The Fog (1980)

The Fog...1980...89 minutes...rated R...starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Adrienne Barbeau, Janet Leigh, and Hal Holbrook...written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill...directed by John Carpenter

So, I'll admit that I'm partial to John Carpenter films, and I think that's mostly to do with the soundtracks he composes for his movies. For whatever reason, his films have generally managed to creep me out on some level, even when the stories seem more like fragments. The quote by Edgar Allen Poe at the beginning of this movie is relevant; Carpenter's movies always seem like nightmares and that surreal quality just makes the experience of his films unsettling.

I think this film is one of the best examples of that dreamlike imagery, and the start of the film with John Houseman telling ghost stories sets that tone immediately. In this film, the fishing community of Antonio Bay is just about to celebrate it's 100th anniversary; however the past isn't through with the town. The fog rolls in between midnight and one, the hour that belongs to the dead, and a bit of town history that was forgotten comes back seeking revenge. I'll grant that it's not much of a blurb, but if you haven't seen this selection, I'd hate to ruin it for you. I'll give you a hint; bloodthirsty seafaring ghosts are involved. (Aren't they the best kind of ghosts?)

There's a lot of classic star power involved in this movie, as seen by the credits above. Their performances, ranging from the single mother and voice of the local radio to the clergyman in his cups, help sell the idea that these are people dealing with the unknown. The story seems disjointed, but in some ways, the fact that no one person has all the answers or knows what's going on also establishes just enough of a feeling of reality...but a reality turning askew. For people like myself who like genre references and "in-jokes", the movie has those as well. (Dr. Phibes...really?) The soundtrack is genuine Carpenter, and the movie's length isn't stretched out too long. (The movie was actually almost too short, hence the whole John Houseman scene referred to earlier.)

Is "The Fog" the best movie ever? No, I won't go so far...but Carpenter is one of the names to look at if you're studying horror movies at all, and this film catches a lot of the essence that makes up his movies. If you have to see another Carpenter movie besides "Halloween"...which is indeed a mandatory movie... this film isn't a bad choice to get a sense of the director's works.

This movie gets 3 "Look, it's a coin...no, look, it's a board" artifacts out of 5.