The Fog Review - Off The Shelf Reviews
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- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
- Join Gary and Iain for a review and discussion of, John Carpenter's, The Fog (1980) by Director, John Carpenter. Starring, Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh and Tom Atkins.
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I find the Fog to be one of Carpenter's most elegant, minimalistic and atmospheric horror movies. Hands down. This is one of the best examples of engaging storytelling.
I totally agree.
Same here. I think it is a very stylish movie with great pictures - i like it much more than halloween!
I couldn't disagree more. The plot is confusing and overburdened with new elements that confuse the audience rather than clarifying things. This film wants to be both a mystery and a ghost story and a slasher, and it does all this while throwing more and more nonsense at the audience. Golden coins appear for no reason, then people who were killed turn into zombies, which happens only when the plot needs it to happen and is never explained... This is a colossal mess and show that Carpenter wanted TOO MUCH, not too little. He should have dispensed with the convoluted background story, focused on the fog as the source of the menace, and come up with something scarier than lame looking pirates. The fog itself should have been the menace. Without a huge mystery to be solved. THAT would have been minimalistic. People trying to plug every hole in the house to keep the fog out or trying to outrun it. Would have worked a charm.
Have to disagree with you on this film. ‘ The Fog ‘ is one of my favourite films ever. Absolutely brilliant. The first time I watched it, I was scared shitless!!
My favorite movie of all time
I am now watching all the Carpenter she missed with my GF because she already knew The Fog and remembering that movie raised considerably her interest.
Me too, I distinctly remember being scared of thick fog especially in the woods while camping with my family like going to the rest room in the middle of the night.
When I attended middle school back in the early 1980s in Yorkshire, UK an English teacher ran movie nights every Wednesday. Unbelievably he had convinced the school to buy a 35mm cinema projector and would actually hire proper film prints. Movies were shown in the school hall and it was always packed with about 300 excitable kids. That said, he seemed a bit vague on what should and shouldn't be shown to children of our ages which is why, at 11 years old, I saw The Fog on the big screen - my first horror/supernatural film experience. It scared the life out of me and I don't think I slept right for a week afterward. Numerous complaints and concerns from parents flooded the school the day after it was shown as children across Mirfield (the town where I lived) were left traumatised by the experience. So, as a result, the film has always stayed with me and I think even to this day it has my all-time favourite movie ending. Decades later I visited the area North of San Francisco where a lot of the exteriors were shot - the lighthouse, some of the town, the beach, etc. It genuinely feels quite eerie there, mostly due to the wind that whistles across the landscape from the Pacific ocean. I actually found a piece of driftwood on the beach and brought it home with me a souvenir. I'm not sure if that was the best idea.
That’s an absolutely fascinating story-that teacher was certainly a daring (albeit foolish) man.
I'm 45 years old. I saw this movie for the first time when I was 9. I remember realizing all of the music was made by a 'machine' ... and I had nightmares for years that I running away from the fog ! I love this fucking movie way more than Ghosts of Mars ! (Sorry Gary !)
I've tried 'Ghosts of Mars' on a few occasions but can never sit through the whole film. I watch 'The Fog' at least once a year.
The shots in the final scene in the chapel with Blake and the priest are fantastic. Blake is iconic.
Carpenter's weakest film??? Gary, how dare you!
Well he did say Carpenter's weakest film is better than almost all other films of this genre so...
He also said he'd sooner watch Ghosts of Mars over this! Ultimate dick slap.
You do have a point there lol.
Anyone who says The Fog is Carpenter's weakest film immediately looks dumber in my eyes ... but of course I'm not seriously judging people like that, its just that I can't fathom anyone not loving the mood, the beautiful visuals, the music, the atmosphere, the setting of the whole movie ... I just cannot understand how anyone can not sit through the movie and love it , I'm quite surprised such people exist in the world ... hahaha
I agree with Gary - this is Carpenter's weakest film.
Adrienne Barbeau was hardly a “first time actress” when she appeared in THE FOG. From 1972 till 1978, she was the third featured player in the network TV show, MAUDE and (with the exception of John Houseman) was probably the most recognizable person in the cast.
She also played Rizzo in the Broadway version of "Grease".
