John Carpenter, the modern horror master behind such classics and personal favorites as HALLOWEEN (1978), THE THING (1982), and PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1987) as well as many more great films, is a man of many talents. Mr. Carpenter not only has directed his films, but also scored them, written them, edited them, and in a few cases even acted in them. And also among these talents of his is the ability to tell several different kinds of stories effectively. It's worth noting that the director rarely repeats himself in terms of story. Sure, he revisits the horror genre quite often but each visit is a decidedly different experience.
THE FOG is John Carpenter's campfire ghost story. Hot on the heels of Halloween's huge success, Carpenter and fellow mastermind Debra Hill were under pressure from the studio to produce a film as terrifying as Halloween. Rather than recycle the formula that worked so well with Halloween, Carpenter and Hill decided to a horror story on the opposite end of the spectrum. Supernatural forces at work, unexplainable events, and dark vengeful spirits. Sounds about as far from a slasher film as film as you can get. But even so Carpenter once again delivers a masterpiece of horror.
The Fog is one of my favorite horror films.
THE PLOT
100 years ago a ship carry a crew of lepers sailed for a newly established community in northern California. The current residents, fearing the infected sailors arrival, deliberately steered the ship into the rocks off the coast of the community by means of a night fire along the beach. Now, in the present, the community is preparing to celebrate its 100th anniversary. The night before the celebration a mysterious fog arises off the ocean. The fog moves against the wind, traveling along a predetermined course as if possessing a mind of its own. Something else is in the fog. Something supernatural. Vengeful. Something threatening to kill everyone in the community.
THE GOOD
The Setup. From the get go the film begins establishing the mood of the film. First you have a campfire scene where a man recites a ghost story to a captivated audience of children. Then the story moves to a series of little odd events, electronics turning on by themselves, objects moving by themselves, and so on all the while the opening credits are still rolling by. This judicious storytelling continues throughout the film, every scene calculated and purposeful. This film is well executed from start to finish building the presence of the supernatural gradually. The preternatural elements begin relatively minuscule and grow in shock and awe as the movie builds towards its climax. This expert delivery of the story is a solid strength of the film.
The Ghosts. Sometimes in horror films the less you see the more frightening the experience. JAWS (1974) is a great example of less being more. Carpenter adheres to this philosophy in the Fog. The vengeful ghosts are the antagonist of the film and they are never shown in full light. These ghosts are some of the more frightening ghouls in all of horror cinema and are only ever shown in silhouette. The costume design for these spirits is extremely effective in creating dread and menace. Reminiscent of the designs of the Blind Dead Templars from TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD (1972), some of the scariest looking creatures in horror. Many times when the audience finally sees the obscured monsters in the dark the reality isn't as scary as what they had imagined. Speaking only for myself, the brief clear glimpses of the ghost in The Fog fully delivered, especially the climactic finale.
THE BAD
Nothing. Some animated effects haven't held up too well over the years but those shots are few and far between. Depending on your personal stance on the supernatural you may get into the film or you may not. Personally I love this film and everything about it from the technical and storytelling aspects are done so well. Interestingly one of my favorite aspects almost never happened. The ghosts were not originally present in the film. The Fog, at one point, was a very troubled film and went through re-shoots and an arduous editing process. The ghosts and the graphic violence were results of the re-shoots. Effects maestro Rob Bottin joined Carpenter's crew for the first time and contributed the horrific designs of the ghosts. So when you're watching this film just imagine what it look like without the ghosts and onscreen violence.
THE VERDICT
The Fog explores the power of the supernatural in the most effective way possible. The story is setup and told brilliantly without a wasted moment in the film. The film's mood is established from the get go and the atmosphere is rich and palpable. Basically what I'm saying is this is a scary movie and one of the best executed films from start to finish that I've ever seen, horror film or otherwise. From the actors, to the story, the sound, and the editing, top to bottom this film is amazing. It effected me the first time I saw it and it is just as effective and compelling years later. The Fog is one of the best modern horror films I've ever seen.
Overall Ranking: 9 out of 10
Nigh Perfect! Makes it into my Top Ten. A Rarity.
Nude-O-Meter: 0 out of 10
For more John Carpenter films and related horror check out the films below
No comments:
Post a Comment