Search - The Fog on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Violence, Not For Children Movie Release: 1980 DVD Release: 08/27/2002 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English, French, Spanish SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 30 mins Studio: MGM Total Copies: 15 Genres: Horror, Supernatural Horror See Also: The Fog [Special Edition], The Fog [Blu-ray], The Fog [Blu-ray]

Following the phenomenal box-office success of his seminal horror classic Halloween, director John Carpenter teamed up with producer Debra Hill for a second independent horror project, this time in the mode of an old-fashioned ghost story. The end result was The Fog, a spooky romp about a dark secret that returns to haunt the Pacific fishing community of Antonio Bay on the 100th anniversary of the town's charter. Carpenter sets the mood in the film's prologue, which features grizzled old sea salt Mr. Machen (John Houseman) spinning ghost stories for a group of local children. For his final tale, he recounts the legend of the Elizabeth Dane -- a ship which crashed 100 years ago against the very rocks upon which the children are sitting. Meanwhile, as the clock strikes midnight on the fateful anniversary of that disaster, eerie phenomena begin to plague the town as a dense fog bank creeps toward the bay. Seeming to appear from nowhere and emitting a ghostly glow, the fog surrounds a small trawler filled with drunken fishermen, who glimpse the vague outline of a decrepit sailing vessel before being brutally killed by shadowy figures brandishing hooks and swords. That morning, news of their disappearance is relayed to the town by Stevie Wayne (Adrienne Barbeau), owner and operator of the local radio station. The news reaches the wife of one of the fishermen, city councilwoman Kathy Williams (Janet Leigh) and local boy Nick Castle (Tom Atkins), who takes a trip out to the abandoned boat to investigate, accompanied by teenage drifter Elizabeth Solley (Jamie Lee Curtis). As the day progresses, a grim series of events paints a decidedly unpleasant picture of Antonio Bay's founders, and foreshadows the ghostly retribution that awaits the town's present-day residents. When Mrs. Williams visits local priest Fr. Malone (Hal Holbrook) about a benediction for that night's centennial ceremony, he relates a ghastly tale discovered in his grandfather's journal, which details the town fathers' decision to murder a group of lepers who had planned to build a commune outside of Antonio Bay. Just as the night's proceedings are haunted by the horrors of the past, the ghosts of the murdered dead have returned to seek symbolic revenge by claiming the lives of six townspeople, arriving amid the ominous fog bank which has completely engulfed Antonio Bay. Carpenter reportedly shot and inserted additional gory scenes after the original 'PG' cut failed to impress preview audiences. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide

Adrienne Barbeau - Stevie Wayne
Hal Holbrook - Father Malone
Janet Leigh - Kathy Williams
Jamie Lee Curtis - Elizabeth Solley
John Houseman - Machen

MGM has created another fan-pleasing special edition with their DVD of The Fog. The disc serves up two nicely remastered video transfers, one pan-and-scan and one letterboxed, that bring out the film's earthy color palette and are far superior to all previous video editions of this film. This DVD also benefits from Dolby Digital 5.1 remix of the soundtrack that keeps the dialogue clear as a bell and also adds plenty of heft to the sound effects and the atmospheric synthesizer score. The disc's value is further boosted by a generous array of supplements. The first is a commentary track featuring John Carpenter and producer Debra Hill that covers everything from the surprisingly practical methods used to achieve the film's convincing special effects to the last-minute reshooting that they undertook to enhance the film's scares. Carpenter is typically irreverent throughout as he pokes fun at his own cameo and freely admits to borrowing from other films. There are also generous still and ad galleries, an array of trailers, a couple of fun outtakes reels (one is hidden as an easy-to-find easter egg), and a storyboard-to-scene comparison. However, the best bonuses are a pair of documentaries on The Fog. The first was originally produced in 1980 and is technically primitive but offers an amusing time-capsule of the filmmakers and cast: The most amusing participant is an outspoken and wildly energetic Jamie Lee Curtis. The other documentary is new and mixes interviews with film clips and behind-the-scenes footage to create a comprehensive but concise portrait of the film's production. All in all, MGM's DVD of The Fog is a stellar edition that is well worth a look for horror enthusiasts and required viewing for any John Carpenter fan. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide