The Fog

( 9 )

Overview

Following the phenomenal box-office success of his seminal horror classic Halloween, director John Carpenter teamed up with producer Debra Hill for a second independent horror project, this time in the mode of an old-fashioned ghost story. The end result was The Fog, a spooky romp about a dark secret that returns to haunt the Pacific fishing community of Antonio Bay on the 100th anniversary of the town's charter. Carpenter sets the mood in the film's prologue, which features grizzled old sea salt Mr. Machen John ...
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Overview

Following the phenomenal box-office success of his seminal horror classic Halloween, director John Carpenter teamed up with producer Debra Hill for a second independent horror project, this time in the mode of an old-fashioned ghost story. The end result was The Fog, a spooky romp about a dark secret that returns to haunt the Pacific fishing community of Antonio Bay on the 100th anniversary of the town's charter. Carpenter sets the mood in the film's prologue, which features grizzled old sea salt Mr. Machen John Houseman spinning ghost stories for a group of local children. For his final tale, he recounts the legend of the Elizabeth Dane -- a ship which crashed 100 years ago against the very rocks upon which the children are sitting. Meanwhile, as the clock strikes midnight on the fateful anniversary of that disaster, eerie phenomena begin to plague the town as a dense fog bank creeps toward the bay. Seeming to appear from nowhere and emitting a ghostly glow, the fog surrounds a small trawler filled with drunken fishermen, who glimpse the vague outline of a decrepit sailing vessel before being brutally killed by shadowy figures brandishing hooks and swords. That morning, news of their disappearance is relayed to the town by Stevie Wayne Adrienne Barbeau, owner and operator of the local radio station. The news reaches the wife of one of the fishermen, city councilwoman Kathy Williams Janet Leigh and local boy Nick Castle Tom Atkins, who takes a trip out to the abandoned boat to investigate, accompanied by teenage drifter Elizabeth Solley Jamie Lee Curtis. As the day progresses, a grim series of events paints a decidedly unpleasant picture of Antonio Bay's founders, and foreshadows the ghostly retribution that awaits the town's present-day residents. When Mrs. Williams visits local priest Fr. Malone Hal Holbrook about a benediction for that night's centennial ceremony, he relates a ghastly tale discovered in his grandfather's journal, which details the town fathers' decision to murder a group of lepers who had planned to build a commune outside of Antonio Bay. Just as the night's proceedings are haunted by the horrors of the past, the ghosts of the murdered dead have returned to seek symbolic revenge by claiming the lives of six townspeople, arriving amid the ominous fog bank which has completely engulfed Antonio Bay. Carpenter reportedly shot and inserted additional gory scenes after the original 'PG' cut failed to impress preview audiences.
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Editorial Reviews

All Movie Guide
Similar in style to his Halloween, director John Carpenter's The Fog makes for a sturdy, if unspectacular companion piece to the 1978 horror classic. Reteaming with many of that film's principals, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Carpenter and co-producer/screenwriter Debra Hill attempt to fashion a ghost story with a menacing edge. As in Halloween, The Fog's strengths are courtesy of gut-wrenching chase scenes that capture the director's ability to create suspense, atmosphere, and some wonderful jolts. Carpenter's eerie, pulsing score also helps to ratchet up the tension level. Where the picture weakens is in the script, which lacks punch, relies on numerous horror clichés, and features one-dimensional characters. The cast's performances are decent and Carpenter's then-wife Adrienne Barbeau is fine in the lead role, but Jamie Lee Curtis is wasted in a secondary part that helped cement her early reputation as a "scream queen." John Houseman, in a prelude to his later work in Ghost Story, turns in a wonderfully chilling cameo as a salty storyteller.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 8/1/2000
  • UPC: 027616851314
  • Original Release: 1980

    • Rating:

