THE FOG (1980) Dir: John Carpenter

This review see's the return of Richard Long as a contributing writer. His love of horror knows no bounds and he jumps back on this ship with a look at John Carpenter's post Halloween horror, The Fog. Please be awesome and have a gander and Richard' words after the jump.....

Written By Richard Long

I'd already watched The Fog twice in one week about two months ago, yet here I was again craving a visit to Antonio Bay and the residents who hold a dark ancestral past.

The Fog, is a classic ghost story. Although a horror film, it's a far cry from Halloween, the film Carpenter made before it.

John Carpenter is a favourite director of mine. Along with The Fog, I rate Prince of Darkness, They live, The Thing and Halloween as some of the best horror cinema ever made. His no nonsense approach and care for storytelling has kept me inspired and entertained for years.

The Fog is about a troubled town, where centuries ago an unspeakable act resulted in the deaths of those trying to seek salvation within the community of the small coastal town, Antonio Bay. Now, those that were murdered and had their gold stolen have returned to Antonio Bay for the ultimate retribution.

It's a classic story for the genre. Revenge of the fallen, seeking their payment from those ancestors whom wronged them. In this case many centuries ago a leper colony, ran by a man called Blake, was seeking and paying for safe passage into a small town. They were misguided and killed as their ship followed fake fires on the beach, resulting in the clipper ship crashing into rocks and drowning all on board. Afterwards Blake’s riches were plundered for the good of the church.

The film speaks of these vile acts through the town Priest, Father Malone, who finds his grandfathers journals. A unexpected Fog seemed to help the terrible deed that night one hundred years ago and now as the Fog engulfs the town again strange happenings take place, and the ghosts of those that crashed on the rocks have returned for revenge.

Carpenters film is scary, mournful and lingers way after seeing it. Yet it's a fun movie. There are jump scares and classic horror motifs. Its a film made to scare you and enjoy but it doesn't rely on these factors alone.

The film has a very mournful and longing soundtrack which, like many of his other films, Carpenter composed himself. Hearing such a beautiful score, and moments of ambience, add and bring nostalgic heartfelt touches to every scene. There is real emotion in the music which heightens every scene. Even now listening to the soundtrack I'm lost remembering scenes that happened and even imaging scenes that didn't because the music is so good.

You could say the characters in this movie are typical horror movie characters. But look closely and there is a back story to each of them and the fact it doesn't go into any detail works wonderfully. This isn't a story about the human condition. Its a ghost story and we learn from each character just enough to care about them.

I think the best or at least my favourite horror movies all have a sense of isolation, that the characters are lost in the abyss, or the snow, or the crazy hotel. Because take away the outside world and the peril is vastly more significant. It makes the audience feel like you are trapped with them in that cabin in the woods or ship lost at sea. Of course there are exceptions but didn't Dreamcatcher go from being a great film to losing something once the military turned up?

As I stated we aren't given much on the characters in The Fog. Main leads Nick Castle (great actor Tom Atkins) and his girlfriend Elizabeth Solley (played wonderfully by Jamie Lee Curtis and a million miles away from her character in Halloween) are perhaps the most vague in the movie, yet I cared for them and wanted them to survive. Through their subtlety we learned Nick was a local and perhaps a life long bachelor . I always got the sense that perhaps he had met his true love and she'd gone away somehow. He kind of keeps his cards close and doesn't pamper Elizabeth in a way perhaps she had been used to. I think she likes this approach and sticks around for it. She's a dreamer whose ran away from money, unsure of what she wants to do in her life, but then so is Nick. The cynic tells me if The Fog didn't roll into Antonio Bay that perhaps Nick and Elizabeth would break up and end what they have within a few weeks and Nick would carry on his care free life as usual.

I did like Nick Castle however. He has integrity and loyalty to his friends. When they're missing at sea (a direct consequence of the Fog) he doesn't waste time or effort and becomes focused on finding them. His friends. Sometimes a bachelors friends can be like family and it certainly seems so with Nick.

Yet all the characters in Antonio Bay are lost or missing someone. The drunken Priest Father Malone who lingers alone in his church. The weather man Dan whose only friend seems to be on a phone line. The sultry radio DJ Stevie Wayne whom has a child and photo of a partner up in her home, yet it is clear he is no longer around.

There is Sandy Fadel, a sarcastic PA for the town mayor who seems to live alone. And then we have the town mayor herself, the only person we meet whom is married, although her husband is missing at sea.

So with these isolated few we are presented with the perfect story. Some new audiences might find the Fog has a slow pace to it but hopefully those wanting something more than what's out will be intrigued by the creepy and at times scary happenings in The Fog.

Special effects may have dated but they were never over used here to begin with and I'd rather watch Fog created with dry ice than CGI any day. Blakes ghosts and compadres are dark shadowed figures, stylised and highly effective at chilling the audience every time they appear soundlessly on screen.

Although Carpenter doesn't show off with what he can do behind the camera like some over egotistic directors who end up losing all perception to the material they are presenting, he does some exquisite shots in the Fog. Great moments of capturing the isolation. DJ driving to her life house and walking the steps down the steep incline towards it looks fantastic and brilliantly sets up her complete isolation.

Terrorised by Blake and his walking dead there are several ghastly scenes in The Fog but its never gory or disturbing yet it gets under the skin. Six must die claim the ghosts in retribution for the six lost long ago, and as the town is swarmed in Fog its a race against the clock trying to right the wrongs done so long ago as Blake knocks on doors, slaughtering anyone foolish enough to answer his calls.

The Fog is a camp-fire tale, it reminds me of the ghost stories my grandmother would tell me and classic ghost stories never really die, and neither does this film.