Roy Phillips Yes she did. I remember reading that the friction between Barbeau and John’s crew centered around them all being friends and they didn’t like the fact that he ended his relationship with Hill and married a sexy actress. They thought that he (what was described at the time) “went Hollywood “.
Thank you for pointing this out-l thought to myself (while watching the video):”Apparently Messrs. Buckingham and Nichols didn’t do a lot of research.”
This is one of his better films! Ghost of mars are you kidding me? The worst movie he ever made! As far a Jamie sleeping with the guy who picks her up that’s how it was in the 70s this movie is one of the best ghost stories ever
I first saw this film on TV as a kid, it was a foggy night, fog horns sounding across from the harbour. Quite an experience.
That sounds like an epic experience.
One of my favourite John Carpenter films
Same here
And mine.
My favorite movie of all time
One of Carpenter's best. I saw it in the cinema when I was a young teen and it scared the heck out of me.
Your editing keeps getting better! Very cool and in depth review as always!
As for the movie... Carpenter has always been a master in creating desolate, creepy scenes with minimal resources but maximum scare unlike the remake which isn't probably even worth mentioning!!!
The Fog is not scary to me but nonetheless remains among my top 5 favorite John Carpenter films. Beautifully atmospheric and that soundtrack is itself a classic. My favorite will always be In the Mouth of Madness !
It's maybe not that scary because John Carpenter intended this film to be a PG. He had to go back and add extra killings to it, but even then he still thought the film was suitable for all ages. I think this film is more about the story and build up than the actual terror of a real horror film.
13:05 The ghosts appearing on the desk is one of the greatest, spookiest shots ever.
Yesterday i was scrolling through your videos and saying "There is no review of The Fog.I wish they do it"
Today i look at my recommendations "Whoop there it is"
Could you say "There is no review of The Thing, i wish they do it'' please?
Matthias_ Verhaeghe They did a review of the 50's version "The Thing from another world" and the video game which was the sequel of Carpanters movie,so maybe they will.I wouldn't mind if Gary and Iaen reviewed the prequel from 2011.
The prequel?!! Forget what i said.
Matthias_ Verhaeghe Oh come on,it would be a funny review.I can just see Gary being cranky on the reason why somebody thought the prequel had to be made,while Iaen gets red in the face from laughing on how much it bothers Gary XD.
Matthias_ Verhaeghe I think he ment he wouldn't mind them reviewing even the prequel,while at the same time reviewing Carpanters master piece.
I know how Tom Atkins got Jamie Lee Curtis into his bed, she was just like ''Well, where do you wanna sleep mister Atkins?'' and he was like ''That's a dumb question Miss Curtis'' i know his moves, i've seen halloween 3!
Matthias_ Verhaeghe Did you know it's only five more days till Halloween?:)
These guys are great reviewers. Always enjoy their stuff.
This is a great film! I love most of John Carpenter's work (not all though, by God!), and when you look at his first 5 proper studio movies you can see what a groundbreaking and visionary film maker he was; Assault on Precinct 13; Halloween; The Fog; Escape From New York, and The Thing.
No-one in cinematic history has had a run like that - especially at the beginning.
It's just a shame he didn't make one last big effort and direct Halloween 2018. It would have been a fitting finale for him to make the best ever sequel to his most famous ever film.
Adrian Barbeau was packing some serious heat lol.
Dude on the left is high. The Fog is great. Easily in his top 5.
I remember watching this at the drive-in movie theater back in 1980. For some reason I'm always reminded of "When a Stranger Calls" from 1979. Perhaps they were showing a double feature of the two on the big screen. Anyway, cheers.
Jamie Lee Curtis always plays a woman unaware of her sensuality . Adrienne Barbeau always seems aware yet unimpressed with it .
Movies are basically made for men. This is why women are sexualized in and outside of the movies. Get a female critic sexualizing a man and men cringe. Show male nudity or homosexuality in films, men cringe. Male critics critique movies as if they are only talking to men.
This film features his most atmospheric musical compositions, hands down, and I think the cult membership requires you to have seen it on TV in the early eighties as a kid, which I did.
they live , prince of darkness & Assault on Precinct 13 all worth a watch as well :)
The Fog had awesome cover art
How about looking at "Someone's Watching Me!" and "Memoirs of an Invisible Man"? The former is a TV movie Carpenter made before working on "Halloween" and it's bit of an overlooked and forgotten film. The same could be said for Memoirs despite having Chevy Chase as the lead character.
