I haven't read the book so I don't know who to blame, but this just didn't work on any level. The plot had great potential: a window to an alternate universe opened by a military experiment gone bad, and the residents of a small town caught in the vortex. Sadly, instead of exploring the virtually unlimited possibilities for frightenting and enlightening circumstances, the story immediately bogs down into a hysterical drama.What little shock the movie attempted to deliver was diminished by the apathy I felt for the cast of cliched characters (apocalyptic religous zealots, bumbling redneck locals, and of course the evil military). Even the ending of this movie, which I will admit was somewhat shocking, just did not ring true. Ultimately the mist was necessary as a plot device to obscure a really poor and underdeveloped story.