User Reviews

THE FOG

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Panavision)

Sound format: Mono

While celebrating its centenary birthday, a small Californian coastal town is visited by a ghostly fog containing an army of murderous spirits who take revenge for a terrible injustice.

Released on a wave of expectation following the worldwide success of John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN (1978), THE FOG surprised everyone by generating only moderate returns at the US box-office, though it's arguably the better of the two films. Beautifully photographed by Carpenter stalwart Dean Cundey (BACK TO THE FUTURE, JURASSIC PARK, etc.), this unassuming 'ghost story' opens on a lonely clifftop at midnight, where crusty old sea dog John Houseman tells an audience of wide-eyed children how their home town was built on the foundations of tragedy. As with HALLOWEEN, the pace is slow but steady, punctuated by a series of well-judged scares, and there's a relentless accumulation of details which belies the script's modest ambitions.

Jamie Lee Curtis headlines the movie opposite her real life mother Janet Leigh, though Hal Holbrook takes the acting honors as a frightened priest who realizes the town was founded on deception and murder. As the fog rolls in, the narrative reaches an apocalyptic crescendo, as the film's principal cast are besieged by zombie-like phantoms inside an antiquated church, in scenes reminiscent of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968). Scary stuff, to be sure, though Carpenter was forced to add new material during post-production in an effort to 'beef up' the movie's horror quotient, including a memorable late-night encounter between a fishing boat and the occupants of a ghostly schooner which looms out of the swirling fog (similar scenes would be added to HALLOWEEN II in 1981 for the same reasons, though under less agreeable circumstances). Production values are solid, and Carpenter cranks up the tension throughout, resulting in a small masterpiece of American Gothic. Highly recommended.

"The Fog" has the special place in my heart-it is one of the first horror movies I have ever seen.Everyone knows the plot,so let's concentrate on the other things.First of all the photography by Dean Cundey is absolutely brilliant(Cundey worked together with Carpenter on "Halloween" and "The Thing")."The Fog" certainly delivers some scares-the ghostly sea crew appears as shadows and aren't seen much.Jamie Lee Curtis is perfect as one of the leads and it's nice to see her famous mother,Janet Leigh in the film!All in all if you haven't seen this one check it out as soon as possible.A must-see for horror fans.9 out of 10.

It's surprising that John Carpenter followed up Halloween with such a different tale of terror, but he did just that with 1980's The Fog. It's a urban legend-simple ghost story about a small coastal town celebrating its anniversary, forgetting that they only claimed the town because they murdered a shipful of lepers. The lepers are back and they want revenge.

The Fog has an excellent ensemble cast which is one of its strong suits and also, perhaps, one of its downfalls. There's really no major main character (even Adrienne Barbeau's Stevie Wayne - a radio DJ - disappears for large chunks of the film and never interacts with most of the other characters in the film). It's almost like if Robert Altman decided to make an ensemble horror film. Even more surprising is that Jamie Lee Curtis, Carpenter's star of Halloween, is in only about 15 to 20 minutes of the film and has no real character to speak of.

Dean Cundey's cinematography stuns and Carpenter's eerie synth score spooks, but one can't help feel that something is missing. It does lack that visceral thrill that made Halloween so special. The Fog seems content to just creep its audience out and not truly scare them. It's hard to complain, though, since The Fog does creepy better than just about any other film I can think of. It won't make you come back home and turn all the lights on before bed, but it still stays with you.

This has to be one of my favourite horror films of all time.

'The Fog', one of John Carpenter's films from what many regard as his golden era, takes a simple, run of the mill ghost story about 'wronged' leprosy sufferers seeking revenge from beyond their watery grave and sticks the tension levels up from the first scene.

From the intro with the old sailor telling a ghost story on the beach to all the children, to the 'shock, didn't see it coming ending', this film pushes all the right buttons.

