The Fog 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

The Fog 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

The Fog is one of the greatest horror films ever made. The underrated masterpiece by horror maestro John Carpenter was produced on a relatively small budget of 1.1 million (although the budget easily exceeds the original Halloween). The film was a box-office hit for Carpenter and continued his own unique career trajectory as one of the greatest horror filmmakers. Produced by Debra Hill (Halloween, Escape from New York), The Fog stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Janet Leigh, Tom Atkins, and Adrienne Barbeau.

The fog comes rolling in for the small town of Antonio Bay. A local legend tells of a sunken ship with sailors who transformed into ghosts and haunted the coastal town residents. Appearing as demonic figures, the nightmarish and otherworldly sailors cause havoc and commotion with the foretelling of future deaths: “6 must die” reads the ominous sign.

When Antonio Bay local Nick Castle (Tom Atkins) picks up to-die-for hitchhiker Elizabeth Solley (Jamie Lee Curtis) on the ominous road, the two strangers set out on their own journey against time. The fog is slowly rolling in… and it sweeps the entire town in to a curse with the return of the ghastly sailors. Who will survive and who will die the night the fog rolls in?

Jamie Lee Curtis is a horror icon with good reason. The actress delivers an exceptional performance. Following in the footsteps of the success of Halloween, Curtis provides the star-power necessary to guide the filmmaking as the leading actress of The Fog. Curtis will always be the original scream queen.

The Fog is one of the greatest looking horror films ever made. The visual panache of the filmmaking is due to the expert cinematography by Dean Cundey (Halloween, Back to the Future). The film is visually rewarding with eerie atmosphere in every arena of the frame. Cundey is one of the greatest cinematographers in genre films and the results on The Fog are masterful. The perfect use of lighting works brilliantly and sets the mood for the tale.

Edited by collaborators Charles Bornstein (Halloween, Return of the Living Dead II) and Tommy Lee Wallace (Halloween), The Fog deserves accolades for having a pitch-perfect edit. The film never feels burdened by excess footage or unusual jump cuts. Instead, The Fog masterfully finds a perfect balance. The pace and rhythm is certainly exceptional and the footage selected by the editors is always first-rate.

The production design by Tommy Lee Wallace enhances the aesthetic of the film in good measure. The sets (especially the eerie locations used in the grand finale) create an atmosphere of dread that is truly unshakable. There is something undeniably compelling about these design elements and the manner in which Wallace helps to build the production. When the fog comes rolling in, audiences won’t be able to shake it. Fans will want to note that Tommy Lee Wallace contributed to The Fog shortly before making his directorial debut with 1982’s Halloween III: Season of the Witch.

The art direction by Craig Stearns (Children of the Corn, Invaders from Mars) is superb and one of the best aspects of the production. The combination of the art direction by Stearns and the costumes by Stephen Loomis (Escape from New York, Bustin’ Loose) and Bill Whitten (Bustin’ Loose, Record City) is potent and helps the eeriness of the ghost sailors (creeping in from the fog) to unsettle you. A ghostly terror – and menacing.

The Fog is one of the greatest masterpieces in the filmography of horror filmmaker John Carpenter (Halloween, The Thing). Written by John Carpenter and co-screenwriter Debra Hill (who together collaborated on several screenplays), The Fog is an unsettling experience and one filled with an impeccable sense of dread. The Fog will get under the skin and truly scare you. Carpenter has a remarkable understanding of the language of horror filmmaking and what scares audiences. Maestro Carpenter masterfully handles the filmmaking with the eye of a true artist (and even provides the fun and eerie original score). The Fog is one of Carpenter’s most rewarding films and it showcases the filmmaker at the top of his game.

The Fog 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on 4K UHD from Studio Canal, The Fog is presented in 2160p HEVC / H.265 in the theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 widescreen. The 4K restoration is excellent (and was the source used by Shout Factory on the U.S. release reviewed here.) The scan looks lovingly filmic and beautiful throughout. A testament to the incredible restorative power of 4K technology and modern restoration techniques. The cinematography is visually outstanding and hypnotic throughout the presentation.

The U.K. 4K UHD release caused debate with some viewers for peak-brightness levels when viewed on certain display technologies (as experienced by some with LED TV's). OLED TV owners and projector users apparently are not prone to the same issues with the UK 4K release. (Having viewed the Studio Canal 4K disc on a LG OLED display, I encountered no such issues as apparent on some displays with higher peak brightness outputs).

The Fog 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release includes an uncompressed PCM 2.0 track and a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound track. Both audio options on the release are presented in 24 bit high resolution. Having compared the Shout Factory 4K edition to this international release, the Atmos audio is a bit more immersive and those equipped with Atmos speakers will want to opt for the Shout Factory release reviewed here.) Nonetheless, the DTS-HD Master Audio surround sound track is stunning in its own right and gives a wonderful experience.

The Fog 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The art-work on the 4K UHD steelbook edition by Studio Canal (as sold in numerous territories) is stunning and is a personal favorite. The design is part of a line of releases designed for John Carpenter films. Steelbook collectors will appreciate the high gloss finish and having the tagline on the front cover of the release.

Disc 1 (Feature Film):

Audio Commentary with writer/director John Carpenter and writer/producer Debra Hill

Audio Commentary with actors Adrienne Barbeau, Tom Atkins, and production designer Tommy Lee Wallace

Disc 2 (Bonus Features):

Retribution: Uncovering John Carpenter's The Fog (HD, 44:55)

The Shape of The Thing to Come: John Carpenter Unfilmed (HD, 8:44)

Intro by John Carpenter (SD, 8:17)

Scene Analysis by John Carpenter (SD, 3:30)

"Fear on Film: Inside The Fog" Featurette (SD, 7:42)

"The Fog: Storyboard to Film" Featurette (HD, 1:26)

Horror's Hollowed Grounds with Sean Clark (HD, 20:22)

Outtakes (SD, 4:10)

TV Spots (HD, 1:36)

Theatrical Trailers (HD, 2:50)

Photo Gallery (including behind the scenes photographs).

The Fog 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Fog is one of the greatest horror films from the legendary John Carpenter (The Thing,  Halloween). A perfect fright-fest with a great sense of atmosphere and dread, The Fog is one of the most effective and unnerving horror films of all time. The release is jam-packed with bonus features. Please note that the Studio Canal edition lacks the Dolby Atmos sound mix included on the Shout Factory 4K UHD release (reviewed here).