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I saw Sweeney Todd on Broadway in 2005 and was surprised to learn earlier this year that Tim Burton was bringing the Stephen Sondheim musical to the screen with Johnny Depp. This is one review that I fully concur with Chuck on. Like Chuck, I was surprised that Depp can sing but he more than does justice to Sondheim's beautiful songs. Sweeney Todd is indeed quite grisly, yet imaginatively staged with with terrific performances from the entire cast. Alan Rickman, perhaps my favorite villainous actor (Hans Gruber in Die Hard and the sheriff in Robin Hood ) turns in a satisfying performance as the hated Judge Turpin. Not one for the family, nor for the faint of heart. But despite the grim subject matter and gruesome murders, Sweeney Todd is one of my favorite films of 2007. ***** out of 5

Please know two things prior to seeing Sweeney Todd, starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Alan Rickman. First, this is a cinematic adaptation of the 1979 musical of the same name, so, there is very little dialogue that is not sung. Second, there is a lot of squirting blood. And, by a lot, I mean "a lot." With that said, it is a fabulous adaptation. I did not think that Burton and Depp would pull it off. And Burton has embedded his own visual style into the story and it works. The movie opens with Todd's return to London after being imprisoned in Australia by the local Judge Turpin. Turpin, it is told, desired to have Todd's wife, Lucy. With Todd out of the picture, Turpin could seduce Lucy. However, even that goes wrong, and Lucy commits suicide by taking arsenic. Todd discovers that Turpin has taken his daughter, Johanna, as his ward. But, Turpin's true motives are less than noble. Todd determines to take revenge by slitting the judge's throat with

Frankly, I have not seen a creepier film in a long time. The Mist is the story of a group of people who are entrapped in a grocery store when an unexplained mist settles on the town. And, there are creatures in the mist. What I noticed was the absence of music: there is very little to be found. As the characters begin to understand their predicament, they form off into two groups. One group is led an over the top religious zealot. At first, no one listens to her, but she gradually gathers a following. The second group, the “hero” group, attempts to escape the store and hopefully the mist. The ending was unexpected. This makes three movies from Frank Darabont that I have enjoyed. And, recommend (but not for the squeamish). edit: James and I disagree with this film. Which is ok. I think that in general, horror is really hard to do without falling down into what you usually get in a horror film. I would give the film *** out of five stars. But, check out my comment on James' post.

One cannot help but make comparisons with the two films Darabont adapted from Stephen King’s work, The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile . Both are great films, and neither wears the horror badge one usually associates with King. The Mist is a B-movie creature feature that brings to mind some of the best of the genre from the mid-20th century. As a character-driven monster flick, the film works on a B-movie level. Yes, there are plenty of thrills and chills, but The Mist tries hard to be more than it is, and one expects such from a writer/director like Darabont. The film suffers from something of a forced comment on the human condition, on society and religion, a difficult feat to accomplish, what with all the wonderful camp and the nail-biting, scream-inducing chills. To Darabont’s credit, he loses no time revving things up right off the bat, and he sustains the suspense to the last, horrific moment. But it’s that moment, for me, that brings this flawed but creepily entertain