To be honest, what I really like about this film, and let this be a lesson to many other present day horror makers, is the way that from the moment the film rolls to the final moments in the film it does not let-up. Whereas many films slowly build to a shocking finale this starts with it (the scene on the boat), it also manages to keep shocking you with minor scares all the way through the film, and doing this without showing any red stuff whatsoever (a classic Carpenter trait). Plus the semi-narrative from Stevie in the lighthouse as the Fog creeps into Antonio Bay was and still is a fantastic way of building the terror.

It also has a great deal of thought put into the film with lots of intertwining stories that Carpenter manages to link together in the final 10 minutes.

Jamie Lee is as good a scream queen as ever and while the rest of the cast is strong it is the radio DJ Stevie Wayne, played by Adrienne Barbeau who catches the eye.

Plus the Carpenter score, as always, is fabulous.

If only JC could go back to what made him great in the first place...

One hundred years ago, on April 21st, the wealthy leper Blake bought the vessel Elizabeth Dane and moved with his friends from a leper colony to California to build a town for them to live with more comfort. However, while crossing a fog in Spivey Point, they were misguided by a campfire onshore, steering the course of the vessel toward the light and crashing her against the rocks. On the present days, on the celebration of the centenary of the fishing town Antonio Bay, a glowing fog appears, bringing the zombies of Blake and his crew to kill the residents. Father Robert Malone (Hal HolbrooK) finds the hidden journal of his grandfather in the wall of his church, and discloses that Antonio Bay was built with Blake's gold. Further, a group of conspirators including his grandfather lighted the fire to sink Elizabeth Dane and robber Blake's fortune and now the ghosts of Blake and his crew are seeking for revenge on the locals.

"The Fog" is a dark ghost story of this master of horror John Carpenter, who deserves an Oscar his great filmography. The cinematography and special effects are great, giving a scary atmosphere without the need of gore. It is nice to see again a gorgeous twenty-three years old Jamie Lee Curtis acting with her mother Janet Leigh. The screenplay builds the horror in a low pace, but increasing the tension. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Bruma Assassina" ("The Assassin Fog")

Note: On 14 Sep 2020, I saw this film again.

There are crimes of yesteryear a debt to pay, for deeds despicable, left sunken in the bay, and on this anniversary, a fog embraces from the sea, with a cargo full of vengeance to convey.

The land lubbers of Antonio Bay don't enjoy the greatest founding centenary celebration day, as curious disturbances begin to create waves, and people are swallowed up by a glowing miasma, and devils from the deep blue sea seek revenge and retribution for past crimes . With an impressive cast, this still holds water today, and while it's of its time, peel off the barnacles and jump right in to enjoy one of John Carpenter's earlier imaginings.

A solid, powerful story…slowly developing and photographed with a unique sense for tension. THAT is `The Fog'. This story will leave a big impression on you and it's easily John Carpenter's best and most effective horror film. His most underrated as well, since people always refer to `Halloween' and `The Thing' when listing his best accomplishments as a director. Personally, I think The Fog is much more haunting and fascinating than these two, and it's one of the very few films that still scares me after all these years. Uniquely set in a small coast-town called Antonio Bay, where the inhabitants are preparing the celebrations for the town's hundredth anniversary. Only, they do not know that the genesis of their town went together with a devilish conspiracy, resulting in the unfortunate death of many seamen. These doomed victims rise again now, suddenly appearing from mysterious fogbanks that come from the ocean. If you're – like me - a sucker for ghostly myths set in abandoned surrounding, The Fog will be one of your most satisfying purchases ever. Carpenter brilliantly builds up an unbearable tension through simple methods, like long shots of an isolated countryside and a chilling musical score (not as famous as his `Halloween' score but equally effective). The bloodshed and images of cold-hearted monsters are kept to a minimum in order to leave it up to your own imagination. And for once, this actually works! The detailed sequences in which the town gets surrounded by an inescapable fog is more than horrific enough. Forget about all the overblown, big-budgeted and so-called `horrifying' films… This little, overlooked production scares the hell out of people since more than 20 years already. And it'll keep on doing so for yet another very long time!

While not John Carepenter's best movie, "The Fog" is an atmospheric ghost story that delivers a few good chills. We can't expect our beloved horror movies from the 70's and 80's to hold up forever, and "The Fog" has become a little dated over time.

