The Fog DVD Review:

Celebrating its centenary, the sleepy town of Antonio Bay is about to find out the foundations the town was built upon are nothing like they expected. Father Malone (Holbrook) discovers that the gold used to build the town was stolen and the men transporting it were murdered. As the clock ticks onto midnight a glowing fog appears out to sea and starts heading in land. While this might not sound too unusual, radio station owner Stevie Wayne (Barbeau) realises that the Fog is moving against the wind.

After the phenomenal success of their first collaboration Halloween, John Carpenter and Debra Hill return to the horror genre but this time it is a more ghostly affair.

In what was the start of a run of cult classics in the early 1980s, John Carpenter and his writing partner Debra Hill’s second coloration stayed in the horror genre but took a more supernatural approach than the masked serial killer that had served them so well in Halloween. The Fog is an old fashioned ghost story with a gory, blood-curdling touch. At its base level is a revenge tale that has been festering for 100 years, a legend that salty old sea dogs regale to kids around the campfire, never expecting it to be true. What Carpenter and Hill do well is make this old-fashioned ghost story but also quench the 1980s thirst for gore.

Director John Carpenter had a gift, back in the early 1980s, of taking a small budget from the studio and producing a movie that looked like a lot more money had been spent on it. The Fog is another fine example of this. These movies invented the special effects that would be utilised for most of the decade, until the emergence of CG and some would argue that they still look better, if more realistic that a lot of the modern movies. The sight of the Fog rolling into Antonio Bay is as dramatic now as it was back in 1980. Makeup effects still look better than any CG created creature. The killers in the fog are extremely creepy, zombie looking creations by makeup wizard Rob Bottin who kill anyone that dares to enter rolling mist.

For the budget, the cast is very good and makes situation all the more believable. Adrienne Barbeau is excellent as local radio host Stevie Wayne, who witnesses the onslaught of the fog from her studio in the lighthouse. Broadcasting warnings over the airwaves as her friends and family meet their grizzly ends, Barbeau says the lines with passion making the situation all the more dramatic. Jamie Lee Curtis continued to enhance her scream-queen reputation, reacting as only she could to the horrors happening around her. The legendary Janet Leigh brings some class to the proceedings as local major Kathy Williams and Hal Holbrook typifies the priest whose faith is severely tested by the events unfolding before him.

The Fog is a good, old-fashioned ghost story that looks a lot better than its limited budget suggested. With some genuine scares, good performances and excellent special effects, this is a fright fest that lives up to its cult status.

Star Rating = * * *

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1 with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, this digitally remastered transfer is very good. When you realise that the movie was made in 1980 with a micro budget you will be surprised how good the picture and sound quality actually are. The picture is sharp throughout, even as the movie is shot mainly at night. The sound quality is also very good, with John Carpenter’s haunting score echoing around the room.

BONUS FEATURES

Disc 1

Audio Commentary by Director John Carpenter and producer Debra Hill
This informative and chatty commentary reunites the co-writers of the movie to talk about The Fog. The pair reveals how they had to virtually remake the movie because the studio wanted to up the gore content and the scares. They talk about the influences behind the story and how a trip to the UK inspired John Carpenter to come up with the story. The technical aspects of the movie are also discussed, like how the fog was produced, Rob Bottin’s makeup effects and his role in the movie and why they had to make the Stevie Wayne’s radio programme a Jazz show. This is a good commentary from the two people who feel the most passionate about the movie.

Disc 2

Documentary: Tales from the Mist (27.57 mins)

Co-writer/director John Carpenter, co-writer/producer Debra Hill, production designer/editor Tommy Lee Wallace and stars Adrienne Barbeau, Janet Leigh and Jamie Lee Curtis (recorded in 1980) talk about bringing The Fog to the sliver screen. Carpenter and Hill discuss the pressures of following up the mammoth hit they had with Halloween and how they came up with the story while visiting Stonehenge in the UK. The secrets behind the movie are revealed as the cast and crew talk about casting, having a slightly bigger budget, the special effects techniques employed to create the fog and John Carpenter’s visual style. This is a fascinating insight into small budget filmmaking back in the 1980s.

Original 1980 Documentary (7.41 mins)

Co-writer/director John Carpenter, co-writer/producer Debra Hill and stars Adrienne Barbeau, Janet Leigh and Jamie Lee Curtis appear in a promotional featurette from 1980. Carpenter and Hill reveal their thoughts about what is really frightening in cinema. Janet Leigh and Jamie Lee Curtis talk about working together. This is a frank and honest look at the movie that is very different to the usual self-promotion and backslapping we associate with modern promotional material.

Storyboard to film comparison (1.22 mins)

Your chance to compare “The Ship in the Fog” footage alongside the original storyboards from the production

Outtakes (4.10 mins)

A montage of clips shows various cast members and crew mucking up their lines and making fools of themselves.

Trailers and Teasers
Watch the original theatrical trailer, two teasers and three TV spots that were used to promote the movie.

Photo Gallery
A collection of behind the scenes and promotional images

OVERALL

A classic, low budget horror flick gets a good DVD treatment that should make fans come out of the mist. The film is extremely well presented and is back up by some very good extras. The commentary track is first rate and documentary is very informative. This is a good example of how a special edition DVD of a classic low-budget feature should be approached as it will delight the fans and introduce new viewers to John Carpenter’s ghost story.

DVD Star Rating = * * *

Jamie Kelwick

Site Contents Copyright© The Z Review, unless used with permission.This site has no intention to infringe on the rights of the film owners of The Fog and intellectual copyright holders of the movies mentioned herein & hold copyright over the movie, characters, merchandise & storyline.