In a
small village of Antonio Bay mysterious
events starts to unfold. Car horns and
alarms go off and other mechanical
devices starts to activate by themselves.
A
radio disc jockey named Stevie Wayne
(Adrienne Barbeau) who works at a
lighthouse announces the weather as well
as warning that there will be some fog.
A group of fishermen don't see any fog
but then suddenly it appears glowing and
then kills them.
Also a man driving along the road named
Nick Castle (Tom Atkins) picks up a
beautiful hitchhiker named Elizabeth
Solley (Jamie Lee Curtis) and things seem
to go wrong since he picked her up. They
also discover the corpses of the
fishermen.
Then
the terror begins as the glowing fog
starts to hover in the small town killing
off locals there.
The killers in the glowing fog are dead
pirates looking for their lost treasure
and won't stop killing till they get it.
John Carpenter and Debra Hill was more on this at making a creepy film
than in Halloween but
the film in general isn't as good. Just
better frights. Yet still a great story. Great scenes of the small town and
the deadly looking fog.
An impressive beginning with
Mr. Machen telling some children a ghost story.
There's perfect scene's on the sleepy
town at night with gas stations
activating as well as car horns blowing
automatically.
There's a good look at a wrecked up
pirate ship sailing by in the deadly fog
next to a fishing boat as well as a
perfect shot on a fisherman Tommy Wallace with a wide eyed
open mouthed looked while he is about to
be slayed.
Also a great look at the fog entering
houses and the ghouls banging on the
doors.
Well done moments when Nick Castle is driving along at night and picks up a hitchhiker Elizabeth Solley and their witty discussions which looked good and natural. Also a nice romantic situation with them when she is at his home as this looked perfectly peaceful. Plus a good moment with a loud knock on the door during a brief foggy moment as this seemed quite suspenseful and giving you the fear on what will happen if he answers the door.
A good look at a board going on fire at the lighthouse radio station and Stevie Wayne panicking and
trying to put it out. Also an impressive moment with her phoning her son and telling him not to take anything else that he finds on the beach after the incident. It is a nice add to the story for sure.
A good conversation between Nick and Elizabeth in the abandoned
fisherman's boat and things seem still and silent but then a surprising moment corpse pops
out of the door behind her as she is
great screaming in terror as this for sure adds nice timing especially on what she says before this incident happens.
We spot another suspenseful moment with
the camera coming towards Elizabeth with a with a hand holding a dissecting
knife.
Stevie and Dan O'Bannon do
well with a phone dioscussion and a good
background shot involving him with fog breezing at the window and is
going to look at it as Stevie calls
for him on the phone to get him to stay
put showing great concerns with her
voice.
A perfect dark setting between Andy Wayne and his babysitter while
spotting the glowing fog and showing a
scared look on their faces after hearing
a loud knock on the door as she tells him
to go to his room. This was by far the spookiest moment that was in the film and for sure a great one.
We have good struggling moments with Elizabeth and Nick trying to rescue Andy in
his house as well as trying to drive away
which keeps you glued with the fog trying to chase after them.
A good shot on the fog rolling into a
village as well as a telephone pole with
fog blowing up to prevent anyone making a telephone call as this looked deadly.
There's perfect terrorising in a church
with the ghosts invading and trying to
kill as well as Stevie on the
top of the radio lighthouse roof trying
to escape from these ghosts which is
terrorising as well wondering if she will
fall off.
There was a great moment with the preacher Father Malone when he is
holding a golden object with a great dark
shot on the ghouls staring coldly at him.
Bottom line: An eerie plot by
the makers of Halloween.
It looks very suspenseful at a quiet town
thinking nothing terrible will happen but
it eventually does. I loved the whole
scheme to it by having the place seem
very silent and still. It's way too still
which is perfect for a ghostly and
terrorising moment in a peaceful small
town. There's great dialogues and nice moments
with the characters as locals in the film
making out they're your everyday friendly
people and it usually is the case. The fog horn even sounds scary as well as
the banging caused by the dead pirates
with the nice eerie glowing fog from the
ocean crawling it's way into the small
village which will make you cringe
greatly. Guaranteed to frighten you even for a
movie of it's time I challenge you to
check this film out as I can guarantee
you all that you'll love every bit of it.
The acting is
still exceptionally good for a film of
it's time. This was very much like a Halloween
reunion as we have many of the cast members in this one. All of them are terrific in their roles
playing totally different characters than
from the Halloween flicks.
