Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

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.

"When the fog rolls in... you buy it twice!"

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 

Arriving on 4K UHD from Shout Factory, The Fog is presented in 2160p HEVC / H.265 in the theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 widescreen. The release presents a native 4K presentation (and is not simply a upscale from 2K resolution material). As a classic shot on film, The Fog looks outstanding in 4K UHD. Showcasing the eerie depths of the fog as it seems to swallow up the town, the high-dynamic-range presentation capably showcases all the details of the filmmaking. Speaking of the high dynamic range, the use here is often subtle but enormously effective. The enhanced use of color reproduction and depth with the fog visual effects is outstanding. The presentation has a nice layer of film grain and detail is exceptional on the encode. The release is presented with a high bit-rate encode of 76.50 mbps (far better than the subpar 10mbps one might hope to find on "low-fi" streaming).

The Fog 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Dolby Atmos. The Atmos surround sound presentation uses the core Dolby TrueHD 24 bit high resolution track. An impeccable high-resolution lossless audio soundstage, the track provides the filmmaking with the right level of clarity and detail to absorb one in to the filmmaking and the experience. Dialogue remains clear and easy to understand. The score by Carpenter is haunting and well balanced within the surround soundstage.

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

The exclusive collectors edition is a must-own for die-hard fans of The Fog. The release includes a beautiful outer box and inside of the package the best treat is stored: an exclusive 7" vinyl single with two recordings. The "Side B" track is a new recording by Carpenter and is exclusive to this box-set. It can't be obtained digitally or on streaming. LP fans won't want to miss out on the exclusive record.

Featuring beautiful colors on the exquisite unique pressing, the LP release looks and sounds great. (I decided to listen to the 7" record almost immediately after it arrived at my doorstep.) The 4K UHD release is provided inside of the collectible box as well and retains the same on-disc supplemental package as described below:

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

4K UHD (Disc One):

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

The Shape of The Thing to Come: John Carpenter Unfilmed (HD, 9:03)

Intro by John Carpenter (SD, 8:40)

Scene Analysis by John Carpenter (SD, 3:40)

Blu-ray (Disc Two):

My Time with Terror: An Interview with Jamie Lee Curtis (HD, 21:46)

Dean of Darkness: An Interview with cinematographer Dean Cundey (HD, 18:40)

Tales from the Mist: Inside The Fog (SD, 27:58)

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

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

Horror's Hallowed Ground (HD, 20:23) explores the original filming locations used for production.

Outtakes (SD, 4:09)

Special Effects Tests (SD, 2:40)

Theatrical Trailers (HD, 4:33)

Trailers from Hell (HD, 3:28) featuring Director Mick Garris discussing The Fog.

TV Spots (HD, 1:36)

Photo Gallery includes 97 click-through images from The Fog.

Storyboards includes 28 click-through storyboard illustrations.

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

Arriving on 4K UHD from Shout Factory, 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 4K UHD is outstanding and showcases the beautiful and filmic cinematography at its best. The release is jam-packed with bonus features. The Dolby Atmos audio presentation adds an extra layer of dread to the experience – those equipped won't want to miss it. The limited edition with 7" vinyl features a stunning collectible record with beautiful color and a unique design. The record features an exclusive recording on Side B and the recording is only available in this box-set edition. Please Note: some order options also include a collectible poster of the original movie poster art. Highly recommended.