Rating: 
Summary: A FOGGY DAY...
Review: How do you follow up the immensely popular and genre-shifting classic HALLOWEEN? Carpenter could've rushed HALLOWEEN II, but wisely chose THE FOG as his follow-up. Given a much bigger budget than its predecessor, Carpenter gives us some gorgeous scenery, scary scary fog, a haunting score, and a dilly of a ghost story. Adrienne Barbeau has a great voice for an easy listening radio program, and her performance is admirable considering most of it is solo. Jamie Lee seems happy to lose the virginal Laurie and play the floozie-ish role. Janet Leigh, Jamie's famous Psycho mommy, is over the hill in her role as the town's "unofficial" mayor, and offers solid support. Nancy Loomis and Charles Cyphers return from "Halloween" also and Loomis is fun, Cyphers again proves he's only a presence, little more, but he's not in it too long anyway. John Houseman is the perfect ghost story teller; Hal Holbrook, like Leigh, dives into his role with that great actor on vacation role, and the ending will knock your head off!!!!
THE FOG is not destined to be the classic HALLOWEEN has become, but it is a frightening film and proved young Carpenter and Debra Hill (his co-writer and producer) knew what they were doing. Unfortunately, the only other real winner for Carpenter is his remake of THE THING. His last movie, GHOST OF MARS, is an atrocity.
But sit back and enjoy this with the lights off. You'll never like sea chanties again!
Rating: 
Summary: the snore...
Review: this movie totally sucks.
i bought it , turned off the lights, pumped up the volume, and then I realized I just threw away 20+ dollars to buy this.the only part worth watchin is when the old lady gets a pencil in the eye.
so other than that good laugh, it sucks.
Rating:
Summary: great horror flick- this is what horror movies ought to be
Review: i am giving this movie 5 stars even though its not an awesome movie, i just find it to be everything a horror movie ought to be....
suspensful, scary, mysterious, and keeps you watching instead of yawning...
nothing stupid or retarded happens either
Rating:
Summary: A Great Film
Review: I just watched this DVD tonight for the first time and I thought it was great. Classic ghostly tale, amazing score, and fantastic camera shots. For anyone who wants a good chilling movie this is it.
Rating:
Summary: a flawed masterpiece
Review: "The Fog" is a great idea, and a valiant effort, bogged down by too many mistakes and cop-outs, but I still enjoy it and watch it maybe once a year. What it lacks in credibility is made up for by its moments of brilliance. I'm sure it was hard to follow up on the success of "Halloween", and perhaps John Carpenter was reaching too far, or trying too desperately not to repeat himself. Too many points in the script seem forced or like stock devices, and the final payoff doesn't really work. Somehow I expected more, and got less. That said, there are still many moments in this film that are so good at creating a subtle mood of suspense and terror, that I feel compelled to watch them over and over again:
John Houseman's cameo which opens the film is masterful in how it sets the tone for the whole movie; often what we don't see, or what we imagine, is more terrifying than what is ultimately shown. Carpenter seems to know this, but by the end of the film doesn't trust himself enough to stick to this formula. The widescreen photography is very well-done for a small-budget horror flick, and the establishing shots of beaches and foggy evenings, with foghorns in the background, are excellent.
Hal Holbrook is his usual engaging self; one of the most underrated actors anywhere; and despite rumors that he was not particularly charmed by this project, he does a great job.
The shot of a shadow backing away from the door of a beach house on the first night of the "curse", is a masterful display of timing and editing. There are many more such small-yet-great moments in this film, and though it's not as good as "Halloween", it is still worth owning, now that it's finally available in widescreen format, with some very interesting extras, and a hilarious blooper reel. "Who is that?", whispers a sailor observing the shadowy shapes standing on his deck, and that sums up what's great about "The Fog"; this movie is at its best when it whispers.
Rating:
Summary: Atmospheric Thriller
Review: This film has always been one of my favorite horror films of the late 1970s. It's essentially an old-fashioned ghost story influenced by the fiction of H.P. Lovecraft (and implicitly Arthur Machen). I originally saw the film during its original theatrical run and was impressed with the subtle and atmospheric nature of the film. The films was released around the time of the original Friday the 13th film and was a refreshing change from the overt violence of many films from that era. The performances are solid, the script is tight, and the cinematography (for a moderately budgeted film) is superlative. One of my favorite sequences occurs during the opening sequence when the town starts coming apart, there is a sequence with a clerk sweeping up after hours in a supermarket. The shot is marvelously done as we see the clerk respond to the situation.
I really can't add to what the previous reviewers have stated. The extras are good and the transfer is well done. Recommended for devotees of early John Carpenter films (back in the days when he was breaking new ground) as well as fans of literate and atmospheric horror films.