"The Fog" is very scenic and has a great ensemble cast including Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh (Jamie's real life mother), and a small cameo by John Houseman… just to name a few.

I particularly liked the premise of Jamie Lee Curtis's character Elizabeth Solley, a solo hitchhiker on her way to Vancouver who gets picked up by local resident Nick Castle (Tom Atkins), sleeps with him the first night they meet, and then never leaves his side through the rest of the movie as the terror of "The Fog" unfolds.

Boy, you just HAVE to love the 80's!!!

The small coastal town of Antonio Bay is celebrating it's 100 year anniversary. However, also 100 years ago a ship sailed along its shores and a curse was born. Unbeknownst to the new residents, the sailors of that vessel have come back, walking through the nightly glowing fog to kill and avenge the loss of the treasure that was stolen from them.

I won't say more as not to give the movie away. For nostalgic purposes, this film is definitely worth a viewing. If it's been a very long time since you've watched "The Fog" and you don't remember it all too well (as was the case with me) it's worth a second look indeed.

"The Fog" is not bloodbath/slasher horror, but it does make for a good spooky late night film. With the current remake currently in production and to be released by 10-05, what better time to revisit the original!!

Recommend!

John Carpenter does a fairly good job in directing the material here, with some effective horror moments, even if they are too few, and an interesting visual and audio style. Otherwise, this is not good stuff. Fog as a horror monster is not really scary, the characters and events are run-of-the-mill, and the dialogue is lame, bridging on bad, with Adrienne Barbeau going through some very poorly written monologues. The special effects are okay, but hardly brilliant, and both the acting and writing in general is below par. Carpenter shows some skill in the film, but only as a director and not as a screenwriter. Overall this is still as forgettable as the average horror film out there, despite a few neat bits thanks to Carpenter being in the director's chair

"The Fog" is one of the very few real scary movies. For some reason phones that begin ringing on their own and car alarms that go off without any reason, is still much more scarier than a CGI-ghost appearing out of a wall. John Carpenter has always been a master in creating scary, creepy scene's with minimal resources but maximum scare. If you also liked this movies, I also recommend "In the Mouth of Madness" to you, a criminally underrated horror masterpiece, also directed by John Carpenter.

The movie has a good and original creepy story with awesome ghostly figures and gore, without any blood. It is notable that this movie had a low budget which works perfectly for the dark, depressing atmosphere. The movie is quite short and because of that the movie feels 'incomplete', if like not all of the events are covered in the story, this is also due to the fact that the movie has an open ending of course like almost every horror movie has. For some reason, because of this 'incomplete' feeling the movie feels even creepier.

The movie has some good actors in it. Remember this movie was made back in the days when it still was OK for well known actors to appear in horror movies. Present day, only young unknown actors seem to appear in horror movies. This movie stars; Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh ("Psycho") and Hal Holbrook. Not the worlds worst actors if you ask me. It's especially amazing that all of those three are in this one movie, considering the low budget of the movie.

This movie is perfect in what it tries to achieve. It creates a perfect horror atmosphere, with a typical creepy musical score by John Carpenter himself and has some good creepy moments in it. This is one of the rare real scary movies ever made. "The Fog" is an unique and original horror movie and sadly, horror movies like this will never be made again.

10/10

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***SPOILER ALERT*** As the seaside town of Antonio Bay revs up to celebrate it's 100 anniversary an eerie and luminous fog, going against the wind, slowly overtakes the local fishing trawler "Sea Grass" and within minutes the entire three man crew is brutally murdered. Inside this fog there's a number of badly decomposed looking zombie-like mariner who are using the deadly mist as camouflage in assisting them in committing their crimes. It's not until later that we and the towns religious leader Father Malone, Hal Holbrook,find out the reason for this Fog/Zombie alliance and it has to do with the very founding of the town of Antonio Bay.

