THE FOG: John Carpenter's Overlooked Ode to Classic Horror

[@MattDraper]

What's your favorite '80s horror movie?

[@katherinealvarez9216]

The Thing? Gremlins? Death Becomes Her? Aliens? I don't actually watch a lot of horror.

[@MrPink-qf1xi]

Re-Animator or The Thing, I would say Aliens but I think that is more of an action movie.

[@camerongodsey9847]

More than likely, Prince of Darkness. Has a very dreary and eerie atmosphere, with creative special effects, and set pieces that are just creepy to watch. The soundtrack is amazing as well!

[@pratikangadi5728]

The thing.

[@billyrice5573]

The Thing, Hellraiser, Nightbreed, a Nightmare on Elm Street

[@tturnquest1]

The Fog is one of John Carpenters most underrated flicks. Great horror movie. Let’s forget the remake ever happened.

[@Rodeo_Wizard]

I totally agree, Let's pretend the remake never happens.

[@shawnswint1521]

@@Rodeo_Wizard Not Even Selma Blair, Maggie Grace Nor Clark Kent Himself Tom Welling Could Save that Movie!!!

[@RogueDragon05]

@@shawnswint1521 That love triangle literally went nowhere in the movie a complete waste in an already wasteful movie.

[@shawnswint1521]

@@RogueDragon05 I Felt Bad For Selma, Maggie & Tom. I Know Somewhere in Their Minds They're Saying to Themselves ''Whatever Possessed me to Star in this Shit?''

[@RogueDragon05]

@@shawnswint1521 Probably a paycheck lol

[@donkrouskop1743]

"We were aided by an unearthly fog that rolled in as if Heaven sent, though God had no part in our actions." -excerpt from the diary of Father Patrick Malone, entry dated April 21, 1880

[@sosbernede5467]

Ach ne

[@mrjones29]

That monologue is as chilling as the one Robert Shaw gave on the boat in Jaws.

[@jamesgarrett8833]

My dad show this movie to me when I was seven years old. This movie is just so well made. It’s better than a lot of horror movies today. John Carpenter the man

[@2up3rm4n1]

My nephew spent the night with two friends and I'm like, here's a good scary movie that came out the same time as Halloween. It's called The Fog. Why don't you guys watch it and see what you think. He said it scared the wholly fire out of them. My work was done.

[@gigijnbaptiste6974]

Did you have nightmares?

[@Rodeo_Wizard]

The Fog is a true John Carpenter scary flick that deserves more attention. Seeing The Fog(1980) makes me respect more of John Carpenter where today's horror movies are lame with lazy jump scares, uninteresting characters and plot lines that don't make sense. I wish we have more horror flicks like from the 80s.

[@Jeckxdeel]

THE FOG is an excellent movie!

[@JohnSmith-eo5sp]

1979 release

[@DerMoerpler]

I mean, the last ten years have probably been the best for horror since the golden age of the 70s and 80s. There's so much good stuff, I have no idea why people hate on modern horror so much. It ain't the 00s anymore, that's when those criticisms were completely true.

[@56postoffice]

Adrienne Barbeau, Tom Atkins, Jamie Lee Curtis and the late, great Hal Halbrook *(RIP)* This is a really good horror film.

[@josephkolar3443]

And Janet Leigh, Jamie Lee’s mother and the original scream queen!

[@56postoffice]

@@josephkolar3443 Oh yeah, she was in it too!

[@h.calvert3165]

@@josephkolar3443 They are in a scene together, but exchange no lines or even mutual acknowledgement. I'm always disappointed by that. Love the film, though! 🏴‍☠️

[@conalcochranh3274]

Barbeau and Halbrook were also in Creepshow together as husband and wife and it was awesome.

[@grahamtaylor8912]

And Nancy Kyes (Nancy Loomis.)

[@racewiththefalcons1]

Such an under-appreciated film. Amazing cast, god-tier music, creeping cinematography, atmosphere thicker than pawg booty. My 3rd favorite Carpenter after Halloween and The Thing.

[@camerongodsey9847]

Yes! This movie barely ever gets talked about, but I remember watching it for the first time years ago thinking it was a masterful atmospheric horror film. Nice pick Matt!

[@williamgregg6339]

I watched it about a year ago for the first time and liked it alot.

[@jeremybreneman4508]

This film is overlooked? I was around when this film was first released and I don’t recall it ever being forgotten or not regarded as a classic.

