Customer Reviews

The Fog [VHS]

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Finally! The Fog comes to DVD! The Fog is one of my favorite horror films, and it's great to see it get the full DVD treatment!

The plot is simple: On her 100th anniversary, the small hamlet of Antonio Bay is beseiged by a strange fog, cloaking the vengeful ghosts of a murdered leper colony, whose deaths provided the wealth necessary to start the town. Writer/Director John Carpenter gets right to the point, and there isn't a wasted frame of film in this tightly paced chiller. The scene where the men on the fishing boat see the ghost-ship is one of the classic movie creep-outs, and the ending is great. This film really harks back to the old ghost story films of the 40's.

The DVD is full-frame on one side, and the widescreen side of the disc has all of the extras, including commentary by Carpenter and co-writer/producer Debra Hill, an old documentary and a made-for-the-DVD documentary, trailers and commercials, posters and print ads, and lots more. (I would have liked to have seen more about the makeup effects for Blake and his crew, but that's just me...) The film transfer is GREAT- The Fog has never looked better, and the colors are lovely and vibrant. I even managed to find an easter egg! On the "Special features" screen, tab up until a pair of glowing eyes appear in the fog- press enter and you'll see a brief (a little under three minutes) music video of behind-the-scenes-footage from the making of the film.

Overall, The Fog is a must-have for fans of Ghost stories or John Carpenter. Now lets see Escape From New York and Prince of Darkness get the deluxe treatment.....

Here is the lowdown on the re-release of this Special Edition. The original S.E (Green cover art) was put out by MGM in late 2002 with the Hi-Def transfer, 5.1 audio, featurettes - all the bells and whistles. When Sony acquired MGM in 2005, they discontinued this version. Taking the existing DLT, they slapped on a trailer for their new re-make (as well as the prerequisite umpteen cross-promotional trailers) and altered the cover art (Blue!) for no other reason than to drive ticket sales for what turned out to be one of the worst horror re-makes of this truly ugly cycle American cinema seems to be going through now. So unless you're hungry for advertising, go with whichever one you can find for the least amount of money - it's all the same thing.

I am so glad this got a re-release on video! I have been searching for this movie for years. Okay, so this one is not the classic that Halloween was but look at the cast... Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh, Adrianne Barbeau, Hal Holbrook, and Nancy Loomis. It's a mood piece (not too much happens quickly)...pure and simply put it's just a creepy movie. But the scenes with Adrianne Barbeau as a deejay pleading for anybody who can hear her to help her son "get out of the fog" are worth the price of the video alone. It's a wonderfully fun film that any John Carpenter fan will enjoy! The signature music is there, and the cinematography is great too! It's not your typical "slasher" movie. THE FOG aspires to be something more...or maybe something less depending on how you see it. It opens with a man telling a ghost story around a campfire about a ship of un-dead lepers exacting their revenge on the inhabitants of a small coastal town. Well, that's what this is! It's a ghost story that you might hear around a campfire. Primal and scary, and not really all that gory or violent. It's a wise purchase for any horror fans out there!

Let's just cut to the chase right now and say THIS is THE version of The Fog to own. If you're a fan of the movie, or of John Carpenter (before he turned into a pod person and became incapable of releasing anything but dreck), buy this disc now! The transfer is beautiful: the contrast is high, the detail incredible, the colour rich, and the sound well-balanced. In fact, the overall image quality is better than that of the laserdisc version, with almost no noticeable flecks or scratches, and is almost entirely free of compression artifacting (the only spot I noticed it was after the attack on The Seagrass, when the fog completely covers the screen, and even then I really had to look to notice it). Even the menu screens get the professional touch, with artfully composed looping clips from the movie as well as art and sounds created specifically for the DVD.

As far as sound, I'm no expert, but this disc really seemed to clean up all the problems found on previous versions. The levels seem balanced: no playing remote jockey to lower or raise the volume. And MGM even fixed faulty dialogue cues (for example, on the laserdisc version, during the attack on the church, when Father Malone makes his way out of the study to take the gold cross to Blake, and Andy warns him not to, the line "Don't go out there" plays, and then about five seconds later you see Andy's lips move. On the DVD, the cue and action are perfectly synched).

