The Fog
After cementing himself in a more grounded kind of repugnance withHalloween , genre icon John Carpenter gradually begin exploring the world of the supernatural , whether it was the assimilation threat ofThe Thingor theLovecraftian mind - carouse that isIn the Mouth of Madness . One of his earliest speculation into the supernatural was 1980’sThe Fog , a picture that do as his return to horror after helming the Kurt Russell - ledElvisand also resist out as one that has garnered a cult following in the 45 years since becoming a boxful government agency hit .
Co - written by Carpenter and frequent originative partner Debra Hill , The Fogis setin the sleepy coastal town of Antonio Bay in Northern California , where they are just about to lionise the centennial of its origination by six members . Before the festivities can begin , however , an forbidding fog that can on the face of it move of its own volition start broom through the township , which cover something sinister within it that menace anyone who unknowingly gets caught in it .
The Fog’s Setup Is Effective, But Slow
Carpenter’s Focus On Mood Could’ve Worked If Not For The Quick Pace Changes
One of the biggest thingsThe Foginitially has going for it is the steady build - up of the secret wall the titular weather event . Beginning with a campfire ghost story that set the inauspicious temper to issue forth from the rest of the film and remain with a fisherman dragger observance as a abandoned ship spectre ship sails by them , we ’re introduced to an interesting construct of a crew who crashed their ship and drown while mistaking a campfire for a beacon light due to a fog .
From this setup , it feels like we ’re about to be treated to a chilling supernatural tale , only forCarpenter and Hill to quickly intensify thingsas those aboard the trawler are savagely hit by the ghostly soma from aboard the clipper ship . In one sense , this change has voltage , as it would make the residuum of the film a tense ride , even if it ’s predictable as character reference become fodder . And yet , the originative duo rapidly shift things down as the fog recedes and our aid is drawn to others in the town .
This is ultimately how the picture show end up proceeding , and Carpenter and Hill spring back and forth between lay the groundwork for the origins of the fog and the motivation of the spirits within it to the more violence - drive thrills they were jazz for inAssault on Precinct 13andHalloween . Considering Carpenter has discuss have got to do reshoots on the film upon finger disgruntled with his original cut , and subsequently reshot sure sequences and added others , there are moments when this mish - mash is all the more observable .
The Practical Effects Continue To Astonish 45 Years Later
It’s The Fog Effects, However, Whose Aging Unfortunately Shows
Even as he ’s explored various subgenres in the humans of repulsion , Carpenter has often been the title-holder of practical effects in his films , and many of those watch inThe Fogstill nurse up 45 yearsafter the movie ’s original release . The constitution and prosthetics used to create the ghostly crew of theElizabeth Daneare appropriately chilling , while many of the film ’s kill sequence are appropriately horrific , particularly the execution of the fishermen in the movie ’s opening and the confrontation between one reference and the lead spectre over a golden cross .
As old - fashioned as it may seem today , a well - used daze machine can do wonder to establish an eerie mode to a setting …
With a movie whose claim assure plenty of the heap - obscuring weather upshot , the daze should — and does — diddle a prominent function in the film . alas for Carpenter , this core aged quite poorly . The blame ca n’t be put entirely on the director , given CGI was not yet a thing , and for the era , the direction it ’s done whole kit and boodle in give the supernatural nature of the fog . From a retrospective facial expression , the stuttering of the effect is quite detectable , and the glowing line drawing of it becomes a picayune lackluster to see at .
Custom Image by Grant Hermanns
gratefully , Carpenter and his production team more than make up for this with more practical uses of it throughout the film . As old - fashioned as it may seem nowadays , a well - used fog motorcar can do curiosity to establish an eery temper in a scenery , and the picture show ’s tenser consequence work because of it . One scene , in particular , that remains as in effect as ever is the strong drink ' attempt to lash out the untried Andy , with the babysitter ’s death from the sudden appearance of multiple spirits being a skillful jolt .
There Are Simply Too Many Characters In The Fog
With No Clear Protagonist & Imbalanced Screentime, It’s Hard To Know Who To Care About
Arguably , the other big disappointment to amount fromThe Fogis how Carpenter and Hillattempt to fulfill Antonio Bay with interesting role , which ends up making the film palpate more overstuffed than compelling . From the start of the movie , it feel like either Adrienne Barbeau ’s Stevie or Hal Holbrook ’s Father Malone are intend to be our main reference , with the former serve as defender of the townspeople from her lighthouse radio place and the latter discovering the colored history of the Ithiel Town that has inspired this haunting .
While not every single film involve to have a sole agonist … but this is one that really does finger a bit disjointed in its mystifier pieces .
However , we ’re also quickly directed to focus on Tom Atkins ' Nick , a local resident , and Jamie Lee Curtis ' Elizabeth , a hitchhiker who becomes romantically linked to Nick after getting a ride from him , as they investigate the disappearing and execution of the fisherman from the film ’s opening . But wait , get ’s not also forget Janet Leigh ’s Kathy , wife to one of the fisherman and organizer of the Ithiel Town ’s centenary . Oh , and did you commemorate to factor in in all the ground members of Antonio Bay and the crew of theElizabeth Dane , whose sinning started this whole affair ?
The Fog is one of John Carpenter’s supernatural horror films that was released in 1980. After a strange fog sweeps over Northern California, vengeful ghosts of leprous mariners wreak havoc on a small coastal town. After starring in Halloween, Jamie Lee Curtis returns to work with Carpenter alongside Adrienne Barbeau, Tom Atkins, and Curtis' mother, Janet Leigh.
While everyone ’s plot thread may finally interweave together and begin to make more sense in the grand schema of things during the film ’s final act , it ’s hard to deny thatThe Fogends up feeling a lilliputian overstuffed and unfocused . The Fog ’s ensemble hurl surely does a slap-up business in their function . And while not every individual picture needs to have a sole protagonist , as evidenced by Carpenter ’s own two - handed focal point between Laurie Strode andDr . Loomis inHalloween , but this is one that really does finger a bit disjoint in its mystifier pieces .
The Fog is one of John Carpenter ’s supernatural repulsion films that was released in 1980 . After a strange fog sweeps over Northern California , vengeful wraith of leprous Jack wreak mayhem on a humble coastal township . After starring in Halloween , Jamie Lee Curtis come back to work with Carpenter alongside Adrienne Barbeau , Tom Atkins , and Curtis ' mother , Janet Leigh .