  • Source: Mgm (Video & Dvd)
  • Format: VHS

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Adrienne Barbeau Stevie Wayne
Hal Holbrook Father Malone
Janet Leigh Kathy Williams
Jamie Lee Curtis Elizabeth Solley
John Houseman Machen
Tom Atkins Nick Castle
Nancy Loomis Sandy Fadel
Charles Cyphers Dan O'Bannon
Ty Mitchell Andy Wayne
Rob Bottin Blake
Jim Canning Dick Baxter
John Carpenter Bennett (assistant at the church) (uncredited)
George "Buck" Flower Tommy Wallace
Frederic Franklyn Ashcroft
John F. Goff Al Williams
Jim Haynie Hank Jones
Darrow Igus Mel Sloane
Jim Jacobus Mayor
Darwin Joston Dr. Phibes
Richard Moreno
Charles Nicklin Voice Only
Bill Taylor Bartender
John Allen Vick Sheriff Simms
Regina Walden Mrs. Kobritz
Tommy Lee Wallace Ghost
Technical Credits
John Carpenter Director, Score Composer, Screenwriter
Dick Albain Special Effects
Don Behrns Production Manager
Charles B. Bloch Executive Producer, Producer
Chalres Bornstein Editor
Rob Bottin Special Effects
Dean Cundey Cinematographer
Larry J. Franco Asst. Director
Larry Franco Asst. Director
Debra Hill Producer, Screenwriter
Stephen Loomis Costumes/Costume Designer
Craig Stearns Art Director
Raymond Stella Camera Operator
Tommy Lee Wallace Editor, Production Designer
Bill Whitten Costumes/Costume Designer
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
( 9 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(3)

4 Star

(5)

3 Star

(1)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

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Sort by: Showing all of 9 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Ghosts In The Mist

    I love good old fashion ghost stories and John Carpenter knows how to create them. He is a master at creating an atmosphere which sets the stage for the story.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    THE FOG

    a good ghost story. John Carpenter directs this film about a sleepy coastal town that is terrorized by vengeance seeking mariners who want their gold that was stolen exactly 100 years ago.not overly scary but some chills and a spooky story will keep you interested. Jamie Lee Curtis is solid as a hitchiker who stumbles upon the eerie happenings, Hal Holbrook is convincing as Father Malone and Adrienne Barbeau is good as a lighthouse music DJ.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted January 24, 2012

    more from this reviewer

    I Also Recommend:

    Halloween

    Creepy

    It has its creepy moments. You don't quite see the pirates except there in the dark. It leaves you to imagine what they could look like. Another good John Carpenter film. The soundtrack, atmosphere and suspense is good. Remake, not so much. In this one there's a lot of familiar faces from other Carpenter films. Recommend, if you're a fan of scary movies or films by John Carpenter.

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  • Posted October 1, 2010

    more from this reviewer

    The Ultimate Sinister Fog Movie!

    This is my favorite John Carpenter movie aside from Halloween and The Thing! The perfect horror film! There's no excessive language, nudity, or violence. Can't understand why it's rated R. The Fog has the best pirate ghosts in motion picture history! Carpenter continues to surpass himself. The remake of The Fog is pure garbage! See the original instead!

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  • Posted October 1, 2010

    I Also Recommend:

    Halloween

    The Fog

    One of Carpenter's best, THE FOG might not reach the level of HALLOWEEN nor is it as original as THE THING. However, it makes up for that by being something most 80s horror movies weren't; an old school ghost tale that relies not on set pieces, speical effects or gore, but on character development, tight storytelling and atmosphere. Highly recommended.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 21, 2000

    The Fog- it delivers!

    I first saw this on tv and decided to buy it. It's about a small town thats celebrating its centennial. 100 years before, a colony of lepers was wanting to move in less than a mile away, so the towns people killed them by tricking them to come into the shore, they lured them in by a fire, on a night when an eerie fog settled in the bay. The ship went crashing down in the rocks, and the townspeople stole their gold. In the early morning of the centennial, everything goes crazy, car alarms go off and lights flash, horns go off and much much more. The priest in the town, Father Malone, discovers a journal left by his grandfather, who killed the lepers, that describes the plan of how they did it. Well, another eerie fog settles in, and lights are flashing in it. There's something in the fog. Something evil. It kills all the decsendants of those who killed them, all while searching for their gold. This movie works very greatly in your mind. It is a classic ghost story. I enjoyed this movie despite many terrible reviews that I read. It stars Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh and others. This movie delivers, long after one of the best lines of the movie, as well as the most haunting, ''Watch for the fog,'' Barbeau says. I'd strongly advise buying this movie! It is a must-have for any horror fan

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 13, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted May 5, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted November 26, 2010

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 9 Customer Reviews