November 19, 2007
What’s in The Mist?
Have you ever been caught in a dense fog? Back in the 1980’s I provided some services for an entire parish school system in Southeast Louisiana. Because the area of service was large I couldn’t go just once a month and service the entire contract. Instead I had to spend a whole day of each week taking care of just that one account. I had to leave my home about four-thirty or five in the morning on those days and wend my down Highway 90, alongside bayous and through swamps to get to my destinations. The highway was completely shrouded in mist as I started my journey each week. Many times it was so dense that you couldn’t see tail lights in front of you. The drive was terrifying. There were other dangers in the mist in addition to the very real possibility of a collision with another vehicle. I don’t think I ever took that drive without having to slam on my brakes to avoid wildlife cutting across the road in front of me. Snakes, racoons, skunks, oppossums and armadillo were most common, but the swamps were full of alligators too. My greatest fear was that I would get in a wreck or have car trouble and find myself stsnding on the shoulder of the road at the mercy of whatever was in The Mist. It eventually came to the point that I was having anxiety attacks even contemplating the drive.
It was around that time that I first became acquainted with The Mist by Stephen King. Whatever possessed me to read it I’ll never know. I was already terrified of the mist, so it was a sure thing that the story would only highten my anxiety. I already knew what terrors could await in the mist that I had to travel through much too often, so it was foolhardy indeed to feed my imagination with even worse possible scenarios. I was young and foolish in those days, though, and had been allowing Stephen King to scare me half to death for years, so of course I dug into the story. I distinctly remember that I was unable sleep without nightmares about other things that I might encounter on that horrific drive. When I was promoted to a management position shortly after reading the story, my greatest glee was not because of the additional money I would be making or the prestige of the new position. I was overwhelmed with relief that I would no longer have to take the horrifying drive through the mist.
The Mist has now been made into a movie. I’m not sure if I’ll go see it. Well, actually, I’m pretty sure I won’t. Stephen King has the ability to scare the whey out of me. Add in cinematic effects and a tension-building musical score (as you know they have) and I think the terror would just be too much for me. I’m old. My heart, as far as I know, is in reasonably good shape, but the Mist could easily push me over the edge. All Stephen King movies should carry a warning: “This movie may literally scare you to death. Watch it at your own risk.” I’m not so much into risk-taking these days. Some of you are, I know. Some of you are young and healthy enough to stand the total assault of nerves strung as tight as piano wire for an hour or more. As for me, I think I owe it to myself, my friends and my family to sit this one out.
The Mist opens in theaters everywhere on November 21st. Go at your own risk.
[tags]entertainment, movies, Stephen King, suspense, The Mist[/tags]
Posted by skeet @ 5:06 pm • Entertainment
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November 19th, 2007 at 5:14 pm, Ann Says:
I think I’m with you on this one. I don’t like to be scared at all. I’ll pass on the book and the movie!
November 19th, 2007 at 7:01 pm, Whim Says:
I’ll wait for it to come out on DVD. I loved the story though.
November 20th, 2007 at 8:57 am, skeet Says:
I love creepy books and movies, Ann, but Stephen King does his stories so well that I can barely stand to watch, lol! I might watch it at home after it comes out on DVD, so I can pause it to let my heart rate and respiration recover when I need to!
November 20th, 2007 at 8:58 am, skeet Says:
It really is a great story, Whim, and I’m sure the big screen will enhance it, but -ai, ai, ai! I’m pretty sure I woulnd’t be able to sit through it in a theater!
November 22nd, 2007 at 5:52 am, Kari Says:
I’ll probably go see it, but the last few mornings and nights its been kind of foggy so I will wait until it stops doing that because otherwise when the movies done, I’ll find it hard to leave the theater!