So begins John Carpenter's classic ghost (or is it "underwater zombie"?) story: The Fog as told by John Houseman aka Mr. Machen."11:55, almost midnight. Enough time for one more story.
One more story before 12:00, just to keep us warm.
In five minutes, it will be the 21st of April.
One hundred years ago on the 21st of April, out in the waters around Spivey Point, a small clipper ship drew toward land. Suddenly, out of the night, the fog rolled in. For a moment, they could see nothing, not a foot in front of them.
Then, they saw a light.
By God, it was a fire burning on the shore, strong enough to penetrate the swirling mist. They steered a course toward the light.
But it was a campfire, like this one.
The ship crashed against the rocks, the hull sheared in two, mars snapped like a twig.
The wreckage sank, with all the men aboard.
At the bottom of the sea, lay the Elizabeth Dane, with her crew, their lungs filled with salt water, their eyes open, staring to the darkness.
And above, as suddenly as it come, the fog lifted, receded back across the ocean and never came again.
But it is told by the fishermen, and their fathers and grandfathers, that when the fog returns to Antonio Bay, the men at the bottom of the sea, out in the water by Spivey Point will rise up and search for the campfire that led them to their dark, icy death.
[bells ring distantly]
12:00, the 21st of April."
I always like to mark this day when I can remember it.
If the events of the Elizabeth Dane and Antonio Bay were real, it would have happened 30 years ago. And in actuality The Fog turns 30 this year. THIRTY! Crazy.
So how to celebrate today?
Here's a few ideas:
1) Well like I've said in the past, I always like to pop in Carpenter's classic for a view. I'm always looking for new ways to enjoy films I've seen a number of times. Tying it to a date of the week, even if it's fictitious, sometimes gives it an extra spin that makes it fun. (It's only on DVD right now, Blu-Ray doesn't drop 'til May 12th...)
2) Order (or wear if you already own one) one of these great The Fog-inspired t-shirts.From LastExitToNowhere.com is this KAB Radio Antonio Bay t-shirt. Exploit your inner horror geek while being camouflaged from the rest of the world. It's subtle and wonderful.
3) If you live in Northern California (or can fly like Superman) you can make a quick day trip to the REAL Antonio Bay which is actually Bodega Bay (amongst other places).
Sean Clark has a great article HERE on BloodyDisgusting.com chronicling the whereabouts of the actual shooting locations for The Fog.
4) Watch another The Fog-like film. No I'm not talking about that lousy remake. Something else like The Mist, or Silent Hill. Something moody. Something... well, FOGGY.
So get out there! The day's half-over! Unless you're waiting for the night.
Enough time for one more story.
One more story before 12:00.
Just to keep us warm...
6 comments:
Fantastic memorial day! You gave me a great idea. Every summer, I have these "dive-in" movies with friends. We all float on rafts in the pool and I project a movie onto the wall of the house. I think next time, I should do "The Fog" original and have the fog machine going. If I line it up right, it could mist fog over the pool but not obscure the movie... hmm...
That... sounds... awesome.
Might I suggest a double feature with Jaws?
Wow, has it really been THAT long. Man, I feel old. I just watched this film last weekend and it still holds up. Carpenter establishes a fantastic mood right from that tell-me-a-scary-story prologue and never lets up, thanks in large part to Dean Cundey's amazing cinematography. Thanks for that link to Bloody Disgusting as well!
J.D.: Yes, sir, indeed it HAS been that long. Nothing makes me feel older than my favorite films hitting decade-after-release milestones.
No problem on the Bloody Disgusting link. It's a good horror site and Sean Clark's Horror's Hallowed Grounds articles are fantastic.
LOVE Last Exit! If I was a millionaire I get so many of the shirts on their website. They're like $60 a pop with shipping though!
John Carpenter is absolutely one of a kind. I am really fascinated on this movie and watch it all over again even the new version of this film released on 2005 that was directed by Rupert Wainwrigh.
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