The extras are decent, but nothing to write home about. The storyboard-to-film comparison "feature," in particular, is especially disappointing, in that it only shows a very brief segment of the film (the murder of Al and Tom on The Seagrass, about 140 seconds' worth of footage), and even cheats at that (the same art is shown for several shots, although this may have been how the storyboards were actually used). Also, the quality of the film portion of the comparison screen is inexplicably awful. The section is so short and so plainly presented that it seems a cheat to put "Storyboard to Film Comparison" on the packaging. Instead, it feels like an afterthought, something included because today's DVD consumer expects it, but with as little effort as possible, and no attention or focus at all on how the storyboards were conceived, designed, or used specifically for this film.

The outtakes section also dissatisfies, as it is exactly the same as that on the laserdisc, comprising a bunch of unused (and unexplained) special effects and lighting test shots, followed by a scant 2 ½ minutes of actual bloopers (half of which consist of Adrienne Barbeau making post-take faces at the awfulness of her performance, although it is worth the price of admission to see the legendary John Houseman say "sh*t" after blowing a line), followed by shots of the crew at work. All with very poor sound, or smothered by overbearing music cues. But for those who haven't seen the laserdisc version, it makes a fair addition, in that it also shows many behind-the-scenes activities which are either missing or inadequately described in the voice-over commentary and documentaries

Finally, the audio commentary by Carpenter and Hill is also a letdown; while it is fun to hear these two old friends chat away (and it should be noted their synergy is phenomenal), they often fall into a sort of verbal shorthand, leaving any of us without a film degree or fanatical zealot's insider info completely in the dark. Hill's commentary begins to annoy after a while, sounding like a high school TA puffing up her involvement in the film ("Those are my hands!" "That's my quilt!" "There I am!" "That's me!"), and frequently the contextual information she gives is wrong (at the point in the movie where Janet Leigh's character encourages the townsfolk to stick around and take a look at the statue, for example, Hill claims "Here Janet is telling everyone to go home, lock their windows, and be safe"). Carpenter tries to give some technical background, but I really don't need to know what town EVERY SINGLE SCENE was shot in, and one can only hear "That's Tommy Lee Wallace playing the part of the ghost" so many times without wanting to shoot...something. The few times he actually begins to describe interesting or revealing filmmaking footnotes, he either loses his train of thought, or uses abbreviated jargon which leaves the viewer scratching his head in bewilderment.

If the disc shines at all in the area of extras, it is for the new documentary made specifically for the DVD. While "Fear on Film," made concurrently with the movie, is an abysmally jarring, low-low-budget pastiche of the various people involved blathering on about whatever interested them (Janet Leigh provides such stellar insights as "suspense is the fear of what's going to happen," then babbles on about Psycho and Alfred Hitchcock for the rest of her segment) intercut with overlong movie clips that have nothing to do with what the talking heads are talking about, "Tales from the Mist" presents the entire moviemaking process in a logical, chronological fashion, with movie clips whose content and brevity fully complement the script. Although nowhere near as in-depth or complete as the documentary made for the Halloween DVD, "Tales from the Mist" is an intelligent, beautifully edited, well-thought-out expose covering all aspects of the production. All in all, its only fault is that it ends much too soon.

To sum up, this is a beautiful print which does great justice to a great movie; it deserves a place in your collection on the basis of audio and video quality alone. The presentation is so clean and rich that it looks as if the movie were filmed yesterday. Nor is it a bare-bones edition, with audio commentary, outtakes, storyboard comparisons, and two documentaries...just don't buy it solely for the extras, or you may be disappointed.

I remember the release of John Carpenter's "The Fog" back in 1980. The expectations were so high for this film after the stunning box office/critical success of his now-legendary "Halloween." I recall, somewhat hazily, of critics being disappointed and the film performing below expectations financially. But I remembered thinking after seeing the movie that in many ways it was superior to "Halloween." Today, "The Fog" has a nice cult following and deservedly so. It is an old-fashioned ghost story with extraordinary atmosphere. It is blessed with a cast of veterans including Hal Holbrook, Janet Leigh and John Houseman. And it contains one of Carpenter's finest musical scores (as good, if not better than his peak work on "Halloween" and "Escape From New York").

