Production Year: 1979 - Horror - Director: John Carpenter - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins, James Canning, John Houseman, Janet Leigh, Hal Holbrook more
Director John Carpenter creates an old-fashioned campfire ghost story with THE FOG. Antonio Bay, a quaint, small seaside town is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding.... more
The Fog
Antonio Bay, California Has Turned A Hundred Years Old And Getting Ready To CelebrateIts ... more
Centennial Year. But As The Residents Of The Small, Quaint Harbour Town Begin To PrepareFor The Festivities A Mysterious Cloud Of Fog Appears Upon The Shore And Begins To Make Its Way Across Town Leaving A Trail Of Horrifying Slaughter Until The Deathly, Dark Secrets OfAntonio Bay's Blood Soaked History Is Finally Revealed. The Fog Is An Incredibly Atmospheric And Effective Ghost Story That Confirms John Carpenter As A Master Of Terror.
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The Fog
A peaceful village in Wiltshire is shattered by a disaster which strikes without reason or ... more
explanation leaving behind a trail of misery and horror. A yawning bottomless crack spreads through the earth out of which creeps a fog that resembles no other. Whatever it is it must be controlled.
The Fog DVD
A thick fog rolls into the sleepy town of Antonio Bay concealing the ghosts of murdered ... more
sailors desperate to seek revenge on the descendants of their killers. In one night the inhabitants of this town will pay the ultimate price for their forefathers' murderous greed...
Production Year: 1979 - Horror - Director: John Carpenter - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: John Houseman, Janet Leigh, Hal Holbrook, Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins, James Canning
Horror - Director: Alfred Hitchcock - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Rod Taylor, Vera Miles, Tippi Hedren, Jessica Tandy, Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh
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A review by FilmsAtLarge on The Fog (DVD) September 26th, 2003
Author's product rating:
Did you enjoy it?
Liked it
Story
Good
Characters / Performances
Good
Special Effects
Standard
How does it compare to similar films?
Good
Advantages:
Good performances; strong writing; truly scary .
Disadvantages:
Not gory enough for some tastes; doesn't quite feel "perfect . "
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
Whatever happened to those Horror films of yesteryear that invoked a true sense of fear rather than pointing and shooting and calling it a day. John Carpenter was a master at piling atmosphere on top of an eerily frightening score and giving us a film that favored atmosphere over blood and gore. "Halloween" is a classic by every stretch of the imagination and he opted for a film much like it as his second. The tone is ominous and the plot mysterious, the setting cold, and the sense of fear strong. Not in awhile have I been scared quite like I have with "The Fog." It's performances are strong, the script is good and, most importantly, it has an overall creepy vibe that you won't be able to shake. Take it from me, a film as generally unsettling as this one doesn't come often. Carpenter proves that he knows how to create movie magic more than once and "The Fog" is undeniable proof.
A town has been getting quite a bit of fog as of late and the mysterious deaths of a ship crew have left citizens puzzled. Their ship seems to have been filled with water when only a day before it was inspected and thoroughly cleaned. A fog seems to be seeping onto shore of Antonio Bay, California and casts an ominous glow over the town. People are mysteriously dying and strange occurrences take place from time to time that shakes the foundation of the city. Mirrors rattle, car alarms sound, bottles fall off of shelves and break, and knocking can be heard on doors from an unknown source. As one of the main characters would say, "there's something in the fog."
The acting here is surprisingly above par; most noticeably from Tom Atkins (who portrays Nick Castle) and Jamie Lee Curtis (who portrays Elizabeth). Both of them display a strong sense of humanity and gave me the illusion of them being "real people in an awful situation." Of course, they are simply acted as directed to by Carpenter; these two are quite talented and pulled this off flawlessly. John Carpenter's and Debra Hill's writing can be accredited as "natural" in the sense that the dialogue isn't unnatural or too over-the-top in terms of attempting to be "witty." This helps matters along and with the talented cast at hand, it all blends perfectly. Being that it is a Horror film, however, the writing doesn't include character development, a self-aware writing style, or a subtext that will leave philosophers amazed. None of that is present, but hey, with Carpenter's great directing and his writing (also Debra Hill), the clichés can be excused.
The acting is certainly strong all around as even the supporting cast does a great job; there is certainly talent. Conviction a true sense of acting ability can be felt as the lines are delivered well. No one sounds bored out of their mind or uninterested in the material which the film can only benefit from. The cast were selected well as they generally look terrified, scream on-cue, and do what a Horror film should call for without doubt from the audience. The conviction, I feel, should be mentioned again for the pure fact that I felt as though these were truly real people plunged into this horrifying nightmare. It should go without saying on my part that the cast did a great job.
Carpenter's direction has the same eerie atmosphere and methodic pace that was found in "Halloween." The mysterious tone of the film is a Carpenter trademark and goes hand-in-hand with the darkly suspenseful atmosphere; the usage of shots that focus on images within the fog work masterfully and create true terror incredibly well. The atmosphere put on top of a creepy tone makes this one that will deeply scare the viewer. I found myself creeped out more than once and looking behind me just to make sure nothing was there. Carpenter builds the tension brilliantly and favors misty, methodic shots over jump scares. This actually makes the movie itself a true exercise in terror rather than a superficial "surprise film." You won’t find many jump scares, though the few that there are are done well when thought about.
