extension: <img src="http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=109947&d=1210373692"></li>
<li>Surround Sound presentation: <img src="http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=109945&d=1210373692"></li>
<li>Clarity/Detail: <img src="http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=109947&d=1210373692"></li>
<li>Dialogue Reproduction: <img src="http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=109947&d=1210373692">
</li></ul>

<h4>Video: 82</h4>
(Each rating is worth 4 points with a max of 5 per category)

<ul>
<li>Resolution/Clarity: <img src="http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=109946&d=1210373692"></li>
<li>Black level/Shadow detail: <img src="http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=109946&d=1210373692"></li>
<li>Color reproduction: <img src="http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=109946&d=1210373692"></li>
<li>Fleshtones: <img src="http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=109945&d=1210373692"></li>
<li>Compression: <img src="http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=109947&d=1210373692"</li></ul><img src="http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=118165&d=1220029249"hspace="6"align="left">The Mist comes to Blu-ray Disc from Weinstein Company featuring 1080p AVC encoded video that has an average bitrate of 21 mbps and lossless Dolby TrueHD 5.1 channel audio that has an average bitrate of 2.5 mbps. Weinstein provided both a color and black and white version of the film. Each is on a separate disc with the color version being on a dual layer BD-50 (along with the bonus content), and the B/W version on a single sided BD-25. I watched the color version in its entirety and select clips from the B/W version for comparative purposes. The film opens in the evening at the Drayton house with Dave working in his studio on a film poster painting. A storm is brewing outside and there is a gorgeous shot looking out of a large picture window at the approaching storm. The dark clouds and flashes of lightening in the sky above the reflections that seemed to echo off of the dark lake exhibited excellent contrast, shadow detail and depth of field. Contrast is boosted which overdrove whites and made brighter scenes appear a bit too dynamic. Colors were well saturated and vivid with primary colors (specifically red and green) that were distorted. Reds looking too warm and green too limey. Complexions had a rosy glow that made faces appear flush or pink. I didn’t think either issue was excessive or overtly unnatural but definitely noticeable. Blacks were fairly deep and I had no trouble making out detail in the dark areas and background as Dave stumbles around in the store room near the generator. Gradations in the gray mist and cloudy daytime sky were plainly visible which lent an air of dimensionality to them. Grain was present and not obtrusive although darker scenes tended to highlight grain and made it easier to see. In examining the black and white version I didn’t notice any issues pertaining to the encoding. It was definitely a vastly different visual experience though. I did notice that grain visibility tended to be obvious here more so than on the color version. During chapter two Dave is on the pay phone outside of the market. Looking at his face in the shadow of the overhang grain is readily apparent. Looking at that same scene on the color version it never drew my attention. I noticed some posterization on both versions. In chapter two just after the building shakes there is a shot of Nathan Gamble (Dave’s son). As the camera cuts away from him you can see posterization on his face and neck. It was also evident on the face/neck of the woman later in that same scene as she turns to leave the market to go home to her children. The varying levels of gray and white displayed good gradational steps with similar black/shadow detail results when compared to the color version. Resolution appeared to be the same on both and exhibited good high definition detail that made things such as the pattern weave of clothing, individual strands of hair and skin texture easy to see. Some shots looked softer than others which made them appear less sharp but dimensional perspective remained intact. Personally I preferred the color version over the black and white. I thought that the black and white option was a thoughtful inclusion especially for those who like the visualization that it creates. The Dolby TrueHD audio sounded quite good but I am not sure it was what I expected. Front channel separation was excellent. Dialogue was reproduced with authority and crystal clarity through the center channel speaker. The front three channels are heavily used which gave the active scenes more of a succinct aural presentation. An example of this is during the scene when the entire market begins to violently shake (earthquake or creature?) and ceiling tiles and lighting are raining down all over everyone. There was very little in the way of surround use which made this sequence less engaging. This was not strictly the case though. Later on in “scene 35” as the giant insects gain access to the market surround activity becomes more prevalent and comes in the form of the sounds of swirling bugs and directional panning effects that encircle the listening position. Mark Isham’s dark music score was reproduced with concise tonal precision through the five main channels and sounded excellent. Low frequency effects mixed to the subwoofer were deep, well defined and impressive. The aforementioned earthquake scene in the store delivered bass response that was prodigious and definitely capable of shaking the rafters at higher sound pressure levels.

<h4>Bonus Features:</h4>

There are a host of bonus supplements that are all offered in high definition. They deliver a well rounded look at the production with detailed input from writer/director Frank Darabont who definitely has a passion for his work on this film. Interviews with the cast and production crew are spread throughout along with plenty of behind the scenes footage. The piece on Drew Struzan was a real treat. He is an artist who creates and paints movie posters. It seems like he is one of a few in his line of work and is responsible for many of the movie posters that we all have seen for our favorite films from the last 25 plus years or so. This is an excellent bonus package that fans are sure to appreciate. 

<ul>
<li>Audio commentary with Director/Writer Frank Darabont </li>
<li>(HD) 8 Deleted and extended scenes with optional director commentary </li>
<li>(HD) A conversation with Director Frank Darabont and author Stephen King </li>
<li>(HD) When darkness came: The making of The Mist </li>
<li>(HD) Taming the beast: The making of scene 35 </li>
<li>(HD) Monsters among us: A look at the creature FX </li>
<li>(HD) The horror of it all: The visual FX</li>
<li>(HD) Drew Struzan: An appreciation of an artist </li>
<li>(HD) 3 webisodes hosted by Frank Darabont </li>
<li>(HD) Trailers: Theatrical and 2 teasers </li></ul><img src="http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=118164&d=1220029249"hspace="6"align="right">

<h4>Final Thoughts:</h4>

The Mist is an above average horror/science fiction thriller that presents an interesting look at what can happen to “good” people when faced with circumstances that could be beyond the limits of their comprehension or control. Some will resort to base emotions, others will act instinctively, and some will make decisions that have no instinctive or emotional basis. This is the fabric that weaves this tale that could only come from the twisted mind of Stephen King. Frank Darabont does a great job in maintaining the balance between the story’s horror and dramatic elements. The Mist makes its high definition debut on Blu-ray Disc from Weinstein Company in good fashion. Audio and video quality is very good and a healthy compliment of bonus features including a black and white high definition version of the film sweetens the deal. The Mist has been added to my collection and is recommended for fans. Those who are curious should give it a rental first.

<img src="http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=109949&d=1210373731" align=left>
 
 Ralph Potts
AVS Forum Blu-ray Reviews

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