A Film I Like: The Fog

A FILM I LIKE: THE FOG

For this post, I thought I would talk about a film I like, which is John Carpenter's 'The Fog'. This film was his first theatrical release following 'Halloween'.

Seeing as how The Fog is a scary movie, we might as well jump right into the most horrifying part of the film. As anyone who has seen it will remember, this was the music played by Antonio Bay's local radio station, KAB. Stevie Wayne, the disk jockey, seems to have a liking for Muzak, for that is all she seems to play during her six hour stint on the air. Nor is she alone in liking this stuff, for it seems like every radio in every bar, home, fishing boat and car passing through Antonio bay is tuned to Stevie Wayne's 6-12-PM Muzak extravaganza.

Then again, maybe it is her sultry voice they tune in for? She has a way with innuendo, does our Stevie. "If you don't have anything to do right now, I'll be playing music all through the witching hour", she breathes. "Even if you do have something to do, keep me turned on for a while, and I'll try to do the same for you".

Those who take Stevie up on her promise of a turn-on are treated to what must sound like the most bizarre sequence of weather reports ever put out by a late-night seductress. It begins in typical Stevie-style...

"Ahoy, mateys. This is KAB, Antonio Bay. Stevie Wayne, here, beaming a signal across the sea. For the men in the 'Sea Grass', a warm hello and keep a watch out for that fog bank, heading in from the west. In the meantime, relax with me..."

On the next weather report steamy Stevie is replaced with a more concerned version...

"I have a special weather bulletin. The tri-county weather station reports a fog bank moving southeast along the coast".

There then follows a weather report that can only be described as panic-stricken...

"Someone listen to me! My son is trapped! White beach lane! My son is trapped by the fog!".

So just what is it about this fog that has sultry Stevie broadcasting panic rather than her usual brand of Muzak? Well, the fishing town of Antonio Bay is close to celebrating its 100th birthday. As far as the townsfolk know, the town was settled after a vessel carrying gold got lost in a fog off the coast. The captain, Blake, spotted a light burning on the shore and, assuming it to be a beacon showing safe passage, steered toward it. Alas, it was just a camp fire, and the ship was stricken on the rocks and sank, its treasures eventually being salvaged and used to build the town.

It turns out that this tale is not quite correct. In fact, the fire was deliberately lit to lure the ship onto the rocks. The Elisabeth Dane was carrying lepers who intended to set up a colony near to the town, and six conspirators, lead by one Patrick Malone, plotted to wreck the vessel, kill everyone aboard and make off with Blake's treasure.

100 years later, as Antonio Bay gets ready to celebrate its centenary, strange things are afoot in the normally sleepy town. People's furniture starts moving around of its own accord. Bricks fly out of church walls, revealing books confessing the truth of the town's origins. And, most worryingly of all, a glowing fog rolls in each night, and within its swirling mists walk the cutlass and hook-wielding crew-members of the Elizabeth Dane, looking to take the lives of six Antonio Bay residents, to atone for the murders committed by the six conspirators.

So, why do I like this film? Because it's a good, straightforward spooky film. It has some decent, suspenseful set-pieces, particularly the sequence where fishermen encounter the vengeful crew of the Elizabeth Dane, and when little Danny cowers in his room as they break down the door. Trivia buffs may also like to know that this is the only film to feature both Janet Leigh (oh she of the shower scene in psycho) and her daughter, Jamie-Lee Curtis.

All images are from 'The Fog' by John Carpenter.