Adrienne Barbeau (Stevie Wayne) is the best out
of all playing the single mother who
works as a DJ. Her emotions are terrific
when she is crying for her son to get out
of the house on the radio when she sees
the glowing fog heading towards her
house. Is great on her radio
microphone panicking in terror to try and
get her son rescued from the fog. She has the perfect
soothing voice for a peaceful sounding
radio DJ too. She made her part truly
believeable.
Jamie Lee Curtis (Elizabeth Solley) is splendid as a
traveller knowing her character very well
and of course knew how to act scared like
she did in her other horror films. She
brings a perfect outgoing attitude to the
set of the film and playing a different
type of horror character alltogether
which for sure helped her get work in big
time motion pictures.
Tom Atkins (Nick Castle) was another one who
does well in the film proving to be a
good character actor showing a nice
friendly charm to his part as well as
looking great for the film too. He packs
alot of energy to what he did for this
one without a doubt.
Nancy Loomis (Sandy Fadel) plays a less
arrogant character too than her role as
Annie in Halloween and
it was a real treat seeing her in this
acting a little stressed with her work
but yet really going at it too. She
proved that she can wear other hats for
character parts..
Charles Cyphers (Dan O'Bannon) really stood out
with his part as a bubbly type who had a
perfect charm to his role as I liked his
part the best in the film. He showed a
nice witty attitude and a perfect guy
next door type. He for sure offers a great charming attitude and makes you want to really like him and hope he will survive the terror.
Hal
Holbrook (Father Malone) did he job nicely with his
seriousness as a priest in the film along
with his tense moments with all that was
happening in the town having a dark
secret. He had the perfect looks too as
the priest along with wearing glasses
too.
Janet Leigh (Kathy Williams) showed a good fast
acting paced emotions as a mayor in the
film acting very strong willed. It was
nice seeing her return to a horror film
after her memorable character in Psycho
two decades beforehand. She certainly
drew attention to her role with what she
had to do in it. Also was good at being a nag showing hyped energy as well as doing a good job getting emotional after finding out some deaths.
George 'Buck' Flower (Tommy Wallace) had a small role in this flick but yet came across very memorable as a fisherman at sea with his deep mysterious voice and really got into his role in a nice serious deal. Reacts well to stuff on what is happening and shows surprised reactions making this all come across natural too. He was a worthy supporting character actor in many shows and will be greatly missed.
There are gruesome
looking zombie pirates as well as some
slit throats and a corpse.
Carpenter also
composed the music for this as it's very
different than Halloween
(But there are some similar elements). His piano and synthesizer playing gives
the flick the perfect touch. There's
great deep sounds for the film for when
the fog starts to occur which blends in
wonderfully. The soundtrack of his music
is still available on CD.
Mr.
Machen: 11:55, almost midnight. Enough
time for one more story. One more story
before 12:00, just to keep us warm. In
five minutes, it will be the 21st of
April. One hundred years ago on the 21st
of April, out in the waters around Spivey
Point, a small clipper ship drew toward
land. Suddenly, out of the night, the fog
rolled in. For a moment, they could see
nothing, not a foot in front of them.
Then, they saw a light. By God, it was a
fire burning on the shore, strong enough
to penetrate the swirling mist. They
steered a course toward the light. But it
was a campfire, like this one. The ship
crashed against the rocks, the hull
sheared in two, mars snapped like a twig.
The wreckage sank, with all the men
aboard. At the bottom of the sea, lay the
Elizabeth Dane, with her crew, their
lungs filled with salt water, their eyes
open, staring to the darkness. And above,
as suddenly as it come, the fog lifted,
receded back across the ocean and never
came again. But it is told by the
fishermen, and their fathers and
grandfathers, that when the fog returns
to Antonio Bay, the men at the bottom of
the sea, out in the water by Spivey Point
will rise up and search for the campfire
that led them to their dark, icy death.
[bells ring distantly]
Mr. Machen: 12:00, the 21st of April.
[Bennett
has finished working at the church]
Bennett: Well, I'm finished.
Father Malone: Good, can you come in
tomorrow at five?
Bennett: Father, can I get paid?
Father Malone: Ah... why don't you come
in at six tomorrow instead of five.
[Referring
to Stevie Wayne's voice on the radio]
Al Williams: Boy, would I like to meet
her.
Dick Baxter: I saw her in the supermarket
once.
Al Williams: Yeah?
Dick Baxter: You WOULD like to meet her.
Tommy
Wallace: There's no fog bank out there.
[after a moment, fog begins to appear]
Tommy Wallace: Hey, there's a fog bank
out there.
