One Fog You'll Want To Get Lost In (The Fog [1979] (DVD))

Member Name: FilmsAtLarge

Product:	The Fog [1979] (DVD)
Date:	19/10/03 (40 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good Performances, Strong Writing, Truly Scares

Disadvantages: Doesn't Quite Feel "Perfect"

Whatever happened to those Horror films of yesteryear that invoked a true sense of fear rather than pointing and shooting and calling it a day? John Carpenter was a master at piling atmosphere on top of an eerily frightening score and giving us a film that favored atmosphere over blood and gore. "Halloween" is a classic by every stretch of the imagination and he opted for a film much like it as his second. The tone is ominous and the plot mysterious, the setting cold, and the sense of fear strong. Not in awhile have I been scared quite like I have with "The Fog." It's performances are strong, the script is good and, most importantly, it has an overall creepy vibe that you won't be able to shake. Take it from me, a film as generally unsettling as this one doesn't come often. Carpenter proves that he knows how to create movie magic more than once and "The Fog" is undeniable proof.

A town has been getting quite a bit of fog as of late and the mysterious deaths of a ship crew have left citizens puzzled. Their ship seems to have been filled with water when only a day before it was inspected and thoroughly cleaned. A fog seems to be seeping onto shore of Antonio Bay, California and casts an ominous glow over the town. People are mysteriously dying and strange occurrences take place from time to time that shakes the foundation of the city. Mirrors rattle, car alarms sound, bottles fall off of shelves and break, and knocking can be heard on doors from an unknown source. As one of the main characters would say, "there's something in the fog."

The acting here is surprisingly above par; most noticeably from Tom Atkins (who portrays Nick Castle) and Jamie Lee Curtis (who portrays Elizabeth). Both of them display a strong sense of humanity and gave me the illusion of them being "real people in an awful situation." Of course, they are simply acted as directed to by Carpenter; these two are quit
e talented and pulled this off flawlessly. John Carpenter's and Debra Hill's writing can be accredited as "natural" in the sense that the dialogue isn't unnatural or too over-the-top in terms of attempting to be "witty." This helps matters along and with the talented cast at hand, it all blends perfectly. Being that it is a Horror film, however, the writing doesn't include character development, a self-aware writing style, or a subtext that will leave philosophers amazed. None of that is present, but hey, with Carpenter's great directing and his writing (also Debra Hill), the clichés can be excused.

The acting is certainly strong all around as even the supporting cast does a great job; there is certainly talent. Conviction a true sense of acting ability can be felt as the lines are delivered well. No one sounds bored out of their mind or uninterested in the material which the film can only benefit from. The cast were selected well as they generally look terrified, scream on-cue, and do what a Horror film should call for without doubt from the audience. The conviction, I feel, should be mentioned again for the pure fact that I felt as though these were truly real people plunged into this horrifying nightmare. It should go without saying on my part that the cast did a great job.

Carpenter's direction has the same eerie atmosphere and methodic pace that was found in "Halloween." The mysterious tone of the film is a Carpenter trademark and goes hand-in-hand with the darkly suspenseful atmosphere; the usage of shots that focus on images within the fog work masterfully and create true terror incredibly well. The atmosphere put on top of a creepy tone makes this one that will deeply scare the viewer. I found myself creeped out more than once and looking behind me just to make sure nothing was there. Carpenter builds the tension brilliantly and favors misty, methodic shots over jump scares. This actua
lly makes the movie itself a true exercise in terror rather than a superficial "surprise film." You won't find many jump scares, though the few that there are are done well when thought about.

When Carpenter isn't scaring the daylights out of the audience he?s simply pointing and shooting. He doesn't dabble in foreshadowing in terms of direction and films right as if he were looking at an object. Nothing flashy but technically sound; this utilizes the "normalness" vibe to a remarkable degree. The way I look at it, what he's doing is expressing the sameness of life and the sudden urgency that will fully be seen when the fog begins to set in. Carpenter is a genius but few will admit that of him. I'll be one of the first and say that his directing here is subtle, creepy, and more than befitting of the film. Feel free to get lost in this fog.

For those looking for a gory Horror film, you will surely be disappointed. There is on-screen stabbing but the camera cuts away before we see anything graphic. Much like "Halloween," this film leaves the violence more implied than shown. Our mind makes up for what is not on-screen, therefore enhancing the "gore" so to speak. However, there are various stabbings with sharp objects and we briefly see the blades, swords, and hooks pierce skin, so this isn't a film you would show to those with weak stomachs. Just don't expect to see any red splashes or any forms of blood and gore. The worst you'll get is a corpse with no eyes.

The make-up FX is even kept to a minimum. What we see is done well and they help to create the creepy vibe well. The stabbings are realistically done and have a certain style about them can actually be sickening; I'll contribute that to the actors. Beyond that, we don?t get much. "The Fog" is from the glory days of independent Horror so don't expect a film filled with latex, Kyro syrup, and FX that
never stop.

Is "The Fog" a good Horror movie? Yes, in every sense of the word. Is "The Fog" a good movie period? Not to those who have taste in art house work. As far as Horror films go, "The Fog" ranks as one of the best. The only thing holding it back, if anything, is that it isn?t perfect. I'm not entirely sure what doesn't make it perfect, but something isn't "classic" about it. But if you're a die hard Horror movie fan and have yet to see this film, by all means watch it as soon as possible. This is certainly one of the best Horror films I've ever seen.

(Rated R for horror violence and language.)

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