Consistency is Key & Carpenter is King
Consistency is key they say. Doing the same thing repeatedly can produce great results. Of course, if it’s the wrong thing, then consistency can produce terrible things. In the case of John Carpenter, creepy tunes, and the cast of Halloween, consistency is certainly great and creates profound results. To my knowledge I have never seen The Fog but, I recently changed that and I’m glad. Got the date night with the wife now – popcorn and an awesome Halloween ESC movie!
The Fog - A Comrade's Recommendation
A comrade at work recommended this movie to me and I noticed it was available to watch for free on Tubi TV so, I hit the ol’ arrow and watched it. Not long in and I knew I had made a good decision taking the recommendation – wow, what a great movie! The Fog has a wild story. It reminds me of one of those old ghost stories you would tell around a campfire or read in a kids’ Halloween book. It works though and works well. The pace is great and holds your attention throughout the movie. Effects are something else done very well in The Fog. Also, I loved the color used in The Fog. Artistically speaking, this was one of the best parts and was certainly stunning to me.
Cast of Halloween - Recast in The Fog
The cast of Halloween was basically repurposed for The Fog. Even the main man, Nick Castle who played the shape in Halloween, was in The Fog. Well, the main character, who was played by Tom Atkins, was named Nick Castle. In this way, even Michael Myers was in the film via another actor. You might remember Atkins from Halloween III: Season of the Witch where he played the lead role, Daniel Challis. You can read my blog on this film here. Jamie Lee Curtis was also in a main role in The Fog. This film by John Carpenter also featured Nancy Loomis. You even had Tommy Lee Wallace, the fellow who was responsible for creating the Michael Myers mask, involved with the editing. With this lineup, something great is about to happen for the camera.
A Foggy Night an Unintentional but Perfect Coincidence
So, watching The Fog when I did was a great choice. It took me back to when I watched An American Werewolf in London. You can read the blog on wrote on this classic if you’re interested here. When I watched the fog, it was foggy. When I watched An American Werewolf in London, it was foggy and a full moon. Anyway, this just helped the movie be a little creepier and it already was enough on its own. Something about heavy fog and how you can’t see very far in front of you leaves you with a sense of the unknown. Things in the fog seem to move, shift, and disappear. It was no different in The Fog as the ghosts use this shield to their advantage. Movies don’t normally creep me out but, John Carpenter’s The Fog did.
No Plot from Me But, The Fog's Story is Simple and Eerie
No plot here folks but I will say, I don’t know why a ghost cares about gold. Read the whole plot on IMDB here if you want but, giving some ghost pirates their gold back is the quick synopsis behind The Fog. Going back to those children’s ghost stories, ghost pirates and stolen gold is one piece of The Fog that gave me this vibe. Come to think of it, The Fog in this regard reminds me of the old Garfield Halloween Special – such a great book and short animated film. I’m in no way trashing Carpenter’s work here, The Fog is exceptional. If you want to see more about The Fog, like the filming locations, for instance, you can click here. I found a great video on YouTube that you can watch here that includes locations too.
The Filming Locations - Excellent Selection
The Fog revives a few pieces of the past. Inside a lighthouse, there is an old radio station. An old lighthouse is always great. You can watch a video tour of Point Reyes Lighthouse modern day here. On the inside, there is a spiral staircase that leads up to the radio station where vinyl records are stacked on shelves. The DJ uses her seductive radio voice to broadcast to citizens in town hosting music and narrating the fog’s movement over the airways. Tom Atkins’ character drives an old truck that you get to see a lot of, there’s a VW Thing, and a station wagon too. That’s convenient when thinking about ties to Halloween. I remember a radio on an end table standing out in this movie too. I really couldn’t pay attention to the background because I was sucked into the story, to be honest.
The Fog is Rolling Out and I'm Closing
If you like Halloween, you will love The Fog. You get the same style from Carpenter. Basically, you have all the same actors. All the while, there’s a both creepy and catchy tune that plays to match the mood in The Fog. Invisible Katana Artwork certainly recommends this one to anyone who likes old horror movies, horror in general, and certainly Halloween. This one would be great to sit on the bank of a lake on a super foggy night and watch around a campfire. Yep, that’s it. I’m going to start trying to talk my wife into this now. Of course, I’m going to need a lake house and somehow rent it when there is fog. That will require a reliable weatherman. Okay, fingers crossed – maybe this will work out.
Let me know your thoughts on The Fog. Has anyone out there seen this lighthouse? Is it as cool as one would expect? While you’re on my page, check out my artwork and photography galleries here. You can read more of my blogs here and follow me on all social media here. All likes, shares, subs, and follows are appreciated.