Al Williams: All right, I'm drunk enough.
Let's go back.
Elizabeth
Solley: Listen, I never hitchhiked
before. I just really want to be careful.
Can I ask you something?
Nick Castle: Sure
Elizabeth Solley: Are you weird?
Nick Castle: Yes, I am. Yes, I am weird.
Elizabeth Solley: You are weird. Thank
God you're weird. The last one was so
normal, it was disgusting.
Kathy
Williams: Sandy, you're the only person I
know who can make "Yes, Ma'am"
sound like "screw you".
Sandy Fadel: Yes, Ma'am.
Kathy
Williams: Are you going to give the
benediction tonight, father?
Father Malone: Antonio bay has a curse on
it.
Sandy Fadel: Do we take that as a
"no"?
[on the
phone]
Stevie Wayne: You're just a voice on the
phone.
Dan O'Bannon: And you're just a voice on
the radio. We'd make a perfect couple.
You let me take you to dinner tonight,
I'll prove it to you.
Stevie Wayne: Sorry, Dan. My idea of
perfection is a voice on the phone.
Stevie
Wayne: Well, my gauges must be wrong.
I've got a wind blowing due east. Now
what kind of a fog blows against the
wind?
Dan O'Bannon: You got me.
Stevie Wayne: I'm not so sure I want you.
Father
Malone: Why not six, Blake? Why not me?
[a tape
recording of K-A-B promos has just slowed
down]
Blake's Voice: Something like an
albatross around the neck. No. More like
a millstone. A plumbing stone. By God.
Damn them all.
[Nick and
Elizabeth are on board The Sea Grass]
Nick Castle: I don't believe in luck,
good or bad. I don't believe in anything
much. Something did happen once. My
father was a fisherman. He ran a trawler
out of Whitley Reef. One night, late, he
was coming back in. He was out beyond the
reef, out near Spivey Point. He looked to
windward and saw a brig under shortsail,
heading right for him. And he radioed,
there was no reply. Nothing moved on
deck, but she held her course. My dad and
two of his hands, they boarded the brig,
the Risa Jane. No one was on board. There
was food on the table, and a hot,
steaming cup of coffee. But underneath,
the tin cup was rusted to the table. And
then something caught my father's eye. It
was a gold dubloon, minted in Spain,
1867. My dad picked up the coin, put it
in his breast pocket of his jacket, and
zippered it up. He came home, told us the
story, and he unzippered the pocket to
give me the coin. It was gone.
[a locker door opens, spilling charts]
Elizabeth Solley: I think I'll go to
Vancouver now.
[Dr.
Phibes has just examined the body of Dick
Baxter]
Dr. Phibes: What the hell happened out
there?
Nick Castle: There was rust all over
everything. It was like the boat had been
out there a long time, taking on water.
He was down below, near the bunks.
Dr. Phibes: Nick, his wounds are covered
with algae, his lungs are full, and
there's silt in his fingernails. I tell
ya, I saw Dick Baxter three days ago in
Salinas. Now he's lying there on the
table looking like he's been underwater
for a month.
[Dr.
Phibes is recording his examination of
Dick Baxter's body]
Dr. Phibes: Evidence of deep penetrating
wounds into each ocular orbit, entering
into the cranial cavity. Also jagged
lacerations to the face. The right area
of his throat has been crushed. Thorax
has been crushed and the lungs are filled
with fluid.
Nick
Castle: Do you feel that?
Dr. Phibes: I'll tell you what
happened...
Nick Castle: It just got cold in here.
Dr.
Phibes: You see the water acts like ice.
A whole body would take a year to
decompose, longer if it was down far
enough, cold enough.
Nick Castle: But he was on the boat. He
was below decks.
Dr. Phibes: No. Dick Baxter died in the
ocean. Remember last October those three
kids that went diving for that old boat
off the point. We got to 'em, they'd been
down a week, maybe ten days. I swear to
you right now, he's been down longer.
Stevie
Wayne: [speaking into phone] Dan, where's
the fog now?
Dan O'Bannon: It should be right outside
my front door now.
Stevie
Wayne: [speaking hysterically over radio]
There's something in the fog!
Stevie
Wayne: I don't know what happened to
Antonio Bay tonight. Something came out
of the fog and tried to destroy us. In
one moment, it vanished. But if this has
been anything but a nightmare, and if we
don't wake up to find ourselves safe in
our beds, it could come again. To the
ships at sea who can hear my voice, look
across the water, into the darkness. Look
for the fog. |