After doing a number on the "Sea Grass" and it's crew the Fog creates havoc in Antonio Bay itself causing everything electrical to go haywire. The disruptions also include local radio station KAB who's midnight to dawn music program is hosted by the sexy voiced, as well as looking, Stevie Wayne, Adrienne Barbeau.

Father Malone finds at approximately 12.04 AM a journal hidden in the wall of his chapel written by his grandfather that puts the fear of God into him. The journal explains, or better yet confesses, the sins that Father Malone's grandfather committed, together with the five other founding fathers of Antonio Bay, that resulted in the deaths of Captain Blake, Rob Bottin, and his crew of five on the trawler "Elizabeth Dane" which happened in the early morning hours of April 21, 1880. April 21 is the very day that's now being celebrated by the people of Antionio Bay as the towns founding and 100 year anniversary!

The very effective and startling ghostly photography, with a minimum use of state-of-the-art special effects, more then makes up for the movies very plot-holed ridden screenplay. John Carpenters sharp and tight directions is on par, or in some cases even better, with his previous horror blockbuster "Halloween" that was released two years earlier.

The movie also reunites a number of actors who were in John Carpenters "Halloween" that includes the love at first sight couple Jamie Lee Curtis and Tom Atkins as the out of town young hitchhiker Liz Solley and the local Antonio Bay fisherman Nick Castle. There's also Jamie Lee Curtis' real life mother Jane Leigh in the movie playing Antiono Bay's beleaguered, because of the killer Fog, Mayor Kathy Williams as well as Nancy Loomis who also stared in "Halloween" as Mayor Williams' press secretary Sandy Fadel.

The Fog and it's Zombie-like mariners go on a rampage seeking out the descendants of the original Father Malone and his cohorts who were responsible for their deaths by sending them and their boat "Elizabeth Daen" to the bottom of the sea off Antiono Bay's rocky and dangerous Spivey Point.

As you would have expected in a case like this it was old fashion greed that motivated Father Malone Sr and Co. to misdirect, with bonfires as navigation markers, the "Elizabeth Dane" to go off course in the dead of night and sink with it's crew as well as the some 200 pounds of gold that was on it. It was that gold that was to pay for building a leper colony for the afflicted Capt. Blake and his fellow leapers on the strip of land that was eventually to become the seaport town of Antoino Bay. In reality it in turn became Father Malone's and his fellow conspirator's's descendants both premature and permanent graves.

The characters in John Carpenter's post-"Halloween" outing, "The Fog," defy the bounds of logic and common sense with such disturbing regularity that one can't help but guffaw at their eventual fates. I say, if you're dumb enough to answer the door when when a spooky, glowing, supernatural-looking fog surrounds you on all sides, you DESERVE that impalement. While the Poe-inspired story of "The Fog" is intriguing, and there are some atmospheric jump-scares, the excellent cast (including Carpenter familiars Nancy Loomis, Charles Cyphers, Tom Atkins, Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis; plus screen veterans Hal Holbrook, John Houseman, and Janet Leigh) is in service to some of the most blandly-written stock characters in film history; this would be less of a problem if Carpenter made us jump with more regularity, but he doesn't. The director's craft for building suspense (as evidenced in the overrated "Halloween") is curiously absent here--I kept thinking all the elements were in place for a scary good time, but not once did I feel a sense of consequential, tangible fear. Like the titular phenomenon, "The Fog" should have been a swallow-you-whole terror ride instead of the flat, indifferent production it wound up being. (Seasoned horror vets will notice references to Howard Hawks' "The Thing," plus several genre character-name homages during the closing credits.)

John Houseman sits around a campfire telling children about the story of a ship that went down near their home Antonio Bay and how the drowned sailors will reappear 100 years to that very night in the fog. It is a wonderful beginning to a very chilling film, directed by the modern horror meister John Carpenter. As with most of his films, Carpenter creates a scary atmosphere through moody settings(the California coastline, a lighthouse, an old Church), relentless mood music as in Halloween, good character acting(Holbrook, Houseman, Curtis, Leigh), and a claustrophobic feeling of something vice-like gripping you. The story has some plot problems, but none enough to detract from the overall enjoyment of the film. Adrienne Barbeau is as lovely as ever in the lead, and the film is credible amidst the background of supernatural actions.

