The Fog wasn't the first horror movie I'd ever seen, but it was one of the first that truly lingered in my mind. I can credit Mike S with that, as he'd seen it multiple times, and kept telling me how scary it was... and that every time he watched it, a fog would roll in. Suffice to say, he was willing to put his money where his mouth was, and invited me over to watch it at his dad's place one night. We had our pop and junk food, and were ready to ride the scare train! Well, there was no fog bank that night, but it was a scary viewing experience. And instantly became a favourite of mine. I watch The Fog once a year, usually while staying at a cabin on a lake, and it's one of the few movies that, unlike me, never gets old. There's so much to enjoy, from the charming performances by Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Atkins and Adrienne Barbeau to the breezy dialogue to John Carpenter's masterful direction. And the story is the stuff of tales told around the campfir...

Jay can confirm that I'm pretty easy going when it comes to reviewing movies-  I can be fairly forgiving of a movie as long as it's entertaining. But if a movie fails to entertain me, Jay will tell you (and those that have read my more... um... "stern" reviews will attest), I'm not as forgiving. Sadly, the 2005 remake of John Carpenter's " The Fog " failed to entertain me.  It didn't just fail me- it failed pure and simple. I don't know- maybe the fact that the original is one of my favorite movies of all time, put it up for closer and potentially harsher scrutiny. Maybe it's the fact that this movie involves a lackluster retelling of the story from the 1980 version, lackluster characterization, lackluster acting, and lackluster scares. I don't know. I really don't know. But I just didn't enjoy this movie.  It wasn't scary, it was slow, and dreary.  None of the characters were interesting enough to root fo...

I love John Carpenter movies. I also love foggy nights. I love that there's a movie that combines both these two loves of my life. John Carpenter's " The Fog "! A small coastal American town is celebrating their 100th Anniversary.  Strange phenomena, and the discovery of a fishing vessel with all of it's crew drowned below decks marks the beginning of a night of ghostly horror... all accompanied by the slowly creeping fog swallowing up the town in its depths ... " The Fog ", is an excellent little ghost story.  It's spooky, suspenseful, and mysterious all at the same time.  The sort of story you'd tell on a dark night around a campfire... which is how this movie starts out, actually.  The opening of the "Sea Captain" about to tell one last ghost story helps to set the mood and tone of the rest of the movie. One of the best opening scenes of a movie I've seen in a long time.  Don't believe me?  Check it out: J...

One of the things that attracts us to a movie- besides the trailers, is the movie posters.  They have to be eye catching, and able to hint at what the story's about without spoiling it.  They have to make you curious, and want to plunk down your cash to sit in a theatre seat and watch the movie. So, with that in mind, I'm going to present my Top Five Horror Movie Posters:

It's been a fortnight since Mike S switched on Twitter and set his wit and wisdom on a voted upon movie selection, but the hiatus ends now! Well, about 24 hours from now. But y'all get to vote on this week's What Movie Wednesday flick sooner. Then, you know, he'll tweet about it.

Alright Basementites, it's time once again to cast your ballot and decide what next Monday's retro review will be. And you're three choices come from the film library of one of the best genre filmmakers cinema has ever know. That's right, this is the John Carpenter  Edition.

And by The Fog we mean the only Fog movie worth mentioning, and that's John Carpenter's The Fog . For there is no other Fog movie in existence. Movie geeks haven't yet been blessed with a Blu-ray of Carpenter's 1980 follow up to Halloween , so this is a disc I will certainly be picking up. My MGM special edition DVD still gets regular play, but I'd love to see this thing in glorious 1080 dpi. Enough nerd lingo. No word yet on what Scream! Factory has in store for the Blu, but I have no doubt it'll come full loaded when it hits July 30. For the uninitiated, John Carpenter's The Fog tells of a Northern California fishing town, built 100 years ago over an old leper colony , that becomes the target of a killer fog containing zombie-like ghosts seeking revenge for their deaths. Wanna see how good this flick really is? Check out the opening three minutes: Source: Shock Till You Drop Related articles "Scanners" - Blu-Ray Review...

What to do on a cool, moonlit night at a cabin on a lake with a roaring fire in the wood stove and waves crashing on the shore? Plug one of the best ghost stories ever put on film into the DVD player, that's what! A Northern California fishing town, built 100 years ago over an old leper colony, is the target for revenge by a killer fog containing zombie-like ghosts seeking revenge for their deaths.  It's interesting to note director/co-writer John Carpenter has gone on record as saying the original cut of this film, his follow up to the smash hit Halloween, didn't work. He had to feverishly go back and re-shoot and add scenes to heighten the scares and increase the threat to human life. Watching it for the bazillionth time, it's hard to place where those scenes are without listening to the audio commentary. The film works, and works well. It's scary and fun stuff with a decent cast, simple story and spooky atmosphere. Every frame justifies its exist...