The Fog

Introduction

Approaching the party to celebrate its centennial year, Antonio Bay in California is terrified by a series of murders that coincide with the mysterious arrival of a cloud of fog. The priest, Father Malone (Hal Holbrook) finds his grandfather's diary which explains how the town was built using gold belonging to a wealthy leper whose boat, the Elizabeth Dane, was intentionally led onto the rocks by the town's founders and now the dead are back for revenge.

Holding the story together is Stevie Wayne (Adrianne Barbeau), a mother who owns the KAB radio station and passes on information to local sailors about adverse weather conditions. Her son found a piece of wreckage - a bit of driftwood with 'Dane' engraved on it - and from her vantage point in the lighthouse, can see the fog approaching against the wind.

Told very much as a ghost story, The Fog begins innocuously enough but the tension escalates as the body count rises to a thrilling conclusion.

Video

Unlike the regrettable and impotent remake, the fog is either real fog made using a 'fogger' or dry ice and it's surprising that such archaic techniques produce an effect far superior to anything done by CGI.

The transfer is pretty crisp and clear of any major grain or noise, though some is evident occasionally throughout the film. For a movie of limited budget, the pirate effects are remarkably effective as they are shot in shadow or backlit to avoid showing unnecessary detail that would probably spoil the illusion.

Audio

Both the stereo and 5.1 soundtracks are clear, benefiting from a fine score by John Carpenter, but the 5.1 has the edge as the atmospherics and surrounds add to the tension, especially in the scenes when the fog is present.

Extra Features

The main feature is a commentary with John Carpenter and Debra Hill which is informative and a good listen. As with most Carpenter commentaries, you can hear him light up at regular intervals and, given how much he smokes, it's a wonder he's still alive!

The Tales From The Mist: Inside "The Fog" is a fairly comprehensive piece, lasting 28 minutes, about the project with contributions from most of the main cast and crew.

There is also a theatrical trailer - there almost has to be, doesn't there?

Conclusion

The Fog is not one of Carpenter's best films, it doesn't have the long-term impact of The Thing or Escape From New York or the groundbreaking nature of Halloween but it's still a more than watchable ghost story.

Although the effects are a little cheesy by today's standards, it's incredible that they are far more effective than those created by computer in Rupert Wainwright's appallingly bad 2005 remake. Just because something has a bigger budget, it doesn't mean that you care about the characters or are emotionally invested in the story - this is precisely the case for The Fog where it was a relatively small film with surprisingly big names (Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh, Hal Holbrook) but one that was interesting and extremely well edited.

Whilst no classic, The Fog is an enjoyable movie and a rare example of an American ghost story that, if you haven't seen it, is worth catching.

This is available to buy individually, or as part of John Carpenter: The Collection.