I watched The Fog for the first time since the early 1980's the other night. John Carpenter and Debra Hill did a fine job with this one.

The good points of the movie deal with the overall story and the setting of the film. The story is explained fully during the movie and the setting in California is superb and creepy. The music is also disturbing. The background music coupled with the uneasiness and lonliness of the town, Antonio Bay, is very effective. No gore whatsoever in this one so the whole family may watch this movie together. When I was about 10 or 11 years old this movie did scare me quite a bit. The only negative was the characterization. No character development at all but that was probably intended. Jamie Lee Curtis's role is strange. Some references to Halloween are also found in the film. i.e. Look out for the name of one of the main characters.

Overall a good movie. Not great but good. 6 out of 10.

Antonio Bay, California is celebrating its centennial. Father Malone (Hal Holbrook) discovers his grandfather's journal from 1880. It reveals that the six celebrated founders of the town sank a ship called Elizabeth Dane and then stole its gold. The owner Blake had wanted to establish a leper colony. Instead the six used the money to build the town avoid having the leper colony nearby. Strange things are happening in the town. Single mom Stevie Wayne (Adrienne Barbeau) is the radio DJ in the lighthouse. Nick Castle (Tom Atkins) picks up hitchhiker Elizabeth Solley (Jamie Lee Curtis) and then all the windows in his truck shatter. A fog bank comes over a fishing boat and apparitions kill everybody. Nick and Elizabeth sleep together. An apparition comes to kill but the clock strikes 1 am and the witching hour ends. The apparition disappears. Kathy Williams (Janet Leigh) is the organizer of the centennial and she refuses to believe Father Malone and the curse.

This is a rather slow horror and not that scary. It has a spooky quality to it mostly from Carpenter's music and the isolated seaside location. The story is pretty simplistic at its core. It's killer ghosts. The whole exposition with Hal Holbrook reading the diary isn't the most exciting. It's most remembered for Adrienne Barbeau as the sexy DJ. She definitely has the voice for it.

The Fog (1980) is a classic horror film from John Carpenter! Right after Halloween, this is a John Carpenter's BEST horror movie!! Much better (as always) than the remake. The remake sucked ass, It took me 3.hrs of watching the movie till I finish it. I will never watch the remake again. This film is fast paced not boring not too over long and goes with the story perfect! It is one of my personal favorite horror movies.

It is interesting movie and very intense horror film.I absolutely love this classic horror flick about revenge that began 100. years ago As the Californian coastal town of Antonio Bay is about to celebrate its 100th anniversary, paranormal activity begins to occur at the stroke of midnight. Revenge ghost keep visiting Antonio Bay and killing people ancestors who were responsible for killing them 100.years ago and stealing their gold. Seriously I love this movie to death. It is American Horror classic flick I love it. I can always enjoy watching this film, I had fun with it and the film is Entertaining, a great horror s lasher genre from the 80's.

According to legend, six sailors killed when shipwrecked 100 years ago in Antonio Bay, California, will rise to avenge their deaths when a strange glowing fog appears. The town is commemorating the centenary of the shipwreck and Father Malone discovers a diary kept by an ancestor; he learns that the ship was wrecked by six founding fathers of the town. The vengeance of their victims will be the death of six people. As daylight fades, a mysterious fog envelops the town and begins to strew panic and death. The pain plot to film that evolves a ghosts 100.years ago that were betrayed and robbed, now 100.years anniversary, they are coming for revenge as the fog and killing people.

One of my favorite best horror flicks from John Carpenter. The Fog (1980) was the perfect movie to watch on Halloween or at least during Halloween season. I think if Jamie Lee Curtis maybe got the DJ role instead of the hitchhiker one, she probably would've said nicer things about it. Even though I know it's unrelated, I think this is the closest we'll ever get to an American 'Blind Dead' remake. The Fog was intended as PG, but Carpenter put in stronger scenes due to a negative test screening. He mentioned that on the Fear On Film on the Criterion DVD/Blu-Ray for Video.

