MovieChat Forums > The Fog (1980) Discussion > Terrific film, sad that Carpenter doesn'...

Terrific film, sad that Carpenter doesn't care for it much.

posted 8 years ago by jinx_malone
30 replies | jump to latest

It's such a great blend of ghost story and slasher, all the concurrent narratives come together in the end in a very well done way, there's some scary and amazing crosscutting in there that is--well, not quite Hitchcock worthy but pretty damned good at ratcheting up the suspense and fear--those leprous ghosts with rotted, dripping clothes and their glowing eyes are scary looking, getting John Houseman in there at the beginning sets he perfect tone, and it's got Tom Atkins as a romantic lead. I love it and I've loved it since I was a kid. The initial kills on the Sea Grass are scary. And gory!

Oh, to have HBO in the late seventies and early eighties when they showed different movies all month long and not the same crap every day; and to watch things that you were way, way too little to be watching.

I know Carpenter had to reshoot, I know that Jamie Lee Curtis wasn't totally thrilled with the atmosphere on set because of the split between Carpenter and Debra Hill, it seems like everyone, even good old Tom in the commentary on the Shout!Factory release had an okay time but maybe not a great one. A stressful set atmosphere can have a real impact, but in the case of this film, I think it probably added to the tension on screen, so it works.

My only real complaint with the film, and it's not even a complaint so much as it is a plot device that I don't care for, is the kid. I know he's important for both Stevie's, Nick's, and Elizabeth's stories--Stevie's because he's her kid, and Nick and Elizabeth because that sequence of them saving him is one of those moments in the film where the editing is really ramping up your fear, especially when they're all back in the truck and then the damn thing is stuck, and that's where the crosscutting gets intense as hell!--but I'm not a fan of this particular kid in this particular horror film.

Stevie's being alone at the radio station and watching all this play out below her and then getting attacked as well is scary enough on its own, or at least it was for me. Even though I don't care for the kid, he's kind of got to be there, because that scene of Nick and Elizabeth saving him is probably the most tense and frightening in the entire film, and it works so well.

I wish more people liked this film. It seems as though some people see it as lesser Carpenter but nothing was as bad as Ghosts of Mars.

Right?

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"It's better not to know so much about what things mean." David Lynch

[–] TheSolarSailor 8 years ago

The film has developed quite a large following over the years. Back when VHS first came out, I rented this out of fun memories of seeing it on TV back in 1981 or whenever it first premiered. No one seemed to remember The Fog back then, but since then it really has become a cult classic of sort and many people discover and love it. And if some folks consider it a lesser Carpenter entry, then so what? Carpenter's early stuff is fantastic, so even a film that is considered lesser in that list is still a great film.

Andy never bothered me in the film. I never found him to be annoying like so many child characters can often be. He's just a normal kid caught up in extraordinary circumstances. When I was young and first watched this film, I could really relate to Andy. It made it all that much more scary.

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I am not a fan. I just happen to enjoy movies. Fans are embarrassing.

[–] jinx_malone 8 years ago

Yes, I'm very glad that people have finally discovered this film. I think it's tremendous fun, very, very scary, and I love the leads. Very enjoyable for me.

Sad that no one who worked on it seems to have thought much of it. Maybe the child actor playing Andy had a great time! Let's hope so. :)

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"It's better not to know so much about what things mean." David Lynch

[–] TheSolarSailor 8 years ago

Yes, I have really enjoyed the fact that the film has become more and more popular as time has gone by. It's satisfying to see The Fog get the appreciation it deserves. I was too young to see it in theaters, but I remember it coming out. I remember reading about it in my older brother's Fangoria magazine, and it captivated me even then. I remember the TV spots, specifically the scene of the specters in the foreground walking towards the front of the truck. I remember Siskel & Ebert reviewing it too on At The Movies on a Saturday evening right before we were about to go out and eat, showing scenes of the glowing fog outside of the house and Mrs. Kobritz answering the door after the creepy knocking. I even had the paperback novelization (actually, I still have it put up somewhere), bought at Bookland. I was fascinated by the film, and scared by it too back in the day!

I was a bit disappointed to hear Jamie Lee's rather negative opinion of the film on the recent Scream Factory Bluray, but at the same time, I can understand where she is coming from, what with all that was going on in their personal lives. I never really felt that John was down on the film, though. He just remembers those stressful moments of trying to fix it with reshoots and a new score. Well, I think he is amazing to have done such a marvelous job under such a crunch. I know it wasn't fun, but sometimes the best work comes from such situations.

