Blu-ray Review: The Fog

Whether it’s sitting around a camp fire or snuggled-up in front of a fireplace on a dark and stormy night, there’s nothing quite like a ghost story to send a shiver down your spine and keep you awake at night. Seaside towns have their own special kind of eerie atmosphere and often a dark and mysterious history. They also tend to have their own microclimate. John Carpenter uses this backdrop to tell the chilling tale of The Fog.

The coastal town of Anchor Bay is gearing up to celebrate its 100th anniversary. One night, Father Malone (Hal Holbrook) discovers that his grandfather and co-conspirators sunk and plundered a ship, using the bounty to found the community. The local radio DJ’s (Adrienne Barbeau) son finds a piece of timber on the beach whilst Nick (Tom Atkins) and Elizabeth (Jamie Lee Curtis) locate a missing trawler and a mutilated corpse. As a strange fog sweeps in from the ocean, a number of increasingly strange events start to occur.

The Fog is a wonderfully atmospheric and creepily ominous supernatural horror which gradually builds up a palpable air of tension and terror. An impressive cast is bolstered by a clever script, which by following a number of characters allows the plot to nicely come together. Carpenter uses every cent of the budget brilliantly, using light and shadow to optimum effect, and the 4K restoration looks incredible. The Fog is a gripping ghost story where the spectres come from the sea.

Extras:

Retribution: Uncovering John Carpenter’s THE FOG:A brand retrospective documentary produced by Ballyhoo Motion Pictures and featuring interviews with cinematographer Dean Cundey, production designer/editor Tommy Lee Wallace, photographer Kim Gottleib-Walker, make-up effects artist Steve Johnson, Carpenter biographer John Muir, music historian Daniel Schweiger, visual effects historian Justin Humphreys and assistant Larry Franco
The Shape of The Thing to Come: John Carpenter Un-filmed: A brand new featurette looking at the John Carpenter films that never were
Easter Egg – surprise!
Scene Analysis by John Carpenter – Director John Carpenter analyses key scenes from The Fog, in an interview from 2003
Fear on Film: Inside the Fog (1980) – A vintage featurette which includes an interview with John Carpenter
The Fog: Storyboard to Film – original storyboards
Outtakes
TV Spots
Theatrical Trailers
Photo gallery incl. Behind the Scenes
Audio Commentary with writer/director John Carpenter and writer/director Debra Hill
Horror’s Hallowed Grounds with Sean Clark – a fun tour of the film’s locations hosted by Sean Clark
Audio commentary with actors Adrienne Barbeau, Tom Atkins and production designer Tommy Lee Wallace