Every town has its share of ghost stories. Antonio Bay is no different. The quiet sea side town is gearing up to celebrate it’s founding when a mysterious fog rolls in from the sea. Mysteriously power goes out, windows shatter and knocks can be heard with seemingly no one there. Coincidence or is the the town’s bloody secrets coming back for revenge as the long lost crew of the Elizabeth Dane have come ashore once again…
So John Carpenter had to do something in the couple years between Halloween and The Thing . I remember me and my dad trying to watch the godawful remake on video and my dad, legend he was, snoring halfway through it. The original legitimately feels like a old fashioned campfire tale in the best way. The opening perfectly sets up the movie’s atmosphere as well as some great cinematography accompanied some great music from Carpenter himself. I really liked Jamie Lee Curtis and Tom Atkins’s chemistry. I loved Antonio Bay as a setting, it felt like a cozy little vacation town I wouldn’t mind taking a trip to-if not for the ghost pirates. While I can’t say I was scared, I did appreciate the less is more approach to the ghosts and they’re are some badass shots of them towards the end. My only real complaint is the movie is a bit too much of a slow burn, feeling longer than it actually is. It drags a little in the second act mostly though the climax was a nice payoff.
In the end, the fog is definitely worth checking out, especially with spooky season around the corner. It’s definitely a cozy, turn the lights off and curl up on the couch kind of horror movie that looks great 45 years later. May the gaming gods bring you glory.
