The Mist (2007): 4-Disc Collector’s Edition [4K UHD/Blu-Ray/Digital]

Almost twenty years later, Frank Darabont’s adaptation of the Stephen King novella is still one of the most relentless and hopeless horror films ever made. “The Mist” is a merciless breakdown of humanity that shows everything from tribalism, religious fanaticism, and the extremes we’re willing to go through to make it one more day. Like Romero’s “Dawn of the Dead,” it all happens smack dab in the middle of a massive grocery store, where every aisle feels like a division of society that has broken off in to their own principles and moral codes. The longer the denizens of the store are stuck in the mist in this confined setting, the more the social structure and all semblance of civilization begins to break down.

After a powerful storm damages their Maine home, dad David Drayton and his young son head into their town to gather food and supplies. Suddenly, a thick fog rolls in and engulfs the town, trapping the Draytons and others in a large grocery store. Terror and paranoia mounts as deadly creatures reveal themselves outside, but that may be nothing compared to the threat within, where a zealot calls for a sacrifice.

Their circumstances seem ideal as they’re embedded deep within these walls of consumerism and capitalism where they have everything at their disposal. But like literally every situation, this circumstance gradually devolves in to barbarism and violence, where paranoia gives way to chaos. Director Darabont packs the film with his usual cast of regulars, and they are absolutely top notch. Everyone from Thom Jane, Jeffrey DeMunn, Laurie Holden, Alexa Davalos, and Toby Jones, respectively, are stellar, while Marcia Gay Harden embodies the sheer loathsome villain that by the end of the movie transforms in to a villain even scarier than what resides in the mist.

Although the effects are somewhat iffy, King’s vision of this unique end of the world scenario is still rough to endure, as humanity finds itself on lower than ever on the totem pole of a new predator. “The Mist” still excels as a disturbing, vicious, and nightmarish apocalyptic horror film that’s topped off with easily one of the most soul crushing endings ever put to film. It’s sadly not nearly celebrated enough even today; it’s one of the best King adaptations ever filmed.

Like previous editions, the 4 Disc Collector’s Edition includes the original Theatrical color version of “The Mist” as well as the black and white version of “The Mist” which some fans of the film actually prefer. This lends the tone of the movie a starkness to the whole monster aesthetic that is kind of fun. Both versions of the film can be found on 4K UHD, and Blu-Ray, and there is also a Digital Copy for consumers. Included are widely extras ported over from previous releases; first featured is a commentary track with writer/director Frank Darabont and producer Denise Huth. Darabont delves straight into commenting on the film at length and speedily. There is some great conversation about the budget, the process of making the movie, the CGI effects, in-camera effects, and the creation of the mist.

There’s also discussion the changes in the ending from the original Stephen King novella, and how Stephen King’s approved of the ending. There are eight deleted and extended scenes clocking in at fourteen minutes with optional commentary with Frank Darabont. “A Conversation with Stephen King and Writer/Director Frank Darabont” is a good twelve minutes piece featuring the director of the film and writer of the story discussing the themes of the story, the ending, and more. “When Darkness Came: The Making of the Mist” is a thirty seven minutes in-depth segment with plenty of interviews with the cast and crew (and Stephen King), behind-the-scenes footage, and more.

There is much discussion about the film’s visual effects, set creation, the thorough casting, and the cast all discuss their roles, and so much more. “Taming the Beast: The Making of Scene 35” is a twelve minutes segment taking a closer look at the making of the film’s biggest sequence, and how Darabont made it all up as he went along, as they claim. “Monsters Among Us: A Look at the Creature FX” is a twelve minutes that basically recaps the prior information about monsters and the effects and explores it for us yet again. “The Horror of it All: The Visual FX of ‘The Mist’” is yet another sixteen minutes behind-the-scenes of the special effects, as well as the contributions of CafeFX, how the effects were rendered into the film, and so much more.

“Drew Struzan: An Appreciation of an Artist” is a great seven minutes look at the iconic artist who has created some of the most famous movie posters of all time. This takes a look at his contributions to The Mist, which appear early in the film. There are also three “webisodes,” clocking in at ten minutes altogether. These small pieces look at the making of three key scenes: Earthquake, Burn Man, and Franny, the Flamethrower. Last but not least, there are three vintage trailers for the film, all of which are presented in 1080i.