The Fog

very very good

One of the old great horror films. Ok, it doesn’t scare so much as it did in its time but I enjoyed it very much. Being in 4k now, both visuals and soundtrack were great.

I'm fan of the movie and anything Carpenter-related, so this was kind of sure purchase, even if it's not of most important Carpenter movies, but merely an exercise between them. The Fog is probably little bit outdated now, but ghosts and their attacks are still effective. Cast is a pleasure for any horror history scientist - Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh, Tom Atkins, etc.Studio Canal did good job with release - picture is ok but don't expect brilliant transfer like with Alien. Sound is ok, because beside John Carpenter music there is not too many sounds to create some magic with. Discs contain nice extras, I loved the feature about unfilmed Carpenter projects and revisiting the locations. Of course there is classic nice longer looking back documentary.

"NEW RESTORATION" it says in a bold sticker on the front, with "BRAND NEW RESTORATION" printed on the cover. It was this that made me buy it, not to mention it is, to quote the back cover "Stunningly restored in 4K..." Though I'm watching in mere 1080p, I thought that buying a new copy would be worth it.The Fog is one of those movies I've watched again and again. I saw it at the cinema in 1980, and I was, frankly, underwhelmed. Some good points but it didn't hold together at the end.And yet... I keep being drawn back to it. I like it's version of American small town life, which has grown on me in the passing years, even if it seems like a cheap alternative to Jaws. Over repeated viewings I've grown to appreciate the slow build, the suspense and the hints of supernatural stuff.So, I figured, it'll be worth buying a newly restored - sorry, NEW RESTORATION - for Halloween.The film's as good as ever. The surround sound is pretty good, though nothing to test your speakers too much. But the restoration is disappointing. Some of the early scenes, in the dark and the mist, are horribly grainy and made me wonder if I'd got a dodgy copy.Looking at my old DVD copy, this doesn't happen. And whilst the picture may be a little softer, it is less distracting without the grain.So.... you pays your money and takes your choice, as they say. I'm not sorry I've bought it, but I'd think twice if you were buying a new copy. Beware the publicity....

This is a great cult movie with plenty of surprises that make viewers jump out of the armchair - even though you know they are coming! This film was made in the days when it was about conjuring the mood and great storytelling, without the airy-fairy pretentious rubbishy arty shaking cameras of today. The picture quality is not the best for a 4K, but it's still a lot better than my old VHS copy of old. You also get a Blu-ray copy and another with a host of extras too. This would explain the relatively high price tag. Definitely one for the collection.

A favorite film now upgraded to Blu ray. well worth the it given the higher definition and improved sound with this restored version.

I’ve loved this movie for years and now I’ve got it

A slow-burning classic of trashy horror. Coming straight after the low budget creep of the seminal Halloween, Carpenter quite rightly diverted his dirction toward slightly more gore and to a supernatural bent, as another serial killer feature would have seemed too comfortable.Most of the scares having been added at a very late stage in order to make the film actually scary, The Fog was a triumph of drafting, trial and error and just plain hard work and ingenuity. The scares are not over-the-top and work perfectly, but it's the Carpenter mise enscene that always excites and chills me. Simplicity is the man's muse and whether that is because he is not technically or intelligently able I do not really care. What Carpenter can portray, the feelings of dread, suspense and raw terror, through merely wide angle still frames of empty rooms and well placed camera shots is simply genius. The shots of the fog rolling in and the shapes within as well as opening exposition all add to an overall sense of foreboding that is sorely missing from most directors in the genre today.This, Halloween and The Thing are all high recommendations and each classics worthy of study and their inimitable place in the history of horror cinema.