Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!
Plot Summary: A small town is terrorized by a supernatural fog that contains a crew of vengeful spirits.
Review: I really do like this movie, but it's arguably the weakest entry from John Carpenter during the '80s. There are plenty of positives like the use of atmosphere, the simplistic yet creepy design of the ghosts, and the implementation of the fog itself. However, the story lacks any conceivable depth, we know nothing about the characters, and the pacing feels off. Learning this underwent heavy editing and re-shoots definitely explains a lot, but that doesn't make the problems subside.
My main problem with the story is the half-assed nature of everything. We do understand why the ghosts are doing what they're doing, but I feel like they're late to the party. Why wait a hundred years to seek revenge? All the people they want to kill are long since dead. I guess you could assume that the people they kill are descendants of the people that betrayed the ghosts...but that's a huge ass stretch of the imagination given the indecisive nature of how the fog seeks victims. Meaning, if the ghosts want to kill specific people, why do we see them pursuing so many people they don't even kill who are not related to one another? This kind of leads me to the pointless nature of Jamie Lee Curtis' character. She's such a useless addition and has no twist that connects her to anything. I think what would have cleared everything up is if the fog was kind of an urban legend that, once every 100 years, it's said a mysterious fog rolls in and people disappear. You could keep everything the same except change it so that the curse has been going on for longer. I think this would add another layer of creepiness since the ghosts would not be satiated--like, they're doomed for eternity. My other gripe is toward the uneven pacing. I did not like that there's a lull in the action. The ghosts should have attacked the town all in one night...it only makes sense this way. Then the drama with the three guys at sea? Eh...such filler.
I'm probably making it sound like I hate this movie, but it is still good for what it is. The way the fog works is especially cool--the ghosts kind of materialize within it and look quite freaky. Of course the best looking is the leader with his glowing red eyes. When you factor in yet another great score from Mr. Carpenter, the utilization of the fog creates this moody atmosphere. This is where the film truly shines as a horror, and I applaud that effort. The fake out and subsequent zinger ending does appear tacked on, but, I don't know, I kind of like the darker tone it creates; in one respect the ghosts are almost sympathetic, but the fact that they still kill the last victim demonstrates that they're definitely evil. Other than that, the technical aspects are all done extremely well considering this was another low-budget outing for Mr. Carpenter.
Overall, this is a decent horror film, but it lacks the kind of imagination and depth of John Carpenter's other classics like "They Live" or "Prince of Darkness." There is an eerie tone to the film, but it is boggled down by shallow characters and a huge lull during the second act. While the positives more than outweigh the negatives, I don't hold this in as high regard the way I do something as underrated as the aforementioned "Prince of Darkness." This is still worth checking out for newbies, but god help you if you end up watching the remake...
Notable Moment: When that one dude, sweeping up at the beginning, decides to take a sip of orange juice and put it back on the shelf. You asshole.
Final Rating: 6/10
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