[@nateemond197]

Halloween is the one movie that gave me nightmares for months. The Fog scared the crap out of me for a couple nights. Those red eyes were so creepy...

[@robertdochter277]

Carpenter is both my favorite director and composer in the film industry.

[@bentramer682]

I was obsessed with this film as a child it's probably why I'm so fucked up now

[@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812]

Don't feel bad. I first saw this movie as a kid and it was foggy outside lol.

[@saymynameice-zen-berg511]

Next to The Thing, this is my favourite John Carpenter film, for me it even surpasses Halloween a little bit. While not really an overly scary film, just a little creepy, it’s definitely well made. I love the films pacing, the look, the score, the story, the atmosphere. Deserving of its cult status.

[@mattstorm6568]

Not overly scary? I'd disagree.

[@jamesrandolphmason2288]

​@@mattstorm6568 WHO ELSE WAS IN THE FOG WITH JAMIE LEE CURTIS, WAS ADRIAN BARB0O ?

[@jamesrandolphmason2288]

SPELL ADRIAN BARB0O, WASN'T SHE IN THE MOVIE THE FOG, ALONG WITH JAMIE LEE CURTIS?

[@jamesrandolphmason2288]

HOW WAS SHAWN CASSIDY. 😢

[@mattstorm6568]

@@jamesrandolphmason2288 Yes Adrienne was in it.

[@The_Texorcist]

I don’t understand why this film is so underrated. I personally think this is one of his better films, up there with The Thing, Halloween, Christine, Big Trouble in Little China etc. I mean it sure is hell more along the lines of those movies instead of Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Ghosts of Mars or Escape from L.A.

[@ikd3240]

The Fog is my favorite Carpenter film.

[@paulklee5790]

You have wisdom my friend....

[@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812]

Mine too.

[@MikeSmith-rh5gc]

I loved The Fog when I was a kid. I still love it. The desolation of Hatteras Island back in 1980 (the good ol days) resembled the quietness of Northern California in the movie. Always imagined a glowing Fog engulfing the Cape Hatteras lighthouse and the rest of Buxton

[@bonesgrey]

This is literally one of my favorite movies period and almost no one does any analysis of it ever so THANK YOU!

[@conalcochranh3274]

Ham, eggs & mayo. Why?

[@6Four6Films]

This film is amazing. I just don't get why it's so underappreciated!

[@johnharrison9685]

The Fog is very well made. It is very creepy and atmospheric. For example, when lonely, panoramic, atmospheric shots of the coast and the countryside are shown, that is so foreboding and creepy. BTW, Nancy Loomis looks very hot in this movie. Wish she would’ve had more screen time.

[@grahamtaylor8912]

Agreed on Nancy Loomis looking hot in this...

[@CHALETARCADE]

The Fog a minor Carpenter? Since when? All the people I know who love Carpenter, love the Fog with a passion, and so do I.

[@erikramaekers63]

John Houseman had a wonderful voice.

[@TheIndependentLens]

Fun Fact: Jamie Lee Curtis and Janet Leigh appeared twice on screen for "The Fog" & "Halloween H20"

[@mrjones29]

RIP Hal Holbrook Jan 2021. A fantastic career in film and tv, Brilliant as Father Malone in the legendary horror classic The Fog.

[@conalcochranh3274]

Not only is The Fog a good looking movie; it's also a classic ghost story. I first watched it when I was 13 and it's stayed with me ever since. An underrated gem, not just in the Carpenter cannon, but in the horror genre as well.

[@erocrush]

The influence on Carpenter people seem to miss is Val Lewton. Unlike his action films, Carpenter’s horror films are about manipulating audience expectations than material scares, which are sprinkled sparingly in his movies but always managed to stick with us long after the credits roll.

[@hadara69]

It’s all about ATMOSPHERE! That’s what makes “The Fog” so creepy and a classic of Horror. So happy it’s getting more recognition of late along with all Carpenter’s gems. THAT MUSIC!! (shutters) I still get massive chills.

[@trence5]

YES.

[@wilmathewisp8252]

definitely, the atmosphere in this film is second to none. Even if the protagonists act really stupid at times, the atmosphere of this film is scarier than all the jump scare horror shit of the last few years put together

[@hadara69]

@@wilmathewisp8252 Go check out "Tombs of the Blind Dead" if you never have. It's a Spanish Horror flick from the 70s. Spawned a series of other movies that are also super creepy. Dreadful atmosphere up the wazzoo and they even use fog. I'm guessing this is what inspired Carpenter.