The coastal town of Antonio Bay is celebrating its centennial, but a dark secret is discovered about the town's historic origins. An eerie fog soon rolls in and within its glowing depths are ghosts bent on revenge. Carpenter regulars Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins and Nancy Loomis eventually are fighting for their lives, with the final confrontation taking place within the confines of a historic church.

The word "creepy" comes to mind often when discussing "The Fog." The opening scene, taking place around a campfire, will send chills up your spine. The isolation of Barbeau's lighthouse/radio station is a near-brilliant location. The multiple H. P. Lovecraft touches including hidden diaries with terrifying secrets are great set-ups. The eyeless dead body rising from the stretcher is a perfectly directed scene. The gold coin turning into a piece of ship wreckage is a nice touch. And the ghosts, complete with moldy clothes and clanking swords, red eyes staring through the green fog, are about as nightmarish a portrait as one could imagine.

I have some problems with several of the characters in "The Fog," most notably that of Jamie Lee Curtis. Hers is essentially a throwaway role, seemingly added so that she could co-star with her mother (Janet Leigh). A hitchhiker in the wrong place at the wrong time, she ends up in bed with Tom Atkins about an hour after meeting him. I suppose any good old horror film needs a little sex thrown in for good measure, but it seems rather B-Movie fabricated.

But "The Fog" is a perfect example of John Carpenter at the peak of his once notable creative powers. After suffering through his recent work including "Escape From LA" and the uninspired "Ghost of Mars," I return to this terrific 1980 ghost story. I enjoy the chills with great fondness, like one does when putting on a childhood Halloween mask. This will always be one of my favorite Carpenter films, a better tradition for Halloween in many ways, than the film "Halloween" itself.

Being a fan of the `Halloween' series, I decided to watch this movie. Released in 1980, `The Fog' is one of one of the better horror movies that has that 80s classic horror style to it.

The story starts off with Mr. Machen (played by John Houseman), an old fisherman who is telling a ghost story to some children. He tells the story about the `Elizabeth Dane', a ship that was carrying some people and suddenly lost control at sea because of the fog on April 21st, 1880. It is now 100 years later, and the residents of Antonio Bay are putting on a celebration to cheer their forefathers on building a prosperous town. However, the victims of the Dane seek revenge for their betrayal 100 years back and rise from the fog to do it. Some of the people who find out that something's wrong in the air are: (1) Stevie Wayne (Adrienne Barbeau) - owner and DJ of 1340 KAB radio station, and (2) Nick (played by Tom Atkins) and Elizabeth (Jamie Lee Curtis), 2 people who are in town and are witnessed to a lot of strange happenings. 3) Father Malone (played by Hal Holbrook), who is the only one knows the reason and history behind the fog. The story mainly revolves around these people, and their chances of survival (like any horror movie).

John Carpenter (famous for his work in horror movies such as `The Halloween' series) does a terrific job once again in creating a frightening horror movie. Even though there are some missing aspects in the movie (for example, we don't know much about Jamie Lee Curtis's character), this film maintains a creepy atmosphere throughout. The make up for the zombie like creatures and the lighting for this movie is fantastic! Carpenter should also be credited for the eerie music that he has composed for this movie (somewhat similar to the music in `Halloween' but good nevertheless). Adrienne Barbeau, Jamis Lee Curtis and Tom Atkins did a great job on their roles, especially Adrienne as Stevie Wayne.

There are a lot of special features added to this DVD such as an original documentary and a new one of the movie, various outtakes on it, galleries etc. for fans to enjoy. This is a great movie to watch on a rainy day with the lights out!