Can you review Ghost Story from 1981, it also has John Houseman, the sea captain telling the campfire story in it!
I second this! Review Ghost Story! It even has Fred Astaire!
Agree to disagree this is my favorite carpenter film
fucking love this channel since subbing the other day. Been binge watching the lot!
Whats subbing?
binge watch Martin CHATZ on youtube
Every time I ask... why do you guys not have more subs. But, Dude.... Ghosts of Mars before The Fog... shut your filthy mouth lol
This is one of the FEW classic horror movies where I don't really understand the hype around it. I mean, the atmosphere is brilliant. But that's about it for me. I actually agree with Gary that this is Carptenter's weakest film. Still good, though. But his weakest, IMO.
I personally love this film! One of the scariest movies from my childhood! I think the problem for most people is that this movie wasn't gory enough! Just when you think theres gonna be some kinda scary gory scene it just ends up being a fog with outlines of what appear to be angry human beings in really tattered clothes moving as slow as zombies lol. It's like having sex with a really gorgeous women but never climaxing 😂🤣 it's still great and still pretty satisfying but it just could've been a little better. That's my take on the fog
Adrienne Barbeau wasn't a new actor in this film. She had been on the tv series Maude for years.
Great work guys. This movie scared the heck out of me when I saw it aged 12.
I do love The Fog (1980). But honestly the real reason I visit it each year is Adrienne Barbeau. That body (I only wish I had x-ray vision) and her voice. She had the perfect voice for radio. And it enhances her beauty! John Carpenter was a lucky dog!
I would say the six original conspirators probably were:
The priest
The lighthouse keeper
A fishing company magnate and employees (3 on the boat)
Mrs Kobritz could have been the daughter of the original mayor
The weatherman’s grandfather could have been a town elder
Disagree with you guys on this. The Fog is a great movie. Like many of Carpenters movies, the soundtrack alone is a masterpiece. The filming is beautiful and the pace of the story is great. The 2005 remake of this movie sucked.
one of my favorites,, thanks for these reviews. you two are awesome.
I cannot understand the hate. I really love this movie.
I really like these guys but putting ghosts of mars over this is crazy lol. I think the fog is incredible.
'Ghosts of Mars' is ok, better than 'The Fog' ???
Please, gimme a break.
One of those horror movies I saw as a kid and it scared the hell out of me. Especially the end scene.
Atmospheric movie to say the least. Its right up there with Halloween for me.
I love this movie. It is one of the most watched movies in my collection. The Fog 2 is a big piece of shitte.
Another great review guys! On the way to 10K :)
That being said... great conversation about a fantastic 80’s film. I think knowing things about the production, about him not being happy with it at times. The reshoots. I think it taints a persons ability to embrace it and fully love it. I fell in love with the film before knowing any of that. And now I relish in the details, the making of documentary. The locations. Its all just so fkn great. Awesome episode.
By the way : I found you guys 6 months ago and watch every video !
Debra Hill at 19:26 in the background.
so when's the remake review lads! you'll both suffer beautifully 😅
The Fog is one of my all-time Carpenter favorites! Moody, atmospheric, ADRIENNE BARBEAU!!!! She has never been so lovely! WelI....not true. She will always be beautiful and wonderful for me! I love love love this film!
Man this movie crushes hard and blows the damn water out!