When Carpenter isn’t scaring the daylights out of the audience he’s simply pointing and shooting. He doesn’t dabble in foreshadowing in terms of direction and films right as if he were looking at an object. Nothing flashy but technically sound; this utilizes the ‘normalness” vibe to a remarkable degree. The way I look at it, what he’s doing is expressing the sameness of life and the sudden urgency that will fully be seen when the fog begins to set in. Carpenter is a genius but few will admit that of him. I’ll be one of the first and say that his directing here is subtle, creepy, and more than befitting of the film. Feel free to get lost in this fog.
For those looking for a gory Horror film, you will surely be disappointed. There is on-screen stabbing but the camera cuts away before we see anything graphic. Much like “Halloween,” this film leaves the violence more implied than shown. Our mind makes up for what is not on-screen, therefore enhancing the “gore” so to speak. However, there are various stabbings with sharp objects and we briefly see the blades, swords, and hooks pierce skin, so this isn’t a film you would show to those with weak stomachs. Just don’t expect to see any red splashes or any forms of blood and gore. The worst you’ll get is a corpse with no eyes.
The make-up FX is even kept to a minimum. What we see is done well and they help to create the creepy vibe well. The stabbings are realistically done and have a certain style about them can actually be sickening; I’ll contribute that to the actors. Beyond that, we don’t get much. “The Fog” is from the glory days of independent Horror so don’t expect a film filled with latex, Kyro syrup, and FX that never stop.
Is “The Fog” a good Horror movie? Yes, in every sense of the word. Is “The Fog” a good movie period? Not to those who have taste in art house work. As far as Horror films go, “The Fog” ranks as one of the best. The only thing holding it back, if anything, is that it isn’t perfect. I’m not entirely sure what doesn’t make it perfect, but something isn’t “classic” about it. But if you’re a die hard Horror movie fan and have yet to see this film, by all means watch it as soon as possible. This is certainly one of the best Horror films I’ve ever seen.
(Rated R for horror violence and language.)
More Reviews
Creepy as Hell Review ofThe Fog (DVD)by
Burning_Darkness
...of tension and suspense. In the hands of a lesser director, The Fog would have been just another generic horror film, (see the execrable 2005 remake if you don't believe me) but Carpenter instead manages to create an oppressive and unsettling film with his mix of eerily-lit shots, brooding off-screen menace and his trademark pulsing synths that ebb and flow throughout, gradually building up anxiety in the viewer on an almost subconscious level. The ... ...beacon and driving it onto the rocks, causing crew to drown before plundering the ship of gold and using it to establish the town. The local church houses a huge gold crucifix fashioned from the supposedly ill-gotten gold, and its curator, Father Malone, is a descendent to the head conspirator and town founder. On the hundredth anniversary of the shipwrecking a strange luminous fog begins to envelop the town, and strange figures with glowing eyes ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
The Fog- feature running time 86 mins.
*****Induction*****
**********************
The fog is a horror film from Director John Carpenter, this is one my favourite films.
The fog is not a blood- soaked, gore filled horror film of usual. It cranks up the tension with suspense, giving it a eerie atmosphere. The film can be slow paced, but this creates a sense of threat, leaving you knowing that the fog hides many dangers. The fog has a life of it's ... ...leaves most of the scares to the viewers imagination. *****The Story*****
**********************
A man sits by a campfire telling the story of the Elizabeth Dane, a ship that sunk of the coast of Antonio Bay, and of Captain Blake and his crew, who all died.
We cut to the next day, and Antonio Bay are celebrating it's 100th Anniversary, a memorial is to be unveiled that night in honour of the town's founding Fathers. The main characters are Kathy ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
...(fourth feature), it's no wonder The Fog (1979) is one of John Carpenter's greatest examples of storytelling. Like Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) and Hallowe'en (1978) before it, The Fog is concise, episodic and is complimented perfectly with one of Carpenter's finest musical scores. Indeed, Carpenter himself regards the score as among his best. I'd agree. It has all the ingredients that characterise his work: piano, synth and those lovely middle-of-the-scale ... ...The film is about the curse that hangs over the sleepy seaside town of Antonio Bay. It opens with John Houseman's creepy old seafarer spinning a ghost story round the campfire. As I say, it's a classic piece of storytelling. Fans of this movie will know its history: how it was re-shot, re-edited and re-scored in the space of a month. Hardly surprising, then, that the film hangs together as neatly as it does. The film we see is the result of the director ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
...this movie was based on the novel of the same name written by the well known horror writer James Herbert. It is rightfully given an 18 certificate due to it gory and bloody scenes involving some horrific deaths.
**BRIEF PLOT**
The residents of Antonio Bay, a small fishing town in Northern California, are preparing to celebrate it's centennial when many mysterious events begin to happen.