When Janet Leigh talks about the film, she seems to have fond memories. She seems to delight in it finding an audience these days and being a cult classic. Heck, the film grew popular enough that it warranted a remake. Too bad that the remake turned out awful, but it did do one thing...it brought even more new people into the fold to discover and enjoy this eerie little ghost tale!

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I am not a fan. I just happen to enjoy movies. Fans are embarrassing.

[–] jinx_malone 8 years ago

I really thought I had responded to your post here and am sad that I didn't. So I wanted to fix that because I agree with so much of what you've said!

I was also just this side of 'too little' to have seen it in the theatre. I was ten when it came out and remember all the things you're talking about here--the tv spots, Fangoria, Siskel and Ebert. All of which made me really, really want to see it, so of course when it finally came to HBO I was so psyched. And then terrified, haha!

I have the book too--I started to collect novelizations of films a while back and it's not too bad! My prize is the novelization for Halloween 3, but The Sentinel is pretty great also. :)

I think Jamie Lee has sort of conflicted feelings about being in these movies. I actually like her performance in The Fog more than I do in Halloween--in a weird way she's almost the catalyst for all the things that happen, just like Tippi Hedren in The Birds. She definitely takes a more active role? I'm not sure how to describe it. Yes, her character is sort of tagging along with Nick, but she's also curious and wants to be a part of what's happening in this place, she's not running away.

That remake. Wow. Awful, and it messed up the story so badly! I'll keep the original. :)

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"It's better not to know so much about what things mean." David Lynch

[–] Xcalat3 8 years ago

I love this film its my second favorite Carpenter after The Thing.

Libera te tu temet ex inferis.
pro ego sum diabolus, pro ego sum nex.

[–] I_Love_Hutch 8 years ago

I adore this movie. More than even Halloween. All the characters are extremely likeable and the atmosphere can't be beat!

[–] rascal67 8 years ago

I adore this movie. More than even Halloween. All the characters are extremely likeable and the atmosphere can't be beat!
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I think because it isn't as slow as HALLOWEEN—and I would say for you Mr. H, Ms. Barbeau's wholsome cleavage😄—and yes, the atmosphere is great. I haven't seen in a while and must re-vist. The one major issue I have with THE FOG, is that the body count is too low and half of the kills appear all in one scene near the start. I think it needed to be a bit bloodier or graphic. The subtleties worked well with HALLOWEEN, yet the extensive blood letting in HALLOWEEN II-81', does get many fans preferring to watch it over the first, including me and the pacing is not as lethargic.

[–] jinx_malone 8 years ago

Yeah, the atmosphere is terrific! Though--I still kinda don't love Andy, haha! :) It's just a great, creepy movie. Lots and lots of fun.

The Scream Factory re-release is a very nice set, too. For some reason, my DVD stopped working just as their blu-ray came out so it was a perfect time to upgrade!

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"It's better not to know so much about what things mean." David Lynch

[–] J-No 8 years ago

Carpenter's primary dissatisfaction with the film was that he wanted it to be more comprehensible, more frightening, and gorier. This led to adding new scenes (introduction campfire scene) and re-shoots. He and producer Debra Hill realized they made a film that couldn't compete with horror films of its time that had gorier content.

[–] brianctyler-11531 8 years ago

This is actually my favorite horror film.

I love the atmosphere created by the setting, the direction, the music, the slow build and of course the fog itself and I also love the characters. They're not all the most well developed in cinema history, but they're all likable, played by great actors and we know just enough about them to understand and care about their motivations. I love how we go back and forth between them and they all come together in the end. It's a nice simple ghost story with slasher and zombie undertones and relies on mood and suspense over gore and nudity (not that there's anything wrong with those things). It didn't do much for the horror genre overall, but it certainly had a huge influence on me personally.

[–] GorchBrother 8 years ago

In the DVD commentary, or maybe in the little documentary, Carpenter says that he is proud of The Fog.

He also comments on the difficulty making it and having to make changes so that it would work, in his eyes.

"I don't need to believe it's real. I just need to believe it."

[–] ConsciencePending 8 years ago

This is actually my favorite horror film.

