The Fog (1980)

An unearthly fog rolls into a small coastal town exactly 100 years after a ship mysteriously sank in its waters.

Director:

John Carpenter

Writers:

John Carpenter, Debra Hill

Stars:

Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Adrienne Barbeau	...	Stevie Wayne
Jamie Lee Curtis	...	Elizabeth Solley
Janet Leigh	...	Kathy Williams
John Houseman	...	Mr. Machen
Tom Atkins	...	Nick Castle
James Canning	...	Dick Baxter
Charles Cyphers	...	Dan O'Bannon
Nancy Kyes	...	Sandy Fadel (as Nancy Loomis)
Ty Mitchell	...	Andy Wayne
Hal Holbrook	...	Father Malone
John F. Goff	...	Al Williams (as John Goff)
George 'Buck' Flower	...	Tommy Wallace
Regina Waldon	...	Mrs. Kobritz
Jim Haynie	...	Dockmaster
Darrow Igus	...	Mel

Storyline

As the centennial of the small town of Antonio Bay, California approaches, paranormal activity begins to occur at midnight. 100 years ago, the wealthy leper Blake bought the clipper ship Elizabeth Dane and sailed with his people to form a leper colony. However, while sailing through a thick fog, they were deliberately misguided by a campfire onshore, steering the course of the ship toward the light and crashing it against the rocks. While the town's residents prepare to celebrate, the victims of this heinous crime that the town's founders committed rise from the sea to claim retribution. Under cover of the ominous glowing fog, they carry out their vicious attacks, searching for what is rightly theirs.

---

Plot Keywords:

fog | ghost ship | lighthouse | cult director | revenge | 

---

Taglines:

John Carpenter's tale of vengeance beyond the grave...

---

Genres:

Horror | Thriller

---

Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 February 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

John Carpenter's The Fog

Filming Locations:

Farm House Restaurant - 10005 Highway One, Olema, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$21,378,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Embassy Pictures,EDI,Debra Hill Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Adrienne Barbeau and Tom Atkins' also co-starred in Carpenter's Escape from New York (1981). In both movies, their characters never meet.

---

Goofs

When Kathy asks Father Malone the time he read the diary, the position of her left arm changes between shots.

---

Quotes

Stevie Wayne: [speaking into phone] Dan, where's the fog now?
Dan O'Bannon: It should be right outside my front door now.

---

Connections

Featured in Sneak Previews: Being There/The Fog/Chapter Two/American Gigolo/Fatso (1980)

---

Soundtracks

Main Title - Reprise
(uncredited)
Written and Performed by John Carpenter

User Reviews

Creepy Atmosphere

John Houseman sits around a campfire telling children about the story of a ship that went down near their home Antonio Bay and how the drowned sailors will reappear 100 years to that very night in the fog. It is a wonderful beginning to a very chilling film, directed by the modern horror meister John Carpenter. As with most of his films, Carpenter creates a scary atmosphere through moody settings(the California coastline, a lighthouse, an old Church), relentless mood music as in Halloween, good character acting(Holbrook, Houseman, Curtis, Leigh), and a claustrophobic feeling of something vice-like gripping you. The story has some plot problems, but none enough to detract from the overall enjoyment of the film. Adrienne Barbeau is as lovely as ever in the lead, and the film is credible amidst the background of supernatural actions.