Horror movies &stuff Interviews the cast of "The Mist"
I recently got a chance to chat with some of the cast of Dimension Films "The Mist", which opens in theaters November 21st. Laurie Holden (Amanda Dumfries), Marcia Gay Harden (Mrs. Carmody), Andre Braugher (Brent Norton), Nathan Gamble (Billy Drayton), and Director Frank Darabont talked with me about the Stephen King adaptation film in which a group of strangers trapped inside a supermarket, are confined inside by a swarm of giant insects that arrive in an unworldly fog...which could be the result of a secret government experiment gone wrong.
MR. H to Andre:How did you come about getting a role in "The Mist"?
Andre Braugher:Frank sent me the script, and outlined my character for me. Upon reading the script I got to like the character and so I said yes.
MR. H to Frank:How did your stint on "The Mist" come about?
Frank:I first read the story (Stephen King) in 1980, and said one day, 'I'd love to make it into a movie.' So after directing "The Shawshank Redemption", Stephen asked me if there was anything else I liked? To which I responded 'I'd love to do The Mist.' I had been waiting quite awhile to do "The Mist" but other things kept getting in the way. Finally though, the planets alligned and we decided now was the right time to do the movie.
MR. H to Laurie:Coming off of "Silent Hill", what made you decide to do another horror film?
Laurie:Um...well Frank had called me actually, and mentioned that he had adapted a Stephen King novella and that he had a wonderful part for me in it. I mean it was Frank Darabont, Stephen King, so of course I said "yeah I'll do it."
MR. H to Andre:What's your character Brent like?
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Andre:Uh, well he's a lawyer from New York with a place in the country, who's currently tied up in a dispute with his neighbor David. He's the hard-charging type, yet at the same time he also wants to feel a connection with people.
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MR. H to Nathan:"The Mist" was your first horror film, how excited were you about it?
Nathan:Really excited! I was so excited, I was like..."I'm in a Stephen King movie!"
MR. H to Nathan:What was your favorite scene in the movie?
Nathan:The scene where the birds come into the grocery store, because it was such a great scene and really fun to film...there are just so many great action scenes in this movie.
MR. H to Laurie:With "Silent Hill", and now "The Mist" under your belt...are you quietly trying to become a scream queen?
Laurie:[laughs] No, quietly? I don't know if it's "quietly", I'm screaming so much in this movie.
MR. H to Frank:Would you say that you had more fun filming "The Mist" than any other movie you've filmed to date?
Frank:Totally and completely. Because it's not just a different story, it's a completely different approach to filming it, a completely different approach to the story, and the technical aspect of it all. It's a film where I got a chance to put aside the elegant style of filmmaking and got a chance to do something much more ragged, immediate, and shot in a documentary sort of format. It was quite a liberating experience.
MR. H to Nathan:You and Thomas Jane have alot of scenes together, what was it like working with him?
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Nathan:He's quite a character, he's really something. He's a great guy though, and we had alot of fun on set playing jokes on Laurie and stuff, we had alot of fun together, and we'd help each other out with the serious stuff in the film.
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MR. H to Andre:What are Brent's best and worst qualities?
Andre:Well personality wise, Brent is kind of like a two-headed coin really, the same logic that's allowed him to become sort of a leader, is the same logic that has driven him into the mist.
MR. H to Andre:What was your favorite scene to shoot in the movie?
Andre:I would have to say the scene where Brent and the others are told that someone was taken by the mist because I really had to pondered the proper reaction for that particular scene.
MR. H to Frank:What scene do you think fans of horror and Stephen King will enjoy the most?
Frank:The Spiders, that's the one scene that seems to really get people going. I was really pleased with how the film turned out because people are screaming when they're supposed to be, and dead silent when they're supposed to be, cheering when they're supposed to be, and on and on. Which is the job of a director, to be able to manipulate the audience through certain scenes.
MR. H to Marcia:How would you describe your character Mrs. Carmody, misunderstood yet means well, or just flat out crazy?
Marcia:I wouldn't say she's either one of those really. I would said above all else, she's selfish.
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She starts off intending well, but soon she breaks down into this self preserving person who just abandons all reason. She's only concerned with and she's selfish about preserving herself, instead of being concerned about and selfish about preserving the overall community.
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MR. H to Nathan:Are you a fan of horror films?
Nathan:No, not at all. I don't really like the blood and gore type of stuff, I'm more a fan of the creepy films that are less graphic.
MR. H to Nathan:What were your most difficult scenes to film in "The Mist"?
Nathan:The emotion scenes.
MR. H to Andre:What was it like working with Frank Darabont?
Andre:Uh, he's a really sweet guy, I liked how he set things up where we all had the freedom to be inspired, and panicked when we needed to be. He uses alot of cameras when he shoots, but at the same time...he also works with alot of people, alot of the actors.
MR. H to Laurie:Your character Amanda is the films conscience, and common sense so to speak. The one who holds everything together for as long as possible. Is that how you would describe yourself in real life?
Laurie:Oh, I couldn't even imagine myself in a situation similar to the one my character finds herself in. But I do believe that we share a similar mentality, I do believe in the goodness of people, I believe in peace like she does, and like Amanda I do have faith in humanity.
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MR. H to Nathan:Shooting this film, "The Mist"...as a young actor, what are three important things that you've learned?
Nathan:Three things I've learned would be...Give it your best, be yourself, and have fun.
MR. H to Frank:Gotta ask this question, since the genre is currently sequel and remake crazy these days. Has there been any talk of a doing a sequel to "The Mist"?
Frank:No, absolutely not. I don't really do many films that require sequels.
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End.
Check out our Review of "The Mist"!
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