By Robert Yaniz Jr.

John Carpenter’s 1980 classic is drifting into a city near you.

Considering that he has only directed two films in the past two decades (2001’s Vampires and 2010’s The Ward), it’s impressive how often John Carpenter still makes headlines these days. Granted, that tends to happen when you’re the creative voice behind so many classic films, but it’s still impressive just how many of his films have stood the test of time. Of course, Carpenter is best known for his iconic 1978 release Halloween — which spawned countless sequels, including one that is currently ruling the box office — but he also claims a number of cult classics like The Thing, Escape from New York and Big Trouble in Little China among his filmography.

Being the ever-studious student of pop culture that I am, I am always eager to soak in older releases that made an impact, especially when they are a part of as storied a resume as Carpenter’s. So when I heard that a 4K restoration of the director’s 1980 horror film The Fog had hit select cities in time for Halloween, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to finally check out the film for myself. Beforehand, my only exposure to The Fog was the dreadful 2005 remake which starred Smallville‘s Tom Welling and Lost‘s Maggie Grace. As a fan of both those shows, I caught that version in theaters and discovered too late that I should have just watched the original.

From the opening frames, The Fog sets itself up as an eerie ghost story, literally beginning with a fright-filled campfire tale. As the ominous fog begins to sift onto the seaside town of Antonia Bay, it brings with it a deadly supernatural threat with a score to settle. Going much deeper into the plot feels unnecessary, since there isn’t a whole lot to uncover there. For the most part, The Fog is an excuse for Carpenter to devise with one suspense-filled set piece after another, and unsurprisingly, he brings the same style and aplomb here that he did to Halloween just two years earlier. His mastery of shadow, of playfully using foreground and background (see below) is essential to what makes The Fog work.

Less critical are the characters, unfortunately. Although the film coolly features both Carpenter alum Jamie Lee Curtis and her mother (and Psycho legend) Janet Leigh, neither iconic actress really has too much to do. Ditto for Tom Atkins, as a local fisherman who gets mixed up in the ghostly onslaught. Of the film’s performances, Adrienne Barbeau — as a single mother and the local radio DJ — and Hal Halbrook — as a priest with a secret — make the biggest impressions. Yet, even their characters only exist to humanize the town andd drive the plot forward. This bunch is nowhere near Laurie Strode or Snake Plissken in the pantheon of Carpenter creations.

Then again, a film like The Fog doesn’t exist to necessarily create unforgettable characters. Carpenter is out to create a mood here, one that he develops further in his future projects. It’s easy to see why the film was a prime candidate for a 4K restoration, as its use of contrast is absolutely key to what makes the ghostly figures themselves such a foreboding threat. Although The Fog frequently forgoes logic for the sake of doling out a heavy dose of scares, the film is a fun ride for fans of the genre and especially Carpenter devotees who are eager to see how his filmmaking prowess has evolved over the years.

What separates his version of The Fog from its perfunctory remake is that Carpenter’s film also has an underlying message and social commentary baked into the DNA of what is — on the surface, at least — a fairly straightforward ghost story. The film posits that secrets often lurk behind what we know and love, even sometimes serving as the foundation of everything we hold dear. And like the titular shadowy cloud of Carpenter’s film, they can creep up on us without warning, tearing apart our worlds and overtaking them with their all-consuming power. The Fog may put scares first, but it’s this allegorical sensibility that ultimately has helped it endure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swm90pQgFiQ&feature=youtu.be

The Fog stars Adrienne Barbeau, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins, Janet Leigh, Ty Mitchell and Hal Holbrook and is directed by John Carpenter. A 4K restoration of the film is now playing in select theaters. Find a full list of theaters here.