A dark and eerie night. A group of children sitting around a campfire. A grizzled old man telling a ghost story at the stroke of midnight. So begins John Carpenter's "The Fog", an old fashioned ghost story about the dead returning from a watery grave to seek revenge against the living.
The basic plot of the film concerns a group of sailors who were lured to their death when their ship crashed against the rocky coastline and sank to the bottom of the sea 100 years earlier. The ghosts return, enshrouded in a glowing fog, seeking out revenge and wreak havoc on the tiny coastal town of Antonio Bay. As horror films go, this is just an okay film. Carpenter does provide plenty of atmosphere and a couple of good jolts, but the movie does tend to stretch credibility to it's limit, such as the scene in which Adrienne Barbeau (who plays a disc jockey, stationed in a lighthouse)tells her listeners the movement of the fog STREET BY STREET! Does she have a bionic eye??
The real reason to watch this DVD is the extras. In addition to "voice over" commentary by Carpenter and screenwriter Debra Hill (who makes it very clear every time she, or one of her body parts, appears on the screen), the DVD has two "making of" documentaries. (one origionally made at the time of the film's release and another made specifically for the DVD). There are also outtakes, the original trailer and TV spots included in the extras. All DVDs should provide such bonuses. So whether you're a fan of horror, ghost stories, or Jamie Lee Curtis, this is definitely worth a look.

just wanted to let c. word know there is no time difference...1 hour and 30 minutes IS 90 minutes....just so u know for the future.

John Carpenter's "The Fog" was a disappointment at the box office - and among many critics - when it was first released in 1980. But, like Carpenter's remake of "The Thing" (1982), "The Fog" has gained an ever-growing cult following over the last two decades, and many critics have given the film a second look and now regard it as a classic, "old-fashioned" ghost story. Along with "The Thing" and "Halloween", this film in my opinion represents Carpenter's best work. Almost everything in this film is perfectly done - the acting, the plot, the musical score, and the eerie, moody feel of the entire film. The film is set in the beautiful little seaside town of Antonio Bay, California, which is preparing to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its' founding. On the night before the celebration, several bizarre and unnatural events take place between midnight and one AM - cars turn on by themselves and honk their horns, glass windows crack and shatter for no reason, gasoline pumps begin working all by themselves, and a glowing, creepy fog is seen offshore by Stevie Wayne, the owner and deejay of the local radio station (Adrianne Barbeau, in one of her most memorable roles). Father Malone, the Episcopalian priest at the local church (Hal Holbrook, in an appropriately gloom-and-doom performance) finds a journal written by his grandfather, one of Antonio Bay's founding fathers. In it he learns that his grandfather and the town's five other founding members (their memories are being honored at the 100th anniversary celebration the next day) are actually murderers and thieves. It seems that a wealthy man named Blake developed leprosy and moved to a leper colony on an offshore island. He wanted to move the colony to the shore a few miles from the town, but the six founders of Antonio Bay were horrified at the prospect of a next-door leper colony, so they set a campfire on the beach to lure Blake's ship - the "Elizabeth Dane" - to its' doom on the jagged rocks offshore. A glowing, eerie fog covered the ship, it hit the rocks and sank, and all of the poor lepers on board - including Blake - were drowned. Blake's fortune in gold coins was used to build the church and a huge gold cross where Father Malone now holds worship services. From there the film rapidly picks up speed, as the creepy fog rolls in from the ocean, causing havoc with power and telephone lines, and horrifying "shapes" (the long-dead corpses of the lepers) appear out of the fog to claim their revenge. This film doesn't have much blood and gore, but like all classic films of the genre it has plenty of suspense, tension, and chills. Just as "Psycho" made many people scared of showers and "Jaws" left others wondering whether their beaches were safe, after watching "The Fog" you'll never see another fogbank the same way again. Highly Recommended!

"The Fog" is one of those films that gets creepier with every showing. The plot is a classic ghost story of unrelenting suspense. Antonio Bay is a seaside coast that harbors a deadly past. Centuries earlier, a leopard colony wanted to settle in Antoinio Bay to make a new lives for themselves. A group of people decide to double-cross the group by forcing the ship they were on to crash into the bay and sink with all hands on board. Now the crew have returned from their watery graves to seek gruesome vengeance on the their ancestors. Carpenter's flare for atmosphere goes well and the creepiness is very effective. I recommend "The Fog" to anyone who loves a good ghost story.

Note: "The Fog" is coming soon in a "Special Edition" with these features
1. Widscreen and Full-Versions of the film with John Carpenter and Debra Hill commentary and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound
2.New Documentary on the making of the film with new interviews.
3.Deleted Scenes
4.Lobby Cards, Posters, Theatrical trailer and T.V. spots and hidden features.
5.1980 Featurette