The Original movie The Fog was a classic. What I do not understand is Debra Hill produced the Original Fog and The Remake and the remake was just awful. It was not scary, the effects were terrible, acting was terrible and the new Stevie Wayne was just insulting and terrible. Adrienne Barbeau was awesome as DJ Stevie Wayne in The Fog she also co started a year later in my all time favorite Sci-Fi Action flick Escape From New York (1981) in which she is the beautiful in both movies , but In Escape From New York she is deadly Maggie. There are a lot actors and actress who worked with John Carpenter before and in the future films. Jamie Lee Curtis who played hitchhiker also played 2.years earlier in Halloween (1978) first classic Carpenter horror film. Sorry I don't like that movie, but I love this movie. I can go with this film anytime. Tom Atkins he also co started a year later in Escape From New York alongside with Adrienne Barbeau. They never shared screen time together in that film and they never shared any screen time in this on either.

It's a favorite of mine, and that version of the movie beats the tar off of the 2005 version.They're not even alike, and the second one to me is just plain fake! This one has so much more human interaction and realism. Great cast, maintained the creepy atmosphere throughout and plenty of good frights. I loved this movie from start to finish! It is a good ghost story and an awesome horror flick of mine! I love this film to death! I love it!!! I love Adrienne In this this film. I Love her on air voice and a terrified scene on the end of the movie when she had to face the ghosts alone. The Fog (1980) it is still all time classic and Everyone is still talking about this horror film today!

The rating I am giving to this film is 10/10 it deserves it and it is John Carpenter's underrated best horror film for me. It is my 6th favorite best Carpenter film.

The Fog was John Carpenter and Debra Hill's hotly anticipated follow up to their runaway smash, Halloween, and it offers up a much different story than what moviegoers might have been expecting. Instead of bloodthirsty escaped mental patients coming after babysitters, it features a mature cast of Hollywood veterans who are all the citizens of a small coastal town who are being terrorized by the watery ghosts of those who were unjustly murdered by the people who helped found the town.

Carpenter keeps graphic bloodshed to a minimum and lets Dean Cundey's beautiful cinematography and the stellar ensemble do all the heavy lifting. That said, Rob Bottin's gruesome zombie ghost makeup is impressive.

It's something foggy that i didn't really understand but a pretty solid movie🌫 Some really good acting pretty likeable characters.

I whould definitely watch it again.

And i recommend it to 80s horror fans.

This ridiculous yet hilarious 'horror' film makes the most out of its thread-bare plot by casting stereotype characters against an evil presence that arises out of a mysterious fog that en-shrouds a coastal town which becomes the subject of the above-mentioned horror, "THE FOG".

The evil here isn't actually 'the fog' itself, but what comes out of 'the fog' that supposedly represents the true terror.

John Carpenter's protege, Jamie Lee Curtis, shares the head title for this garbage with none other than ex-'MAUDE' wash-up, Adrienne Barbeau who begins her career into schlock horror territory with this tripe. Also thrown into this horrific melange is silver-screen veteran, Janet Leigh, sporting a ludicrous poodle-haircut that serves her no justice, B-Grade actors John Houseman, Tom Atkins and Hal Holbrook as a Minister with several dark secrets hidden beneath his cloth.

Adrienne Barbeau portrays a radio DJ(!!) aptly named Stevie Wayne who broadcasts her program live from a lighthouse situated out in the middle of nowhere. She is the first character to notice the strange happenings accompanied with 'the fog' that begin to occur during the town's centenary celebrations. From her lighthouse, she can track the exact route 'the fog' takes as it spreads across town with a personal mission of its own.

You see, 100 years ago, apparently a leprosy-infested crew of a ship filled with gold were tricked into docking outside the town's harbor where they were butchered during the night by the greedy townsfolk who plundered the gold for themselves and left the poor victims for dead. Of course, little did they know that their actions would have sinister consequences and that on this particular night 100 years later, a fog sweeping across town would bring with it zombies who represent the slain crew members of the ill-fated ship, seeking the gold that was once taken from them. Not to mention, the victims of this supernatural rebellion all happen to be the unfortunate descendants of the very people who plundered the gold 100 years ago.