[@wilmathewisp8252]

@@hadara69 yes, the series is an absolute classic👍🏻

[@hadara69]

@@wilmathewisp8252 You are a LEGIT Horror fan then! Cheers! 🧟‍♀🧟‍♂🧟‍♀🧟‍♂🧟‍♀🧟‍♂

[@RatedRKO269]

I absolutely adore this film and the score is perfectly haunting. Another underrated Carpenter film is "In the Mouth of Madness".

[@TheIndependentLens]

Oddly one of my favorite parts is when Adriennne Barbeau is driving up the winding road to the lighthouse and walking down all those stairs to go inside.

[@FragItAll]

Watched this in '80 as a 9 year old. Liked it better than any of the Halloween movies.

[@mrjones29]

Not better than the original Halloween, but it's a great creepy chiller to watch on Halloween.

[@mattstorm6568]

I wouldn't go that far, it was close to being as good, but not better.

[@freezhollywood]

"cozy horror" goddam the perfect description of this...always been the vibe i had but couldnt put it into words..honestly all of early Carpenter is cozy

[@brunoKenzer]

The fog in my opinion is a classic and personal favourite of mine, up there with Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds, Psycho three movies I could watch over and over again.

[@yahnatanlevi6894]

hopefully john carpenter canmake a true sequel to the original fog one day

[@ronhaller2143]

The Fog is actually my favorite Carpenter movie only rivaled by The Thing.

[@jeffreybarton1297]

Same here. It's the top of my favourite horror films ever. 'The Exorcist,' the original 'The Haunting' and 'The Thing' are up there with it, but the Fog is my most watched. what could beat Zombie Sea Lepers?

[@crimsonghost7500]

Love this film and the creepy signature style music from Carpenter. I like the film enough that I even have my own NECA Captain Blake figure with light-up red eyes! Just an underrated film that deserves a little more credit than it receives.

[@SpringtrapLover2010]

The opening scenes in this film, especially the camp story are iconic.

[@roguebritgravy1]

The trolling terror picture you used. The squid creature looks exactly like Kroll from doctor who the power of kroll

[@Xehanort10]

I wonder if they based Morgan Moonscar and his pirate crew from Scooby Doo on Zombie island on the ghost pirates in The Fog.

[@coreythorne6936]

Love The Fog. Enjoyed it a true ghost story . Remake just didn't cut it for me. Carpenter has always been my favorite director since I was a kid.

[@jays1850]

All of John Carpenter’s films were ahead of their time and that’s why their ALL cult classics now. The man is a genius in a wrong Hollywood time and he never got the credit he deserves from Hollywood like he got from his fans.

[@conalcochranh3274]

Ham, eggs & mayo. Why?

[@TheIndependentLens]

I've always wondered if Stevie Wayne was inspired by the famous radio interviewer/personality Alison Steele, The Nightbird of WNEW-FM in NYC.

[@anubusx]

Jamie Lee Curtis was stunning in this.

[@bruh_hahaha]

the EC Comics comparison is brilliant. 👍🏼🍿

[@blurpledragon2779]

When I was 14 I lived in Redondo Beach, right on the beach. At night I would look at the water and it woulf give me the creeps.

[@conalcochranh3274]

woulf?

[@markduncan3246]

im from inverness,not the california one though,the fog creeped me out as a child,and as we had alot of fog it scared me even more,love the music,carpenter is my all time favourite director,he was on a roll at this time

[@markduncan3246]

p.s,the reason i mentioned inverness is because the fog was made in inverness,california,not a random mention

[@johnkoyiii9650]

The Fog is my favorite John Carpenter film and one of my all time favorite horror movies. Great job on the video!

Loved your shout out to Debra Hill, she was a real badass!

[@TheIndependentLens]

A lot of people don't know that she produced "Clue" back in the 80's.

[@ronniebessling6802]

I have never seen this movie before but I love the color palette based on the clips you showed in this video

[@blurpledragon2779]

I love this movie. It's currently playing on Shudder.

[@Deadwolf27]

I've always been curious about this movie. People only ever talk about the mist which I think only made me more curious about the film with a similar name by a acclaimed director.

[@basscot17]

Love me some Carpenter! Recently rewatched Escape from NY and Big Trouble in CT. This video makes me wanna see The Fog asap

[@billyrice5573]

I really love the fog. I often see videos criticizing this film so its refreshing to see it described as underrated. My friends and I always debate about this film. I like your term cozy horror. It really is an enchanting kind of spooky.

[@adam-l74]

One of my favorites!

