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The Fog

The Fog (1980)

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Critic Reviews: 1
Fresh: 0 | Rotten: 1

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Average Rating: 3.1/5
User Ratings: 47,080

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Movie Info

Following the phenomenal box-office success of his seminal horror classic Halloween, director John Carpenter teamed up with producer Debra Hill for a second independent horror project, this time in the mode of an old-fashioned ghost story. The end result was The Fog, a spooky romp about a dark secret that returns to haunt the Pacific fishing community of Antonio Bay on the 100th anniversary of the town's charter. Carpenter sets the mood in the film's prologue, which features grizzled old sea

R, 1 hr. 31 min.

Horror

John Carpenter, Debra Hill

Aug 27, 2002

AVCO Embassy Pictures

Cast

All Critics (41) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (31) | Rotten (12) | DVD (40)

The movie's made with style and energy, but it needs a better villain.

October 23, 2004 Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | Comment (1)
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic IconTop Critic

... makes the most of the dramatic possibilities inherent in an isolated coastal town, as well as the scare potential of darkness, fog, and silent strangers bearing longshoremen's hooks.

October 27, 2011 Full Review Source: Playback:stl | Comment
Playback:stl

Not much gore, but still too intense for kids.

December 15, 2010 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media | Comments (5)
Common Sense Media

During this period, Carpenter and his fine collaborator the late Debra Hill were so good at crafting suspenseful, slow burn horror stories with multiple storylines.

January 31, 2010 Full Review Source: Kinetofilm | Comment
Kinetofilm

Orchestrates a thick pall of apprehension and good-time suspense.

October 24, 2008 Full Review Source: DustinPutman.com | Comment
DustinPutman.com

It relies mainly on atmosphere for its chills, which is a good thing. (HD DVD Import Edition)

July 7, 2007 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis | Comment
Movie Metropolis

...a good, old-fashioned ghost story.

July 7, 2007 Full Review Source: Movie Metropolis | Comment
Movie Metropolis

The Fog still holds up.

January 30, 2006 Full Review Source: About.com | Comment
About.com

Crucial factors are missing in yet another horror flick serving up a dull collection of stock types whose illogical and frequently stupid actions are necessary to advance plot and generate what passes for suspense.

January 27, 2006 Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | Comments (2)
Urban Cinefile

O roteiro é de uma tolice pavorosa, mas Carpenter consegue gerar tensão e bons sustos até mesmo com o recurso absurdo de fazer seus vilões baterem na porta antes de entrar.

January 22, 2006 Comment
Cinema em Cena

Fairly dull ghost story occasionally given a boost by the cast and by Carpenter's proficiency with the genre. Occasionally.

November 10, 2005 Comment
Zap2it.com

Ten remakes wouldn't even surpass this creepy classic's greatness. The definitive horror film.

October 22, 2005 Full Review Source: Film Threat | Comment
Film Threat

Creates a sense of near-apocalyptic gloom.

October 21, 2005 Full Review Source: Lessons of Darkness | Comment
Lessons of Darkness

The Fog is a fine scary ghost story ... but it's no Halloween. And looking back 25 years later, it definitely shouldn't be.

October 14, 2005 Full Review Source: Now Playing Magazine | Comment

Not up to Carpenter's Halloween or The Thing, but a solid, atmospheric suspense film nevertheless.

October 9, 2005 Comment
Fantastica Daily
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for The Fog

A very misable horror film from the otherwise dependable John Carpenter, concerning a mysterious fog that overtakes a small ocean-side Californian town and how monstrous beings kill anything that is in front of them. This remains an underseen movie, but in this case it is probably better that way. There is nothing

October 19, 2009
Dan Schultz

Super Reviewer

With Halloween, John Carpenter struck gold. But for his next project, The Fog he definitely struck out. Other than Janet Leigh's role, none of the characters develop, the ghost fishermen with hooks are not scary and the whole story totally falls apart somewhere around the middle of the film. The only truly great thing

November 5, 2011
Graham Jones

Super Reviewer

    1. Father Malone: Blake, I have your gold. My grandfather stole it from you. I'm the one who must answer for it.
    – Submitted by Mark H (50 days ago)

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Latest News for The Fog

October 17, 2005:
"The Fog" Sweeps Into Box Office First Place
The third horror remake to hit the screens this year, Rupert Wainwright's "The Fog," beat...

October 13, 2005:
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Foreign Titles

  • The Fog (1980) (DE)
  • The Fog (1980) (UK)
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