The Fog (1980) Movie Info
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Movie Name | The Fog (1980) |
| Original Title | The Fog |
| Director | John Carpenter |
| Screenplay Writer | John Carpenter, Debra Hill |
| Story By | John Carpenter, Debra Hill |
| Based on Novel by | — (Original screenplay) |
| Producer(s) | Debra Hill |
| Executive Producer(s) | Charles B. Bloch |
| Lead Actors | Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis |
| Cast | Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh, Hal Holbrook, Tom Atkins |
| Genre | Horror |
| Subgenre | Supernatural Horror, Ghost Story |
| Release Date | February 8, 1980 (United States) |
| Runtime / Duration | 1h 29m (89 minutes) |
| Budget | ~$1 million |
| Box Office (Worldwide) | ~$21.3 million |
| Language | English |
| Country | United States |
| Production Company | AVCO Embassy Pictures, Debra Hill Productions |
| Distributor | AVCO Embassy Pictures |
| Filming Locations | California, USA |
| Music By | John Carpenter |
| Cinematography | Dean Cundey |
| Edited By | Tommy Lee Wallace, Charles Bornstein |
| Production Design | Daniel A. Lomino |
| Costume Design | — |
| Special Effects | Practical fog effects and atmospheric lighting |
| MPAA Rating | R |
| Aspect Ratio | 2.35:1 |
| Sound Mix | Mono |
| Format | Color |
| Themes | Revenge, guilt, supernatural justice |
| Setting | Coastal town of Antonio Bay, California |
| Notable Trivia | Janet Leigh and Jamie Lee Curtis appear together as mother and daughter |
| Critical Reception | Initially mixed reviews; later recognized as a horror classic |
| Home Media | VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, 4K UHD |
| Sequel / Remake | Remade in 2005 |
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One hundred years after it’s founding, a small town on the California coast is getting ready to celebrate their anniversary. On this foggy night their town is overrun with zombie-like ghosts seeking revenge. How will they handle the town’s sordid secrets? Better yet, how will they handle what’s coming for them in The Fog.
I’ll be honest with all of you. Before three months ago I had no idea this film existed. Everyone and their mother knows about Halloween, John Carpenter’s first project. But not everyone knows about the other films in the early eighties by Carpenter. I’m just starting to take notice and so far I like what I see. I particularly enjoyed the plot to this film. The idea of a killer fog was goofy before I saw the film but now I like it a lot.
This movie brings a great cast together for some wonderful storytelling. You will be able to recognize a good portion of this cast including the mother daughter combo of Jamie Lee Curtis and Janet Leigh. Also one of my personal favorites and the source of many a childhood fantasy, Adrienne Barbeau.
The effects of the slow moving fog was well done. The fog did so much to build the tension and suspense in many of the film’s pivotal scenes. It wasn’t cheesy looking nor did it form any evil shapes, something I fear might happen in the upcoming remake with CGI.
There is one thing I would have liked to have seen done differently. I would have preferred a better look at the ghosts/spirits that accompanied the fog. There was one quick shot with good lighting on a ghost with worms but I feel like they could have done more.
Overall, I’ve been impressed with Carpenter’s early works. Although I would not put this up there with Halloween or The Thing, it is a very entertaining movie.
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