1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :- Documentary Fails To Raise Viewer Interest For A Subject In Which There Is Much To Appreciate., 6 October 2006
Author:
rsoonsa (rsoonsa@bandbbooks.com) from Mountain Mesa, California
MGM nicely manages here to bonus its 2002 DVD release of John
Carpenter's 1980 horror film THE FOG with a good many appealing special
features, of which this 1980 promotional "documentary" offers the least
amount of value. A bit of poorly transferred footage from the original
is utilized, but in the main for this concise (eight minute) affair
interviews predominate, of Carpenter, producer Debra Hill, along with
female players Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis and Janet Leigh, all
necessarily lacking those production details that viewers find of
relevance concerning an ingenious thriller structured from a screenplay
that is intent upon sleight of hand. TALES FROM THE MIST, a latter-day
item made especially for the MGM DVD package, offers a great deal more
of merit, with only the Curtis monologue repeated from this work, and
gives due credit to a proficient editing process that becomes the
cardinal reason for the cultish success of THE FOG. Perhaps the most
telling aspect of this piece is limned by the mentioned disparity in
quality between it and the recent documentary, the latter a more
appropriate supplement to a cleverly cobbled feature film.
Fear on Film: Inside 'The Fog' is a 7 and one half minute long
documentary that interviews John Carpenter, Debre Hill, Janet Leigh,
Jamie Lee Curtis & Adrienne Barbeau in relation with the original The
Fog (1980).
No one says anything particularly interesting or insightful & at a
paltry 7 minutes they aren't given the chance. I'd say Barbeau comes
across the best in this while Jamie Lee Curtis admits she doesn't like
horror films & her real life mother Janet Leigh still can't seem to
stop talking about Psycho (1960).
There are a few clips from the film itself & the interviewees are
filmed against a boring blue background while they mumble about nothing
in particular.
Fear on Film: Inside 'The Fog' was made at the time The Fog came out in
1980 so it's obviously dated & was probably intended to air on TV as
some advance promotion (it's clear the film hadn't been released at the
point the interviews were conducted or that the cast members hadn't
seen the finished film) so in that regard it was never meant to be
anything more, the makers weren't going to know that MGM was going to
stick it on their DVD did they? As a free extra on a DVD it's alright,
it's watchable but utterly forgettable & it makes you wish it was
longer & that more pertinent questions were asked.
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Fear on Film: Inside 'The Fog' (1980) (TV)
1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-

Documentary Fails To Raise Viewer Interest For A Subject In Which There Is Much To Appreciate., 6 October 2006
Author: rsoonsa (rsoonsa@bandbbooks.com) from Mountain Mesa, California
MGM nicely manages here to bonus its 2002 DVD release of John Carpenter's 1980 horror film THE FOG with a good many appealing special features, of which this 1980 promotional "documentary" offers the least amount of value. A bit of poorly transferred footage from the original is utilized, but in the main for this concise (eight minute) affair interviews predominate, of Carpenter, producer Debra Hill, along with female players Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis and Janet Leigh, all necessarily lacking those production details that viewers find of relevance concerning an ingenious thriller structured from a screenplay that is intent upon sleight of hand. TALES FROM THE MIST, a latter-day item made especially for the MGM DVD package, offers a great deal more of merit, with only the Curtis monologue repeated from this work, and gives due credit to a proficient editing process that becomes the cardinal reason for the cultish success of THE FOG. Perhaps the most telling aspect of this piece is limned by the mentioned disparity in quality between it and the recent documentary, the latter a more appropriate supplement to a cleverly cobbled feature film.
"I don't make films to get good reviews." - Just as well John, just as well..., 19 July 2007

Author: Paul Andrews (poolandrews@hotmail.com) from UK
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
Fear on Film: Inside 'The Fog' is a 7 and one half minute long documentary that interviews John Carpenter, Debre Hill, Janet Leigh, Jamie Lee Curtis & Adrienne Barbeau in relation with the original The Fog (1980).
No one says anything particularly interesting or insightful & at a paltry 7 minutes they aren't given the chance. I'd say Barbeau comes across the best in this while Jamie Lee Curtis admits she doesn't like horror films & her real life mother Janet Leigh still can't seem to stop talking about Psycho (1960).
There are a few clips from the film itself & the interviewees are filmed against a boring blue background while they mumble about nothing in particular.
Fear on Film: Inside 'The Fog' was made at the time The Fog came out in 1980 so it's obviously dated & was probably intended to air on TV as some advance promotion (it's clear the film hadn't been released at the point the interviews were conducted or that the cast members hadn't seen the finished film) so in that regard it was never meant to be anything more, the makers weren't going to know that MGM was going to stick it on their DVD did they? As a free extra on a DVD it's alright, it's watchable but utterly forgettable & it makes you wish it was longer & that more pertinent questions were asked.
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