THE FOG

Director: John Carpenter
1980

The Fog is another terrifying film from John Carpenter, following close on the heels of the massive success of Halloween. The terror this time is a glowing fog that hides a vengeful spirit from the past. Jamie Lee Curtis is back as a hitchiker who unluckily gets caught up in the events of that night. Curtis' mother Janet Leigh also has a role, Leigh was the original horror victim killed in the shower in that memorable scene in Psycho. Adrienne Barbeau (Carpenters ex-wife, then his wife) stars as the husky voiced local DJ.

The fog was an attempt by JC and his team to go back to "classic" ghost stories - M.R. James and Lovecraft type stuff about great mythical horrors where the terror is implied rather than more overtly presented as it was in Halloween. Debra Hill and JC collaborated again on the story, creating the myth of this sleepy little coastal town with the dark secret. Not the most original of ideas but to me this film is all about mood. A major contributor to this mood is another of Carpenters spooky electronic compositions. Yet again JC delivers the whole package of music,story and direction to create a film that many people rank as JCs scariest. The Fog was another critical and commercial success, consolidating Carpenters place as the master of terror. The Fog has also stood the test of time well; it remains a tight and effective movie that is great for delivering a scare on Halloween or any dark night.