The Fog (1980), Blu-ray

Somehow I missed Halloween (1978) when it played in theaters. I remember seeing it for the first time on HBO and it scared the liver out of me. I did see John Carpenter’s follow-up The Fog (1980) in a theater during a midnight movie run at the Hoosier Auditorium Theater in Whiting, Indiana. The theater management even added theatrical tricks by way of a rented fog machine which effectively billowed sublimated dry ice over the patrons. Man, those were fun times.

The Shout Factory also recognizes the good old days with the new restored print of The Fog, loaded with supplements, including several TV Spot advertisements that I remember well. I also enjoyed the Jamie Lee Curtis interview (she was not a fan of the film and speaks candidly about it) and documentary Dean of Darkness, with DOP/Cinematographer Dean Cudney, who’s resume of films is tremendous:

• Apollo 13
• Jurassic Park
• Road House
• Who Framed Roger Rabbit
• Romancing the Stone
• Halloween I, II & III
• The Thing
• Big Trouble in Little China
• Escape from New York
• Rock ‘n’ Roll High School, and others.

I had not realized that Cudney was a key player in several Carpenter films and helped create a distinct expressionist look through lighting and composition. Just compare the opening nighttime sequences of Jurassic Park to The Fog and you’ll recognize Cudney’s style.

The new Blu-ray looks and sounds fantastic. The film holds up well too and is one of the best horror films of the 1980’s. My girlfriend liked it because it played more like an old-time ghost story, which was Carpenter’s intent. Yes, go out and buy this Blu-ray your VHS tape and laserdisc are rotted…

Big thumbs up. One of the best DVD releases of the year. Whewhoo!