The zombies are basically men wearing wet rotting clothes with no apparent facial features who walk out of the fog rapping on various people's doors to kill residents of the town in bizarre fashions. This would have to be one of the first horror films to feature zombies who are actually courteous enough to knock on their victim's door first before doing away with them! Some of the victims include a boat load of gin-soaked fishermen and complete loons who answer the 'strange knocking on their doors', even if it does happen to be 1:00am in the morning!

The survivors of the pack are of course the big names of the cast - Barbeau, Lee-Curtis, Leigh, Atkins and Holbrook who manage to hold off the vengeful zombies in a church who spend the last 15 or so 'suspenseful' minutes of the film enforcing pews and cupboards against the windows as the zombies outside shatter the pains with their rotting hands as they try anything to get in.

The five final minutes of "THE FOG" are nothing but total inappropriate hilarity. It involves Hal Holbrook, his nasty little secret and a glowing golden crucifix.

There are very few scares in this film and I was quite stunned to discover that John Carpenter had dreamed this garbage up and also managed to haul in Alfred Hitchcock's darling, Janet Leigh ("PSYCHO") to portray a festivity organizer who almost becomes zombie food. I did however get a good laugh out of the preposterous nature of "THE FOG". It would definitely be one of his worst films, but it is quite an enjoyable film if you're drunk on a Saturday night.

3 out of 10.

A mysterious fog roles into Antonio Bay.

The Fog is a guilty pleasure film of mine as I love how well the filmmakers develop the tension and tell a story with great cinematography, sound, and use of locations.

The plot is simple and full of dark cynicism about accepted histories, but it mostly just sets up creepy and suspenseful horror moments. Some aspects feel contrived, but it does not impact the entertainment if you do not take certain details too seriously.

I like how it creates a plausible small town community tied together by the soothing voice of the radio DJ character. I think this develops a sense of quaintness and enhances the vulnerability of the characters during the horror sequences.

Dean Cundey's cinematography is one of the highlights as there are some beautifully composed shots, and virtually every one feels spooky regardless of the content. When combined with the editing and sound, it works superbly. I usually cannot take my eyes off the screen when watching the opening scenes around the Antonio Bay as they give fairly mundane imagery of people and places a sense of impending dread.

As for the effects, you can see John Carpenter made the best use of a limited budget. You have to suspend the disbelief that a smoke machine is meant to be the fog and accept that several ghostly murderous figures are obscured by darkness for a good reason.

All actors are on good form, particularly Adrienne Barbeau and Janet Leigh. Jamie Lee Curtis and Tom Atkins have a good natural chemistry and their banter feels real. Hal Holbrook puts his heart into a key role and despite the silliness of certain aspects of the plot he pulls it off well.

A fantastic first act is followed by a slow, somewhat mediocre second and a frenzied but rushed third, ultimately making for a flawed film that has moments of pure, albeit slightly campy, spooky joy but also feels lacking from a story perspective. While the flick generally demonstrates Carpenter's impressively assured, genre-confident direction, it occasionally seems somewhat hollow and is just generally a bit too straightforward - at least, for its pacing and structure. The story issues aren't helped by an enigmatic but ultimately superfluous opening scene that essentially spells out everything that's going to happen and thus reduces a lot of potential mystery. There are also several false, though thankfully always grounded, jump-scares that end up becoming quite grating. Plus, a final scare comes out of nowhere and doesn't really make all that much sense. Still, the suspenseful stuff is usually successful and there's a great sense of atmosphere - especially in the feature's opening third, as I mentioned. There are a number of well-crafted frights and, on the whole, it makes good, if sparing, use of horror (including some inventive, though slightly tame, horrific imagery). When it's at its best, the picture makes you forget about its flaws, including its rushed relationships and generally weak characters, by being a confident 'haunted house', a ghost story told to entertain rather than straight-up scare. 6/10