Ghost of Mars over the fog? Nonsense! The Fog is top 3 IMO . You must have watched the fog remake
I’m going to join the minority(?) but I do think that the modern remake of “The Fog” had great potential that was badly handled - basically, “good idea, bad execution”. I actually love the idea of making Elizabeth Williams both a descendant of one of the killers of the people on the Elizabeth Dane ship as well as a physical doppelgänger of Elizabeth Blake, wife of William Blake. Unfortunately, they put in way too many flashbacks and jump scares and aside from the subpar CGI, I like that the ghosts are not limited to using giant fish hooks and swords and actually use multiple means to take out their revenge but as others have pointed out, the bad CGI, the badly constructed overall plot, the subplots that go nowhere, bad acting, etc is what mars the potential it has. Likewise, the original does have problems with it also. I think the red eyes effect with Blake is unnecessary, and the bit with Jamie Lee Curtis is redundant, etc. What I wish had happened is they sort of combine the two films plots but with good acting and good practical effects with limited but good CGI effects and I wish they better tied in the modern cases of leprosy with Elizabeth and the spirits. Another idea they could have done was they could have made Elizabeth Williams the actual descendant of Blake and yet she is the adopted daughter of one of the killers - basically her mother was pregnant with Blake’s child and as her husband was dead, she took the offer of one of the killers and the killer thought Blake’s daughter was his own (but she wasn’t) and now, in the modern day, the only one who can stop this is Elizabeth as she finds out that she’s neither a reincarnation (which was a horrible idea) and neither is she a descendant of one the killers but that she is actually the descendant from Blake himself and she has to be the one to stand up to Blake and negotiate for the peace of the town once and for all, especially if she tries to protect one of the citizens who have leprosy from one of the vengeful spirits and that stops Blake and the crew. Sadly, they didn’t go with any of those potential ideas at all. I will say the score for the original “The Fog” is superior and quite haunting and somber. I don’t think, though, either the original or modern films are the worst I have seen - not even close. Both have substance but both could have been handled better. If there is two things to take from all of this - the soundtrack is great and worth getting and the basic idea/story of murdered spirits demanding revenge for their murders and that perhaps the only way to stop them is a descendant of Blake protecting modern lepers is the only way to appease Blake and the other spirits and let their souls pass on and perhaps make a statue in honour of the victims of the Elizabeth Dane. So yeah, I do recommend both with those in mind.
I can understand why some people wouldn't like this movie, it does have some flaws. I personally love it, it's one of my favorite ghost stories ever. The story, characters who are likable despite us not getting to know some of them that well, the cool effects, the hauntingly beautiful score, the setting of a quaint town with this unmistakable feeling of foreboding and dread hanging above due to the impending danger, and yes, that lighthouse is so damn cool and I'd so want to own one myself. This one's definitely a favorite, and your review was great.
One of my all-time favorites!
Was "lucky" enough to watch this when I was about 11 years old.. and was scared shitless 🤣🤣I sort of miss that feeling while watching a movie.
I love the music I love the atmosphere I don't like the "plot" The movie has not no real ending, nothing really happens, the story is weakly developed. I would not go as far to call it worse than ghosts of mars but it is for me definitely one of his weakest classic movies.
Loved this one since I was 9. Who caught the nice Psycho-esque stabbing shot at the 13:39 mark in this video? Nice nod to Hitch.
that random shot of the dining room table and chairs on the beach was creeping
fuck the remake this is the best version of the fog
Weakest film?!? It’s almost my fav honestly.
This movie had an interesting premise but poor execution. The curse wasn’t explained enough and for a movie like this, it should be.
Ive listened to the commentary track to this and John Carpenter says it was the first and famously last time he acted in a film 😂
Great review, man that remake looks like shit.
It is. I had an easier time sitting through Battlefield Earth.
This is my go too film to help my sleep
Hey There's a fog bank out there.
What a coincidence that I just bought the movie today
Who wouldn't want to get with Adrienne Barbeau, she has always been gorgeous!
I would presume that the hundred people or so who were at the centenary party either got home or stayed in the bar until the fog lifted!! Maybe!!
Its Miller time -- Tom Adkins 🤗
Love doing a recap of these reviews.
The Fog and Assault On Precinct 13 are two of my favourite creepy movies. And they ARE creepy. I remember seeing this in a cinema and being chilled. THEN - a few days later some friends and I were walking home very late, next to a foggy cemetery and... YIKES! I love films that let YOU think of what's out there, lurking... Too awesome. One of my favourites. And c'mon... TOM ATKINS and ADRIENNE BARBEAU... The remake... I can't say anything nice, so I won't say anything LOL
The job was incredible, such amazing atmosphere and tension. Love it
Very solid old school ghost horror. 7.5/10
Not Carpenter's best but certainly his best zombie/ghost/slasher film
Just watched this for the first time since i was a kid basically.
Love watching a classic then watching your review on it.
