Although horror fans know John Carpenter best for Halloween (1978) and The Thing (1982), his 1980 follow-up The Fog is among his most-beloved horror movies. Starring Jamie Lee Curtis, Adrienne Barbeau, Tom Atkins, Janet Leigh, and Hal Holbrook, the film has earned 20 times what it cost to make.
Ignore its low-budget, DIY production and enjoy this peek behind the scenes.
1. The film’s makeup specialist played Capt. Blake
Rob Bottin, who is now a legendary special effect and makeup-up specialist, played the main ghost in the film. Carpenter cast Bottin because his height, nearly 6’5” tall, was needed for the character.
2. Adrienne Barbeau’s role, Stevie Wayne, was specifically written for her
At the time, Barbeau was married to Carpenter, who wrote the role of DJ Stevie Wayne for her. After playing the role, Barbeau became the new generation scream queen, starring in various films such as Swamp Thing (1982) and Two Evil Eyes (1990).
3. The Fog’s radio station plays Jazz music over rock because it’s cheaper to license
It’s highly unlikely that a radio station playing jazz music would be popular, even in a small town. But Carpenter was keen on saving money, and he opted for jazz music as getting the rights for generic jazz recording is much cheaper compared to popular rock songs.
4. The Fog was a low-budget, independent production
The films’ budget was $ 1million, which was relatively low for Hollywood films, even in the 80s. However, to give an appearance of a far bigger and more expensive film, Carpenter shot the Fog in anamorphic widescreen Panavision.
5. The lighthouse was filmed at Point Reyes, Marin County California
Carpenter chose Point Reyes for the filming location of the iconic lighthouse featured in The Fog because it’s the second foggiest spot in the United States.