Rating:
Summary: worth watching
Review: John Carpenter is one of those filmmakers whose work is always worth watching, even when it isn't at its peak (such as with "Vampires" and "Ghosts of Mars"), because it's as fun to figure out why the movies don't work as it is to figure why they do when they do (for examples of John Carpenter that really works, see "Halloween" and "The Thing"). "The Fog" is like most of Carpenter's work; it's somewhere in the middle of great and mediocre, with great individual scenes but a lack of overall cohesion. The first encounter with the ghost ship and the fog is one of the scarier scenes I can think of in all of cinema. Sadly, there is nothing else anywhere in the movie that gets even close to that scene. What's left is merely competent fright-flick stuff, with generally good performances and a creepy score (by Carpenter himself). The DVD is a pretty good one. The video transfer is probably as good as it could be, and makes a good showcase for the fabulous fog effects devised by the crew, and for the excellent cinematography by Dean Cundey. The half-hour documentary on the making of the film is admirable for its honesty (Carpenter speaks refreshingly about how he felt the first cut of the film sucked, necessitating extensive reshoots). This is defintely worth watching if you are into horror movies; less serious fans of the genre should probably rent before buying.
Rating: 
Summary: ATMOSPHERIC GHOST STORY...
Review: This vintage John Carpenter film was made in collaboration with Debra Hill, who with Carpenter was responsible for the runaway success of "Halloween". When "The Fog" was first released, it was met with a fairly lukewarm reception. It has since gone on to achieve some acclaim, though it has never reached the heights of commercial success touched upon by "Halloween", though, then again, few films have. "The Fog" is a highly atmospheric ghost story. The ghosts manifest themselves on the stroke of midnight, as the fishing village of Antonio Bay gets ready to celebrate its centennial. As the midnight hour rolls in, so does an unearthly fog that begins to engulf the whole town. It is a fog that enshrouds of the ghosts of those whose ship was lured to the rocky coast, only to find itself dashed to bits on the rocks, causing all aboard to plummet to the nether regions of Davy Jones' locker. These ghosts are now hell bent on seeking revenge for their fate on the inhabitants of Antonio bay. The special effects in the film are excellent, as is the musical score composed by none other than John Carpenter himself. This is for the most part a subtle, creepy film, highlighted by a stellar cast. If you are looking for a blood and gore slasher film, this is not the film for you. If, however, you enjoy a terse, tightly written script, as well as a pulse pounding musical score, then you will enjoy this highly atmospheric, ghost story. I originally saw this film in the theatre when it was first released and still remember the effectiveness of the fog rolling across the huge silver screen and the pulse pounding, musical score, which was such an excellent accompaniment to the film. Time has not diminished its power. This well priced DVD is an excellent value with pristine visuals and clear audio. It is a fully loaded DVD that includes two documentaries, one of which was made a the time of the film's release and one made recently. It is interesting to see and hear some of those who were involved with this film as they appeared then and as they look now. One may also elect to view the film in either full screen or letterbox format.
Rating: 
Summary: Not scary.
Review: Some decent atmospheric shots, but overall pretty weak.
Rating:
Summary: Great ghost story
Review: The Fog has always been misunderstood. Perceived initially as a failure because it didn't deliver the shocks of Halloween and the respectable but far from outstanding box office, The Fog is actually a superior ghost story and attempt by John Carpenter and Debra Hill to try something new. The Fog is an eerie mood piece that has far more going on than meets the eye. On the 100th Anniversary of Antonio Bay the community has elected to hold a celebration and unveil a statue to their forebearers. Unfortunately, there's a curse associated with the community that no one is aware of. 100 years before six founding members of the community caused a clipper ship to crash on the rocks. All the crew and passengers were killed. Why and how it happened is part of the mystery of the story. During the witching hour on the anniversary of the crash, an eerie fog rolls in occupied by the ghosts of that clipper ship. The Fog itself has an uncanny ability to cause electrical appliances to fail, cars to stall and furniture to mysterious move across the room. Clearly Carpenter was attempting to tell a much more complex ghost/revenge story than slasher film Halloween. Although The Fog isn't as accomplished (or confident)as Halloween, the cast and ambitions carry the film. Carpenter's attempt to make The Fog itself a character is very successful. You can see hints of later Carpenter masterpieces such as The Thing in this early effort. The transfer is from a nearly pristine and beautiful print of the film. The extras include the original featurette on the film and a new documentary chronicling the making of the film. Also included are a brief storyboard to film comparison (which, admittedly, could have included a bit more), the trailers, photos and some outtakes. MGM does a terrific job on this DVD, Carrie and The Howling. Clearly they've taken their reissues of MGM and Avco-Embassy productions seriously. I can't imagine Anchor Bay or Criterion doing a better job for a single disc special edtion such as this.
| 
