Fatally-Yours Review: The Fog (1980)
The Fog is tamer than John Carpenter’s other horror ventures, and doesn’t seem to gain as much love as, let’s say The Thing or Halloween. Where the latter gave birth to Shatner-faced Boogieman, Michael Myers and churned out seven sequels (not to mention Rob Zombie’s inferior remake in 2007), The Fog didn’t initially garner the same level of popularity with audiences, who were perhaps hungry for another iconic slasher villain. Nor did it necessarily offer the mind-bending and gory special effects witnessed in The Thing. That’s not to say that The Fog doesn’t deliver – it does, but on a different level entirely. An old-fashioned American ghost-story, The Fog is a campfire tale brought to life, bathed in swirling mist and darkness. Its origins deal with an ancient crime, and the sweet promise of retribution. It’s subject matter ripe for a horror film.
It’s the centenary celebrations of desolate town Antonio Bay, and strange occurrences have already happened. A small boat, bobbing on liquorice waters in the dead of night is attacked, surrounded by a fog bank that shouldn’t be there – there’s the glimpse of a huge, tattered sail as a ship drifts by, and then there’s the figures that emerge; thin, wraith-like men, armed with hooks. The bodies of the three men onboard are found the next day, looking like they’ve spent a month under water. It’s a mystery that’s gripped many members of the community, but few are ready to acknowledge the strange goings on and how they coincide with Antonio Bay’s grizzly past and the anniversary of the town. You see, a hundred years ago, a wealthy leper named Blake travelled with several members of his colony, hoping to settle just north of Antonio Bay. But, the town founders weren’t happy with the idea of “a leper colony a mile away”, and devised a plan. In the night, and amongst a heavy patch of fog, they purposely misguided Blake’s ship by campfire, guiding it into the rocks. The ship was destroyed and everyone on board was killed. The town founders, “the six conspirators” plundered the ship, stealing Blake’s wealth and invested it in Antonio Bay, including its church. Now, on the 100th year anniversary, Blake and his crew have returned, wanting to take back what is rightfully theirs, and the lives in place of the 6 conspirators, who were responsible for their deaths. It’s like Father Malone garbles; “The celebration tonight is a travesty! We’re honouring murders”. And indeed they are! But it’s not all doom an’ gloom, oh no – their misfortune makes for a very fine ghost story, and a creepy one at that.
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