The Fog
Release Date: 12th June 1980 - Australia
Production Companies
AVCO Embassy Pictures
EDI (presents)
Debra Hill Productions
Distribution
StudioCanal Australia
Genre: Horror
Rating: M (Not Suitable for Young Children)
Runtime: 90 minutes
Budget: $1,100,000
Box Office Gross: $21,448,830 (Worldwide)
Plot Summary
A small, quaint coastal town in California of Antonio Bay has turned a hundred years old. The residents of its peaceful
preparations to celebrate
its centennial year when
supernatural activity begins to disrupt the festivities. An impenetrable and eerie fog emerges from the shore and begins to shroud the village, leading to mysterious disappearances and the spilling of warm, bright red blood. Amidst the spectral glowing mist are ghosts of long-dead victims of a century-old
shipwreck that have come
to seek revenge on the
committed by the town's
founders 100 years ago.
Cast
Adrienne Barbeau - Stevie Wayne
Jamie Lee Curtis - Elizabeth Solley
John Houseman - Mr. Machen
Janet Leigh - Kathy Williams
Tom Atkins - Nick Castle
Nancy Kyes - Sandy Fadel
James Canning - Dick Baxter
Charles Cyphers - Dan O'Bannon
Ty Mitchell - Andy Wayne
Hal Holbrook - Father Malone
John F. Goff - Al Williams
George 'Buck' Flower - Tommy Wallace
Regina Waldon - Mrs. Kobritz
Jim Haymie - Dockmaster
Darrow Igus - Mel
John Vick - Sheriff David Simms
Jim Jacobus - Mayor
Fred Franklyn - Ashcroft
Ric Moreno - Ghost
Lee Socks - Ghost
Tommy Lee Wallace - Ghost
Bill Taylor - Bartender
Rob Bottin - Blake
Charles Nicklin - Blake (Voice)
Darwin Joston - Dr. Phibes
Laurie Arent - Child
Lindsay Arent - Child
Shari Jacoby - Child
Christopher Cundey - Child
John Strobel - Grocery Clerk
John Carpenter - Bennett (Cameo)
(Uncredited)
Debra Hill - Extra (Cameo) (Uncredited)
Crew
Writer/Director/Music - John Carpenter
Writer/Producer - Debra Hill
Script Supervisor - Jeanne Rosenberg
Associate Producers - Barry Bernardi
and Pegi Brotman
Executive Producer - Charles B. Bloch
Production Designer/Editor - Tommy Lee Wallace
Art Director - Craig Stearns
Special Makeup/Effects: Blake - Rob Bottin
Costume Designers - Stephen Loomis
and Bill Whitten
Cinematography/Effects: Blake - Dean Cundey
Camera Operator/Second Unit Camera -
Raymond Stella
Production Manager - Don Behrns
First Assistant Director - Larry Franco
Special Effects: A. & A. Special Effects -
Richard Albain Jr.
Special Photographic Effects - James F. Liles
Editor - Charles Bornstein
Special Sound Effects - Frank Serafine
Supervising Sound Editors - Gregg Barbanell
and Ron Horowitz
Re-Recording Mixers - Bob Minkler,
Richard Tyler and Ray West
Review
John Carpenter is an accomplished master of terror when bringing horror movies to life. Following the success of Halloween is a supernatural and ghostly tale of THE FOG, which is about the town's residents facing an unearthly fog with victims from a shipwreck coming to get them for a crime that happened 100 years ago. It is known for its moody atmosphere and is so tense that it will completely terrify you when watching it at midnight, whether by yourself or with someone. The few problems with THE FOG are its lack of blood and gore. The other is Adrienne Barbeau's role, in which she doesn't interact with some of the other characters. However, the creepiness and original premise should make up for it. I like how the movie begins with an old captain telling a ghost story to young children by a campfire, and that seems like a way to start a horror film.
Adrienne Barbeau was talented as a radio announcer, yet surprisingly, she was married to the director at the time of the film's production. Jamie Lee Curtis didn't have enough material to work in a lead role as she was part of an ensemble cast. However, she shares the screen with her mother and fellow actress Janet Leigh. Dean Cundey's cinematography was brilliant, evoking the film's chilling impact, and some special effects are magnificent.
THE FOG is a visually compelling movie by John Carpenter, despite numerous production issues that caused the director to consider it his least favourite. Though I partially disagree, while it is semi-decent, it's an enjoyable film, especially for those familiar with a similar and more terrifying movie called The Mist.
Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie
