In Comparison: The Fog (1980) vs The Fog (2005)

A haunting ghost story with a remake that’s still haunting fans of the original, The Fog belongs in the icy depths of the bay.

I must start by expressing my love and respect for both John Carpenter and Debra Hill. John has of course been an inspiration for successful filmmakers, as well as aspiring ones like myself. Debra, I feel, is inordinately underrated as one of Hollywood’s strongest, most intelligent and creative women to have ever broken into the business. The two, together, not only gave us Halloween, they gave us The Fog.

John Carpenter’s The Fog –Courtesy of : Embassy Pictures

THE FOG (1980)

With a bigger budget to play around with, John Carpenter and Debra Hill were able to offer us the now-classic ghost tale, The Fog. Taking place 100 years after a horrific event, the ghost of Blake; a rich man who suffered with leprosy, seeks revenge on the the town of Antonio Bay. More specifically, on anyone biologically associated with the original six conspirators, responsible for the sinking and ransacking of his ship, the Elizabeth Dane. The film stars Adrienne Barbeau in her first theatrically released film, along with Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh, Nancy Loomis, Tom Atkins and Hal Holbrook.

John Carpenter’s return to the box office after Halloween, had proven to be a successful one, raking in approximately $21 million. As usual, he composed the score for this movie and it’s incredibly eerie. Dean Cundey’s work as a cinematographer never fails to impress, especially in his contributions to the horror genre.

There’s very little anyone can cut down about this film. It’s dark, creepy, the acting is stellar, John’s directing and his and Debra’s script was fantastic. Aside from Jamie Lee Curtis’s hair changing length throughout the film, going from long to short one scene after another, really the only complaint I can come up with is Adrienne’s character, Stevie Wayne. She’s the owner of a lighthouse in which she alone runs a radio station. Don’t get me wrong, I like the character. What bothers me is the fact that, while she’s screaming for her son and his babysitter to get out of the house; a very heightened and intense moment in the film, she’s just staying in the lighthouse. Her reason is, “I have to stay here.” Now, I’m not sure about you, but when it comes to family, especially a child, I’d be hightailing it away from the lighthouse and speeding all the way home.

John Carpenter never seemed happy with The Fog, primarily because it involved a lot of reshoots in order to appease an audience becoming more familiar with gorier pictures. This brings us to…

The Fog; Courtesy of Columbia Pictures

THE FOG (2005)

There’s a scene in Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, wherein one character says, “Trash does not compete with class.” I think that line is especially apropos with the delivery of 2005’s remake. It would seem I bag on PG-13 horror a lot, but I’m actually of the opinion a decent PG-13 horror film can be done — and has. This, however, is awfully formulaic.

It looks like it’s trying to be Pirates of the Caribbean or The Haunted Mansion meets a Nickelback music video. The acting in this is very dull, as if the cast was just going through the motions of being there. No one is particularly likable in this film, which is a total letdown because everyone was likable in the Carpenter film. The annoying dream sequences that don’t make sense, yet desperately try and push the story forward, regardless of its baffling predictability.

The CGI is garbage, the cinematography is too glossy to be dark and effective, despite its tries. A truck smashes into a clipper ship for crying out loud. Tom Welling stands out so much in this, because of Smallville, that his portrayal of Nick Castle is lacking. After a character’s car ends up in the bottom of the bay, they swim to shore and the next time we see them, they’re completely dry. That’s how dumb this movie is. Despite its target audience, I’d look at this remake as an insult to everyone, for undermining our competence.

The fog looks cheesy and far too distracting to be taken seriously. Even though it was probably dry ice in the original, that was still far more convincing and effective. There’s nothing enjoyable about this film. The deaths are horrible, as well. One character gets glass thrown through them and when we see it coming out of his body, there’s no blood. I don’t need blood to enjoy a movie, but it would certainly help in the logic department.

Overall, The Fog has to be one of the worst remakes of the 2000’s. I’m sorry to John Carpenter and Debra Hill for not enjoying something that, at the time, they probably felt enhanced the original’s story in a really interesting way.