An island off the Oregon coast is the setting for this salty yarn of ghosts, lepers, betrayal, vengeance, and teen angst. A fog-enshrouded schooner from 1865 returns from the bottom of the sea to wreak vengeance on the locals of the island, and it's up to local DJ Stevie Wayne (Selma Blair), her charter-boat-captain lover, Nick (Tom Welling, from TV's SMALLVILLE), and his wayward girlfriend, Elizabeth (Maggie Grace, from TV's LOST), to save the day. All three are related to the town's founding fathers, with whom the shipbound ghosts have an ancient score to settle. What that score is no one seems to know, but they need to find out, fast. DeRay Davis (BARBERSHOP) provides comic relief as Nick's lusty first mate, but the real scene stealer here is the fog itself, which is much more animated than in the 1980 John Carpenter original. Thanks to some nice CGI work, it slithers in, around, and under everything. Though gussied up with an angst-rock soundtrack and beautiful young TV actors, THE FOG is, at heart, a good old fashioned ghost story, replete with period costumes and inter-dimensional romance. Director Rupert Wainwright (STIGMATA) is good at capturing little details like the eerie tinkling of deep-sea fishing hooks hung out to dry, the textures of moisture-beaded shower stall doors, and the perfectly toned skin of lead actress Grace as she wanders around in her negligee. John Carpenter and his partner, Debra Hill--co-creators of the first FOG--served as producers.
(39 votes)
2.
As remakes go, The Fog has some grisly deaths that gore-mongers will appreciate, and star billing for Tom Welling is guaranteed to attract younger views and Smallville fans; however, the movie will have most horror buffs thinking fondly of John Carpenter's original. A combination of ghost story and slasher thriller, it's a typical example of why remakes are a risky endeavor, especially since the 1980 film does not rank with Carpenter's best. This time, residents of the seaside community of Antonio Island, Oregon, are falling prey to deadly specters that emerge from a spooky fog and are seeking revenge for one of the town's darkest secrets. As the body count rises, Selma Blair livens up this otherwise lukewarm horror pic in the role originated by Adrienne Barbeau, and genre buffs will enjoy in-jokes that refer to the original film and Carpenter's career in general (including one character named "Nick Castle," a reference to one of Carpenter's closest collaborators and fellow directors). Unfortunately, the film's also lost in its own fog of narrative confusion and lack of casting chemistry, but that shouldn't stop die-hard horror fans from checking it out. --Jeff Shannon
Product Description From producer John Carpenter comes the all-new retelling of his terror classic, The Fog. Tom Welling (TV's Smallville), Maggie Grace (TV's Lost) and Selma Blair (Hellboy) star in this senses-shattering tale of demonic retribution, directed by Rupert Wainwright (Stigmata) and written by Cooper Layne. Trapped within an eerie mist, the residents of Antonio Bay have become the unwitting victims of a horrifying vengeance. One hundred years ago, a ship carrying lepers was purposely lured onto the rocky coastline and sunk, drowning all aboard. Now they're back, long-dead mariners who've waited a century for their revenge. Seeking out the decendents of those reponsible for their deaths, they lurk enshrouded within a supernatural fog of terror. Beware, any and all who stand in their way.
(41 votes)
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