I love the atmosphere created by the setting, the direction, the music, the slow build and of course the fog itself and I also love the characters. They're not all the most well developed in cinema history, but they're all likable, played by great actors and we know just enough about them to understand and care about their motivations. I love how we go back and forth between them and they all come together in the end. It's a nice simple ghost story with slasher and zombie undertones and relies on mood and suspense over gore and nudity (not that there's anything wrong with those things). It didn't do much for the horror genre overall, but it certainly had a huge influence on me personally.

I AGREE 100% WITH THIS!

[–] Hendry_William_French 8 years ago

Funny, I reckon The Fog is John Carpenter's magnum opus. It is the perfect chiller movie.

Buckle up back there, we're going into... hyperactive

[–] jinx_malone 8 years ago

Agreed, that's why I'm shocked he has such bad feelings about it.

The Thing is his best horror/sci-fi, but The Fog is lots more fun for me than Halloween.

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"It's better not to know so much about what things mean." David Lynch

[–] GorchBrother 8 years ago

What bad feelings does Carpenter have for it? I know it wasn't the happiest shoot or post production for him, but he had since expressed his pride for the movie. Notably, in the commentary alongside Hill.

"I don't need to believe it's real. I just need to believe it."

[–] jinx_malone 8 years ago

Everything I mentioned in the OP was discussed by Ben Mankiewicz prior to a TCM screening of the film, which was what prompted me to write thepost.

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"It's better not to know so much about what things mean." David Lynch

[–] GorchBrother 8 years ago

Did they say that Carpenter did not care for the film now, or were they just referring to the production history?

"I don't need to believe it's real. I just need to believe it."

[–] jinx_malone 8 years ago

They made it sound as though Carpenter doesn't like the film period, which I found really odd, and what prompted me to post this.

If it's the case that he likes it, I'd be happy. It's a great film.

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"It's better not to know so much about what things mean." David Lynch

[–] CaptainStanley365 8 years ago

Everything I mentioned in the OP was discussed by Ben Mankiewicz prior to a TCM screening of the film, which was what prompted me to write thepost.

I love TCM, but I'm a much bigger fan of Robert Osborne than Ben Mankiewicz. I would probably take his comments with a grain of salt. I'm trying to recall exactly but I do remember him making a comment about another film that contradicted what I had heard the director say multiple times. (I hate these moments when I can't remember but I remember what I was thinking at the time). I want to say it was Night of the Living dead but I can't be sure.

I think JC has a very positive opinion and attitude about the film during the commentary with Debra Hill. They both seemed to enjoy it and didn't really express negative opinions about it, other than realizing it didn't work initially and they had to go shoot a bunch of second unit stuff to finish it.

The only person I've heard mention tension on the set about John and Debra is Jamie Lee Curtis. Tommy Lee Wallace also makes a comment during the Shout Factory commentary that their friends had more of a hard time with their break up than they did, which isn't uncommon. Perhaps people didn't really know how to handle it. They were all pretty young. I don't know how much real tension it caused though.

I guess we'll never know how they felt at the time. I'm just glad that now everyone seems to have a positive opinion about the film NOW and I love to hear good things about it.

I think the Shout Factory commentary is a lot of fun. You can tell everyone really enjoys each other's company and they're having a good time doing it. I love it when you can tell that people doing a commentary also have a history of spending time together personally, which you get here.

It took me three hours to figure out that FU was Felix Ungar.

[–] Dan_Garten 8 years ago

Cool.

[–] GorchBrother 8 years ago

The notion that John Carpenter doesn't care for Starman either pops up now and then too.

I know that it was his second film after The Thing and he half-jokingly calls it his apology to Hollywood after being so nasty with The Thing and being chastised for it.

But in just about every thing I've read or heard about the movie, Carpenter has stated that he is "extremely proud" of the film.

It's also true that some of his comments about Starman are filtered through the tough times that came about because of The Thing's lukewarm financial and bitter critical reaction culminating with the way he was treated on his next and last picture made for a studio after Starman, which was Big Trouble In Little China.

"Who can't use the Force now?! I can still use the Force!" - Yarael Poof

[–] Future_Games 8 years ago

It's my favourite John Carpenter film. I don't think it's as underrated as Star Man, it's certainly not as highly regarded as The Thing, Halloween and Escape from New York. You can't go wrong with any film John Carpenter made between 1976 and 1986.

ROCK STARS HAVE KIDNAPPED MY SON

[–] renatom1 8 years ago

I even liked Big Trouble in Little China.

[–] redhillpb 8 years ago

I love this film. After Halloween, my favorite Carpenter movie. Have always wanted to see it on the big screen.