[@robertgee4540]

LOL - I accidentally came here, when looking for 'The Mist'.

[@heyitsmemg7494]

Probably an unpopular opinion here but I find The Fog to be just as good as Halloween.

[@user-jn1wm3tb8v]

The Fog introduced me to my favourite name ever, Stevie, so I appreciate it for that.

[@conalcochranh3274]

Matt Damon with ham, eggs & mayo. Why?

[@missingmimic]

Literally remember watching this a couple years ago the week of Halloween alone at night but like thinking how scary could a movie about the fog be? I'll watch it, I'm a grown ass person anyway. Yeah super cut to me two hours later: 😱 Highly recommend it anyway

[@1800astra]

My memory of seeing The Fog for the first time at 15 is watching a bootleg VHS copy in black and white in the middle of the afternoon at my then girlfriend's house in what, 1981? It was pretty impressive, even with all those things competing against it, especially the midnight montage and the trawler crew's encounter with the Elizabeth Dane. Obviously, this is a great video, Matt Draper.

[@johnpittsii7524]

Thanks for the video. Big John Carpenter fan. Much ❤ as always 😊

[@martinmontano891]

I remembered the first time I saw this film in the theater, I totally Love it than and I still do now!!!!😍😍😍😍😃😃😃😃

[@salud7432]

The Fog is an outstanding Piece of Art. Great Horror.

[@nathanielphillips3592]

This is the first of your videos I watched, and you got my subscription. Looking forward to exploring your other videos, especially the other John Carpenter stuff and the Yojimbo/Fistful of Dollars video. Keep up the good work!

[@aidanlynn]

If I was gonna make a horror film in the Carpenter mould, I’d reference The Fog more than Halloween. The Fog just has a mood and atmosphere that is a little lacking in Halloween. The Fog’s soundtrack is better too.

[@littlejeffmo]

I loved The Fog. It's STILL one of my favorite J.C. movies.

[@kippaseo8027]

I hate slasher movies and I don't like torture films but I do love scary movies revolving around ghosts. My favorite horror movie is the original Poltergeist but my second-favorite is definitely the fog. I think it definitely holds up even today. There's nothing creepier than kicking back on a chilly night with the lights turned out while watching this. It's the things that you don't notice that are the most unsettling. If you have a good surround sound system setup you can hear when the fog horns in the distance start blowing even though there is a scene with dialogue going on in front of you it's the total creepiness of the horns that almost subliminally put you on alert.

[@mondomacabromajor5731]

The Fog is one of my favourite Carpenter films ... The EC Horror comics link is a clear influence... Great retrospective ...

[@MinasTsambanis]

Ι can't help but to wonder what's Carpenter's opinion on Ghosts of Mars.

[@gabe5525]

I love watching The Fog in black and white. I know changing the TV settings does not make it really black and white, but I would urge you to try it. It makes The Fog look even more mysterious and haunting.

[@bentramer682]

I've heard of people doing this for movies and wanting to but I was always afraid i would never get the TV back to normal

[@nolimitsamputee5219]

The Fog soundtrack is killer!

[@jojomojofofo]

Hey Matt, can you do a video on the Secret Warriors by Jonathan Hickman?

[@acimagination7982]

i try to watch this flick every October. its a good ghost story theme flick.

[@roddmatsui3554]

Overlooked? Oh, not by everyone. 🙂

[@DeltaDemon1]

I love The Fog. It is the only horror movie that I found scary (I saw it when I was 12 alone in a tiny house in the middle of nowhere surrounded by thick fog...So that helped). Before that I had seen Friday the 13th and Alien which I liked but never found scary.

[@anthonyr9484]

Another great video essay, Matt. I always look forward to your next one and wonder what you will delve into next. Carpenter, for me, is a very good topic of discussion always. Not because I think he he a GREAT director, but because he truly had an interesting influence - for good and sometimes for ill - on the history and direction of film. I feel that, oddly, John Carpenter is both one of the more UNDERRATED, and (weirdly) one of the more OVERRATED directors in modern American film history. The Fog is actually a perfect microcosm of his career, in that it feels like something that both might have been better, or might have been worse, and as you said, he didn't have a great opinion of the film himself, which may be one of his weaknesses. Carpenter seemed to grow bored with his own creations at times, and not...complete his vision. Complete his thoughts? Or perhaps he sometimes allowed his vision of what he was creating to drift, into the fog.

