The Fog

THE FOG (18)

D: John Carpenter

AVCO Embassy (Debra Hill)

US 🇺🇸 1980

90 mins

Horror

W: John Carpenter & Debra Hill

DP: Dean Cundey

Ed: Charles Bornstein & Tommy Lee Wallace

Mus: John Carpenter

Adrienne Barbeau (Stevie Wayne), Tom Atkins (Nick Castle), Jamie Lee Curtis (Elizabeth Solley), Hal Holbrook (Father Patrick Malone), Janet Leigh (Kathy Williams)

Hot on the heels of 1978’s Halloween, John Carpenter’s 1980 chiller “The Fog” likewise does an effective job cranking up the tension, atmosphere and fright with a very limited budget.

The plot follows residents of a small, coastal town on the 100th anniversary of a famed shipwreck, where a mysterious fog creeps in, bringing with it a malevolent threat.

The pace is swift at a mere 90 minutes, but there is one instance where an entire scene is missing, shortly after Jamie Lee Curtis’ hitchhiker character get a lift from resident Tom Atkins, only for them to end up in bed together shortly after witnessing a supernatural event. It’s probably the most bizarre thing in the entire film.

Nevertheless, it’s a horror which has gone on to achieve much cult success, even spawning a remake in 2005.

It’s also noteworthy that Jamie Lee Curtis’ mother, Janet Leigh, is also a co-star, but unfortunately they don’t share any scenes together.

7/10