"The Mist" (R) With "The Shawshank Redemption" and "The Green Mile," writer-director Frank Darabont has proven himself one of Hollywood's ablest at bringing Stephen King tales to the big screen. His latest King adaptation continues his winning streak as Darabont builds a slow sense of foreboding that gives way to terror for a small New England town engulfed by a mysterious mist. The film's cast includes Marcia Gay Harden, Thomas Jane, Toby Jones and Andre Braugher among the townsfolk trapped in a store surrounded by the mist, from which horrifying creatures emerge. The movie comes in a two-disc set ($33, Genius) packing both the theatrical color release and a black-and-white version or in a single-disc ($30) with just the theatrical edition. Among the extras: eight deleted scenes, a batch of making-of segments and commentary with Darabont.
"The Kite Runner" (PG-13) Director Marc Forster ("Finding Neverland") adapts Khaled Hosseini's novel set amid the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the rise of the Taliban over the ensuing decades. The film traces the differing fates of two childhood friends in Kabul, one who manages to escape Afghanistan and emigrate to the United States with his father, the other left behind to face a far harsher life in his homeland. Years later, his old pal makes a daring return to the country in an attempt to make amends to the friend he wronged in their youth. Among the extras on the DVD ($30, Paramount) are commentary with Forster, Hosseini and screenwriter David Benioff.
"Jimmy Carter: Man From Plains" (PG) Jonathan Demme ("The Silence of the Lambs") directs this documentary portrait, following the former president around the country during the contentious book tour for Carter's "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid." The DVD ($25, Sony) has deleted footage and a segment on the soundtrack recording sessions, plus commentary from Demme.
"Wristcutters: A Love Story" (R) Suicides get their own romantic comedy with this strange tale starring Patrick Fugit and Shannyn Sossamon among people who tried to end their lives but wind up in a dreary purgatory of tedious jobs and decrepit infrastructure. The DVD ($27, Lionsgate) has deleted scenes and commentary with Fugit and director Goran Dukic.
DAVID GERMAIN, ASSOCIATED PRESS
