Trivia: At the very beginning, David sits in front of his newest drawing, showing a man with two guns, a rose right of him and a tower far behind on the left side. This drawing shows Roland, a character out of "The Dark Tower", a well-known series of books from Stephen King. This drawing is shown again, some time later after the storm, and David tells that this drawing was meant to become a film poster. (00:00:30)
Trivia: During the scene when the monsters enter the store, watch for when the man on fire stumbles into a book rack. All of the books are Stephen King novels.
Trivia: The film's controversial ending was the source of great struggle. Writer/director Frank Darabont was approached by several different studios who wanted to make the film, but only on the condition that Darabont changed the ending. Darabont refused over and over until he found a studio that would let him keep it. "The Mist" author Stephen King has commented that he absolutely loved the film's ending, which divulged from his novella, and wishes he had thought of it when he was writing the original story.
Answer: The film is contemporary, as was the original story. Neither was meant to be set in a specific time period other than "now." The reason for the many older vehicles is that the film takes place in a small town. Notice that none of the older vehicles is in new condition. The presence of cell phones and modern products and clothing in the store indicate it is set in the present.