With many horrific murders occurring the town folk are understandably ... ...town.
When the towns priest, Father Malone, (played by Hal Holbrook) unearthed his grandfather diary he soon realises what is hiding with-in the strange fog and why the fog is covering the town.
The diary reveals some horrific historical events which have doomed the residents of the town to a terrifying nightmare. As the fog first appears out to sea the town folk ignore it, assuming it is simply the usual sea fog, until they discover the gruesome ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: A good ghost story Disadvantages: Makes sleep uneasy
...which should be shown on the telly over Xmas.
A beach party with a huge camp fire attracts a ship at sea lost in the fog. Unfortunately between the beach and the ship there is a dangerous reef and the ship crashes to destruction on the jagged rocks. The crew, with their drowning breaths, swear vengeance on the inhabitants of the nearby coastal town.
Exactly 100 years later as midnight approaches, a single mother running a small time radio station ... ...to roll in towards the shore. Aware of the tragedy 100 years ago and her son at home alone, she loads a tape to play over the air and sets off to get to him pursued by the fog.
This is a creepy film with only a bit of gore to satisfy those who like blood and thunder but the fog and the "look out behind you" atmosphere more than makes up for the lack of mayhem.
Watch it by yourself if you dare. ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Theme tune, characters, and childhood memories Disadvantages: Only 5 episodes on DVD, animation is an acquired taste
...If you're a child of the 1980s like myself, I'd be surprised if you don't remember Willy Fog. Although it was originally shown in Spanish in 1983, it was first shown in the UK in 1987 when it was on Children's BBC, and dubbed over in English. I think the series was popular in many countries, I remember watching an episode in Italian when on holiday in Venice!
The series has 26 episodes, and the first five are on this dvd. I bought the set (of five) as each one came out, but now you can buy a box set with all of the episodes which might be more convenient (put it this way, you can't just buy this one dvd as you won't find out what happens). However, I didn't mind the wait between dvds. After all, when it was shown there was only one episode per week. As a 5-6 year old, the 26 weeks seemed to go on for a lifetime!
For me (and...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: I was scared once Disadvantages: Strange special effects, no character development
...An island off the coast of the US is about to celebrate the hundreth anniversary of its founding when an unexpected bout of fog strikes, leaving three dead and one seriously injured. Stranger things are afoot; objects mysteriously appear on the seashore, things that seemingly have the magical power to burst into flames despite having been underwater for centuries. Nick Castle and his girlfriend, Elizabeth, slowly begin to piece together the story of their forefathers, who allowed the death of a boatful of lepers so that they could set up the island without any of the 'unclean' on it. Now, it seems, the lepers are coming back to seek their revenge by means of the fog...Can justice be done without more death?
I seem to have caught up with five years of remakes in the past month or so; The Fog 2005 is a re-make of the 1980 John...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Plot: Antonio Bay, a quaint, small seaside town is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding. That night a heavy, mysterious fog rolls through the town and people begin to die in savage ways. Rumours of a secret as old as the town begin to surface and the people of Antonio Bay realise they are victims of long dead sailors who have come to take revenge for their own murders at the hands of the town's founding fathers. The townspeople can only wait for the fog to roll in and pray that they are not the next to die.
Release details
DVD Region: DVD
Studio(s): MOMENTUM PICTURES; TECHNICOLOR DISTRIBUTION SERVICES
Director John Carpenter creates an old-fashioned campfire ghost story with THE FOG. Antonio Bay, a quaint, small seaside town is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding. That night a heavy, mysterious fog rolls through the town and people begin to die in savage ways. Rumors of a secret as old as the town begin to surface and the people of Antonio Bay realize they are victims of long dead sailors who have come to revenge their own murders at the hands of the town's founding fathers. The townspeople can only wait for the fog to roll in and pray that they are not the next to die. Carpenter creates a chilling film with THE FOG and gets fine performances out of Adrienne Barbeau, Hal Holbrook, and the fog itself, which creeps and crawls around as if it were alive. The film elicits its scares out of what is not seen rather than what is, and Carpenter exploits that style perfectly. Vauge shapes move within the fog, while strange noises heard in the distance grow louder, and no one can say exactly what they are up against. THE FOG is one of Carpenter's earlier films and helped to establish his reputation as a master filmmaker.
Languages
Main Language: English
Technical information
Special Features: Commentary - 1. John Carpenter - Director, Documentary - 1. TALES FROM THE MIST: INSIDE THE FOG, 2. FEAR ON FILM: INSIDE THE FOG (Original 1980 Documentary), Outtakes, Trailer, Photo Gallery
Professional reviews
Review: "...[A] well-made suspenser....John Carpenter demonstrates he has a finger right on the pulse of today's film-going public..." (Variety, 16/01/1980)
![The Fog (2 Disc Special Edition) [DVD] [1979]](http://images.ciao.com/ide/images/icons/no_pic_generic_S1.gif){kind=icon}
25.11.2006