[@josephde-haan1074]

Some years before James Herbert wrote a horror book called ;The Fog' (One of the scariest books I have ever read.). When I first watched this, that is what I was expecting. James Herbert's 'The Fog' it was not. Some time later the film did grow on me as on of the films Carpenter made when he was a maestro. Up to and including 'They Live'. Another masterpiece that goes under the radar is 'Assualt on Precinct 13'.

[@jamesofthekaijukompendium]

Can you do a video essay on Assault On Precicnt 13 (1976)? I think the movie has many interesting and amazing values. You could talk about how: it's a modern take on westerns, on how it also has parallels to the Walking Dead, on how it is the first time John Carpenter got to Direct, Write, Produce, and do the Soundtrack for the same movie, and my favorite point, how he got *that* Ice Cream Truck Scene by the rating committee to only rate the movie R and not X-Rated.

[@LerockJohn]

Wonderful Photography!!

[@aputridpileofb-movies6542]

The Trollenberg Terror is one of those paradoxical films that is both laughable and influential. It's worth a watch, even if it is nothing more than a minor amusement of an antique time period. Dean Cundey would work with Carpenter again in The Thing. I think perhaps The Fog owes a debt to Sheridan Le Fanu and to William Hope Hodgson, particularly perhaps Hodgson's The Ghost Pirates. I love the Cinematography and the wide angle shots of this movie. Informative review!

[@claressalucas8922]

This movie and Prophecy (the eco-horror about Katahdin and mercury poisoning) were my VERY favorite 80s horror movies.

[@stuartb9323]

I always was a big fan of the 1980 version of The Fog! As crazy as it sounds, I used the intro to the movie as a sure fire method to put my son to sleep when he was very young. It worked like a charm every time! 😴 💤 🛏

[@Avatarconner]

Matt, I gotta thank you for introducing me to this movie, It's so uniqe from any other scary movie and has such a interesting premise and I never would have discovered it wihtout watching this video. I actually got it on the 21st of april this year and rewatched it for Halloween.

[@rickforespring4834]

great movie...dunno what you're running on about! lol. the remake is what you should shred.

[@roguebritgravy1]

The trolling terror picture you used. The squid creature looks like Kroll from doctor who the power of kroll

[@starsjosephfrost]

“The walls of this city have been founded in Blood… the blood of the incident at the hands of the greedy.”

[@HankChinaski27]

Was happy to see you do this. It is easily one of my favorite movies of his; flaws and all. There was a touch of HP Lovecraft in it, and I just loved the atmosphere, having grown up on the Oregon coast.

[@tbip2001]

Is there anywhere to see what the filmed looked like befits the reshoots??? One of my favourite films. A very cosy atmosphere.

[@combatshox]

massive horror fan love this movie just for you horror fans out there who like ghost stories make sure you check out the changeling 1980 george. c scott.its one of the best crafted ghost story movies out there .

[@bbrbbr-on2gd]

I love when you cover horror stuff. You do a great job and your insight is very well put together.

[@Malum09]

Man, i wonder why they haven't remade this movie ;)

[@toddgrogg8005]

J, carpenter's, the fog is just as scary as halloween. Both are horror masterpieces.

[@jayquinn9157]

Unrelated but 3:26 The way he moves and disappears is such an underrated scene.

[@JHjh88]

I remember this movie! Wow thanks so much! 👍 From Australia

[@isabelfox5509]

Wow, thanks so much for the in depth and loving analysis of this gem! Sad this in my early 20s on TV and was blown away (was too young to see in the theaters). I’ve been a fan ever since. The remake was trash and a stain on the name. Love to come across someone else who thinks this was a creative and creepy effort!

[@rickswineberg]

The remake is an abomination.

[@Shadowman4710]

Amen.

[@lv2465]

A great movie made even better when you watch it at night when it's foggy. Brilliant.

[@calvinwoolfolk324]

I think this one is scarier than the remake because the original have ghost zombies n the remake have just regular ghosts

[@dionysoscub]

One of my favorite Carpenter films. The remake is complete trash.

[@sighourshanbanipur2088]

I love Carpenter, but this is probably one of his worst movies.

[@robingraves9517]

This has always been on of my faves since it came out decades ago.

[@experi-mentalproductions5358]

6:56 - Scanners was released the year after The Fog.

[@barbaramcgee8933]

The Fog is my favorite Carpenter film, and one of my favorite horror movies period. It came out when I was 10, I watched it over and over. I love it.

[@2001Tavis]

I LOVE THIS 💘 MOVIE 👻👻👻... TRUE CLASSIC😉😉