Thirty-nine years ago, on Feb. 8 1980, legendary horror film director, John Carpenter, released The Fog, his follow-up to Halloween (1978). A minor hit at the box-office (Box Office Mojo, n.d.), The Fog hasn’t received the same affection as other Carpenter films. Halloween is rightly held up as a classic of the horror genre. Over the years, critics and fans alike have increasingly praised Assault on Precinct 13, The Thing, They Live, and Escape from New York. Truth be told, The Fog may not be representative of Carpenter’s best work. Nevertheless, it’s a fun movie that harkens back to the days of midnight movies.

Synopsis

Set in the fictional California coastal town of Antonio Bay, The Fog is a an old-fashioned ghost story. It’s a swirling tale of dead mariners returning from their watery grave to wreak vengeance on the descendants of the town’s founders. In a brief but fun cameo, British thespian John Houseman tells children a ghost story about the Elizabeth Dane. It was a clipper ship carrying a wealthy man named Blake and his people, all suffering from leprosy.

Hoping to settle near Antonio Bay and form a colony, Blake made a deal with the town’s founders. But consumed with greed and prejudice, the founders lit a fire along a rocky beach on a foggy night that caused the Elizabeth Dane to crash and sink. They stole Blake’s gold and built Antonio Bay on deception and greed. Now, on the eve of their 100th anniversary, the Elizabeth Dane has returned. Hidden within a supernatural fog, Blake has returned to punish the descendants of Antonio Bay.

The Fog is a Tightly Paced, Gripping Thriller

…Carpenter weaves a gripping ghost story that never drags or falters with its tense, creepy atmosphere.

At just under 90 minutes, Carpenter weaves a gripping ghost story that never drags with its tense, creepy atmosphere. The concept of ghosts submerged in a spectral fog is kind o brilliant.  On the one hand, it adds a midnight-movie vibe. Yet t also leaves the ‘ghosts’ as shadowy figures, which helps hide the lower budget make-up effects.

Carpenter crafts a few ‘edge-of-your-seat’ moments. He milks the concept as characters respond to ominous knocks at the door and walk out unwittingly into the swirling mist. The best of these scenes finds a little boy trapped alone in his bedroom as the fog envelopes his house and ghosts come pounding on his door. Yes, The Fog is guilty of repeating some of these scares. The movie also relies a little too much on horror film contrivances (i.e, a car that won’t start). Nevertheless, Carpenter keeps things moving so briskly while delivering enough scares to render it a minor criticism.

Another Fantastic Carpenter Score

Like with most of his films, Carpenter also composed the score for The Fog. I personally rank this one as second only to his work in Halloween. Less intrusive than some of his scores, The Fog’s score maintains tension in the film’s quieter moments, while ratcheting it back up as events build to the climax.

The Fog is also blessed with an all-star cast of familiar genre actors including Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins, Hal Holbrook, Charles Cyphers, and Adrienne Barbeau. Scream queen legend and Curtis’ mother, Janet Leigh, also has a small role. Its impressive cast carries the film in those quiet moments elevating above most other horror films.

A Supernatural Twist on the Slasher Formula

One of the original criticisms of The Fog was that the film periodically descended into slasher film territory. To some extent, the more graphic killings felt out of place in what was supposed to be a more traditional ghost story. By today’s standards, the death scenes will seem fairly quaint. The focus of The Fog is still largely on suspense and scares. In this regard, it’s successful albeit at a more minor level than Halloween.

As it nears 40 year of age, The Fog is a minor entry in the horror genre. It’s certainly not among Carpenter’s best efforts. But The Fog hasn’t lost any of its ability to scare and entertain. It works amazingly well as a B-film ghost story and illustrates that even a master’s lesser works still stands head and shoulders above most horror films. Look no further than the feeble attempt at a remake that was released in 2005 for proof.