Not my favourite Carpenter film. That's the thing then they live but I'd actually kinda forgotten about this.
3 years later watching this and a ghost of mars review would be excellent
7:09 BRILLIANT :D
Never have noticed that before!
I feel like The Fog is only truly scary to people who can feel a movie. There's different ways of watching movies, it's about different components. There's the ambience, the music, the plot and the visuals. If you watch a movie and you're not able to combine those components and experience them all together, you don't get to really feel a movie the way it's supposed to be felt.
This is my favourite John Carpenter film, 2nd being They Live 3rd Assault on Precinct 13
Nice Halloween shirt sir!
I'd love for you guys to review another Carpenter cult classic, 'They Live'. Would love to know what you two think of that one!
Recommend First Blood , Black Christmas, LA Confidential, Swamp Thing, Point Break, Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah and Out of Africa.
Good review. Not one of my favorite Carpenter films, but without a doubt, it is very good horror film.
35:46 :D
Oh, so great that you've gone back and done this classic. When I was in California I actually visited the shooting locations. How dare you Waingrow! The Fog is a million times better than Ghosts of Mars, even with Natasha Heinstridge in her tight black PVC catsuit.......mmmmm...... and I'm back. Love this movie, as you state mentioning the trainwreck of the remake this isn't just a bunch of dumb teenagers waiting to be slaughtered, much like The Thing this is a bunch of very capable, believable characters slowly coming together and figuring it out in a situation beyond their comprehension. It's a great example of a reasonably low budget classic (it actually made 20 times its' budget back in the US alone). Personally I figure the ghosts would have kept killing until they got the gold, when they did they were happy with just the 6 deaths. And I always thought that Elizabeth was really Laurie Strode, the way she won't talk about her past yet observes that weird things are always happening to her and that she attracts them? Why don't you practice what you preach? Go back and go through all the John Carpenter films from scratch? And don't forget Assault on Precinct 13, it came after Dark Star and before Halloween. I mean you sat through all those Hellraiser and Halloween sequels, I'd have thought this would be a pleasure in comparison?
I was just 20 when this came out. The only other scary movie I had seen was The Exorcist and I loved this movie. The remake doesn't even touch John Carpenters movie!!! I have a copy of it on vhs and DVD. I'll never get tired of it!!
To this day one of my favourite horror movies - scared the bejeezus out of me when I was a kid in the 80s and the minimalistic soundtrack has *so* influenced my own music... :D
Great review guys. Could you please review They Live?
✌😎👍
Carpenter all the way.
Excellent review of a nice classic! And I agree with Iain...you should review the remake one day to show the audience how bad it is compared to the original! ;)
My third favourite Carpenter film after Halloween and The Thing, this film was 'almost great'. I get the feeling watching it that, had they only spent a little longer on the script they could have made it as good as either of those filims because it did manage to spook the shit out of me. i feel like they were onto something that wasn't consistently realised leading to people ripping the film's logic apart in later years in a way you can't rip Halloween and The Thing apart.
The biggest question is .... what is a stomach pounder ??
A very foamy kiddie-cocktail, drunk so quickly that the carbon dioxide has no time to separate, causing it to expand rapidly and create intense pressure and bloating.
It's basically a really stupid version of ipecac, from a time in American history when kids were _really_ bored _all the time._
Some of the music soundtrack slightly reminds me of the Exorcist type music.
Fast distorted piano/synth is the best for horror movies.
The remake's ending was far less satisfying & far more depressing than the original, IMHO.
John's version is WAY BETTER than the remake!
Hey guys i have a request (list to choose from):
The void, life , clown, session 9, pin
Watched this last night for the second time ever, probably been about 15 years from I watched it when I was 10. Its a great film, very atmospheric, creepy, the score is amazing and the premise is fantastic but it struck me; there's no real main character. Adrienne Barbeau I suppose you could say is supposed to be the main character, but Jamie Lee and Tom Atkins get just as much screen time, and as you guys said, her character is basically void. Very weird lol
You guys should do John Carpenters "Body bags"
Gotta say I always found it funny that John carpenter said this is the worst movie he ever made and that ghosts of mars was one of his favourites
Can you guys review the movie dreamcatcher (2003)?