Home
search
more | tips
SHOP FOG, THE
Amazon.com Amazon.ca Amazon.co.uk Amazon.de Amazon.fr
IMDb > The Fog (1980)
The Fog
[Add to My Movies]
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsnews articles
Promotional
taglinestrailers and videospostersphoto gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

The Fog (1980)

advertisement
Register or login to rate this title
User Rating: 6.8/10 (12,083 votes)
Photos (see all 24 | slideshow)

Overview

Director:
John Carpenter
Writers:
John Carpenter (written by) &
Debra Hill (written by)
more
Release Date:
8 February 1980 (USA) more
Tagline:
What you can't see won't hurt you... it'll kill you! more
Plot:
A Northern California fishing town, built 100 years ago over an old leper colony, is the target for revenge by a killer fog containing zombie-like ghosts seeking revenge for their deaths. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
1 win & 2 nominations more
User Comments:
Old-fashioned horror movie works like a charm more

Cast

 (Cast overview, first billed only)

Additional Details

Also Known As:
John Carpenter's The Fog (USA) (complete title)
more
Runtime:
89 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
Canada:PG (Ontario) (re-rating) (2002) | Iceland:16 | West Germany:16 (f) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:AA (Ontario) (original rating) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Norway:16 | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Canada:PG (Ontario)
Filming Locations:
Altadena, California, USA more
MOVIEmeter: ?
V 6% since last week why?

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Director Trademark: [John Carpenter] [names]characters named after cast and crew of Carpenter's previous film Halloween (1978). more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: As Father Malone flips through his ancestor's journal, you can momentarily see obscenities unrelated to the story written on the preceding page. more
Quotes:
Stevie Wayne: [speaking into phone] Dan, where's the fog now?
Dan O'Bannon: It should be right outside my front door now.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Pod People (#4.3)" (1991) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
44 out of 51 people found the following comment useful:-
Old-fashioned horror movie works like a charm, 1 April 2005
6/10
Author: Libretio

THE FOG

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Panavision)

Sound format: Mono

While celebrating its centenary birthday, a small Californian coastal town is visited by a ghostly fog containing an army of murderous spirits who take revenge for a terrible injustice.

Released on a wave of expectation following the worldwide success of John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN (1978), THE FOG surprised everyone by generating only moderate returns at the US box-office, though it's arguably the better of the two films. Beautifully photographed by Carpenter stalwart Dean Cundey (BACK TO THE FUTURE, JURASSIC PARK, etc.), this unassuming 'ghost story' opens on a lonely clifftop at midnight, where crusty old sea dog John Houseman tells an audience of wide-eyed children how their home town was built on the foundations of tragedy. As with HALLOWEEN, the pace is slow but steady, punctuated by a series of well-judged scares, and there's a relentless accumulation of details which belies the script's modest ambitions.

Jamie Lee Curtis headlines the movie opposite her real life mother Janet Leigh, though Hal Holbrook takes the acting honors as a frightened priest who realizes the town was founded on deception and murder. As the fog rolls in, the narrative reaches an apocalyptic crescendo, as the film's principal cast are besieged by zombie-like phantoms inside an antiquated church, in scenes reminiscent of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (1968). Scary stuff, to be sure, though Carpenter was forced to add new material during post-production in an effort to 'beef up' the movie's horror quotient, including a memorable late-night encounter between a fishing boat and the occupants of a ghostly schooner which looms out of the swirling fog (similar scenes would be added to HALLOWEEN II in 1981 for the same reasons, though under less agreeable circumstances). Production values are solid, and Carpenter cranks up the tension throughout, resulting in a small masterpiece of American Gothic. Highly recommended.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more

Message Boards

Discuss this title with other users on IMDb message board for The Fog (1980)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Three? recchi18
definately in Carpenters top 5! britishcub
Revenge sestra151
The Fog was NOT a commercial flop (lets just clear that one up) britishcub
Movies with atmosphere like this Groovy_
Scariest scenes ethan-newman-1
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Sleepy Hollow Escape from New York Psycho The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Fantasy section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.