A century after a ship sank losing all hands, an eery fog makes it's way along the coast towards the small town of Antonio Bay in California. The residents think nothing of this until a series of para-normal incidents start to occur and folks start to disappear. Could the mysterious fog have anything to do with these mishaps? A bit of investigation into the history of the town discovers that it was founded after an heinous crime committed by their predecessors on a passing ship, wrecked deliberately, that was carrying lepers - and gold. Could the fog be part of the retribution? Well it's soon down to Jamie Lee Curtis ("Solley"); Adrianne Barbeau ("Stevie") and Janet Leigh ("Kathy") to try to get to the bottom of things before the looming mist deposits it's own menacing cargo. The instantly recognisable opening tones from John Houseman's "Dr. Machen" set the scene well here for what is a gently accumulating horror film that leaves much of the sense of peril to our own nervousness, imagination and also offers the largely female cast an opportunity not just to run about screaming and wailing in the face of danger for a change. Darkness, fogginess, eeriness - lights flickering, cars not starting - the sense of isolation and loneliness. All of these fears are well capitalised upon by John Carpenter - not just with his use of the lighting and the camera, but also with his creation of a score that is also effective at heightening the tension. The acting is really only adequate, it has to be said - with Adrienne Barbeau struggling a bit, I felt - but unlike with many other Carpenter films, he stays focussed on the simplicity of the peril - the characters are given enough to say and do and the pace doesn't hang about for just shy of ninety minutes. It's not a jump moment movie, the effects are gradual and I found them to be pretty effective too.